Don’t let wintertime blues ruin your springtime fervor!

By Jim Hamilton

Part One- Hibernation

During the winter, our flying activity sometimes slows to a crawl and a few of us diehards are the only ones to brave the blistery cold and actually fly. The smart ones stay where it is warm, catch up on building projects and get ready for the onset of a new flying season.

 Usually, the winter is spent putting new projects together. It also should be a time to consider prepping our veteran airplanes for the upcoming flying season. There are important procedures to follow when we store our airplanes and when we get them ready to fly in the spring. Usually, when spring rolls around, I start pulling out my planes and getting them ready to begin a full season of flying. Over the years, I’ve noticed that sometimes our aircraft become infested with the springtime bugs. I bring a plane or helicopter out to the field for the new flying season and start having all kinds of little headaches. To avoid these headaches, consider giving your aircraft a thorough overhaul before heading out to the field to fly.

 When the winter finally does set in, it is a good idea to follow some basic steps when storing a model. One of the first things to do is to give your plane a good cleaning. After a season of heavy flying, a lot of dirt and grime can build up on an airplane or helicopter. Some of the worst buildup is in difficult to access areas under cowls and around the engine where gunk builds-up the most. It is a good time to remove things like cowls, landing gear and engines to give them a thorough cleaning. Clean the engine compartment well. This serves several purposes. First, I can remove any excess fuel or oil residue that has accumulated. Second, it gives me a chance to properly prepare the engine for storage.

Hibernating an engine for winter includes doing preventative measures to ensure that it won’t give you fits in the spring. One product that is essential is a good “After Run” oil. The fuel that we use for glow engines contains three main ingredients; methanol (aka methyl alcohol, or alcohol), nitro methane and castor/synthetic oil. One thing about alcohol/methanol is that it will absorb water like a sponge. It does not take a rocket scientist to tell you that water can cause certain metals to rust. One key part of our motors is the crankshaft and ball bearings. You can you guess what those parts are often made from. Yes, one of the metals that is most prone to corrosion, steel. Glow fuel also has some oil content. Typically, it is either Castor or synthetic oil. Some fuels use a mixture of both. When left over time, the oil residue can gum up parts of the engine. Although you may be able to clean it up later, it is usually much easier to avoid the problem by preserving your engine properly. So, what type of oil should be used? The market brand After Run is a good choice, but it is not the only one available. Automatic transmission fluid, such as Dexron III,  has rust preventatives and detergents that will help prevent an engine from becoming gummed up. Other people have used oils like Marvel Mystery Oil and Marvel air tool oil. Whichever one you choose, ensure that it is one that will properly preserve your motor and will not harm O rings and gaskets. As for gasoline engines and diesels for that matter, this is not as big a concern as with glow-fuel engines. Mainly because straight gasoline does not attract water vapor as much as alcohol. This does not mean that it would be a bad idea to use preservative oil in gas engines, it just means that it is not as critical when it comes to corrosion.

One thing that is very important is the radio equipment and its battery. Proper and reliable operation of the radio equipment is the most important part of any R/C aircraft. It is the key part of flying. Think of it this way; often models can still fly if the motor quits or if a minor structural failure occurs. However, if the radio equipment fails, they are no longer radio controlled models. Instead, they become unguided missiles.

 The most failure-prone part of a radio system is the battery. Without battery power, nothing works. There are two things you need to know about batteries. First, know how to properly charge your batteries. Second, know how to store your batteries. The best sources of information about battery maintenance are the manufacturer's instructions for the battery that came with the radio system and the manufacturer's instructions that came with any additional batteries you may have purchased. If you are using aftermarket batteries, carefully follow the battery manufacturer’s instructions. Never assume that what works with one battery will work for all! Typically, we use three main types of batteries, NiCad, NiMH and Li-Po/ Li-Ion batteries. The biggest mistake you can make is assuming you know how to charge and store your batteries without doing your homework. Do the research! Even batteries of the same type from different manufacturers may have different charging, discharging and storage properties. Again, it is best to research the battery manufacturer’s recommendations.

 Another important aspect of winterizing your models is to thoroughly clean them. Don’t let dirt, grease, grime and oil remain on your aircraft over the winter. It not only degrades the exterior finish, but can also compromise the airframe if oil and grime get under the paint and covering. This can weaken vital parts of the model and produce catastrophic results in the air. What it comes down to is to give your plane the cleaning it needs over the winter. One other thing before your plane hibernates for the winter, drain all the fuel from the tank! For all the obvious reasons, never leave fuel inside a tank. Nearly all the fuels we use in our aircraft have some organic properties which, if left to sit for a while, can cause corrosion and the formation of organic growth in the form of fungus or mold. Whatever it is, it is something your engine won’t digest well in the spring. Many of the internal parts of the tank consist of brass, copper or other metals that can corrode. Typically, I will remove a tank and flush out any excess fuel. If possible, it is a good idea to clean the tank with mild soap and warm water. Although this means disassembling the tank, it will ensure that the tank is clean and dry over the winter.

