User Manual

❏ 16. Balance the propeller and spare propellers. ❏ 17. Place your name, address, AMA number and
telephone number on or inside the model.
❏ 18. Cycle the receiver battery pack (if necessary)
and make sure it is fully charged.
❏ 19. If you wish to photograph your model, do so
before your first flight.
❏ 20. Perform a range check when you get to the
flying field.
PREFLIGHT
Identify Your Model No matter if you fly at an AMA sanctioned R/C club site or if you fly somewhere on your own, you should always have your name, address, telephone number and AMA number on or inside your model. It is required at all AMA R/C club flying sites and AMA sanctioned flying events. Fill out the identification tag on page 47 and place it on or inside your model. Charge the Batteries Follow the battery charging instructions that came with your radio control system to charge the batteries.You should always charge your transmitter and receiver batteries the night before you go flying, and at other times as recommended by the radio manufacturer. NOTE: Checking the condition of your receiver battery pack is highly recommended. All battery packs, whether it’s a trusty pack you’ve just taken out of another model, or a new battery pack you just purchased, should be cycled, noting the discharge capacity. Oftentimes, a weak battery pack can be identified (and a valuable model saved!) by comparing its actual capacity to its rated capacity. Refer to the instructions and recommendations that come with your cycler. If you don’t own a battery cycler, perhaps you can have a friend cycle your pack and note the capacity for you.
Ground Check If the engine is new, follow the engine manufacturer’s instructions to break-in the engine. After break-in, confirm that the engine idles reliably, transitions smoothly and rapidly to full power and maintains full power—indefinitely. After you run the engine on the model, inspect the model closely to make sure all screws remained tight, the hinges are secure, the prop is secure and all pushrods and connectors are secure. Range Check Ground check the operational range of your radio before the first flight of the day. With the transmitter antenna collapsed and the receiver and transmitter on, you should be able to walk at least 100 feet away from the model and still have control. Have an assistant stand by your model and, while you work the controls, tell you what the control surfaces are doing. Repeat this test with the engine running at various speeds with an assistant holding the model, using hand signals to show you what is happening. If the control surfaces do not respond correctly, do not fly! Find and correct the problem first. Look for loose servo connections or broken wires, corroded wires on old servo connectors, poor solder joints in your battery pack or a defective cell, or a damaged receiver crystal from a previous crash.
ENGINE SAFETY PRECAUTIONS
Keep all engine fuel in a safe place, away from high heat, sparks or flames, as fuel is very flammable. Do not smoke near the engine or fuel; and remember that engine exhaust gives off a great deal of deadly carbon monoxide. Therefore do not run the engine in a closed room or garage. Get help from an experienced pilot when learning to operate engines.
Use safety glasses when starting or running engines. Do not run the engine in an area of loose gravel or sand; the propeller may throw such material in your face or eyes. Keep your face and body as well as all spectators away from the plane of rotation of the propeller as you start and run the engine. Keep these items away from the prop: loose clothing, shirt sleeves, ties, scarfs, long hair or loose objects such as pencils or screwdrivers that may fall out of shirt or jacket pockets into the prop. Use a “chicken stick” or electric starter to start the engine. Do not use your fingers to flip the propeller. Make certain the glow plug clip or connector is secure so that it will not pop off or otherwise get into the running propeller. Make all engine adjustments from behind the rotating propeller. The engine gets hot! Do not touch it during or right after operation. Make sure fuel lines are in good condition so fuel will not leak onto a hot engine, causing a fire. To stop a glow engine, cut off the fuel supply by closing off the fuel line or following the engine manufacturer’s recommendations. Do not use hands, fingers or any other body part to try to stop the engine. To stop a gasoline powered engine an on/off switch should be connected to the engine coil. Do not throw anything into the propeller of a running engine.
Failure to follow these safety precautions may result in severe injury to yourself and others.
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