WA
RR
AN
TY.....Top F
lite Models guarantees this kit to be free of defects in both m
aterial and workm
anship at the date of purchase.T
his warranty does
not cover any component parts dam
aged by use or modification.
In no case shall Top Flite‘s liability exceed the original cost of the purchased kit.
Further, Top F
lite reservesthe right to change or m
odify this warranty w
ithout notice.In that Top Flite has no control over the final assem
bly or material used for final assem
bly, no liability shall be assumed
nor accepted for any damage resulting from
the use by the user of the final user-assembled product.
By the act of using the user-assem
bled product the user accepts all resultingliability.If th
e buyer is n
ot p
repared
to accep
t the liab
ility associated
with
the u
se of th
is pro
du
ct,the bu
yer is advised
to im
med
iately return
this kit in
new
and
un
used
con
ditio
n to
the p
lace of p
urch
ase.
Top
Flite M
od
els• 3002 N
Ap
ollo
Drive S
uite 1 • C
ham
paig
n,IL
61822 • Techn
ical Assistan
ce Call (217)398-8970
• pro
du
ctsup
po
rt@to
p-flite.co
m
RE
AD
TH
RO
UG
H T
HIS
INS
TR
UC
TIO
N B
OO
K F
IRS
T.IT
CO
NTA
INS
IMP
OR
TAN
T IN
ST
RU
CT
ION
S A
ND
WA
RN
ING
S C
ON
CE
RN
ING
TH
E A
SS
EM
BLY
AN
D U
SE
OF
TH
IS M
OD
EL.
TOP
Z2000 for TO
PA0700
V1.0
Entire C
ontents © C
opyright 2003
Wingspan:
84.5 in [2145mm
]W
ing Area:
1245 sq in [80 dm2]
Weight:
19–24 lbs [8620–10890g]W
ing Loading:35–44 oz/sq ft [107–134g/dm
2]
Length:73 in [1855m
m]
Scale:
19%R
adio
:6 to 9-channel w
ith 10 to 11 servosE
ng
ine:
2.1–2.8 cu in [34.5–46cc] two-stroke glow
, 2.5–4.3 cu in [41–70cc] spark ignition (gas)
�G
IANT P-5G
IANT P-51D M
UST
1D M
USTANG
ARFANG
ARF
TAB
LE
OF
CO
NT
EN
TS
INT
RO
DU
CT
ION
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2S
AF
ET
Y P
RE
CA
UT
ION
S . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3
DE
CIS
ION
S Y
OU
MU
ST
MA
KE
. . . . . . . . . . . . .4E
ngine recomm
endations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4
Radio equipm
ent . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4
Retractable landing gear . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5
AD
DIT
ION
AL
ITE
MS
RE
QU
IRE
D . . . . . . . . . . . .5
Hardw
are and Accessories
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5A
dhesives and Building S
upplies . . . . . . . . . . .5
Optional S
upplies and Tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5
KIT
INS
PE
CT
ION
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6O
RD
ER
ING
RE
PL
AC
EM
EN
T PA
RT
S . . . . . . . . .7
AS
SE
MB
LE
TH
E W
ING
S . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8
Hinge the ailerons and flaps
. . . . . . . . . . . . . .8M
ount the servos . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10H
ook up the servos . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12
Mount the retracts
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13M
ount the landing gear coversand w
heel covers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14
Install the air lines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15
Join the wing
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16Install the fixed landing gear
. . . . . . . . . . . . .18A
SS
EM
BL
E T
HE
FU
SE
LA
GE
. . . . . . . . . . . . .19H
inge the elevators and rudder . . . . . . . . . . .19
Glue in the stabilizer
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .19Install the cockpit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .21M
ount the tail gear doors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .23M
ount the retractable tail gear . . . . . . . . . . . .24M
ount the fixed tail gear . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .26
Hook up the elevators and rudder
. . . . . . . . .26M
ount the engine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .27
Mount the cow
l . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .28
Install the air tank . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .30
Install the fuel tank . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .30
Hook up the throttle
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .31H
ook up the air lines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .32
Mount the kill sw
itch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .32
Finish the engine com
partment
. . . . . . . . . . .33M
OU
NT
TH
E S
CA
LE
DE
TAIL
S . . . . . . . . . . . .33
Radiator air scoop
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .33W
ing fairing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .34
Wing fillets
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .35M
achine guns . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .35
Engine exhaust . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .36
Canopy and pilot . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .36
