Preventative Maintenance

[emtp275]

Ok so I have started to learn that the harder I fly the more I need to fix things, such as tighten bolts, check glue joints mainly just go over the whole plane with great detail. Does any one have a good routine to stick to as far as keeping a flight log and when they do Maintenance? I know when I was flying Rotors I kept a log and there were certain things that were recommended for maintenance such as a head overhaul at 50 flights.

 

[Bunky.F.Knuckle]

Just give things a few quick tugs. I don't have a set schedule. But before the first flight of the day, I'll pat around the exhaust system check for loose mufflers, rock the prop from the tips, checks for delams and checks engine bolts too. Small screws are expendable, like for wheel pants and cowl. Once I set a servo horn screw, I don't ever loosen it. I have never lost a screw. I have forgotten to install 1 or 2, but........ ya know.

 

[emtp275]

Yea I thought I was ok just checking things as I cleaned up at the end of a day if I found any Issue Id fix it before the next day, then do a really good take down check over the winter, I must be getting alot more time in this year and I know Im alot harder on things than I was before but in the last two days I have found loose stand offs, Bad extensions, I have broken battery mount trays loose it just seems like bad luck/ good luck that I have found them both in flight and on the ground and have not put one in for a dirt nap.

 

[IMAC FANATIC]

3tachdad has a decent flight log you can pre set things to do and it has a notes area that rwminds you of what you did and when. Not really a pm schedule, every flight should have a look over before the next though.
I usually go through mine front to back before every event, at beginning of season and check motor, exhaust and prop bolts every 15-20 flights. And wings hardware every time its coming out of the bags.

 

[IMAC FANATIC]

Pardon, thats supposed to be
T3chDad for the app.

 

[Jgsticks]

I look my plane over every day that I fly. I put about 15 flights a week on my planes and it seems like I have to fix minor things all the time.

 

[ChickenBalls]

Yea I thought I was ok just checking things as I cleaned up at the end of a day if I found any Issue Id fix it before the next day, then do a really good take down check over the winter, I must be getting alot more time in this year and I know Im alot harder on things than I was before but in the last two days I have found loose stand offs, Bad extensions, I have broken battery mount trays loose it just seems like bad luck/ good luck that I have found them both in flight and on the ground and have not put one in for a dirt nap.

Justin I think it's a couple things, the fact your flying more aggressively, and the fact we burning the heck out of some fuel. Try the app thingy, or do a log book

 

[dhal22]

I keep notes on my cell phone. Things I notice while at the field, then I go through them when i get home.

 

[Ohio AV8TOR]

I switched over to RCLogbook http://clevertangerine.com/RCLogbook/ which has a nice way to work in maintenance if you like. After playing around with it it is very easy to use and tracks fuel for your plane as well as battery tracking

 

[scruffmeister]

I use Trello to track all my maintenance and build projects.

You can colour code tasks which I find useful. I use red meaning no flying until done, green meaning nice to have such as ironing a corner of covering.