Pitts Model 12 15e ARF Assembly Manual Specifications Wingspan: Length: Wing Area: Weight w/ Battery: Weight w/o Battery: 40 in (1015mm) 39 in (990mm) 555 sq in (35.
Table of Contents Specifications....................................................................... 1 Introduction.......................................................................... 2 Scale Outline and History..................................................... 2 Using the Manual................................................................. 3 Contents of Kit/Parts Layout.................................................. 3 Required Radio Equipment...............................................
Using the Manual This manual is divided into sections to help make assembly easier to understand, and to provide breaks between each major section. In addition, check boxes have been placed next to each step to keep track of each step completed. Steps with a single circle () are performed once, while steps with two circles ( ) indicate that the step will require repeating, such as for a right or left wing panel, two servos, etc. Remember to take your time and follow the directions.
Important Information About Motor Selection We recommend the E-flite® Power 15 Brushless Outrunner, 950Kv (EFLM4015A) to provide you with lightweight 3D performance, or the Power 25 Brushless Outrunner, 870Kv (EFLM4025A) for sport performance. Lightweight 3D Outrunner Setup EFLM4015A Power 15 BL Outrunner, 950Kv EFLA1060 60-Amp Pro Switch-Mode BEC Brushless ESC THP20704SX 2070mAh 4-Cell 14.
Notes Regarding Servos and ESC Limited Warranty WARNING: Use of servos other than those we recommend may overload the BEC of the recommended Electronic Speed Control (ESC). We suggest the use of only the servos we recommend when utilizing the recommended ESC’s BEC, or the use of a separate BEC (like the UBEC) or receiver battery pack when using other servos. (a) This warranty is limited to the original Purchaser ("Purchaser") and is not transferable.
Damage Limits Questions, Assistance, and Repairs HORIZON SHALL NOT BE LIABLE FOR SPECIAL, INDIRECT OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES, LOSS OF PROFITS OR PRODUCTION OR COMMERCIAL LOSS IN ANY WAY CONNECTED WITH THE PRODUCT, WHETHER SUCH CLAIM IS BASED IN CONTRACT, WARRANTY, NEGLIGENCE, OR STRICT LIABILITY. Further, in no event shall the liability of Horizon exceed the individual price of the Product on which liability is asserted.
Non-Warranty Repairs Should your repair not be covered by warranty the repair will be completed and payment will be required without notification or estimate of the expense unless the expense exceeds 50% of the retail purchase cost. By submitting the item for repair you are agreeing to payment of the repair without notification. Repair estimates are available upon request. You must include this request with your repair. Non-warranty repair estimates will be billed a minimum of ½ hour of labor.
Hinging the Control Surfaces Required Parts Top wing w/ailerons Stabilizer/elevator Required Tools and Adhesives Rotary tool Thin CA Hobby knife 2. Place a T-pin in the center of four of the CA hinges. This will help in centering the hinge when installed. Bottom wing w/ailerons CA hinge (22) Drill bit: 1/16-inch (1.5mm) T-pins 1. Use a rotary tool and 1/16-inch (1.5mm) drill bit to drill a hole in the center of each hinge.
4. Slide the aileron on the hinges. Remove the T-pins and align the wing tip and aileron tip. Apply enough thin CA to the top and bottom of each hinge to saturate the hinge. Allow the CA to cure before proceeding to the next step. 5. Carefully pull on the aileron to make sure the hinges are secure. If not, reglue the hinges in question. 6. Flex the aileron up and down a number of times to break in the hinges. Note: Do not use CA accelerator while gluing the hinges.
8. Use six CA hinges to attach the stabilizer to the elevator. Again, follow the hinging process as described. 7. Install the aileron in the top wing at this time. Follow the hinging procedure as described for the bottom wing.
Wing Installation 2. Use 6-minute epoxy to glue the 1 x 9/64-inch (25 x 3.5mm) wing dowels into the wing. Make sure to leave 3/8-inch (10mm) of the dowels exposed forward of the leading edge. 3. Remove the covering for the wing bolt on the bottom wing. Place the pre-covered wing bolt support in position and trace around the support using a felt-tipped pen.
4. Use a hobby knife to remove the covering from inside the line drawn in the previous step. Use medium CA to glue the support onto the bottom wing. 5. Use the 3mm x 25mm machine screw to draw the 3mm blind nut in position under the wing support plate in the fuselage. 6. Slide the dowels into the fuselage and use the 3mm x 25mm machine screw and 3mm washer to attach the bottom wing to the fuselage. 7. Locate the two wing struts. Use the photo to determine the top and bottom of the struts.
Note: Please use threadlock on all wing strut screws and nuts in the following steps. 9. Position the top wing. The tabs at the cabane struts (center of the wing) of the wing will be on the outside of the cabane struts. Secure the outer struts to the top wing using four 2mm x 10mm machine screws, four 2mm washers and four 2mm nuts. 10. Secure the cabane struts to the top wing using four 2mm x 10mm machine screws, four 2mm washers and four 2mm nuts.
