Getting ready for flying season
Don Slusarczyk | [email protected]
As seen in the Spring 2021 issue of Park Pilot.
It is springtime, and for those of us who live in the Midwest, that means the new flying season is just around the corner. This is the time of year that I start going over my models after they have been in storage for the past few months. Spending a few hours over a weekend and checking them out means you can hit the RC field as soon as possible and not worry about any surprises when you get there. I store most of my RC jets in a shed during the winter because I do not have enough space in my house to fit them, so when spring is near, they all need to be inspected.
The first thing I look at is the overall condition. Does anything look out of the ordinary after storage? One thing that can happen to a model leaning on a wall or up against another model is distortion in the foam. Inspect the wing and tail to see if the model still looks straight and true.
This is when I also check out the glue joints on wings, stabilizers, and fi ns. Some kits are bolted together, and some are glued or have a mix of both. Depending on the glue used, temperature swings can loosen glue joints over time. Foam airplanes that are assembled with a tack-type glue instead of epoxy can sometimes have their parts slowly creep or pull apart. Be sure to inspect all of the glue joints and the seams on fuselages.
After I do a quick look over, I take a peek at any decals or tape that cover servo wires. Decals can slowly come loose or peel up in a corner. If they lift in flight, it can make a model hard to control. I once had an insignia decal lift up in flight, causing a roll and yaw. Only because I heard the decal flapping while it was happening did I realize what was going on.
The same goes for colored tape over the aileron and elevator wires along the wing and fuselage. Fixing them can be as simple as running your finger over them to get them to stick back down. If necessary, a little glue can be used to get them to stick better.
Next up is to check the canopy and battery hatches. Canopies can sometimes lift in a corner and might fl y off in the air. Battery hatches are often magnetic, and I find after storage that one of the magnets always seems to come loose when you take the hatch off. This is very frustrating when it happens at the flying field. Using a little clear tape over the magnets also helps. Mechanical canopy latches should be checked to make sure they lock and unlock with no binding.
Check the foam hinges on all control surfaces for cracks or tears.
Inspect the control horn glue joints and verify that all clevises are snapped closed. Surgical tubing can help keep them closed.
Look over any factory-glued joints to make sure that they are still holding strong.
Canopy magnets can easily come loose. Clear tape helps prevent them from pulling out.
Now move on to the control surfaces and pushrods. Many foam jets have foam hinges and, over time, those hinges start to crack. Now is a great time to inspect the hinges on the ailerons, elevators, and any other control surfaces to make sure that they are in good shape. If the hinges look good, look over the control horns and pushrod connections. Bolton control horns usually have no issues, but check any horns that are glued to foam to make sure they do not pull out easily. You should also check that clevises are still closed and have not popped open. Surgical tubing works great for keeping them closed.
I store my EDF (electric ducted-fan) models in a shed and insects sometimes crawl into the ducting. Inspect the ducting for insects and make sure it is clear of debris so that the EDF rotor does not ingest anything the first time you run it. I fly off of a grass field and after a season of flying, I often see some grass residue on the fan blades. That grass cuts down on the rotor’s efficiency, so it needs to be cleaned off.
The last two items I check are the servo wires going to the receiver to make sure that they are all seated in tight and the ESC battery connector to look for corrosion on the solder joints. I replace them if necessary. It might seem like these are a lot of things to check, but it is better to find problems now when you have the time to repair them than when you are at the flying field on the first day of flying season. Happy flying!
Don Slusarczyk | [email protected]
Loose decals, stickers, or tape over servo wires can break free in flight.
Inspect the wing glue joints, especially if they are glued with factory-supplied tack-type glue.
