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.
Carefully balance your propeller and spare propellers before
you fly. An unbalanced prop can be the single most
significant cause of vibration that can damage your model.
Not only will engine mounting screws and bolts loosen,
possibly with disastrous effect, but vibration may also
damage your radio receiver and battery. Vibration can also
cause your fuel to foam, which will, in turn, cause your
engine to run hot or quit.
We use a Top Flite Precision Magnetic Prop Balancer
™
(TOPQ5700) in the workshop and keep a Great Planes
Fingertip Prop Balancer (GPMQ5000) in our flight box.
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.
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, most radio systems
indicate 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.
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.
ENGINE SAFETY PRECAUTIONS
Range Check
Ground Check
Balance the Propellers
20
