Hey guys. Ive decided not to convert my nexstar to floats this seasons, and basicly im putting all my equipment away for the winter months.

I was wondering what if anything i should check on my gear before storing.

IE, draining batteries.. any type of engine stuff? cleaning? preservatives?


Anyways. let me know if you can think of anything i shoudl do aside from clean everything very well before putting away for a few cold months .... BRRRR its freezing in newburgh [:'(]

give the metal parts a wipe with WD40, remove all batteries, put some oil in the engine... erm... thats about all i can think of

anyone have anything to add?

The only thing I check is that they are out of the way so they don't interfere with whatever winter projects I'm working on.

Actually don't use WD-40 as it will absorb moisture over time and cause rust. You want to make sure the bearings of your engine are well coated with after run oil (automatic transmission fluid, Marvel Mystery Oil, etc.). Put some down the glow plug hole, and some in the carb, and then turn the engine over to get the oil to the bearings. Watch how you put the oil in the carb as some engine manufacturers say not to put after run oil in the carb as it can deteriorate the o-ring. I've personally not had a problem with this, but just a cautionary reminder.

For the radio batteries, there are many theories about this, so who knows which is best. I tend to leave mine in and cycle them on my Triton cycler once a month to keep them conditioned. But I also fly during the winter so I want my planes ready to go.

Hogflyer

most likely going to keep my Transmitters and battieries in my room nice and warm to save that hastle..


but just for general sitting/storage, around 40 degree's in my basement will the plane be alright sitting there for a few months?

Won't be a problem.

Hogflyer

1. Remove the fuel tank, drain it completely and replace ALL the fuel lines INCLUDING the line that goes from the tank stopper to the clunk.

2. Remove the engine, remove/clean any accumlated junk from the engine. Remove the glow plug and squirt a good amount of afterrun oil OR Marvel Air Tool oil into the engine, then turn the engine over several times by hand. Put the engine into a zip lock bag and seal the bag.

3. While not really necessary, I suggest also removing the batteries from the plane AND transmitter. In the spring, cycle the batteries a couple of times and if they are OK re-install them. If you do decide to remove the batteries, check the wiring for "black wire" disease.

Here is the link to the Battery Clinic http://www.rcbatteryclinic.com/ Red has a lot of very good information on his site including black wire disease.

Campy,

Why do you go to all that work to store your airplanes for 4 months? I just put them away with charged batteries and turn the engines over once in awhile. When I store a car, I don't do anything except take the tires off and put it on blocks. Plus the fuel tanks in some of my planes would need major disassembly of the fuselage to get it out. There built in and won't come out. This is just my opinion, if you think what you do is needed then I guess your still going to do it. Try it with 40 or 50 planes.

Giibs

Campy,

Why do you go to all that work to store your airplanes for 4 months? I just put them away with charged batteries and turn the engines over once in awhile. When I store a car, I don't do anything except take the tires off and put it on blocks. Plus the fuel tanks in some of my planes would need major disassembly of the fuselage to get it out. There built in and won't come out. This is just my opinion, if you think what you do is needed then I guess your still going to do it. Try it with 40 or 50 planes.

Giibs
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Depending on how much the plane is flown it is a good practice to replace the fuel lines at least every other season to prevent problems during the flying season. The fuel tank in the Nexstar is relatively easy to remove. Since the plane is going to be laid up for a few months, why not change out the fuel lines ? It takes a few minutes and you are insured that there will not be any problems on that end for the next flying season. Granted, there are some planes that removing the tank would be more trouble than it is worth. With those planes wait until something goes wrong (hopefully you have fuel proofed the appropriate areas while building ) and then do the surgery.

As for the engine, the changes in humidity AND the probability that the plane/engine are not stored in a warm environment will greatly increase the chances of rust/corossion in the engine. Some people are dedicated enough to go and turn the engine over every 10 - 14 days plus add some additional afterrun oil once a month, most people are not. Yes, the procedure is a bit of a pain, but it will ensure a long life for the engine.

When was the last time you pulled the batteries from your transmitter ? When was the last time you checked for black wire disease ? Would you know black wire disease is you saw it ? Do you go and top off the batteries every 14 days ? Do you know what damage can happen to a nicad/nimh that is discharged and then subjected to freezing temperatures ?

He asked what to do. I presume that he wants to keep his plane and equipment in good shape. I answered his question. Yes, it is a bit much to do with 40 or 50 planes, however, how many of us have THAT MANY planes ?

I thought I had a lot of planes (9 flyable - 11 total ), and yes, it is a "pain". Takes me about 1/2 a day to get them ready for winter and about 1/2 day to get them ready again for flying season.

Campy,

I keep my planes in my shop which happens to be the furnace room in my basement. It is a room by itself with the furnace in the middle. Probably 14X18 ft. It stays cool in the summer and warm in the winter. As for transmitter and receiver batteries I check them for any problems before I fly in the spring. Like I said I charge them up when I'm done with them for the winter. I didn't say I didn't check the amount of charge they have in them once a month. If they need to be charged I do it. This is both TX and RX. The after run oil subject has been talked about so much and there are two sides to the use of it. Half the guys say yes and the others say no. I just don't think it's necessary where I store my planes. Plus I hang all my planes by their stabs. This I've been told helps the front bearings greatly. This is done each time I turn over the props each month. Thanks for you feedback! I think what you do is a good idea if you have to store your planes in the cold, but not for my situation.

Gibbs