A good Pre-Flight Check Begins with the Post-Flight Check
[from the December 2000 newsletter]
by Ned White
Save Yourself
I was inspired to write this article after 5 crashes and an article in the Jan 2001 RCM magazine. The five crashes were possibly caused by 5 different reasons. Radio interference, Radio or Battery failure, Pilot Error, Poor preflight tests, or maybe just being in a hurry. Whatever the cause, the result was the same, 5 very used airplanes.
Most of us could stand to practice Preflight procedures a little more. I read somewhere,. in an R/C Magazine, that a good preflight starts after the last flight of the day. When you are cleaning and taking your airplane apart for transport, Look your plane over for missing parts, loose screws, bolts & nuts, tears in the covering, loose or bad hinges and chips or cracks in the prop. Now for me, the best way to remember things is to write them down as I find them. After you've made a note, just put it on the airplane and when you get the airplane home put it on your work bench to fix. After the repairs have been done your plane will be truly ready to go to the hanger. Then, when you go to the field the next time, do a preflight to recheck just to make sure that the airplane did not receive any hanger rash or other damage from the trip.
We should always check all the control surfaces, control linkages, control horns, radio connections, look for loose or missing screws and nuts. I've found that around the engine is where I have loose screws, bolts or nuts, mostly the muffler and motor mounts. It's also been true that a screw or two may come out of a Servo. So please check control horn screws and Servo mounting screws. Make sure your batteries and receiver are firmly attached so they won't move around throwing the CG off. This condition can make an airplane very hard to fly, even for the veteran pilot. Last on my list of things to check are the wing struts, wheel collars, and hatches. Oh Yes, we should always range check our radios before that first flight. This is done by first checking out your Frequency Pin from the pin board on the shed door. Next, turn on your airplane and look for any radio movement. If there is a lot Movement, you should turn your airplane off and check to see that NO ONE ELSE IS ON YOUR CHANNEL. If all is quiet turn your transmitter on with the antenna down and walk approximately 100 feet away from the airplane. If the radio stays clear and responds to your inputs you should be ready to go. And if you ever have any doubts, please don't hesitate to ask for some help on the problem. At one time we had a Preflight Check List that our club put together, Hopefully I'll be able to find one and make some copies so that we can all have one.
Have Fun & Be Safe!
Ned
[this preflight checklist is now in the headquarters (shed) and also on this web site]
Pre-flight Advise for Hinged Control Surfaces
[from the August-September 2000 newsletter]
by Guy Fuller
SAFETY FIRST -- C/A Hinges!!
Another lesson learned today with my Sig Four Star 40. As most of you know, the Four Star comes with Sig C\A hinges and they work very well. Today as I did my pre-flight I noticed the ailerons were a little sloppy. Humm! Is it safe to fly? A quick tug on the hinge indicated that all was normal or so I thought. I did my usual fill the tank, range check, and were rearing to go 'cause everyone is in the air and it's time for some fun. The Rossi starts the first flip of the prop, Heck, who needs a stinkn' starter when you gotta Rossi. Ken carries die plane from the pits and I'm checking the wind and watching the traffic above. It's time for some real fun.
Taxiing out I noticed the aileron on the right looked a little funny. No big deal as I pulled on the hinges and it stayed together, so with out further fan fair full power and the Rossi screams to life as the prop unloads. In seconds the 4* is gaining altitude like a thirsty mule heading for water. This is fun. There must be ten planes in the air at the same time. Lets see, a zoomie, Yep! That's the ticket, so from around 500 feet I enter a split-S and come screaming down. The whine from the wheel paints is audible even at about 100 feet from the pit area and the opposite side of the field. But wait, what is that buzzing sound? Oops! Where is my aileron control, this is really sluggish. Landing! I cry. What a beautiful approach and touch down. Wow! Straight as an arrow.
Taxiing back I'm wondering what is hanging off the bottom right wing. An Aileron? Yepper! That's an aileron hanging. Upon inspection, two hinges are broken at the hinge point and the aileron torque rod is broke through the wood and hanging by a thread of Monokote.
Lessons learned today. This plane has over 150 flights and really no problems except for the fuel problems during the first 25 flights. Complacency can lead to disaster and by ignoring the slightly sluggish aileron, earlier, I could have prevented what may have destroyed my plane and could have flown more than once today.
If something doesn't look right it probably isn't right and next time I will pay more attention to detail. Luckily I noticed the flutter in time to pull the power, land and avert the demise of my Four Star 40.
Guy Fuller