Electric RC Helicopter Pre‐Flight Checklist brought to you by…

Mode 2 2BROTHERS HOBBY

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Complete? Item Description

Visual Inspection
Overall aircraft inspection Look for any "hangar damage". Damaged
linkage or wiring, chipped or scratched
rotor blades, bent skids, missing pieces or
cracked stabilizers.
Landing Skids/Floats Are the skid pipes bent or loose? Are the
floats intact and water tight? Are they
fastened properly to the skids?
Tail Rotor Blades Are the blades smooth and in good
condition? Are there any chips or cracks?
Are the blades mounted in the proper
direction and orientation? Are the blades
mounted securely in their grips with locking
fasteners present? Are the blades properly
compressed in the grips? Be sure the
blades can be rotated freely by centrifugal
force in the grips.
Tail Rotor Pitch Control Assembly Is all linkage properly secured and free of
excessive friction? Is the pitch control
slider properly lubricated and adjusted?
Tail Boom Is the boom bent or loose? Is the tail rotor
assembly vertically in‐line with the main
shaft? Are the stabilizers fastened securely
and adjusted properly?
Tail Rotor Control Rod Is the control rod parallel with the boom,
free from excessive friction and properly
secured at both ends?
Tail Rotor Servo Is the servo horn set screw in place? Is the
servo mounted securely to the boom? Is
the connection to the gyro and receiver
secure?
Tail Boom Mount Are all the set screws in place and secure?
Tail Rotor Drive Belt (if applicable) Is the belt properly adjusted and in good
repair? Are there any "teeth" missing on
the belt or is it cracked or frayed?
Torque Tube/Tail Rotor Drive Shaft (if Is the torque tube gear tolerance correct? Is
applicable) there a solid link between the drive gear
and the tail rotor? Are the gears in good
condition and move freely without friction?

1
Main Drive gear and Tail Drive Gear
(auto‐rotation gear)
Tail Boom Supports (if applicable)
Are the gears in good repair without any
chipped or damaged teeth? Is there proper
tolerance between the pinion gear and the
main gear throughout a complete rotation?
Is there proper tolerance between the
auto‐rotation gear and the tail drive gear?
Is the one‐way roller bearing operating
properly?
Are the boom supports fastened securely?

Anti‐rotation Bracket Is the anti‐rotation bracket secure and in

good condition?

Main Rotor Assembly

Linkage Check all ball and socket linkage and make
sure that there is no excessive friction or
binding. Check for bent linkage rods. Verify
that the servo linkage rods are parallel with
the main shaft.
Main Shaft Is the main shaft straight? Is there proper
lubrication on the shaft where the washout
and the swashplate slide up and down? DO
NOT APPLY LUBRICATION TO ANY OTHER
AREAS, this will only collect dirt and impede
operation. Most rotor heads are full of ball
bearings and do not need lubrication. Only
areas where the swashplate and washout
slide up and down on the shaft should be
lubricated with very fine hobby oil or
sewing machine oil.
Control Arms Verify that the control arms are securely
fastened and ball linkage is secured
properly.
Flybar Assembly Check to verify that the flybar assembly is
secure, properly fastened and pivots freely.
Are the flybar paddles perfectly parallel
with the flybar frame and securely
fastened? Are the paddles facing in the
proper direction? Are the flybar weights (if
present) secured and spaced evenly on the
flybar rod? Is the flybar rod bent from
hangar damage or an impact?

2
Main Rotor Blades Are the main blades in good condition, free
of cracks or scratches? Are they clean?
Have they been balanced? Has the blade
tracking been verified and adjusted if
necessary? Are the locking nuts and
fasteners in place and properly adjusted?
Are the blades mounted in the proper
direction and orientation? Is the pitch
control arm ball linkage secure?
Radio System
Servos (pitch, aileron, elevator) Are the servos mounted securely with the
servo horn retainer screws in place? Is the
linkage mounted properly and free of any
damage? Are the linkage rods straight and
unrestricted? Are the servos properly and
securely wired to the receiver? Is the
wiring routed away from moving parts and
fastened securely to the main frame?
Gyroscope (head‐lock gyro) Is the gyro mounted on vibration‐resistant
foam tape or a rubber base? Is the gyro
base perpendicular to the main shaft?
Verify the correct orientation of the gyro
positioning for proper operation. Is the
gyro wired properly to the tail rotor servo
and the radio receiver?
Radio Receiver Is the receiver mounted securely and all
servo and gyro leads connected securely
properly? Is the battery or BEC power
connected properly?
Receiver Battery or BEC Is the receiver battery fully charged? Is it
mounted securely? If using a BEC, is it
connected properly and mounted securely?
Motor Is the motor fastened securely? Does the
shaft and pinion gear turn freely against the
main drive gear? Is there proper tolerance
between the pinion gear and the main drive
gear throughout a full rotation of the main
gear? Is the pinion gear set screw secured?
Are the ESC's power leads connected
securely to the motor? Is there anything
touching the main motor that would be
damaged by heat?

