Avoiding Maiden Flight Nerves | Pre-Maiden-Flight Checklist

[zdsweet]

Everyone knows that feeling...hours of time spent building and prepping your RC plane for its first ever flight. Worrying you may lose all that time and effort spent putting it together in a single crash on your first flight isn't fun. 😧 We teamed up with the Marymoor R/C Club in Redmond, Washington - and came up with a fun video to help folks prep for their maiden flights with a helpful checklist to help ease those nerves. Stay tuned for our video on tips for your actual maiden flight once airborne. ✈

What are your favorite techniques and habits before sending your first born into the air? 😁

Happy Landings!

Zach - Tail Heavy Productions ✈

 

[Flightspeed]

I’ve Maidened planes after dark with flashlights… it’s a lot of fun but never actually works🤣

 

[Tench745]

I have one critique: "When props fly off, they fly off straight ahead." This has not been my experience. On a typical setup they tend to veer to the right as they travel forward. And if they hit something, they will bounce and sling off to the right very sharply.

 

[zdsweet]

I have one critique: "When props fly off, they fly off straight ahead." This has not been my experience. On a typical setup they tend to veer to the right as they travel forward. And if they hit something, they will bounce and sling off to the right very sharply.

You’re not incorrect regarding that this “generally” happens with a veer off to the right - but for this video and a general safety summary, we opted to go with the most direct point. Props fly straight ahead for the first several feet where most people would be standing in the initial line of fire while helping someone prep a plane. Thanks for the feedback!

 

[mikedkelly]

My rule - no paint or stickers before the maiden.

 

[quorneng]

My rule - no decoration what so ever before the maiden!

 

[Tench745]

You’re not incorrect regarding that this “generally” happens with a veer off to the right - but for this video and a general safety summary, we opted to go with the most direct point. Props fly straight ahead for the first several feet where most people would be standing in the initial line of fire while helping someone prep a plane. Thanks for the feedback!

Understood. My general rule of thumb when testing with the prop on is no one and nothing from the prop arc forward. A bit of a cone shape in my mind's eye. This keeps anything breakable clear of possible shrapnel or props regardless of left or right-hand motor rotation.

 

[Robyle3]

Can’t forget the mandatory control “wobbles”. Before every flight, regardless of the plane’s hangar age, the “wobbles” are my ritual that tells me the plane’s still alive, haha.