Tensor 4D Assembly Manual
Table of Contents Introduction ..................................................... 2 Specifications .................................................. 2 Warning ......................................................... 3 Additional Required Equipment ......................... 3 Additional Tools and Adhesives ......................... 3 Contents of Kit/Parts Layout .............................. 4 Required Items ................................................ 5 Other E-flite™ Accessories .................
Warning An RC aircraft is not a toy! If misused, it can cause serious bodily harm and damage to property. Fly only in open areas, preferably at AMA (Academy of Model Aeronautics) approved flying sites, following all instructions included with your radio. Additional Required Equipment Recommended JR® Systems Servos: JR 241 Sub-micro servo (3) Receiver: JR R610M 6-channel micro FM Rx or R610UL Radio: JR 4-channel system Battery and Speed Control Requirements Li-Po Battery: 7.
Contents of Kit/Parts Layout Large Replacement Parts: EFL2101 EFL2102 EFL2103 EFL2104 EFL2105 EFL2106 EFL2110 4 Wing Set w/Struts Vertical Fuselage w/Rudder Horizontal Fuselage Tail Assembly Wheel Pants Firewall Mount w/Hardware Landing Gear Small Replacement Parts: EFL2108 EFL2109 EFL2107 EFLA200 EFLA201 EFLA202 EFLA221 EFLA2086 Carbon Fiber Wing Supports Pushrods and Control Rods Nylon String (120") Micro Control Horns Micro Pushrod Keepers Micro Control Connectors Foam Park Wheels, 1.
Required Items EFLP1047 JRP4487 JRPS241 EFLB1000 THP13602SJ EFLM1200 CSEPHX10L 10x4.7 Slow Flyer Propeller (2) Quattro UL, R610UL, 2-S241 S241 Sub-micro Servo 7.4v 860mAh 2-cell Li-Po, JST 7.
Warranty Information Horizon Hobby, Inc. guarantees this kit to be free from defects in both material and workmanship at the date of purchase. This warranty does not cover any component parts damage by use or modification. In no case shall Horizon Hobby’s liability exceed the original cost of the purchased kit. Further, Horizon Hobby reserves the right to change or modify this warranty without notice.
Fuselage Assembly Required Parts Vertical fuselage Horizontal fuselage support (2) Carbon elevator joiner brace Required Tools and Adhesives Foam-safe CA Horizontal fuselage Elevator/stabilizer 2. Slide the horizontal fuselage partially into position. The unpainted side will face the bottom of the fuselage. Square 1. Carefully remove the horizontal fuselage supports from the horizontal fuselage.
3. Use foam-safe CA to attach the carbon stabilizer joiner brace to the bottom of the elevator. 8 4. Slide the elevator/stabilizer assembly into position.
5. Slide the horizontal fuselage fully forward in the fuselage. Center it in the main fuselage, making sure the notch at the rear fits with the stabilizer. Note: There are small notches along the center of the horizontal fuselage to aid in alignment. 6. Use foam-safe CA to glue the horizontal fuselage to the vertical fuselage. Note: Do not use accelerator unless you are sure it will not harm the foam or paint on your model.
7. Slide the stabilizer forward against the horizontal fuselage. Use a square to check the alignment to the fuselage. 8. Use foam-safe CA to glue the stabilizer into position. 9. Use foam-safe CA to glue the horizontal fuselage supports into position on the bottom of the fuselage support.
Radio Installation Required Parts Fuselage assembly Micro control connector (2) Control connector backplate (2) 2mm x 4mm screw (2) Micro control horn (2) Micro control horn backplate (2) .065" x 16" carbon pushrod (2) 1/32" x 2" pushrod end (4) Micro pushrod keeper (2) String Required Tools and Adhesives Foam-safe CA Razor saw 1. Plug in the aileron, elevator and rudder servos to the receiver following the instructions from your radio system. Turn on the radio and center the trims on the transmitter.