Stabilizer Installation Required Parts Fuselage w/wings Stabilizer/elevator Required Tools and Adhesives Thin CA Ruler Hobby knife Felt-tipped pen 14 2. Slide the stabilizer in the slot. Center the stabilizer as shown in the image below. 3. Make sure the stabilizer is parallel to the wings as shown. Lightly sand the slot in the fuselage as necessary to correct for any misalignment. 1. Use a hobby knife to remove the covering for the horizontal stabilizer from the fuselage.
4. Align the stabilizer so it is in alignment with the wings as shown. 5. Double-check the alignment of the stabilizer. Use a felt-tipped pen to trace the outline of the fuselage onto the stabilizer. E-flite Pitts Model 12 15e ARF Assembly Manual 6. Use a hobby knife with a new blade to trim the covering inside the line drawn in the previous step. Note: Use care not to cut into the underlying wood of the stabilizer.
7. Slide the stabilizer back in position. After checking the alignment one last time, wick thin CA into the joint between the fuselage and stabilizer. Allow the CA to cure without using accelerator. Rudder Installation Required Parts Fuselage Rudder Tail wheel assembly Tail wheel bracket CA hinge (3) #2 x 1/2-inch sheet metal screw (2) Required Tools and Adhesives Pin drill 30-minute epoxy Pliers T-pins Side cutters 16 Drill bit: 5/64-inch (2mm) Thin CA Ruler Phillips screwdriver: #0 Ruler 1.
2. Carefully bend the tail wheel assembly as shown in the image. Use side cutters to remove the excess wire as shown below. 3. Use a pin vise and 5/64-inch (2mm) drill bit to drill a hole into the rudder 7/8-inch (22mm) up from the bottom of the rudder. E-flite Pitts Model 12 15e ARF Assembly Manual 4. Use a hobby knife to cut a groove from the hole to the bottom of the rudder. This will recess the tail gear wire when it is glued to the rudder. 5.
6. Use three CA hinges to attach the rudder to the fin/ fuselage as shown. Use the directions as described in "Hinging the Control Surfaces." Landing Gear Installation Required Parts Fuselage Landing gear Wheel pant (2) 3 x 10mm machine screw (3) 3mm washer (5) 3mm nut (2) 2mm x 6mm sheet metal screw (2) 3mm wheel collar w/setscrew (2) 3mm x 30mm machine screw (2) Required Tools and Adhesives 6-minute epoxy Threadlock 18 Hobby knife Phillips screwdriver: #0 1.
2. Press the landing gear filler block in position. This will transfer the location of the screws onto the block. 3. Use a hobby knife to trim the filler block to clear the heads of the three screws holding the landing gear to the fuselage. 5. Slide a 3mm x 30mm machine screw through the wheel. Use a 3mm wheel collar and setscrew to secure the screw in the wheel. Use threadlock on the setscrew to prevent it from vibrating loose. E-flite Pitts Model 12 15e ARF Assembly Manual 4.
6. Fit the wheel into the wheel pant as shown. 7. Slide the screw through the bottom hole in the landing gear. Use a 3mm nut and 3mm washer to attach the wheel/wheel pant to the landing gear. Use threadlock on the nut to prevent it from vibrating loose. 8. With the fuselage resting on its wheels, check that the wheel pants will clear the ground as shown. 9. To keep the wheel pant from rotating, secure the wheel pant using a 2mm x 6mm sheet metal screw. 20 10.
Radio Installation Required Parts Control horn (4) Control horn backplate (4) Pushrod wire clip (4) Aileron servo block (4) Clevis (4) Long servo arm (2) 3mm x 30mm machine screw (2) 2mm x 6mm sheet metal screw (8) 3 3/4-inch (95mm) pushrod wire (4) 2. Remove the covering for the opening for the rudder servo. Use the hardware provided with the servo to install it in the fuselage. Required Tools and Adhesives Drill Drill bit: 1/16-inch )1.
3. Thread a clevis onto a 3 3/4-inch (95mm) pushrod wire. Attach the clevis to the control horn. Align the pushrod with the servo then use a felt-tipped pen to mark the location for the control horn screws through the control horn. 4. Use a pin drill with a 5/64-inch (2mm) drill bit to drill the holes for the control horn screw. 22 5. Place a few drops of thin CA into each hole to harden the surrounding wood. This will provide a better base for the control horn when it is installed. 6.
8. Bend the pushrod wire 90 degrees at the mark made in the previous step. Secure the pushrod wire to the servo arm using a pushrod wire clip. Trim any excess pushrod wire to prevent it from rubbing the fuselage or servo with side cutters. 7. Hold the rudder in neutral. Use the radio to center the rudder servo and make sure the servo arm is perpendicular to the servo center line. Mark the pushrod with a felt-tipped pen where it crosses the outside hole on the servo arm.
