Guidelines

1. Batteries: This is probably the cause of 50% of the R/C aircraft crashes, throughout time. Make sure a new radio system has the batteries charged for at least 16 hours BEFORE you start playing around with anything in the radio system. NiCads are not tolerant of misuse when they are new. If you don't have a NiCad battery tester, make this item a high priority on your "to get" list. A battery cycle tester is also a highly desirable item. Most modelers run a cycle check on airplanes they are currently flying at least once a quarter. Once you pay for your NiCad tester, USE IT! Check you airborne battery pack before EVERY flight. As a battery pack gets toward the end of it's useful life, you will be amazed how quickly it will drop off. Many modern transmitters have a volt meter built into the display...read it before every flight. Transmitters that don't have such a read out have a RF meter. Look at it before every flight. If any readings are different than what you expect, your system is talking to you.

2. Is the receiver AND battery pack wrapped in sufficient foam to isolate them from vibration. Vibration kills electronics and is especially tough on NiCad batteries.

3. Are servos properly secured and the grommets, eyelets and screws in the proper relationship? Is there a screw holding every output arm on it's servo? (amazing how often these screws fall out, or were never put back in after working on your airplane).

4. Interior control rods, cables, and antenna must be secured properly, routed properly, and move freely. Drag on control systems sucks battery power at a very high rate. Antenna should be away from servos and other radio parts. Antenna should have strain relief where it exits the fuselage and have protection in the form of heat shrink tubing or fuel tubing where ever it rubs against anything. Do NOT run the antenna out of the fuselage between the wing and fuselage structures.

5. Condition of propeller is good and propeller nut is tight. Keep in mind that wooden propellors compress. That is why you see so many propellors popping off on Saturday morning when they were perfectly tight last weekend. Check spinners. No part of the spinner cone should touch any part of the propellor.

6. Check to see that the engine, engine mount. and muffler are secure. Black "goo" on the airplane after a flight is a sure sign that something has come loose.

7. All control surface linkages must have keepers, be secure and move freely. Metal clevis' must have jamb nuts on the threaded rod to which they are screwed. If the clevis' you are using does not come with a positive locking system, slide fuel tube over the clevis to act as a safety keeper.

8. Conduct pull test on hinges and a load test on control surfaces. You will be amazed how many surfaces will pop off the hinges with even a gentle tug. Better to find this with the airplane still on the ground. Control systems should be reasonably rigid when you try to move the control surface.

9. Check the aircraft structure. Look into the fuse as best you can checking for cracks and broken glue joints. Check to see that the tail feathers are still secure to the fuselage. Gently twist the wing to make sure nothing is broken.

10. Check the CG (center of gravity) with no fuel in the fuel tank. If the plane has retracts, make sure to check CG with the gear retracted.

11. Wheels and gear must be secure and roll free. A little main gear toe in on tail draggers makes steering on take off much easier. Make sure the plane rolls straight. Nose wheel steering on tricycle gear airplanes should be minimal - 1/8" in either direction is more than enough. A 180 degree turn in about three wingspans is plenty of control.

12. Wing hold down system is secure.

13. Name, address, phone number, and AMA registration numbers are displayed on or in the aircraft.

14. Range check radio with antenna down and engine running to 50 feet prior to the first flight of each session.