™ DE MA IN A US Wingspan: 65 in [1650mm] Wing Area: 778 sq in [50.2 dm²] Weight: 5.5 – 7.0 lbs [2500 - 3182g] Wing Loading: 16 – 21 oz/sq ft [50–64 g/dm²] Length: 49.5 in [1257mm] WARRANTY..... Top Flite Models guarantees this kit to be free of defects in both material and workmanship at the date of purchase. This warranty does not cover any component parts damaged by use or modification. In no case shall Top Flite‘s liability exceed the original cost of the purchased kit.
TABLE OF CONTENTS INTRODUCTION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2 SAFETY PRECAUTIONS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2 ADDITIONAL ITEMS REQUIRED. . . . . . . . . . . . .3 Hardware and Accessories . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3 Adhesives and Building Supplies . . . . . . . . . . . .3 Optional Supplies and Tools. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3 IMPORTANT BUILDING NOTES . . . . . . . . . . . . .4 GET READY TO BUILD. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4 COMMON ABBREVIATIONS . . . . .
Adhesives and Building Supplies NOTE: We, as the kit manufacturer, provide you with a top quality kit and great instructions, but ultimately the quality and flyability of your finished model depends on how you build it; therefore, we cannot in any way guarantee the performance of your completed model, and no representations are expressed or implied as to the performance or safety of your completed model.
❏ CA Applicator Tips (HCAR3780) ❏ Epoxy Brushes (GPMR8060) ❏ Mixing Sticks (GPMR8055) ❏ Threadlocker (GPMR6060) ❏ Denatured Alcohol (for epoxy clean up) ❏ Silver solder (GPMR8070) ❏ Felt-Tip Marker (TOPQ2510) ❏ Rotary tool such as Dremel ❏ Rotary tool reinforced cut-off wheel (GPMR8200) ❏ 1/16" to 1/4" drill bit set ❏ Other drill bits used: 17/64" (or 1/4"), #48 (or 5/64"), #36 (or 7/64), 6-32 tap, 1/4" tap -or❏ Great Planes tap and drill set (GPMR8108) ❏ Dead Center™ Engine Mount Hole Locator (GPMR8130) ❏
numbers stamped on them, but in some cases the number is located alongside the parts or only on the die drawings in the manual. Do not remove the die-cut parts until instructed to do so. If a part is difficult to remove, don’t force it out but cut around it with a hobby knife and a #11 blade. After you remove the parts from their die sheets, lightly sand the edges to remove slivers or die-cutting irregularities. Save some of the larger scraps of wood. 3.
DIE-CUT PATTERNS -6-
Build the Elevator BUILD THE TAIL SURFACES ❏ 1. From the 1/4" x 1-3/4" x 36" [6 x 32 x 914mm] Build the Stab balsa sheet, cut two pieces 10-1/2" [267mm] in length. ❏ 1. Tape the Wing/Stab Plan view to your building board. Cover the plan with Plan Protector. ❏ 2. Locate the two die-cut 1/8" [3mm] balsa stab center pieces. Glue them together with medium CA to make one 1/4" [6mm] stab center. ❏ 6. Glue the remaining gussets in place as shown on the plan. ❏ 2.
Trial fit the hinge into the slot. If the hinge does not slide in easily, work the knife back and forth in the slot a few times to provide more clearance (it is really the back edge of the blade that does the work here in widening the slot). ❏ 4. Locate the 2" x 9" [50 x 230mm] hinge material and cut sixteen hinges as shown in the above sketch. USING CA HINGES The hinge material supplied in this kit consists of a 3 layer lamination of Mylar and polyester.
Build the Fin and Rudder BUILD THE WING Frame the Wing ❏ ❏ 1. Tape the Right Wing Plan view to your building board. Cover the plan with Plan Protector. ❏ ❏ 2. Locate one of the shaped balsa leading ❏ 4. From the remaining piece of the 1/4" x 1-3/4" x ❏ 1. Tape the Fin and Rudder Plan view to your building board. Cover the plan with Plan Protector. ❏ 2. Locate two sets of die-cut 1/8" [3mm] balsa fin leading edge pieces. One set is short the other is long.
