RADIO CONTROL PYLON RACING - 2003/05

May 2003 113
RITES OF SPRING: Here it is, May already. How time flies when
you’re down in the basement inhaling fumes! Before we head out to
enjoy the sunshine, I’d like to touch on some preseason maintenance
issues and flight-trimming tips. The first and most important thing is to
“cycle” your Radio Control system batteries. This only applies to
nickel-cadmium (Ni-Cd or “Nicad”) packs. If you’re using those
newfangled lithium-ion or Nickel Metal Hydride batteries, you have
different problems; cycling isn’t one of them.
Ni-Cd users should fully discharge the packs down to 1.1 volts per
cell (that’s 4.4 volts for the airborne or 8.8 volts for the transmitter)
under a 200- to 300-milliampere load, then charge them overnight. Do
this two or three times at least.
Various nifty gadgets on the market will carefully measure and
control the process, but if you don’t have such a gadget it’s okay to sit
the airplane on the living-room floor, turn on the radio system, and
wiggle the servos randomly while you watch television. Extend the
transmitter antenna at least halfway so you don’t cook the output
transistor. Continue until you or the servos get too sluggish to continue,
then put the system on charge and go to bed.
This definitely improves the capacity of Ni-Cds. I just got a new
radio system, and the batteries were only holding 60-70% of their rated
capacity until I cycled them several times. Now I wonder how many
crashes in which the pilot reported that “the radio was new, and it quit
on the third flight” are simply caused by the batteries not being
accustomed to the effort.
Engines need preseason maintenance too. High-quality fuels such
as PowerMaster and Red Max contain at least some castor oil (usually
in combination with synthetic oils), and castor will stiffen up in your
engine’s bearings after a few weeks. Cure this by putting a few drops
of lacquer thinner down the carburetor barrel and hand-flipping the
engine a few times to loosen it up. Follow with a few drops of Marvel
Mystery Oil or your favorite magic potion to coat the internal parts and
prevent rust.
Flush the fuel tank and lines with rubbing alcohol to remove any
residual crud. Chase out the alcohol (which is 30% water) using a
small amount of fresh fuel. It’s a good idea to replace all the flexible
tubing, just in case. And if the tank is more than a year old and uses
brass tubing, replace it. Believe it or not, prolonged exposure to fuel
can cause hairline cracks in the brass that will drive you crazy trying to
find the leak. I’ve been there!
Check the entire airframe for stress cracks, loose hinges, enlarged
holes in control horns, worn-out threads on clevises, sloppy servo
gears, etc. You knew that! Still, it’s all too easy to skip those
inspections during the flying season, so do it now.
“V” for Victory? Since Jim Allen (Phoenix, Arizona) began cleaning
up with his Quik-V series of designs 10 years ago, Quickie 500 models
have tended to follow the shoulder-wing, V-tail format. Now the
average newcomer thinks that to have any chance at all, he/she must
start out with a V-tail design. What’s wrong with this? Nothing, except
that most pilots find themselves utterly flummoxed by the prospect of
setting up and flight-trimming a V-tail model.
The advent of Almost Ready-to-Fly (ARF) V-tail models hasn’t
completely cured the problem. You didn’t have to build it, but you do
Duane Gall, 1267 S. Beeler Ct., Denver CO 80231; E-mail: [email protected]
RADIO CONTROL PYLON RACING
Members of the Colorado Civil Air Patrol officiate at local races.
A $100-per-day donation provides mutual benefit.
May 2003 113
RITES OF SPRING: Here it is, May already. How time flies when
you’re down in the basement inhaling fumes! Before we head out to
enjoy the sunshine, I’d like to touch on some preseason maintenance
issues and flight-trimming tips. The first and most important thing is to
“cycle” your Radio Control system batteries. This only applies to
nickel-cadmium (Ni-Cd or “Nicad”) packs. If you’re using those
newfangled lithium-ion or Nickel Metal Hydride batteries, you have
different problems; cycling isn’t one of them.
Ni-Cd users should fully discharge the packs down to 1.1 volts per
cell (that’s 4.4 volts for the airborne or 8.8 volts for the transmitter)
under a 200- to 300-milliampere load, then charge them overnight. Do
this two or three times at least.
Various nifty gadgets on the market will carefully measure and
control the process, but if you don’t have such a gadget it’s okay to sit
the airplane on the living-room floor, turn on the radio system, and
wiggle the servos randomly while you watch television. Extend the
transmitter antenna at least halfway so you don’t cook the output
transistor. Continue until you or the servos get too sluggish to continue,
then put the system on charge and go to bed.
This definitely improves the capacity of Ni-Cds. I just got a new
radio system, and the batteries were only holding 60-70% of their rated
capacity until I cycled them several times. Now I wonder how many
crashes in which the pilot reported that “the radio was new, and it quit
on the third flight” are simply caused by the batteries not being
accustomed to the effort.
Engines need preseason maintenance too. High-quality fuels such
as PowerMaster and Red Max contain at least some castor oil (usually
in combination with synthetic oils), and castor will stiffen up in your
engine’s bearings after a few weeks. Cure this by putting a few drops
of lacquer thinner down the carburetor barrel and hand-flipping the
engine a few times to loosen it up. Follow with a few drops of Marvel
Mystery Oil or your favorite magic potion to coat the internal parts and
prevent rust.
Flush the fuel tank and lines with rubbing alcohol to remove any
residual crud. Chase out the alcohol (which is 30% water) using a
small amount of fresh fuel. It’s a good idea to replace all the flexible
tubing, just in case. And if the tank is more than a year old and uses
brass tubing, replace it. Believe it or not, prolonged exposure to fuel
can cause hairline cracks in the brass that will drive you crazy trying to
find the leak. I’ve been there!
Check the entire airframe for stress cracks, loose hinges, enlarged
holes in control horns, worn-out threads on clevises, sloppy servo
gears, etc. You knew that! Still, it’s all too easy to skip those
inspections during the flying season, so do it now.
“V” for Victory? Since Jim Allen (Phoenix, Arizona) began cleaning
up with his Quik-V series of designs 10 years ago, Quickie 500 models
have tended to follow the shoulder-wing, V-tail format. Now the
average newcomer thinks that to have any chance at all, he/she must
start out with a V-tail design. What’s wrong with this? Nothing, except
that most pilots find themselves utterly flummoxed by the prospect of
setting up and flight-trimming a V-tail model.
The advent of Almost Ready-to-Fly (ARF) V-tail models hasn’t
completely cured the problem. You didn’t have to build it, but you do
Duane Gall, 1267 S. Beeler Ct., Denver CO 80231; E-mail: [email protected]
RADIO CONTROL PYLON RACING
Members of the Colorado Civil Air Patrol officiate at local races.
A $100-per-day donation provides mutual benefit.