36
Preflight at the Field
Range Test Your Radio
Step 1
Before each flying session, be sure to range check
your radio. This is accomplished by turning on your
transmitter with the antenna collapsed. Turn on the
receiver in your airplane. With your airplane on the
ground and the engine running, you should be able
to walk 30 paces (approximately 100 feet) away from
your airplane and still have complete control of all
functions. If not, don’t attempt to fly! Have your radio
equipment checked out by the manufacturer.
Step 2
Double-check that all controls (aileron, elevator,
rudder and throttle) move in the correct direction.
Step 3
Be sure that your batteries are fully charged, per the
instructions included with your radio.
Setup and Flying by Mike McConville
Our new Extra 330S will blow away almost any pilot
wanting to fly aerobatics. When designing this
model, I incorporated design features and
enhancements that have been learned from several
years of Tournament of Champions and IMAC
competition.
Does this mean the Extra is only for the serious
competitor? Absolutely not! What this does mean is
that the Extra is fine-tuned and tweaked to excel in
both precision aerobatics and wild freestyle type
3D, so doing any aerobatics will be easier than
it has ever been.
Preflight
Before getting to the really fun stuff—flying— I’d
like to reiterate some very important steps that were
covered in the assembly instructions. For those of
you who are veterans of large models, this is old
news. But to you newcomers to the world of large
models, this is
very
important info.
While many smaller models are very tolerant of
improper control linkage setups and flying
techniques, large models are not. Don’t let that scare
you away from large models; they are truly one of the
best flying experiences in RC that money can buy.
However, please pay particular attention to the
following areas:
Seal the aileron and elevator hinge gaps.
This should be considered part of finishing the
model, and is as important as installing the fuel tank
or battery pack. On large aerobatic models, this is
absolutely necessary. Failure to do this may very well
cause control surface flutter, and on a large model,
this will most likely cause a crash. Putting safety and
model preservation to the side, there are several
other reasons to do this on an aerobatic model. It will
increase the effectiveness of the control surfaces, and
the model will track more true and precise. Hinge
gaps sealed? CHECK!
Maintain the proper mechanical advantage
on all control surface linkages.
Same as unsealed hinge gaps, this is often the cause
of flutter. Please follow the control horn and servo
arm lengths recommended in this manual. Shorter
arms on the servo or longer control horns on the
elevator and ailerons are fine, but do not try to
go the other way to increase throw. It will cause
flutter on the Extra. The recommended linkage
setups are more than adequate to achieve full 3D
throws. That’s straight off of the prototypes. Linkages
are set? CHECK!
Never attempt to make full throttle dives!
Large models perform much more like full-size
aircraft than small models. If the airframe goes too
fast, such as in a high throttle dive, it may fail. The
Extra should be flown like a full-scale Extra. Throttle
management is absolutely necessary. If the nose is
down, the throttle comes back. CHECK!