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EN
6
Flying Off Water
Maintenance
IMPORTANT: Only install the oats if you are comfortable
ying your aircraft and have repeatedly taken off, own and
landed with success. Flying from water poses a higher risk to
the aircraft because the electronics can fail if fully immersed
in water.
Always ensure the oats are correctly secured to the
fuselage prior to taxiing or attempting takeoff. Look around
the ight area and be aware of trees, docks, buoys, or other
obstacles. Always y with a spotter and avoid swimmers,
boaters, people shing, and people on the beach.
To taxi on water:
• Use throttle to move the aircraft forward and steer with
the rudder stick. This oat set does not include a water
rudder, so you need to apply power with rudder to cause
the aircraft to yaw on the water.
• The aircraft will naturally try to face into the wind when
taxiing. Plan to steer into the wind when turning and
avoid turning so the wind pushes from the tail.
• Avoid taxiing perpendicular to the wind. Crab into the
wind if crosswind taxiing is required.
• The aircraft may ip over if wind gets under the upwind
wing. Use aileron to hold the upwind wing down.
• Hold up elevator during slow speed taxi to keep the nose
of the oats from plowing.
• When speed increases the oats will rise out of the
water and begin to plane on the surface of the water,
riding “on step.” This happens at a speed below ying
speeds, it is a transitional phase until the aircraft gets
up to ight speed . This is considered a high speed taxi.
Do not attempt to take off as soon as the aircraft gets
on step.
• Avoid aggresive turning during high speed taxi.
To take off from water:
• Steer with the rudder and throttle to turn into
the wind and prepare for your takeoff run.
• Keep the wings level on the takeoff run with aileron.
• Apply throttle and up elevator during the initial
accelleration phase of the takeoff run to keep
the nose of the oats clear from the water.
• Neutralize the elevator as the oats get up on step.
• When the aircraft has reached ight speeds, apply a
small amount of up elevator to rotate for takeoff.
To land on water:
• Determine where you plan to land, and make your
landing approach into the wind whenever possible.
• Reduce the throttle to a low setting but keep some
power during the approach.
• As the aircraft settles into ground effect, reduce the
throttle fully and hold up elevator to are.
• Hold up elevator through the touch down and as the
airplane decelerates on the water.
WARNING: NEVER attempt to retrieve a downed
aicraft from the water alone. Always enlist
assistance and use any available safety otation devices.
Always fully dry the aircraft after ying from water.
IMPORTANT: If water splashes into the fuselage at any
time, bring the airplane to shore, open the battery hatch
and immediately remove the water. Leave the battery hatch
open overnight to let the inside dry and to prevent moisture
damage to the electronic components.
CAUTION: Never attempt to y the aircraft if the
electronic components are wet. Failure to fully dry
the aircraft can cause the electronic components to fail,
which could result in a crash.
TIP: Use a shing pole with heavy line as a retrieval tool.
Attach a tennis ball to the line, and throw the ball past a
stranded aircraft to retrieve it.
TIP: Spektrum Avian ESCs offer motor reversing with Smart
technology, which can become very handy to prevent getting
stuck when water landings run long.
Check for water inside the oats. The joint between the
plastic bottom surface and the foam structure has been
sealed, but if for some reason that seal has been broken,
water could build upinside the oat.
Do not y if the oats are taking on water. Water inside the
oats will not only cause additional weight, but can slosh
around and dramatically affect the airplane’s CG, which can
lead to a crash.
Repairs may be made with hot glue, epoxy, silicone, or
cyanoacrylate. Clear packing tape may be used to help seal
the plastic bottom to the foam, as required. Do not make
repairs with aliphatic or polyurethane based adhesives which
are not fully waterproof.