Apply the decals
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .37G
ET
TH
E M
OD
EL
RE
AD
Y TO
FLY
. . . . . . . . . .37
Com
plete the radio installation . . . . . . . . . . . . .37
Balance the m
odel (CG
) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .38
Balance the m
odel laterally . . . . . . . . . . . . . .39
Check the control directions . . . . . . . . . . . . . .39
Set the control throw
s . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .39B
alance propellers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .40C
hecklist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .40P
RE
FL
IGH
T . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .41
Identify your model
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .41C
harge the batteries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .41
Ground check
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .41R
ange check . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .41
EN
GIN
E S
AF
ET
Y P
RE
CA
UT
ION
S . . . . . . . . . .41
AM
A S
AF
ET
Y C
OD
E . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .42
IMA
A S
AF
ET
Y C
OD
E . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .42
FLY
ING
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .43Takeoff
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .44F
light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .44
Landing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .44
Engine m
ount template
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .47
INT
RO
DU
CT
ION
Congratulations and thank you for purchasing the Top
Flite G
iant P-51D
Mustang A
RF.W
ith the high quality oftoday’s A
RF
s, it was only a m
atter of time before Top
Flite w
ould develop an AR
F w
arbird of their own—
andw
hat better place to start than with the m
ost popularW
WII w
arbird of all time—
the P-51D
Mustang! T
heM
ustang’s streamlined appearance com
bined with Top
Flite’s
engineering expertise
makes
this one
sweet
model! If you are new
to giant-scale warbirds, once over
the initial apprehension of flying a valuable giant-scalem
odel you’ll realize its stable flight qualities and findyourself enjoying it for m
any flights to come.A
lthoughthis M
ustang is an AR
F, it is giantand it is scale, so it’snot exactly going to be ready to fly overnight! For thefastest,
most
pleasurable assem
bly experience,
becertain to read all of the instructions and read eachstep before proceeding
.If you have w
eb access, visit the Top Flite w
eb site atw
ww
.top-flite.com for the latest technical updates or
manual corrections.
Open the “A
irplanes”link, then
select Giant P
-51D M
ustang AR
F.
If there are anychanges or updates a “Tech N
otice”box w
ill appear inthe upper left corner of the page.O
pen the box to viewthe inform
ation.
IMA
A
The Top
Flite
Giant
P-51D
M
ustang A
RF
is
anexcellent sport-scale m
odel and is eligible to fly inIM
AA
events.
The
IMA
A
(International M
iniatureA
ircraft
Asso
ciatio
n)
is a
n
org
an
izatio
n
tha
tp
rom
ote
s n
on
-com
pe
titive
flying
o
f g
ian
t-scale
models.If you plan to attend an IM
AA
event, order acopy of the
IMA
A S
afety Co
de
by contacting theIM
AA
at the address or telephone number below
, orby logging on to their w
eb site atw
ww
.fly-imaa.o
rg/im
aa/sanctio
n.h
tml.
IMA
A
205 S.H
illdale R
oad
Salin
a,KS
67401(913) 823-5569
SC
AL
E C
OM
PE
TIT
ION
Though the giant P
-51 is an AR
F and m
ay not have thesam
e level
of detail
as an
“all-out”scratch-built
competition m
odel, it is a scale model nonetheless and
is therefore eligible to compete in the Fun S
caleclass in
AM
A com
petition.In F
un Scale, the “builder of the
model”rule does not apply.To receive the five points for
scale documentation, the only proof required that a full
size aircraft of this type in this paint/markings schem
edid exist is a single sheet such as a kit box cover froma plastic m
odel, a photo, or a profile painting, etc.If ablack-and-w
hite photo
is used,
other w
rittendocum
entation of color must be provided.C
ontact theA
MA
for a rule book with full details.S
ee page 3 for theA
MA
contact information.
If you would like photos of the full-size P
-51D M
ustangfor scale docum
entation, or if you would like to study the
photos to add more scale details, photo packs are
available from:
Bob’s A
ircraft Docum
entation3114 Yukon A
veC
osta Mesa, C
A 92626
Telephone:(714) 979-8058 Fax:(714) 979-7279e-m
ail:ww
w.bobsairdoc.com
- 2-
1.Your Top F
lite Giant P
-51D M
ustang AR
F should not
be considered a toy, but rather a sophisticated, working
model that functions very m
uch like a full-size airplane.B
ecause of its performance capabilities, the G
iant P-
51D M
ustang AR
F, if not assembled and operated
correctly, could possibly cause injury to yourself orspectators and dam
age to property.
