Airplane Battery Switch Clearance
[from the October-November 2000 newsletter]
by Ned White
SAFETY SAKE!
Over the last few months we have had and some other clubs members have had a few questionable crashes, well more of a mystery type deal. What happens is usually the plane will seem to get a glitch or in some cases stop responding all together. Now the end result has been the same, a re-kitted airplane (a crashed plane). When the modeler gets all the pieces back, he or she is asked: "What caused it to crash?" After checking the batteries, voltage, all the connections, the servos & receivers, and antenna, provided that they are not destroyed from the impact. The modeler will say "Gee, I just had no control!" And then he or she will, or should send their radio in to have it really checked out by whatever Company it came from. As it turns out it seems that at least 1/3 these crashes were, in fact, caused by a loose battery connection or a not fully turned on switch. You know the ones I'm talking about, the one that when you switch it to the "on" setting things will work, but the switch really didn't Click On. Check to make sure your switch has a big enough opening to really Click On and Off when you switch it and that you double check or put some tape around your battery connections. Good Luck and may your Landings equal your Takeoffs.
Ned
P.S. As far as the other 2/3 of the crashes, "Stuff Happens".
Battery Switch Polarity (direction)
[from the August-September 2000 newsletter]
by Jim Parks
It has recently come to the attention of some of our club members that possibly some of the so called accidental crashes could have been avoided by better or proper installation of the OFF/ON switch and the location. First of all, they do have switches with slide guards to prevent accidentally turning the switch off. Then the pull off type switches should always be installed so the on position is in, to prevent bumping it and turning it off! Always locate the switch up and under the wing out of the way. This should help prevent accidentally shutting off your Receiver.
Jim Parks