Control Line: Scale
Mike Stott
ARE YOU READY for the flying season? Now that it is almost upon us, it's time to think about getting your flying box and equipment ready to go out and fly that scale model you've been working on this winter.
There is more to getting ready than packing up the airplane in the car, tossing in some fuel and speeding down the road on a fine spring day. First there are several important things to check out for your safety and your model's.
Start with checking your line length. This is very important on 3-line systems where your third line is not the same length as the two flying lines. You should run out your lines and check the movements and throw of the bellcrank to the throw of your throttle and other mechanical hookups. Minor adjustments of the third line are quite normal to assure proper operation. It would be very helpful to find a warm building long enough, or do it on a warm spring day so that you may stretch them out so you are assured of proper action.
Make sure the ends of your lines are properly wound with copper wire to prevent them from coming loose. I prefer to use a little epoxy worked into and over the copper wire to make sure it does not come undone, instead of soldering the copper wire. I feel that improper soldering can fatigue the line by overheating the wire and making it brittle. Another thing to check on your lines is to make sure there are no kinks in them. Scale models are normally heavy and have a tendency to put more stress on the lines. If there are kinks in your lines, the extra weight and pull could cause the lines to break at this point. You do not want to spend all winter long building a scale model and then lose it to faulty workmanship or handling of your lines. I feel the lines are the most important part of your flight box.
Other items you'll find helpful are a 12-volt battery and an electric starter. With most of your engines completely cowled in, an electric starter comes in handy. Also, it saves injuries to your hands and fingers.
Take along some 5-minute epoxy or catalytic glues, such as C.G. Jet, Hot Stuff and Zap. As we all know, scale models are fragile. A lot of the details are put on with a minimum amount of glue, with small objects protruding which are easily caught and broken off. At contests it is imperative that these items remain on the model so that you are not accused of removing scale details before flying, which could cause a reduction in static points.
An extra long screwdriver, allen wrenches and an assortment of screws and bolts will come in real handy. I find sheet-metal screws of all sizes a tremendous asset.
Add some clear tape to your box. Use this to seal off doors and windows to your cockpit and other areas of the model that you don't want fuel to get into.
Pre-flight checks are not just to help preserve the model but also they are a vital safety requirement. One thing to look for is to make sure your motor mounts are tight and secure, both to the motor and to the firewall. Check your leadout exits to make sure they are secure on the wing tips. Make sure you have the proper alignment of the wing and stabilizer. And take a look at your wheels to see that they track straight so that the model will not turn in on you at takeoff.
Proper balance is essential. A tail-heavy model will be very erratic and hard to handle and it has more possibility of ending up in a fatal crash. A nose-heavy model will handle a lot more sluggishly. The thing to remember in this instance is that, if the motor quits, your glide path will be short. It will take considerable more elevator to hold the proper glide angle.
Mike F. Stott, 118 E. Wheeler St., North Mankato, MN 56001.
Transcribed from original scans by AI. Minor OCR errors may remain.
