If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it right? This may be true in most cases, however, in the RC hobby, being proactive will always cost you less than being reactive. Your RC plane is subject to punishing extremes and in time, the components of your model will deteriorate. Neglecting these impairments will ultimately lead to accidents, crashes, and unwanted bills.

Regular maintenance will ensure a properly working aircraft – and a properly working aircraft is not one that is quick, powerful, or agile, it is one that is SAFE and durable. Here are four simple check-ups you can do to safeguard yourself and others while you rip through the skies and not into the crowds.  

Servos 

Servos can be regarded as the muscles of your plane; they govern and facilitate all directional movements of an aircraft. Check all servos are secured properly and if necessary, tighten the screws and replace any degraded grommets. Power up your plane and cycle the servos with your transmitter while applying a little pressure to the corresponding control surfaces to see if they hold up or act erratically.

If you catch any servos binding, consider a complete re-trim. If the problem persists, detach the pushrod and check again; most of the time it may just be something trivial like a foreign object obstructing the movement of your control surfaces or a crooked hinge-line. Also, use this time to check for any overly noisy servos. A noisy servo can lead to excess heat, shortened working life, and possible failure.

Control Horns and Clevises

Control horns and clevises are often overlooked, especially by beginners. Check all control horns and clevises for visual signs of damage. Wiggle the control horns and assess the rigidness, if they feel loose, gently resecure or completely replace them. Most factory control horns are made from plastic, and plastic is inherently fragile. We recommend swapping them out for nylon control horns which are much sturdier.

A common problem with clevises is that they tend to come loose and detach from their control horns. Even the more sophisticated ball link or carbon fiber clevis can suffer from this problem. Seasoned hobbyists - regardless of the type of clevis they use - will regularly fit a 2mm strip of silicone tubing to secure the clevis to the control horn. Not only is this method cheap, but it has proven to be effective and reliable.      

Landing Gear

As the primary point of contact between a speeding plane and the unforgiving ground, your landing gear truly takes one hell of a beating. There are two types of landing gears: fixed and retractable. Fixed landing gears are generally easier to maintain with the problem areas being the landing gear mount and the wheel axle. Check that the landing gear is firmly attached to the mount. If it is loose, apply some epoxy glue to restore it to its original state.

The wheel axle will eventually bend after numerous landings. While you can initially bend them back in shape, after the third or fourth try, they can dislocate and break into two. As a rule of thumb, replace your metal axles every now and then especially if your aircraft has endured multiple hard landings.

Retractable landing gears are a little trickier as a distortion of their original shape can cause an operational jam. Always make sure that your retractable landing gears are perfectly aligned, and any deformities fixed when discovered. Again, if you can, bend them back into shape or completely replace them when in doubt. A jammed landing gear mid-flight only spells trouble – and trouble means money.

Control Surfaces and Linkages (Hinges)

Control surfaces are arguably the most important component of your plane; hence, extra care should be given to them. Verify that all control surfaces are firmly attached to the aircraft by gently pulling at the control surfaces and confirming that they have a solid hold. Make sure the control surfaces do not have too much play (unwanted movement) as this tends to result in the aircraft handling poorly. In extreme cases, it can result in flutter which will ultimately cause your aircraft to lose control and crash.

When it comes to faulty linkages, we find completely replacing them to be always better than trying to fix them. There are generally two types of control surface linkages: ones with hinges and ones that are built into the mold of your aircraft (AKA foam hinges).

Replacing foam hinges can be fairly tricky. If the problem is minor, then you can just use some blenderm tape (AKA hinge tape) as a quick fix. Otherwise, using a sharp blade, cleanly cut and detach your control surface from the wing. As you will not be able to re-glue the control surface to your plane, you will have to purchase hinges. Align your control surface to the wing and cut slits into both the interlinking sections. To make sure that the slits are uniform and compatible, use a ruler or a straight edge tool as a guide. Gently slide your hinge into position and depending on your model/ hinge, glue or screw them into place. A certain degree of craftsmanship will be required; however, this will come naturally as you progress in the RC hobby.

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We hope you find these quick tips to be helpful and if you have any questions or problems with your RC plane, feel free to leave us a comment or shoot us a message.