Airframe
1. Structure sound, no fractured glue joints, no splits or cracks in wood,  no tears or punctures in covering, correct alignment of wings and tail.
2. No twists or warps in fuselage, wings and tail. 
3. Fuel tank secure, preferably in foam rubber, clunk free to move, no splits or pinholes in fuel tubing.
4. All hinges securely glued in and preferably pinned. Give each control surface a pull test to check.
5. No binding in control surfaces (ailerons, elevators, rudder, throttle arm). Nothing drains a battery quicker than stalled or binding servos.
6. Undercarriage plates securely screwed on. Alignment of undercarriage correct. Nose wheel straight (roll test on pavement).
7. All control surfaces (ailerons, elevators, rudder) centred when radio switched on with controls and trims centred. If not adjust by screwing clevises in or out rather than using trim offset adjustments on transmitter.
8. Balance  with fuel tank empty. 30% of wing chord (constant chord wing, no sweep-back) should be OK. Balance at sides of fuselage with model suspended under wing. Also balance model laterally with model suspended by engine crankshaft at front, base of rudder at rear. Better to be slightly nose heavy than slightly tail heavy - a nose heavy aircraft flies sluggishly, a tail-heavy aircraft flies only once. 

Radio Installation
1. Servos securely mounted (but screws in grommets not too tight), controls (ailerons, elevators, rudder, throttle) move easily - no binding pushrods or cables. 
2. Servo output arms secured with screws.
3. Battery pack and receiver securely mounted and protected in foam rubber.
4. Receiver antenna free of moving control rods, servos and horns.
5. Receiver antenna has strain relief (eg shirt button) where it exits fuselage, rubber band at tail.
6. Control horns firmly mounted and screws tight.
7. All clevises have keepers to ensure they don't come adrift in flight.
8. Servos plugged securely into receiver sockets. 

Engine
1. Glo plug OK (remove from engine and test). 
2. Propeller and spinner secure, propellor balanced and undamaged. Do not use a propellor which is chipped, cracked or split.
3. Engine bolted securely to mount. Mount bolted securely to bulkhead. 
4. Needle valve ratchet  spring tight on needle valve (to prevent needle moving in flight).

Radio
1. Correct model  selected from  transmitter's memory.
2. All control surface travels  correct and  transmitter stick movements give correct control surface movements: 

* left aileron stick gives left aileron up, right aileron down...right aileron stick gives right aileron up, left aileron down,  * up elevator stick (i.e. towards bottom of TX) gives up elevator...down elevator stick (i.e. towards top of TX) gives down elevator.  * left rudder stick gives left rudder...right rudder stick gives right rudder. * full throttle stick (i.e. towards top of TX) opens throttle barrel fully, down throttle stick with trim up almost closes barrel, with trim down  closes barrel completely without binding servo.

3. All control surface throws correct according to model assembly manual. Preferably adjust via positions of control rods  on servo output arms rather than servo throw adjustments on TX).
4. TX and RX batteries charged. Do not fly with TX battery below 9.6 volts, RX battery below 4.8 volts. 

At the field
1. Range test radio. With TX antenna down, no flutter at 40 metres.
2. Rubber bands new or in perfect condition. Recommended installation - 2 criss cross each side, two fore-and-aft each side - total 8. 
3. Many of the above should be checked before each flight, particularly those visible from external examination, such as condition of wing bands, tightness of wing bolts, etc