Note: The control horns can be modified to greatly increase surface throws. Remove the back flange of the horn using scissors. Install the horn by sliding the horn through the control surface. Slide the backplate onto the horn and use foam-safe CA to glue the backplate into position. 12 2. Attach the micro control horn to the elevator using the micro control horn backplate. Place a few drops of foam-safe CA on the backplate to ensure its security.
3. Install the rudder control horn, making sure it is on the opposite side of the elevator horn. 4. Trim one of the servo arms from the elevator servo. Cut a hole in the horizontal fuselage support to fit your servo. The servo must rest flush with the support. Use double-sided tape or foam-safe CA to attach the servo to the fuselage support. The arm faces the front of the fuselage, and the aft edge of the servo aligns with the aft edge of the fuselage spine support.
5. Repeat Step 4 for the rudder servo. 6. Prepare one of the .065" x 16" carbon pushrods by attaching one of the 1/32" x 2" pushrod ends using 10" of string and thin CA. Make a 90-degree bend 1/4" from the end of the pushrod end.
7. Pass the bend in the pushrod through on of the holes in the elevator control horn. Use the outer hole for minimum throw and the inner hole for maximum throw. 8. Tape the elevator so it will remain centered. Measure back 1/2" from the elevator servo arm on the pushrod. Cut the pushrod at this location using a razor saw. 9. Attach another 1/32" x 2" pushrod end to the pushrod.
10. Install a micro control connector and connector backplate to the servo arm. 16 11. Attach the L-bend to the control horn using a micro pushrod keeper.
12. Slide the pushrod end through the micro connector. Center the elevator and secure the pushrod using a 2mm x 4mm screw. 13. Repeat Steps 7 through 13 to assemble and install the rudder pushrod.
Wing Installation Required Parts Fuselage Assembly Side force generator (2) Lower wing Required Tools and Adhesives Foam-safe CA Square Hobby knife 1. Test fit the lower wing to the fuselage. The lower wing has the holes towards the leading edge for the landing gear wires. 18 2. Carefully check to make sure the lower wing is square to the fuselage. Use foam-safe CA to glue the lower wing to the fuselage.
3. Locate the side force generators. Use a sharp hobby knife to remove the upper and lower fences from the main section. 4. Position the side force generator in the holes closest to the trailing edge of the bottom wing. Use a square and foam-safe CA to glue the side force generator into position. 5. Repeat Steps 3 and 4 for the remaining side force generator.
6. Place the top wing onto a flat surface. Position the side force generators and fuselage onto the wing. Hold the wing flat while gluing the fuselage and side force generators to the wing. Note: It is recommended to use a square to check the side force generator alignment to the top wing. Note: DO NOT glue the upper and lower fences at this time.
Carbon Rod Installation Required Parts Assembled airframe .046" x 111/4” carbon rod (4) .046" x 61/4" carbon rod (6) Required Tools and Adhesives Foam-safe CA T-Pin Thin CA Note: You may want to locate a thin piece of depron or other foam for the next section. A thin board will work too. This is necessary to keep the wing as flat as possible to keep from inducing any twist in the wing, which will greatly affect the performance of your Tensor. 1.
2. Slide a .046" x 111/4" carbon rod from the lower fuselage to the upper side force generator. Leave at least 1/16" of the rod exposed at both ends. Glue only the rod at the fuselage. Apply foam-safe CA to the rod both at the inside and outside in order to capture the rod in position. 3. Place the top wing on a surface that will allow the wing panel to lie perfectly flat. Apply glue to the inside edge of the rod. Once the glue fully cures carefully lift the airframe and apply CA to the top of the rod.
5. Slide a .046" x 111/4" carbon rod from the upper fuselage to the lower side force generator. Leave at least 1/16" of the rod exposed at both ends. Glue only the rod at the fuselage. Apply foam-safe CA to the rod both at the inside and outside in order to capture the rod in position. 7. Repeat Steps 5 and 6 to complete the cross bracing. 6. Place the bottom wing on a surface that will allow the wing panel to lie perfectly flat. Apply glue to the inside edge of the rod.
