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 17 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.
CAUTION: Unless the instructions that came with your radio system state differently, the initial charge on new transmitter and receiver batteries should be done for 15 hours using the
Balance the Propellers
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 motor mounting screws and bolts loosen, possibly with disastrous effect, but vibration may also damage your radio receiver and battery. When balancing the propeller that came with your Fun Force ARF, add tape to the light side of the propeller. Do not shave material away as is done with traditional propellers.
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.
Ground Check
Check the motor operation by running it to full power and back down. It should respond quickly and smoothly through the full range of throttle travel. After you run the motor 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
It is important to 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 [30.5 m] away from the model and still have control. Have an assistant hold your model and, while you work the controls, tell you what the control surfaces are doing. Repeat this test with the motor 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.
MOTOR SAFETY PRECAUTIONS
Failure to follow these safety precautions may result in severe injury to yourself and others.
Get help from an experienced pilot when learning to operate motors.
Use safety glasses when starting or running motors.
Do not run the motor 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 motor.
Keep these items away from the prop: loose clothing, shirt sleeves, ties, scarves, long hair or loose objects such as pencils or screwdrivers that may fall out of shirt or jacket pockets into the prop.
The motor gets hot! Do not touch it during or right after operation.
Do not throw anything into the propeller of a running motor.
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