3
Main Frame Are all of the mounting screws and
fasteners secured properly? Is the wiring
neatly secured and routed for proper
airflow around the ESC and the motor? Are
sharp edges protected from damaging any
wiring? Micro vibrations throughout a
carbon‐fiber frame can quickly cut through
wiring jacket material, so be sure to protect
the wires from sharp edges.
Main Battery Is your main battery fully charged? Are the
leads in good condition with no visibly wire
damage? Is the connector secured and
shielded properly?

Functional Tests ‐ IN ORDER

Radio Transmitter Power Is the transmitter battery fully charged?
Neck Strap Is the neck strap secured and adjusted
properly?
Transmitter power ON
Switch and Gimbal Settings Flight mode should be set to NORMAL,
Auto‐rotation OFF, and the throttle stick
should be all the way down before turning
on your radio receiver
Model Memory Selection Verify that you have selected the correct
model in your transmitter memory (if
applicable)
Receiver Power ON If using a separate receiver battery pack,
connect and turn on now.
Main Battery Connect your main battery pack and wait
for full radio initialization (series of beeps
from the ESC confirming initialization) See
Radio Systems and ESC Sections for more
information
Canopy Attach the canopy and check for any
damage or cracks. Make sure the rubber
vibration grommets are in place within the
canopy mounting holes. Make sure canopy
does not interfere with rotor head
movement doesn't pinch the main battery
wires against the frame or make contact
with the drive gears.

Cyclic and Pitch Tests ‐ Stand Clear of BEST PERFORMED WITH THE AUTO‐
the main rotor blades before starting ROTATION SWITCH ENGAGED! This will
any tests prevent accidental throttle engagement
and main rotor spool‐up.

4
!PAUSE! The next step suggests that
you turn on the auto‐rotation switch to
perform cyclic and pitch tests. Be VERY
CAREFUL you are not flipping the STUNT
MODE or IDLE UP switch as this will
immediately spool up your main rotor
rather violently and you could be
seriously hurt. Always enter auto‐
rotation mode during the test with the
throttle gimbal all the way down.
Auto‐rotation Switch ON
Cyclic Test
Collective Pitch Test
5
Please be very careful and aware through
these tests, you can be very seriously
injured.
As a safety measure, I always very quickly
turn the auto‐rotation switch on, then back
off again just to be sure that there was no
main rotor movement. Once assured, I
commit to turning the switch back on. This
sounds simple but it is very easy for
experienced pilots to get distracted and for
new pilots to get confused.
Roll your right stick in all directions and
verify that from the rear, the helicopter
swashplate is mimicking your movements in
the same directions. Listen for any binding
or friction as the servos move in unison.
This should be a very free moving and fluid
motion at the swashplate. Any binding or
friction is a problem that must be corrected
before flight.
With the auto‐rotation switch still ON,
gently raise the left gimbal and verify that
the rotor does not turn. Once verified,
raise the stick all up, then all down. Verify
that the main blades are pitching up when
the stick is moved up and down with the
stick. This should be very fluid, smooth and
friction‐free movement. The swashplate
and the washout base should slide up and
down the main shaft in unison. Make sure
there is no servo binding or stickiness to
this movement.
Tail Rotor Pitch Test
Spool‐Up Tests
VERY IMPORTANT!! Lower the
throttle/pitch stick (left gimbal) all the
way to zero! Make sure the Flight Mode
switch is set to NORMAL
Back AWAY! Even medium sized
helicopters can take off a finger, break
bones, slice skin tissue very deeply, bust
out teeth, or destroy an eyeball if you
are struck by the blades. Graphic, but
very true.
Autorotation Switch OFF
Flight Mode = Normal
Rotation Tests
Main Rotor and Tail Rotor
6
Move your left gimbal to the left and to the
right. This should change the pitch of your
tail rotor blades in the proper direction.
Don't be alarmed if the pitch change is not
very responsive or seems a bit off center.
The gyro is already trying to do its job and
since there is no change to the helicopter
heading, it's a bit confused so it is fighting
your movements. This will normalize once
you start turning the rotors so just verify
that it is pitching in the right direction.
The next step requires that you turn off
autorotation. If your left stick is up at
all, the motor will immediately start
spinning. Be careful you didn't turn the
flight mode switch to STUNT or IDLE UP.
Make sure it is set to NORMAL and the
throttle is at zero (left stick all the way
down).
It is recommended to stand behind a
barrier when spooling up and flying
your helicopter. Contact your local
flying field or the Association of Model
Aeronautics for further detail.
Gently ease the throttle up and verify that
both the main and tail rotors are turning
freely. Listen for any unusual noises like
grinding or clicking from either rotor
assembly or the drive train gears/belt. Is
the gyro holding the tail steady? Run up to
full RPM (about half throttle, just before
lift‐off)
Spool Down Reduce the throttle to zero and verify that
the main rotor does not stop abruptly. The
mains and the tail rotor should spin for
several rotations before gently coming to a
stop. If the rotation seems restricted,
inspect and adjust or repair before flying.
Note: belt driven tail rotors have more
friction and resistance than torque
tubes/drive shafts and will cause the rotor
to come to rest more quickly, but this
should still allow for several rotations after
the motor is turned off. Check your belt
tension if it seems too restricted and follow
your manufacturer's recommendations for
proper tension.

Pre‐Flight Checklist Complete

Please be safe when testing and flying your helicopter

Have a great flight!

[2 Brothers Hobby]