9. Repeat Steps 1 through 8 for the elevator servo. 11. Remove the servo cover from the bottom of the bottom wing. Use a hobby knife to remove the covering in the cover for the servo arm. 10. Install the receiver in the fuselage. Follow the manufacturers installation instructions for proper placement of your receiver. Plug the two extensions for the aileron servos into the receiver at this time as well. 12. Position the aileron servo onto the cover.
13. Use 30-minute epoxy to glue the aileron servo blocks to the servo cover as shown. 14. Position the servo between the blocks. Make sure there is a slight gap between the servo and cover, then drill the locations for the servo screws using a 1/16-inch (1.5mm) drill bit and drill. E-flite Pitts Model 12 15e ARF Assembly Manual 15. Install a long servo arm on the servo after centering it using the radio system. Secure the servo using the hardware provided with the servo.
17. Pull the servo lead through the wing using the string. Use tape to keep the lead from falling back into the wing. 18. Use a drill and 1/16-inch (1.5mm) drill to drill a hole at each of the corners of the servo cover and into the supports. Use four 2mm x 6mm sheet metal screws to secure the servo cover to the wing. 19. Use a 3 3/4-inch (95mm) pushrod wire, clevis and pushrod rod wire clip to assemble and install the linkage between the servo and control horn.
Motor Installation 2. Use 6-minute epoxy to glue the four 1/2 x 1/2 x 1/2inch (12 x 12 x 12mm) hardwood cowl mounting blocks to the firewall. 3. Attach the motor to the firewall using the hardware provided with the motor. Use threadlock on the screws to prevent them from vibrating loose. Required Parts Fuselage Cowling 2mm x 6mm sheet metal screw Hook and loop strap (2) Required Tools and Adhesives Motor w/X-mount & hardware Drill bit: 1/16-inch (1.
4. Plug the motor into the speed control. Secure the speed control under the battery tray. 5. Secure the motor battery in the fuselage using the hook and loop straps. 6. Use a drill and 1/16-inch drill bit to drill holes through the cowl and into the cowl mounting blocks. Secure the cowl using four 2mm x 6mm sheet metal screws. Important Information About Your Brushless ESC Make sure your ESC brake is programmed to Off.
Important Information About Your Propeller It is also very important to check to be sure the propeller is balanced before installing onto the shaft. An unbalanced propeller may strip the gears or cause poor flight characteristics. 9. Install the propeller using the adapter provided with your motor. Note: If it is necessary to enlarge the hole in the propeller, make sure to check the balance of the propeller afterwards. 8.
Final Detail Installation 2. Install the pushrod connector in the bottom control horn. The screw will face toward the wing tip. 3. Thread a clevis on the pushrod wire. Connect the clevis to the control horn of the top wing. With both ailerons centered, tighten the screw to secure the pushrod to the pushrod connector.
Optional Accessories 4. Use canopy glue to attach the canopy to the fuselage. Use tape to hold the canopy in position until the glue fully cures. Note: The tail surface flying wires are included for you to add if you desire. They are not required for everyday flight or even 3D flight. E-flite Pitts Model 12 15e ARF Assembly Manual 1. Attach the flying wires to the fin and stabilizer using 2mm x 10mm machine screws and 2mm nuts. Use threadlock on the nuts to prevent them from vibrating loose.
2. The flying wires are attached to the bottom of the stabilizer using 2mm x 10mm machine screws. They are then attached to the fuselage using two 2mm x 8mm sheet metal screws. Control Throws Use a ruler to adjust the throw of the elevator, ailerons and rudder. Adjust the position of the pushrod at the control horn to achieve the following measurements when moving the sticks to their endpoints. Note: Measurements are taken at the widest point on the surface.
Center of Gravity An important part of preparing the aircraft for flight is properly balancing the model. Caution: Do not inadvertently skip this step! The recommended Center of Gravity (CG) location for the Pitts Model 12 15e ARF is 3 3/4– 4 1/8-inch (95–105mm) back from the leading edge of the top wing. Use the 3 3/4-inch (95mm) CG for sport/scale flying and the 4 1/8-inch (105mm) CG for 3D aerobatic flying. Range Test Your Radio 1. Before each flying session, be sure to range check your radio.
Preflight Check Your Radio Before going to the field, be sure that your batteries are fully charged per the instructions included with your radio. Charge both the transmitter and receiver pack for your airplane. Use the recommended charger supplied with your particular radio system, following the instructions provided with the radio. In most cases, the radio should be charged the night before going out flying. Before each flying session, be sure to range check your radio.
2007 Official AMA National Model Aircraft Safety Code GENERAL 1) I will not fly my model aircraft in sanctioned events, air shows or model flying demonstrations until it has been proven to be airworthy by having been previously, successfully flight tested. 2) I will not fly my model higher than approximately 400 feet within 3 miles of an airport without notifying the airport operator. I will give right-of-way and avoid flying in the proximity of full-scale aircraft.
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