From the Rocky Mountain Flying Machine Web site
Hints for Airplane Set Up
by Richard Lindberg
1. Alignment of wing.
2. Incidence of wing.
3. Alignment of stabilizer.
4. Incidence of stabilizer.
5. Engine thrust line; all directions. Is it
correct?
6. Ailerons: TE aligned with wing TE. Straight.
7. Elevators 1: TE aligned with chord line of
stabilizer.
8. Elevators 2: TE aligned with each other.
9. Rudder: aligned with fuselage centerline.
10. Control travels 1: same both directions on all
surfaces.
11. Control travels 2: balanced aileron and elevator
throws. *
12. Radio: exponential on aileron, elevator, rudder;
at least 25% to start.
13. CG: (static) set per the manufacturer, your
experience, then forward at least ¼ inch. *
14. Landing gear: check every piece; align wheel
track.
15. Control system: check every piece; Loctite,
glue, tighten as needed, then check again.
16. Canopy, belly pan, cowl, propeller, spinner,
tail wheel: check every screw, washer, nut, bolt,
latch. They have to work here to work there.
17. Tank plumbing: tank tubes, lines, clunks, tees,
check valves, plugs.
18. CG: see step 13. Write down someplace.
19. Control movements: correct directions and
amounts. Write down.
20. Battery check: Check battery!
21. If transmitter permits, “copy” this airplane to
another, save with a version name, and keep it there
unchanged. It is your original, in case you program
yourself into an unflyable condition.
The items marked * are based on my personal
experience and are my preferences. I like a balanced
feel to elevator and aileron, hence the setup I
listed. Same for exponential. In most control
systems we use these days, you need about 25% or so
to get to the “linear” travel point on the system
you have. So, if you set 30% exponential, remember
it’s only 5% “real” exponential. The reason I
recommend the forward CG is that many fliers
mistakenly set the CG on their airplanes too far
aft. Until you have personally tried a slight
forward CG (like suggested above) you won’t believe
how much better your airplane will fly. Trust me on
this; try it, you’ll like it.
By the way: item 20. Everything associated with your
airborne and transmitter batteries needs to be
checked by you at least twice, then you spouse or
significant other, then whoever is at the field when
you put the thing together. Trust me.
Now, this is not a comprehensive trimming chart, but
it is a handy reference checklist for that new
airplane you’re either building or preparing to haul
to the field.
Also, if you aren’t already in the habit of writing
down your particular airplane setup, begin now.
Knowing where you started from makes things a lot
easier when you are at the field tweaking
everything. And don’t forget to date your lists. The
important idea is to keep a record of where you are,
so you can more easily figure out where you went. Q
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