RC Flyer News Sept/Oct 2018 (Vol-23-02)

Page 140

E-FLITE® CIRRUS SR22T 1.5M

plenty of strut detail to enhance the model’s realism. Install the horizontal stabilizer panels by sliding the smaller of the two included joiner tubes through the fuselage, roughly centering the joiner, and then sliding the right and left panels over it. Self-tapping screws retain the panels, and the receiving bosses are impossible to miss. Connect the elevator pushrod’s clevis to the innermost hole in the control horn, and it’s done. The wing panels are installed in much the same manner as the stabilizer panels. Insert the large joiner tube through the fuselage. Center the tube and slide the wing panels over it until they contact the fuselage sides. Each panel is held fast by a pair of Phillips head machine screws. The included collection of accessories adds a lot of charm to this airplane; so don’t omit installing them unless you fly your models from a gravel runway. The upper and lower dummy antennae insert into slots in the fuselage, and the dual tail antenna mounts over the leading edge of the vertical fin. Two plastic steps are provided so imaginary pilots can board the airplane more easily. Each step is held under the fuselage by a machine screw. The propeller and spinner are next, but don’t install them before replacing the upper cowl. You can’t get the cowl back on with the propeller blades in the way. With the front end complete, put a 3S LiPo battery in the fuselage, and bind the model to your DSM2 or DSMX-compatible transmitter. I’ve used E-flite 2200-mAh and 3200mAh batteries in my Cirrus. Both have delivered top-shelf performance, although flight time obviously increases with the higher-capacity pack.

proper connection to the control horns and servo arms, and then adjust the clevises to center each control surface. Follow the manual to set the correct surface travel for the elevators, ailerons, rudder, and flaps. Dial in the suggested dual-rate and exponential settings, and while you’re at it, assuming you have the 2200-mAh battery, set the flight for four minutes as the manual recommends. You can easily add another minute to the flight time with a 3200-mAh pack. The Cirrus has operating flaps, and entering the suggested values for the three-way switch on the DX9 resulted in the ideal positions for up, mid-point, and down-flap performance. I also took advantage of the DX9’s three-way switches for the elevator, aileron, and rudder rates, setting the high and low positions as suggested, and using a middle value for the switches’ center position. The receiver is equipped with E-flite’s AS3X stabilization system, which activates when the throttle is moved past 25% and backed down. In a simple, illustrated side panel, the manual explains what reactions to look for when checking the system prior to flight. Once airborne, it

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suggests that the model should be trimmed, and flown straight and level with the flaps up for at least three seconds without touching the sticks. This allows the AS3X system to “learn” the correct settings for the flight. The Cirrus’ receiver is also equipped with the SAFE Select feature, which is set to either the on or off mode according to when you remove the bind plug during binding. I used the traditional binding sequence, removing the plug immediately after binding, which sets the SAFE system to off. Had I chosen the SAFE system, I would have removed the plug immediately after seeing the rapidly flashing light on the receiver, and then bound the transmitter to the receiver in the normal manner.

DISTRIBUTOR

BUILD

Horizon Hobby 4105 Fieldstone Road Champaign, IL 61822 Phone: 217-352-1913 Horizonhobby.com

The navigation lights add to the model’s flight realism. They become operational once the wings panels mate to the fuselage.

With the radio receiver bound to your transmitter, the radio system on, all the trims at neutral, and the sub-trims zeroed out, double-check all of the pushrods and clevises for

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RC FLYER NEWS • Sept/Oct 2018

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