8. Install one of the .046" x 61/4" rods through the hole in the center of the side force generator and into the fuselage spine. Leave at least 1/16" of the rod exposed on the outside of the side force generator. Glue the rod only to the fuselage spine. 9. Use a straight edge to make sure the side force generator is not bent in or out on the wing. Glue both sides of the rod to the side force generator. 10.
11. Locate two .046" x 61/4" carbon rods for use as the tip bracing. Glue the braces at the side force generator first, and then check the wing on a flat surface before gluing the brace to the upper and lower wings. Repeat for both left and right sides. 12. Cut a 10" piece of string. Wrap the string around the junction of the inner braces. Use thin CA to secure the string to the braces.
Aileron Servo Installation bottom wing so the output shaft is 41/2" forward of the trailing edge. Mark the position of the front and rear of the servo onto the wing using a T-pin. Required Parts Assembled airframe Micro control connector (4) Control connector backplate (4) 2mm x 4mm screw (4) Micro control horn (6) Micro control horn backplate (6) .
2. Cut a hole in the bottom wing and through the vertical fuselage that will fit your particular servo. Make sure the hole is centered in the wing. 3. Install the aileron servo using foam-safe CA. Make sure to glue the servo to both the wing and the fuselage. 4. Install the aileron control horns and micro connectors. Use a servo arm that is the same width as the spacing between the control horns.
5. Build and install the linkages using two 1 1/32" x 3 /8" pushrods. Secure the linkages to the control horn using two micro pushrod keepers. Center the ailerons and aileron servo. Use 2mm x 4mm screws to complete the aileron linkage installation. 28 6. Trim the remaining four control horns as shown. Enlarge the hole in two (2) of the control horns using a 1/16" drill bit.
7. Install the remaining two micro connectors in the drilled out horns. Make sure to install the connectors opposite each other as shown. 8. Install a horn from the previous step in the upper wing. The connector will face outward, allowing access to the screw. The horn will face away from the wing as shown.
9. Install a control horn in the bottom aileron. 10. Assemble an aileron connecting pushrod using .065" x 7" carbon rod, 1/32" x 2" pushrod end and 10" of string. Bend the rod at a 90-degree angle and attach it to the bottom aileron control horn. With the ailerons centered, measure and mark the pushrod 1/2" below the connector on the top aileron.
11. Cut the carbon at the rod at the mark made in the previous step using a razor saw. Finish the assembly of the pushrod using a 1/32" x 2" pushrod end and 10" of string. Install the pushrod using a micro pushrod keeper and a 2mm x 4mm screw. 12. Repeat Steps 8 through 11 to assemble and install the remaining aileron connecting pushrod.
Installing the Electronics Required Parts Assembled airframe 4-40 x 3/8" socket screw (2) 4-40 locknut (2) Required Tools and Adhesives Foam-safe CA Drill Speed control Plywood motor mount Hook and loop tape 1/8" drill bit Receiver Motor 1. Locate the plywood motor mount. Attach your particular motor at this time using two 4-40 x 3/8” socket screws and two 4-40 locknuts. To save weight use wood screws, making sure they are secure in the mount by adding a drop of thin CA when the protrude from the mount.
3. Mount the receiver in an inconspicuous location on the fuselage spine using hook and loop or double-sided tape. Plug the elevator, rudder and aileron servos into the receiver. Route the antenna wire to the bottom of the fin. 4. Solder any necessary connectors to your speed control. Cut a small hole in the fuselage spine to pass the battery lead through. Connect the speed control to the receiver and motor. Attach the speed control to the fuselage spine using hook and loop or double-sided tape.
5. Use hook and loop tape to secure the battery directly to the side of the fuselage behind the motor positioned to obtain the correct CG. An alternate method is shown below. Trim a section of the fuselage so you can slide the battery in place, securing with hook and loop. 34 6. Set up the operation of the motor using the instructions included with your particular speed control at this time. 7. Attach the propeller to the motor, after making sure the battery has been unplugged.