❏ ❏ 7. Test fit the W2 rib at the end of the basswood spar. ❏ ❏ 12. Glue each of the remaining ribs to the shaped balsa leading edge, centering them as you go. ❏ ❏ 16. Locate one of the 3/32" x 1" x 30" [2.4 x 25 x ❏ ❏ 8. Locate the die-cut 1/8" [3mm] plywood dihedral gauge. Place the gauge flat on the building board at the root of the wing and against the side of the W1 rib. Once you are satisfied with the rib placement, use CA to glue the rib to the basswood spar.
Install the Wing Joiners Important! The following steps are for the right wing panel. ❏ ❏ 19. Place the sheeting flat on the bench and ❏ 4. When you are satisfied with the fit of each sand the joints of the sheeting smooth on the side that will be the top of the wing. When you have completed the sanding and are satisfied with the fit, glue the sheeting in place between the leading edge and trailing edge sheeting. brace, glue them in place with 30-minute epoxy.
Finish the Bottom of the Wing ❏ ❏ 1. For the right wing panel, locate a 3/32" x 1-1/8" x 30" [2.4 x 28 x 760mm] balsa bottom leading edge sheet. Cut it to a length of 29-3/4" [756mm]. Bevel one edge of the sheet as you did with the sheeting on the top of the wing. When you are satisfied with the fit, glue the sheeting in place on the bottom of the wing. ❏ ❏ 2. Locate a 3/32" x 1" x 30" [2.4 x 25 x 760mm] balsa bottom trailing edge sheet. Cut it to a length of 29-3/4" [756mm].
Join the Wings ❏ 1. Glue the die-cut 1/8" [3mm] ply sub spar dowel brace to the balsa sub spars on the left wing panel as done on the right wing panel. ❏ 2. At the root rib of the left wing panel, cut two 1/8" [3mm] slots in W1 at the leading edge and trailing edge for the leading edge and trailing edge braces. Cut a 1/16" [1.6mm] slot through the two W1 ribs for the Dihedral Brace. Now that both of the wing panels are joined, go back to the section, “Finish the Bottom of the Wing”.
it in place. Do Not Glue the front 1-1/4" [32mm] of the tip to the wing. Proceed to the next step after the glue has completely cured. Build the Aileron ❏ ❏ 6. Carefully bend the tip of the wingtip on the score until the tip takes on the contour of the wing. When the proper bend has been achieved, use thin CA to glue the tip to the wing. ❏ ❏ 1. Cut the ailerons to length as shown on the ❏ ❏ 8. When satisfied with the fit, glue the wing tip plans. Mark a centerline on the LE of the aileron.
❏ ❏ 6. Sand the aileron to its final shape as shown on the cross section of the wing. Sand a “V” in the leading edge. ❏ 7. Repeat steps 1-6 for building the aileron for the left wing. Finish the Wing ❏ 3. Using a 1/4" x 3/8" x 30" [6 x 9.5 x 762mm] basswood stick, cut two pieces 1" [25mm] long for the servo mounting rails. Glue them in place on the wing skin with 6- minute epoxy. Make the Cockpit (Optional) ❏ 1. Locate two laser-cut 1/16 x 3/4" x 1-1/2" [1.6 x 19 x 38mm] plywood wing bolt plates.
BUILD THE FUSELAGE Frame the Fuselage Notice that you are building the right side first. ❏ 1. Tape the Fuselage Plan side view to your building board. Cover the plan with Plan Protector. Build the right fuselage side first. ❏ ❏ 6. Glue the fuse doubler to the fuse side on the lines you have drawn. Note: The left side will be glued to the other side. ❏ 7. Locate six 1/4" x 1/4" x 36" [6 x 6 x 914mm] basswood sticks. These will be the longerons and the longeron braces.
❏ ❏ 11. Glue one of the 48-3/4" [1239mm] basswood longerons to the top of the right fuse side as shown on the plan. Glue the end of the stick where you made the splice to the fuse side. Do not have the splice at the rear of the fuselage. The 48-3/4" [1239mm] longeron is longer than shown on the plan. Place the longeron on the plan at the back of the fuselage and allow the excess longeron length to extend beyond the front of the fuselage.