 When it comes to winterizing your model, most of the process just involves common sense. It is important to know that, if you neglect your plane or helicopter and store it improperly, when spring rolls around and it is time to fly, you will certainly be bitten by the frustrating spring time bugs.

Part Two- Springing in the new season 

Flying an aircraft represents a calculated risk. To minimize the risk, it is essential to make sure that your aircraft is airworthy.

In life, there are usually two ways to do things; the hard way and the easy way. One thing I know for sure is that the easy way is the least painful.

I’ve already covered how to properly store our airplanes and helicopters for an extended period.

In the sport of automobile racing, when a crew is preparing a car to race on Saturday, the rule of thumb is; if it’s not ready to race on Friday, it’s not ready for Saturday either. The same could be said for your model aircraft. If it’s not ready to fly before you leave home, it certainly won’t be ready to fly when you arrive at the field. Trying to set up an airplane while at the field is not only less convenient than doing so in your workshop, but the pressure to fly allows for things to be missed or overlooked.

Here are some ways to prevent the springtime hassles. Although most of the following suggestions are basic, they are easy to overlook.

A good place to start is the radio equipment and, especially, the batteries. It is very important to not only charge the batteries, but to also know the state of the batteries. Consider the age of the batteries. The lifespan of most batteries ranges from 5-7 years depending on the use over the years. An important factor to consider is past charging habits. Batteries will have a shortened lifespan if charged or stored improperly. A way to determine the battery condition is to cycle it several times using an appropriate charger. If you have a charger that not only cycles the batteries, but displays the results in milliamps, this will give you a good idea of the condition of your batteries. If you discharge a battery and re-charge it, take note of the milliamps that are being taken out and put back in. Generally speaking, the battery should retain better than 90-95% of its rated capacity. If it doesn’t, seriously consider either getting a new battery or a new airplane after this one crashes due to a bad battery. Just as important is the transmitter battery. Don’t assume that just because you charge it and it initially appears to work that everything is okay. Operate your transmitter for an extended period of time and observe how the battery holds up. Shortened transmitter operating time is usually a sign that the battery is going bad. Know how long you can expect your transmitter to operate on a fully-charged battery. As the charge on a battery reaches exhaustion, the voltage can drop very quickly leaving you without any radio function and the means to successfully land your aircraft. Respect your radio equipment. It is the only thing that makes your aircraft R/C. Without it, it is a free flight model or, more likely, an unguided missile. Do your homework on your batteries and radio equipment. The best guide is the manufacturer’s instruction manual. Never assume anything because, to do so will make an “ass of u and me”.

 Many springtime bugs occur with engines.  I’ve already discussed how to prepare your engines and fuel systems for winter storage. The other issue that causes engine irritability is bad fuel lines. The silicone fuel tubing that is used with fuel systems will not last forever. When exposed to raw fuel for a period of time, the silicone tubing will swell and weaken. The tubing will become very soft and deteriorate. This causes a world of trouble for engines. The simple solution is to check the fuel lines and, if necessary, replace them for the new flying season. Fuel tubing is cheap and many of the fuel tank's internal parts are inexpensive as well. When compared to the cost of replacing a model or an engine, replacing fuel system components is cheap.

 The other main area of attention is the general airplane itself. From nose to tail and from wingtip to wingtip, give it a thorough inspection. Clean the dust off. It is a pretty simple and easy thing to do. Areas that you want to pay particular attention to are the engine area and the flight controls. Remove the engine, if possible, and clean out the engine compartment if you have not done so before. Also, look at the condition of the mounting bolts, washers and hardware associated with the engine. Removing the engine and reinstalling it provides the opportunity to replace any faulty or worn hardware. Additionally, re-mounting the engine gives me a chance to ensure that all the nuts and bolts are tight.

 Take off the prop and spinner. Balance a prop to reduce noise and vibration. An out-of-balance prop will not be as efficient as one that is balanced. This means that your propeller will not pull as much air as a well-balanced prop. Just as important is that an unbalanced prop creates medium and high frequency vibration which causes excessive wear for the fuel engine or electric motor and can damage your radio equipment and the aircraft’s structure. Do not assume that a new prop is balanced! Prop balancers are not expensive and are easy to use. Check to make sure the spinner and prop are installed correctly and properly tightened.

 I like to check pushrods and connectors throughout the aircraft and, if necessary, I don’t hesitate to replace hardware. Remember this; replacing hardware is cheaper than replacing the entire aircraft.  The rest just involves checking the overall condition of the aircraft and making any necessary repairs.

 Most of the things you should do are just common sense. The most important thing is to actually look things over and, remember, don’t assume anything! Our aircraft, no matter how big or small, have value to us as pilots. We hate to lose an airplane or helicopter due to an oversight on our part. Of utmost importance is the safety factor. If we lose an airplane and it causes harm to people or property, that is a sad thing. If we lose it because we neglected to take care of our aircraft, that it is irresponsible.

Use Common Sense. Have fun, not frustration, this flying season!

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Revised: March 12, 2011 at 07:27 AM