Landing Gear Installation Required Parts Assembled airframe 11/2" wheel (2) Wheel pant (2) Landing gear (2) Wheel stopper (2) Required Tools and Adhesives Foam-safe CA Note: Be very careful not to get CA onto the wheel, preventing it from rolling. 2. Slide the gear into position, but do not glue it yet. The end of the gear will rest in the hole on the fuselage spine support. 1. Place the wheels on the landing gear. Check that they can roll freely. Enlarge the hole in the wheel if necessary.
4. Position the wheels so they are parallel to the fuselage centerline. Check to make sure the installation of the landing gear is not deforming the bottom wing. Use foam-safe CA to glue the landing gear to the wing, vertical fuselage and horizontal fuselage support. 36 5. Attach the wheel pants by gluing them to the wheel stoppers.
Final Assembly Required Parts Assembled airframe .065" x 6" carbon rod (2) Upper and lower side force generator (2) 2. Repeat step 1 for the remaining carbon rod. 3. While the plane is upside down, install the lower fences onto the bottom wing. Required Tools and Adhesives Foam-safe CA 1. Locate a .065" x 6" carbon rod. Position the rod from the tip of the stabilizer to the bottom of the fin. Use foam-safe CA to glue the rod into position.
Control Throws 4. Turn the plane over so it is resting on its wheels. Install the upper fences using foam-safe CA.
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 Tensor™ is 21/4"—21/2" (57mm—63.5mm) behind the leading edge of the top wing against the fuselage. If necessary, move the battery pack towards the nose or the tail until the correct balance is achieved.
flight is to hold the airplane vertically and advance the throttle to full power. The static thrust should be enough to make the airplane accelerate vertically from a standstill. Many people also consider the proverbial “aft” center of gravity (CG) to be crucial to hovering success. Through much experimentation on many types of models, we have found that neither a very forward or very aft CG is beneficial to hovering flight.
Large amounts of throw tend to make the airplane feel very sensitive around neutral. Because of this, it is highly recommended that you use a radio with dual rates that is capable of exponential throws. A good way to correctly set the amount of exponential for the 3D-rate is to find a lowrate setting that feels comfortable in normal flight.
an asymmetric vertical tail configuration, the Tensor has nearly equal vertical tail area above and below the thrustline. As a result the Tensor needs no side thrust to fly properly. Rolling maneuvers are done with relative ease with the Tensor. What you will find is that very little if any rudder is needed during the knife-edge portion of the roll to keep the nose from falling. This is because the side force generators are literally holding the nose up for you.
The Tensor is especially good at the 3D type maneuvers such as Torque Rolls, Elevators / Harriers, and High-Alpha Rolls. The large amount of aileron area in the propeller slipstream actually make it possible to perform anti-torque rolls (spinning to the right while hovering) Because of its ultra-light wing loading the Tensor is truly meant to be flown indoors in a windless environment but will easily handle 5-10mph wind conditions outside. The Tensor seems to fly best with a 7.
How much should you have to practice? If you are serious about learning how to hover or torque roll, work on the simulator 30 minutes to an hour each night for a month. Evaluate your progress after this amount of time. Chances are you will have become bored with the simulator and are ready to tackle the real airplane with confidence, but do not be surprised or discouraged if it takes three months of dedicated practice. Remember that there is nothing super-human about hovering.
Another common misnomer is that the ailerons do not work while hovering. This could not be further from the truth. If you do not use the ailerons during hovering, you will be at the mercy of the motor’s torque and the airplane will continually roll to the left. Two very effective techniques to employ to reduce or stop this rotation is first to counter the left rolling moment with right aileron and also to lean the airplane 5–10 degrees either slightly to the gear or away from it.
2004 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.
3) At all flying sites a straight or curved line(s) must be established in front of which all flying takes place with the other side for spectators. Only personnel involved with flying the aircraft are allowed at or in front of the flight line. Intentional flying behind the flight line is prohibited. 4) I will operate my model using only radio control frequencies currently allowed by the Federal Communications Commission.
© 2004 Horizon Hobby, Inc. 4105 Fieldstone Road Champaign, Illinois 61822 (877) 504-0233 www.horizonhobby.
