New Airplane Preflight Inspection
Receiver and battery
- BATTERIES CHARGED??? BATTERIES CHARGED???
- ASK … “WHEN THE BATTERIES WERE LAST CHARGED and for HOW LONG!!!!”
- Wrapped LOOSELY in soft foam rubber (Open cell foam found “around the house” is not acceptable.)
- Secured In Place (without compressing foam.)
- Actual battery and receiver must not touch aircraft structure.
- Antenna strain relieved (at fuselage exit point or where it enters an internal antenna tube)
- Antenna exits fuselage through grommet or fuel tubing if applicable
Servos
- Mounted with all supplied grommets, bushings, and screws.
- Brass bushing installed from the bottom of the grommet with flanged end against the wood servo rail.
- Screws tightened just enough to compress the rubber grommet slightly
- Servo wires carefully routed to prevents chaffing against rough wood edges etc. and secured or strain relieved as necessary
- Plastic servo case not touching structure/servo tray
- Servo arm screws installed and tight.
Linkages
- · Push-rods straight - no binding or rubbing on structure
- Clevises/ball joint ends threaded securely onto push-rod
- Clevises secured with keepers (fuel tube, spring keepers, clips, etc.)
- Control horns securely mounted to surfaces
Airframe
- CHECK BALANCE!!! CHECK BALANCE!!! CHECK BALANCE!!!
- Covering material/seams properly sealed (especially seams facing into airstream)
- Hinges glued securely
- Wing and tail surfaces properly aligned to each other
- No warps or twists in wing, tail, or control surfaces
- Landing Gear, wheel collars, etc. secure
- Control surfaces move freely - No binding
- Controls move in proper directions
- Control throws properly set
Engine
- Engine and Mounts securely fastened
- Engine thrust angles correct
- Propeller correctly sized for engine
- Propeller/spinner properly installed and tightened
- Fuel tank properly mounted
- Fuel lines correctly installed
- Glow plug properly installed
Preflight Check
- Set engine mixture - High and Low speed needles
- Ensure engine runs reliably
- Range check radio - Engine off and Engine running
- Flight control total travel properly adjusted
- Set flight surfaces to neutral positions with trim tabs centered
- Flight Controls - FREE and CORRECT!!!
NOTE: Safety is Everyone’s Job! This checklist is intended to protect the student and his equipment, as well as the Alexandria R/C Flyers Club, its members and any spectators that may be present at the time of the first flight of a new plane. Do not attempt to fly a new plane until it complies with every item on this checklist. If the necessary adjustments/repairs are too involved to perform at the field, insist that the student take the plane home and ensure that it complies with these requirements before returning to fly the model.
The above information was put together by Jim Zabel.