Routine Maintenance

This is an area that must NOT be skimped. Radio controlled helicopters are dangerous and need to be treated with respect by those who fly them and by those who just watch. Don't forget you have a duty of care to innocent bystanders as well and NEVER fly without valid insurance protection.

Lecture over.

Routine maintenance starts when you get the helicopters back home with something as simple as cleaning. This also provides the opportunity to inspect all parts of the helicopter for obvious signs of wear and tear. Don't just clean the parts you can see, take the canopy off to access the radio trays etc.

Rule No. 1 Always stop flying if you hear a new noise until you've found out what's causing it.

Many people ask what do you use to clean the helicopter. I think it's down to personal taste but this is what I do.

First thing to do is make sure the tank is dry. This is best done at the field by pumping surplus fuel back into your main supply. Glow fuel is hydroscopic which means it absorbs moisture from the air, so if you leave fuel in the tank it could become contaminated. It goes without saying that you must ensure your bulk fuel supply is kept with the top firmly in place and in a dry area. Whilst still at the field, it's a good idea having drained the tank, to restart the engine so surplus fuel left in the pipe work and engine crankcase is burnt off. This will minimise the possibility of rust forming in the engine.

Next step is to get rid of any surplus oil and fuel from the airframe and don't forget the aerial wire or whip antenna. It's important to keep the aerials clean on both receiver and transmitter to ensure good reception. Oil will attract dust that becomes a very efficient grinding paste when applied to the gears and other moving parts! I use a dry cloth for this to get rid of the worst residue. Next, I use a mild detergent solution and a toothbrush to get into the nooks and crannies of the framework. I've also used foam cleaner that you'd use on a computer with good effect, Orange Clean, Amway's Zoom, Fairy liquid, the choice is yours. The main blades get a good wipe down with a clean damp cloth and the tail blades usually get a good scrubbing with an old toothbrush to get rid of the inevitable grass stains. Don't forget to remove any grass that's become twisted round the tail rotor shaft.

Final thing on cleaning is the canopy and tail fin set. Again the same detergent is used and wiped dry. From time to time I clean the inside of the canopy where any surplus oil or grease from the main gear assembly tends to get thrown and that's about it for cleaning. Every couple of months or so I'll apply car wax polish to the blades, canopy and fin set to keep the surfaces smooth.