2.You m
ust assemble the m
odel accord
ing
to th
ein
structio
ns.
Do not alter or m
odify the model, as
doing so may result in an unsafe or unflyable m
odel.In a few
cases the instructions may differ slightly
from
the photos.
In those
instances the
written
instructions should be considered as correct.
3.You must take tim
e to build straight,trueand strong.
4.You m
ust use an R/C
radio system that is in first-
class condition, and a correctly sized engine andcom
ponents (fuel tank, wheels, etc.) throughout the
building process.
5.You
must
correctly install
all R
/C
and other
components so that the m
odel operates correctly onthe ground and in the air.
6.You m
ust check the operation of the model before
everyflight to insure that all equipm
ent is operating andthat the m
odel has remained structurally sound.B
e sureto check clevises or other connectors often and replacethem
if they show any signs of w
ear or fatigue.
7.If you are not already an experienced R
/C pilot,
you should fly the model only w
ith the help of acom
petent, experienced R/C
pilot.
8.W
hile this kit has been flight tested to exceednorm
al use, if the plane will be used for extrem
elyhigh stress flying, such as racing, the m
odeler isresponsible for taking steps to reinforce the highstress points.
9.W
AR
NIN
G:
The cow
l, radiator air scoop, ando
the
r p
arts
inclu
de
d
in
this
kit a
re
ma
de
o
ffiberglass, the fibers of w
hich may cause eye, skin
and respiratory tract irritation.Never blow
into a part(air scoop, cow
l) to remove fiberglass dust, as the
dust will blow
back into your eyes.A
lways w
earsafety goggles, a particle m
ask and rubber glovesw
hen grinding, drilling and sanding fiberglass parts.V
acuum the parts and the w
ork area thoroughlyafter w
orking with fiberglass parts.
Rem
emb
er:Take
you
r tim
e an
d
follo
w
the
instru
ction
s to en
d u
p w
ith a w
ell-built m
od
elth
at is straigh
t and
true.
If you have not flown this type of m
odel before, we
recomm
end that
you get
the assistance
of an
experienced pilot
in your
R/C
club
for your
firstflights.
If you’re not a mem
ber of a club, your localhobby shop has inform
ation about clubs in your areaw
hose mem
bership includes experienced pilots.
In addition
to joining
an R
/C
club, w
e strongly
recomm
end you join the AM
A (A
cademy of M
odelA
eronautics).AM
A m
embership is required to fly at
AM
A sanctioned clubs.T
here are over 2,500 AM
Achartered clubs across the country.
Am
ong other
be
ne
fits, th
e
AM
A
provid
es
insu
ran
ce
to
itsm
embers w
ho fly at sanctioned sites and events.A
dditionally, training programs and instructors are
available at AM
A club sites to help you get started
the right way.C
ontact the AM
A at the address or toll-
free phone number below
:
Acad
emy o
f Mo
del A
eron
autics
5151 East M
emorial D
riveM
uncie, IN 47302-9252
Tele.(800) 435-9262Fax (765) 741-0057
Or via the Internet at:http://w
ww
.modelaircraft.org
NO
TE
:W
e, 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 perform
ance ofyour com
pleted model, and no representations
are expressed or implied as to the perform
ance orsafety of your com
pleted model.
PR
OT
EC
T Y
OU
R M
OD
EL
,Y
OU
RS
EL
F &
OT
HE
RS
FO
LL
OW
TH
ES
E IM
PO
RTA
NT
SA
FE
TY
PR
EC
AU
TIO
NS
- 3-
Fu
nctio
n. . . . . . . . . . . . S
ervos req
uired
Elevators
. . . . . . . . . . . . 2 (min.50 oz-in torque)
Rudder
. . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 (min.50 oz-in torque)
Ailerons
. . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 (min.50 oz-in torque)
Flaps
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Tail steering. . . . . . . . . . 1
Throttle
. . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Air control valve
. . . . . . . 1
Optional K
ill switch
for gas engine. . . . . . . . 1
Total:
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-11 servos
A receiver battery w
ith a minim
um of 1,000 m
Ah
is recomm
ended for flying the giant Mustang.