FOR STEPS 22-27 USE THE TOP VIEW OF THE FUSELAGE PLAN AS AN AID IN KEEPING THE FUSELAGE STRAIGHT. ❏ 18. The firewall has eight punch marks. Draw two reference lines for mounting the engine to the firewall as shown. If you are using the O.S. FS 52 or O.S. 46 FX, the remaining four punch marks are exactly where you need to drill the engine mounting holes.
❏ 28. Glue the 1/16" [1.6mm] tail gusset in place at the rear, bottom of the fuselage with 6-minute epoxy. ❏ 24. From the 1/8" x 3" x 24" [3 x 76 x 610mm] balsa, sheet the bottom of the fuselage. The grain of the balsa needs to run across the width of the fuselage. Once you have the fuselage bottom completed, take the time to sand the bottom of the fuselage. It will be much easier to do while the fuselage is placed flat on the bench. ❏ 26.
❏ 32. Earlier you temporarily glued F3T and F4T in place. Remove and discard them. Mount the Wing to the Fuselage ❏ 3. Measure from the tip of the left wingtip to the tail ❏ 1. Position the wing onto the fuselage with the leading edge of the wing against former F2T. ❏ 33. Locate the two die-cut 1/8" x 1-1/2" x 3-5/8" [3 of the fuselage and from the right wingtip to the tail of the fuselage. Adjust the wing until the distance is equal. ❏ 4.
extending 3/8" [9.5mm] out of the wing leading edge. Wipe any excess glue from the exposed dowel. Allow the glue to cure then round the ends of the dowels as shown on the plan. This will make it easier to insert the dowels through the holes in F2T when installing the wing on the fuselage. drilling be sure that the drill remains perpendicular to the top of the wing. If the drill does not remain perpendicular to the wing you may not hit the center of the wing bolt mounting plate in the fuselage. ❏ 10.
washers and four #6 lock washers. Temporarily place your engine in the mount to set the width of the mounting rails to fit your engine. Remove the engine and tighten all the engine mount mounting bolts. For our model we will be installing the engine inverted so we have installed the engine mount inverted. Be sure to properly install your engine mount for the position you choose to install your motor. Drill two 3/16" [4.
❏ ❏ 15. Cut two more pieces of sheeting long enough Bevel the sheeting where it contacts the fuselage side. ❏ ❏ 13. All of the sheeting is going to be cut from the 1/8" x 3" x 30" [3 x 76 x 762mm] soft balsa sheeting that you previously set aside when building the fuselage. Cut a piece of sheeting to fit from the sheeted fuselage side, forward to the nose ring. When glued in place the top edge of the sheeting should be aligned on the center of the middle stringer.
❏ 3. From left over 3/32" x 3" [2.4 x 76mm] balsa sheeting cut two pieces to a length of 3-1/2". Assemble and Install the Landing Gear ❏ 1. Locate the two prebent wire landing gear wires and one of the coils of wrapping wire. Make a wire wrapped joint at each end and the middle of the main landing gear wire where shown on the plan. If you are new to making and soldering this type of a joint, refer to the Soldering Hot Tip below. B. Bend the soft wire around the two landing gear wires being joined together.
E. To get a good bond between the soft wrap wire and the wire landing gear it is important to use a good solder and flux. The Great Planes® Silver Solder Kit (GPMR8070) works very well and includes all the needed items for a good, strong solder joint. ❏ 2. After completing the three solder joints on the ❏ 5. Wrap the two wires together with a 5" [127mm] main landing gear wire, lay the main landing gear wire onto the fuselage so that the wire is laying across the forward landing gear mounting plate.
Tailskid Installation ❏ 6. Locate the pre-bent wire tail skid. Wrap and solder it together in the three locations shown on the plan. Once the solder has cooled, bend the end of the wire to a slight angle as shown on the plan. ❏ 9. You may wish to paint your tailskid before installing it onto the fuselage. If so, do it now. This would also be a good time to paint the main landing gear. When the paint has dried place the tailskid in position on the bottom of the fuselage.
