MitchD
Senior Heliman
Location: Antioch TN USA
My Posts This: Topic Forum | Something to really consider.......Some things to check and think about before you strap on some training gear.
1.get someone who knows RC helis to help you by checking your machine out to make sure everything is tight and correct,and to help you with that first flight.If theres no one around the corner, drive to where the heli guys fly and ask for help.
http://p-locate.rc-helipad.com/ easy help finder
2 batteries: are they charged? radio and receiver?using a battery tester that puts a load on the batteries at your rcvr,check em before you fly,no matter how long they charged the night before.Invest in a battery checker,they last long, may save your heli, and someones life.35 bucks is cheap insurance.
3 Radio. are the batteries charged?are the servos working properly?
Are the servos reversed where they shouldnt be???Did you set up your failsafe?throttle hold?? dont be afraid to ask for help on this it is important.
4 Range check: with your antenna in the non extended mode,place your heli about 75 feet away from you.have a friend stay near the heli
(engine off) and observe that the heli responds to all the commands you give it w your radio.If it doesnt you have a problem,dont fly till you fix it.Make sure no one is on your frequency,use a dsc cord or wait till you get the "pin"if you need to turn your radio on when others are flying.
4.5 Garbage in the Air 101
With the addition and change of frequency allocations as technology(cough) improves,the airwaves are "flooded" with all kinds of garbage signals these days.Most of the organized fields are assumeably safer from these "bastard",imaged, or harmonics of radio signals that can interfere with Model Aircraft frequencies.This is a good example of why not to fly in residential,or densely populated areas Guys that fly at the field will be able to tell you if there is a known "problem" channel.Channel 20 is very common.Finding out the hard way can be fatal and or expensive.If youre not sure ask someone that is.If theres a club safety officer,find out who it is and ask,its theyre duty to know this.If youre not sure go back to step 4 and range check again especially, if youre new to the field or are flying at one your not familiar with.
5 Tight and ready. are your mainblades and tail blades tight enough?
did you go thru the machine and check all your fasteners?
nuts/bolts/screws,if it says to use loctite in your assy manual,or your not sure use loctite.
Blades: unless your using prebuilt blades, follow the blade manufacturers instructions on how to build or finish blades.Use the reccommended adhesive to glue grips, and use the hardened bolts that came with your kit to bolt the blades to the grips.If you loose or bend blade bolts in a crash,or for whatever reason use hardened replacement bolts in the blade grips.
Wal Mart/Home Depot/Lowes etc do not sell these.Blades that come off in flight can kill or maim someone.It has happened,its ugly,and it can be prevented.
Parts coming off the rotorhead of a rc heli are travelling @ up to 300 mph( so I've been told) when they leave the machine ,If its not from the rotor head, its just as bad,you ought to see what happens when a loose muffler goes thru a set of mainblades,Its more than scary,nuff said.
6 Hovering/Flying too close to yourself:
Keeping all the above in mind,If something goes wrong,falls or flies off ,heli locks out and chases you,who will absorb the impact?
PLEASE keep your heli at least 25 feet away from yourself if you can.
I cant stress this enough.A Heli thats out of control or is throwing parts can kill you or someone/something else.
Crashes throw parts too,at 25 feet you have a good chance of not being injured.
With the machine 25 feet away, if you all of a sudden have a uncontrollable machine, you can run, if all else fails.This may sound funny but it may save your ass.
Any closer your just a bigger target.
7 Spectators: Almost everyone loves to watch RC Helis fly.
Let them watch from behind the flight line,keep an eye out for children and animals,they can sneak right up on you,or the heli.The end result can be fatal.
I put this basic, rough list together, after reading a post that refferred to an incident that could have been real ugly.It doesnt cover it all but some of the basics to being safe and enjoying the hobby.
You cant enjoy it if your hurt,or dead or someone else is......
Thanks!
Some things to check and think about before you strap on some training gear. |
(happens all the time around here,especially when a new motor or gyro comes out,or when I have to hit the street for a while
