My thumbs are itching for a flight!


I packed away my plane for the winter in my room last novemeber. Everything is covered so no dust has gotten into anything, but should I look out for my batteries? My servo's, batteries, and my engine are only a year old but this is my first time preparing a plane for it's maiden flight after being stored up all winter. Also I had just started a new jug of fuel before last season ended. It should be ok right?... If you guys could give me some of your routines of what you do to get ready for the first flight of the year that would be appreciated!


Righty

Do you have a way of cycling your batteries? I would charge them up and cycle them down then charge them up and then check them to see where they stand. I think they should be a some think like 75% to still be good. Anything lower than that and you'll want to cycle them a couple more times to see if you can bring them up (if they're anything less than 90% I would anyway), if they don't come up toss em. The price of a new pack is worth your plane easily. Also next winter when you store them away again, keep the batteries and what ever you may use to cycle them handy and do it once month or every two months. Keeps the batteries up to snuff and makes sure they are good for spring.


As for the fuel. I personally think it depends on where you stored it and how much of it you used. I generally toss any gallons that are more than half empty, and over a couple two/three months old. I have used them but I don't seem to get very good engine runs out of them.


As for the rest I usually just go over all the nuts and bolts and check to make sure everything is tight and adjusted right. I usually get bored way before spring and tear all my stuff apart and fix everything that was bothering me last summer. So by the time spring gets here I have gone over everything twice. After all winter off that first spring flight is almost like flying for the first time. Nothing like flying with tattatat of your knees knocking!

Welcome back!
I would start just like efergie said, but maybe add a small twist. Just take the plane and transmitter out , fire it up and see how long the batteries last. Then charge and discharge one cycle and see how they hold up. I have to replace my TX battery this year, toward the end of the year, I could only get 2 good flights, about 25 min, before the Tx pack was giving me the warning. $30 for a replacement pack is lots cheaper than loosing the plane. The fuel you can probably get away with if you left it sealed securely, but I would look to put some marvel oil in the motor and work it in good (hopefully you used some kind of protection on your motor over winter). If you get enough in the motor it will want to lock on you, just pull the glow plug so you don't damage anything. Go over the control sufaces, give them a solid tug to check the integrity of the hinges, the motor mount screws to the firewall and motor. Test the screws holding the landing gear on. This would be the best time to give it another cleaning, and to make sure the rubber "keepers" are on all the clevises. All in all, probably an hour and a half to two hours getting ready.

I agree on the battery cycling.

The fuel should be fine as long as it's sealed, like bingo mentioned, and also, as long as it was not stored in direct contact with sunlight. (i.e., near a window)