FINAL CONSTRUCTION Mount the Engine ❏ 5. Cut the 11-3/4" [298mm] gray outer plastic Install the Radio pushrod guide to a length of 9". Use sandpaper to roughen one end of the 9" plastic tube. Insert the smooth end of the tube through the firewall back into the radio compartment. Apply a couple of drops of CA to the roughened end of the tube. Then finish inserting the rest of the tube flush with the firewall. ❏ 6.
the end of the wire is over the throttle servo control horn. Once the throttle pushrod wire is over the throttle servo arm continue feeding the pushrod wire into the tube an additional 1" [25mm]. At the screw lock connector on the carburetor, cut the excess throttle pushrod wire. When you cut the wire you will be cutting off the threaded portion of the wire. This is correct. Tighten the 4-40 set screw on the screw lock connector to hold the throttle pushrod wire in place.
D. When you cover large sheeted surfaces such as the wing, bond the covering in the middle and work outward, pushing out air as you proceed. Do not move the iron in a circular motion, but move it lengthwise with the grain of the wood. E. When you cover smaller parts with square edges such as the elevators and ailerons, cover the ends first with separate pieces of covering. Then, all you have to do is wrap the covering around the top and bottom and iron it down.
The following steps are used only if you are using a tail wheel. Join the Control Surfaces ❏ 6. Trial fit the hinges and the tail wheel wire into the rudder. Trial fit the rudder to the stab inserting the hinges into the hinge slots and the nylon tail wheel bearing into the slot in the fuselage cross bracing. ❏ 1. Start with the stab and elevator. Remove a small strip of covering from the hinge slots. ❏ 2. Test fit the hinges in only the stab or elevators (without glue). Epoxy ❏ 4.
❏ 8. Reference the plan to locate the position for the Install the Elevator, Rudder Pushrods and Control Horns nylon control horn on the bottom of the elevator. Mark the location for the screw holes for the control horn. Drill a 3/32" [2.4mm] hole through the elevator on each of these marks then harden the holes with a couple of drops of thin CA. ❏ 1. Locate the two 5/16" x 36" [7.9 x 914mm] wood dowels. These will be the elevator and rudder pushrods. Cut each of them to 24-1/2" [623mm] in length. ❏ 9.
Install the Aileron Pushrods and Control Horns Scale Details Cotter pin Looking at the photo on the box you will see that we added a few extra details to our model. They are not necessary for any structural integrity but we felt they added a bit of nostalgic detail that you might want to consider adding to your model. Kingposts and Flying Wires ❏ 3. The flying wires are also made from the same ❏ 1. Locate the two nylon torque rod connectors.
cord towards the center of the fuselage. Join the left and right wing wires by inserting a #2 sheet metal screw into the two landing gear straps and then screwing them into the kingpost. ❏ ❏ 5. Turn the wing over and locate the 1/16" [1.6mm] holes in each of the blocks in the bottom wing. With a T-pin, punch through the covering into each of the holes in the blocks. Insert and glue the cord into one of the blocks in the right wing.
❏ 5. Make sure the control surfaces move in the proper direction as illustrated in the following sketch. CONTROL THROWS Aileron Elevator Rudder High rate Low Rate 3/8" [9.5mm] Up 1/4" [6mm] Up 3/8" [9.
Range check your radio You may add tail weight by sticking on Great Planes (GPMQ4485) stick-on lead weights on the bottom of the fuselage under the tail. Later, if the balance proves to be OK, you can glue these in permanently. Our prototype required 12 oz. [340g] of weight to be added to the nose.
❏ 3. Secure the battery and receiver with a strip of balsa or plywood. Simply stuffing them into place with foam rubber is not sufficient. ❏ 4. Extend your receiver antenna and make sure it has a strain relief inside the fuselage to keep tension off the solder joint inside the receiver. ❏ 5. Balance your model laterally as explained in the instructions. ❏ 6. File flat spots on landing gear wires and axles for the set screws to lock onto. ❏ 7.
3. Where established, I will abide by the safety rules for the flying site I use, and I will not willfully and deliberately fly my models in a careless, reckless and/or dangerous manner. 7. I will not fly my model unless it is identified with my name and address or AMA number, on or in the model. 9. I will not operate models with pyrotechnics (any device that explodes, burns, or propels a projectile of any kind). RADIO CONTROL 1.
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B C
D A
