So - let's get down to work.
Fuselage
We will start by completing the fuselage 3, as this is the
reference point for all the other components.
Fuselage openings / wing fairing
The first step is to open up all the fuselage openings at the
marked points. Carefully drill 3 mm Ø holes at the four pilot-
hole positions at the wing root using a twist drill. Using the
same tool drill a series of adjacent holes in the openings
for the wing joiner, and file the holes out to the final size of
15 mm Ø using a round file.
[Fig. 1]
Compression struts
Compression struts are fitted between the wing roots at
the leading and trailing edge to prevent fuselage damage
when the wings swing forward in a hard landing. One
hardwood strut 16 (10 x 10 x 85 mm) is fitted at the trailing
edge position, behind the rear locating peg. The strut must
be trimmed carefully to length to avoid pushing the fuselage
out of shape. Fit an identical strut at the leading edge,
again cutting carefully to length.
Ensure that the compression struts do not push the
fuselage out of shape; they must neither force the moulding
wider or narrower. Fit the struts temporarily, then plug in
the wings and check the fit. You may need to make slight
adjustments to allow for manufacturing tolerances. The
front compression strut should not be glued in place
permanently until the sockets for the aileron and airbrake
servo connections have been installed, otherwise access
will be restricted.
To fit the rear compression strut we recommend that you
spear it on a length of steel rod. Glue the strut in place, then
twist the rod out again when the epoxy has cured.
[Fig. 2]
Preparing the servo plate
Adjust the openings in the servo plate 11 if necessary to
suit your servos and the On/Off switch for your receiver.
When selecting servos please note that the space below
the servo plate is limited.
Temporarily install the servos and slide the servo plate to
and fro until it fits snugly in the fuselage. The rear edge of
the servo plate should be located about 230 mm aft of the
tip of the fuselage nose.
Do not glue the plate in place yet; the motor has to be
installed first.
Installing the motor
The first step is to attach the motor / gearbox assembly to
the motor bulkhead 10. For safety's sake it is a good idea
to tape over the motor openings. Now trim the motor
bulkhead so that the motor fits accurately, i.e. so that the
spinner lines up correctly with the fuselage nose when
fitted on the motor shaft. There should about 1 mm
clearance between spinner and fuselage.
Don't forget to sand all joint positions inside the fuselage
before applying glue.
When you are confident that everything fits accurately,
apply a few drops of 5-minute epoxy between motor
bulkhead and fuselage flange. Fit the motor and the
spinner again, and tape everything in place while the glue
cures. When the epoxy is hard carefully "unwrap" the motor
/ spinner once more.
Without disturbing the bulkhead, carefully remove the
motor so that you can reinforce the joint: apply thickened
laminating resin all round the joint between the motor
bulkhead 10 and the fuselage, inside and out. Take care
not to get epoxy on the motor mounting surface. The
thickened resin can easily be guided into the correct
position using a paintbrush dipped in paint thinners. Allow
the epoxy to cure fully, then install the motor assembly
again.
Preparing the battery tray and former
Tack the former 12 in place in the fuselage using cyano;
it should be 230 mm from the point of the nose. Assemble
the battery tray from the pre-sawn plywood plate 13 (3 x 65
x 460 mm) and the obechi strips 14 (5 x 10 x 410 mm). Glue
the two strips flush with the edges of the plate using cyano,
as shown in Fig. 3.
Trial-fit the battery tray; the rear end should engage under
the air outlets, and rest on the former at the front. Drill 1.5
mm Ø pilot-holes through the battery tray into the former
as shown in Fig. 5. Open up the holes in the battery tray to
2.5 mm Ø.
[Fig. 3]
[ Drill out to 2.5 mm Ø ]
Servo plate
Temporarily install the servos. Position the plate under the
former 12 at the one end.
[Fig. 4]
Tack the servo plate to the fuselage using a few drops of
cyano, then remove the servos again. Roughen up the
fuselage sides above the servo plate using 80-grit (coarse)
abrasive paper. Mix up thickened epoxy resin and glue the
plate in place securely, applying a fillet of resin all along
the joints. A good method of obtaining a really strong joint
is to apply a layer of glass cloth (about 100 g/dm²) over the
servo plate and up the fuselage sides. When the epoxy has
cured cut off the excess glass at the ends of the plate and
inside the servo apertures. Clean up the servo plate and
install the servos again. The "snake outers" are fixed to the
former 12 using thickened epoxy after aligning them with
the servo output arms.
Installing the battery tray
The battery tray is fixed to the former 12 using two self-
tapping screws 52 and the rubber grommets 53. To clamp
the battery in place glue two strips of Velcro (hook-and-
loop) tape 64 (hook side) to the tray. A strong rubber band
should be wrapped round battery and tray to ensure that
the pack does not come adrift from the Velcro.
[Fig. 5]
17