By York R/C Club
Introduction
Cooler, denser autumn air is great for lift—but it also stresses motors, shrinks covering, and shortens daylight. Run through this pre-winter checklist now and you’ll finish the season flying strong while storing your model “mission-ready” for spring.
TL;DR — Give your airframe, power system, radio gear, and support kit one thorough afternoon of fall maintenance and you’ll avoid dead-stick landings, swollen LiPos, and cracked covering next year.
1 — Why a Fall Checklist Matters
- Denser air loads engines and ESCs harder.
- Batteries and balsa both dislike prolonged cold-soak.
- Field hours shrink; repair time gets tight.
- A final tune-up now means the model can be stored ready to fly.
2 — Airframe Health
| Task | What to Do | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Visual once-over | Remove wing; inspect spars, firewall, landing-gear block, tail group. | Small glue failures become fractures in cold. |
| Covering check | Iron down bubbles & seams, especially near exhaust and wingtips. | Cold shrinks covering; loose film flutters. |
| Hinge test | Tug each control surface; wick thin CA if any gap opens. | Dry air cracks hinge glue. |
| Hardware torque | Verify clevis keepers, wheel collars, prop nut, engine-mount bolts. | Metals contract—fasteners can loosen. |
3 — Power System
3.1 Electric Set-ups
- Balance-charge every pack to storage voltage (≈ 3.80 V/cell).
- IR measurement — retire any pack > 25 mΩ per cell or > 30 % rise since spring.
- ESC temp check — one WOT climb, land, shoot with IR gun (≤ 150 °F is safe).
- Prop sanity — switch to a lower-pitch or smaller-diameter “winter prop” if amps were near ESC limit in summer.
3.2 Glow / Gas Engines
| Step | Action |
|---|---|
| Idle-mixture tweak | Denser air = richer burn; lean ⅛-turn on low-speed needle after warm-up. |
| Plug & gasket | Replace glow plug or spark-plug gasket if > 20 hrs runtime. |
| Fuel tubing | Flex-test; replace any hardened lines. |
| Post-flight wipe-down | Exhaust residue attracts dust that wicks moisture into balsa. |
4 — Radio & Electronics
- Full & half-throttle range check.
- Firmware updates — TX, receiver, gyro.
- Antenna re-route if you moved batteries or added FPV gear.
- Confirm fail-safe (throttle cut, neutral surfaces) by switching TX off.
5 — Support Gear
- Set field-box batteries to storage voltage.
- Charge starter, driver, glow igniter, Li-ion station pack.
- Inspect straps & Velcro — cold makes adhesives brittle.
6 — Optional Winter Upgrades
| Upgrade | Benefit | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| LED nav lights | Safe early-sunset flights | $15 |
| Fiberglass cowl reinforcement | Prevents cracks in cold landings | $10 |
| Larger battery-tray rails | Lets you test 4-cell packs off-season | $5 scrap balsa |
7 — Pack-Away Procedure
- Wipe airframe with microfiber & silicone-free polish.
- Mist metal parts with Corrosion-X or light machine oil.
- Store LiPos in fire-safe box at 40–50 °F (off the garage floor).
- Keep model off concrete—shelf it or hang upside-down to avoid tire flat spots.
8 — Before Your Next Flight
- Bring a freshly charged pack or primed fuel—cold lowers output.
- Let electronics acclimate for five minutes on the flight line.
- Re-check control throws—servo grease thickens below 40 °F.
Conclusion
A single afternoon of fall maintenance guards against months of winter damage and gives you a head-start on next season. Check it off now, log your notes, and greet spring with nothing more to do than fuel up, plug in, and fly.
Happy flying! — York R/C Club
Published October 17 2025