Bob Underwood
Newcomers
There's a reason that it happens! At the risk of seeming cynical or philosophical, I'll start this month's offering with a plea: Read the directions! Did you catch that? Read the doggone directions!
The problem is simple: because of the way society has evolved, we are designed and bewildered by a blizzard of printed matter. Every box containing a product drips not only with instructions for the item's use, but copious warnings regarding its misuse.
Ours has evolved into a litigious society, dedicated to the premise that responsibility belongs to the other person. Thus the manufacturer is forced to attempt to warn us of every conceivable contingency. Symbols, bold print, colors — all are used to emphasize these issues. As a society, we have become desensitized to the point that the first thing shuffled off to the side is this material, which includes the instructions we really need.
The old phrase, "When all else fails, read the directions," springs to mind. Many problems stem from not wanting to read them. I realize that a few lines here will not change our psychological makeup; because it is written here, many will fail to see it in the first place. However, in most cases, we are provided with useful information and instructions.
During high school and college I worked part-time in a small camera shop. We had a customer who ordered a very expensive 35mm camera that used a cloth-type focal-plane shutter. Winding the camera and setting the shutter was a two-step process, and had to be done in a specific sequence. My boss carefully explained this to the customer, who became impatient and curtly explained that he wasn't born yesterday when it came to cameras. Guess who came back the next day with a damaged item? That was a valuable lesson for me.
Instructions that come with a product may not only help you assemble or use it, but may also help extend its life. Various types of engines provide instructions for break-in or fuel blend requirements. Often there are specific reasons for the differences between engines, such as the metallurgy or type of construction.
Heeding the instructions rather than the offhand offerings of the old-time "expert" in the club who states, "I've always done it this way," may be better.
Checking new products
Now that I've upset some newcomers and all the "club experts" by suggesting that they are negligent, I'll move on to issues that may upset the manufacturer.
Through the years, there have been some good articles in most modeling publications concerning quality control and the need to carefully check a new product. These articles have been published with — or in some cases separate from — product reviews.
This magazine does not do product reviews for reasons that will not be discussed here. However, information elsewhere about checking a new product deserves consideration. The three most-often-made suggestions center around:
- Engines
- Electronic equipment
- Ready-built models (recently, Almost Ready-to-Fly models or ARFs)
While the manufacturer usually tries to continue providing a better product, problems still develop. Two longstanding concerns with engines have been metal contamination left over from the manufacturing process, and loose screws or bolts. If it can happen in a $25,000 automobile, why shouldn't it be expected occasionally in a $75 model engine?
Checking the snugness of screws and bolts is not difficult. Remember, however, that certain items may actually turn for adjustment purposes, and tightening them messes up the adjustment! Especially with certain types of carburetors; the idle setting is often controlled by a screw. Making certain that it is tight will mess up the factory-set adjustment. If you have already read the instructions, you won't make that mistake! Loose screws in other places can result in loss of compression or leakage of air into the engine, upsetting the fuel/air mixture.
While snooping around for loose screws is one thing, checking for metal contamination inside the engine is another. About the only way you can find internal contamination is to disassemble the engine. I'm not recommending that for a newcomer — especially with a four-stroke. The warranties provided with many engines might actually be void if you start spreading the engine out on your workbench! Read the warranty.
If you are adept at disassembly, and it's not going to blow away your warranty, you may want to at least remove the crankcase cover (often held on by four screws) and look for metal chips. That's where they often wind up. Going beyond that (removing a piston, crankshaft, etc.) may require special tools or processes, such as heating or cooling parts.
Have faith in the manufacturer, distributor, and dealer to make things right if they were wrong to begin with! Remember when tightening screws, head bolts, etc., that in many instances there is a sequence of tightening to prevent warping the piece. Also, it generally doesn't require Mark McGwire–type strength to snug the fittings home!
Electronics
Recent articles have explored the possibility of contamination within electronic components, such as transmitters, receivers, servos, etc. In most cases, these articles have provided photos of pieces of wire, bits of solder, even small screws that have been found. The presence of these loose metal pieces on or around circuit boards and other components can become evident or harmful following use.
Vibration can cause stray pieces to "travel," and perhaps bridge tiny spaces on circuit boards. I cannot, in good conscience, suggest that the average newcomer start taking radio gear apart — especially servos. They're crammed full of components and often have a complicated setup of gears leading to the output. Transmitters often have a disassembly or assembly routine that must be carefully followed.
More often than not, the average newcomer (and many oldsters) can wind up taking a perfectly good piece of equipment and creating a piece of junk! This subject brought to mind one of my early cars. It had an electric clock that only worked sometimes, and I decided to "fix" it. I did! However, I wound up with the proverbial "piece left over" — a gear (actually, two). The clock ran great — except that it measured an hour in about 30 seconds! I finally just connected a switch to it and made it a conversation piece. On trips, time really did fly!
Ready-to-Fly and Almost Ready-to-Fly models
There have also been reports in various publications and phone calls suggesting that on occasion, some Almost Ready-to-Fly models (ARFs) have exhibited faulty assembly, typically in glue joints or with the selection of adhesive for a particular job. In this column, I have suggested adhesives such as epoxy, cyanoacrylates (CyA's), and some of the aliphatic glues for high-strength, vibration-prone areas.
The firewall installation is an excellent example of a high-stress area. Using an adhesive that is easily softened by fuel or one that fails to penetrate will not hold. The attaching system that has come under attack is the hot glue gun adhesive. It may be satisfactory for some firewalls, but not always.
As a newcomer, you should ask some questions relative to the construction of Ready-to-Fly or Almost Ready-to-Fly models. Most brands have been around a long time and have a track record. I have a couple that I bought while serving as AMA's Executive Director and couldn't find time to lead a normal life, let alone build! These models are five years old, and have had no problems with joints coming unglued, etc.
How do you know which ARFs are good? Ask for other modelers' experiences or ask your local hobby dealer for guidance. Scout out all visible joints; tug on the control surfaces to see if the hinges are firmly seated; and if you can get away with it, twist the wing panel or fuselage (gently, please!) to see, hear, or feel if something moves.
There's one "out" here since you can often buy the same model sold as an ARF in Ready-to-Cover version. You'll have to spend more time getting airborne, but it does allow you a better shot at finding mistakes that might have been made in the manufacturing process.
Final thoughts
I hope none of you take this as an indictment of aeromodeling hobby/sport manufacturers; they do an excellent job of providing reliable, well-thought-out, durable products in the price ranges. There is some junk out there, but:
- It is an unfortunate representation created by a mass-production, throwaway society.
- It may also represent a product or manufacturer who won't be around tomorrow.
Use common sense in your selection process and preparation. Ask questions and take your time. Remember that those who have been around awhile develop preferences in equipment. Their experience can be helpful, but they are not necessarily the definitive answer.
Check with your neighbors! If you suggest you're buying a particular brand of refrigerator to the neighbor on the right, he or she will swear by it, and the neighbor on the left will swear at it! Who's right? When push comes to shove, use all of the information you can obtain, then exercise your best judgment.
Transcribed from original scans by AI. Minor OCR errors may remain.