Inthe
model
shown
in this
instruction m
anual a
Fu
tab
a
NR
4F
1
,50
0
mA
h
ba
ttery
pa
ck(F
UT
M1285) is show
n.A
dditionally, the batteryvoltage should be checked before every flight tobe certain it has enough “charge.”
In addition to the servos (and Synchronized S
ervoR
everser if used), the following item
s (or similar
items)
are also
required.T
he order
numbers
shown (in parentheses) are for F
utaba servos.
❏(2) 24" [610m
m] servo extension w
ires for theaileron servos (F
UT
M2721)
❏(1) D
ual servo extension cord for aileronservos (F
UT
M4130)
❏(1) Y-harness for flap servos (H
CA
M2751)
❏(4) 6" [150m
m] servo extensions (battery-1,
aileron-1, elevator-2) (HC
AM
2701 for Futaba)
Note:
The length and quantity of servo extensions
and Y-connectors may vary depending on the brand
of radio you are using and the radio installation.
prevent accidental starting.T
he switch m
ust beo
pe
rate
d
ma
nua
lly (w
itho
ut
the
u
se
of
the
transmitter)
and accessible
by the
pilot and
assistant.If using a spark-ignition engine, refer toM
ou
nt th
e kill switch
on page 32 for details anda list of item
s used.
RA
DIO
EQ
UIP
ME
NT
The radio equipm
ent and number of channels
required to fly the Top Flite G
iant P-51 depend on
the capabilities of your transmitter and how
theservos w
ill be connected.Two servos are required
to operate
the elevators.
How
ever, the
servosm
ust move in opposition, so linking them
with a Y-
connecter will not w
ork.The elevator servos m
usteither be electronically m
ixed using an additionalchannel,
or be
linked by
a device
such as
aF
utaba®
SR
-10 S
ynchronized S
ervo R
everser(F
UT
M4150)
that w
ill m
ix the
servos w
ith the
capability of reversing one of them.
The rudder servo and tail steering servo have the
same requirem
ent, so they too must either be
ele
ctron
ically
mixe
d
thro
ug
h
an
a
dd
ition
al
channel, or connected via a Futaba S
ynchronizedS
ervo Reverser.
The G
iant P-51 requires a servo to operate the air
control valve if using retracts, a throttle servo, two
flap servos and two aileron servos.S
ervos with a
minim
um of 50 oz-in [3.9 kg-cm
] of torque arerequired for operating the elevators, rudder anda
ilero
ns.
Sta
nd
ard
se
rvos
may
be
u
sed
everywhere else.If using a spark-ignition engine,
a servo-operated electronic engine kill switch m
ayalso be used (this w
ould be in addition to theIM
AA
-required, m
anually operated
engine kill
switch).A
servo-operated kill switch is only really
necessary for engines that do not reliably shut offby closing the carburetor, but could also serve asa backup.
This is a partial list of item
s required to finish thism
odel that
may
require planning
or decision
making before starting to build.
Order num
bersare provided in parentheses.
EN
GIN
E R
EC
OM
ME
ND
AT
ION
S
When considering engines for this m
odel, refer tothe engine size recom
mendations on the cover of
the m
anual.S
park-ignition (“gas”)
engines are
most popular w
ith large-scale warbirds such as
this.
On
e
ad
van
tag
e
of
a
ga
s e
ng
ine
is
economy—
gas engines tend to consume less fuel
than glow engines.G
asoline costs less than glowfuel as w
ell.Additionally, gas engines deposit little
exhaust residue
on the
model.
Am
ong other
engines, this model w
as flight-tested with a U
.S.
Engines
™41cc
engine.T
he U
.S.
41 provides
adequate power and flies the P
-51 in a scale-likem
anner, but
pilots w
ho w
ish to
perform
more
aggressive maneuvers should consider engines
nearer the upper end of the recomm
ended range.
No
te:Instructions for m
ounting every possibleengine cannot be incorporated into this m
anual.A
lthough there are several glow engines suitable
for powering the giant P
-51, the U.S
.E
ngines41cc is featured.
Modelers using another engine
may
refer to
the instructions
as a
guide for
mounting their engine in a sim
ilar way.If using the
U.S
.41, the following item
s will be required:
❏G
reat Planes G
asoline Engine M
ount (GP
MG
2000) ❏
(4) 1/4-20 x 1-1/2" [38mm
] hex-head boltsand 1/4" [6m
m] flat w
ashers ❏
Prop R
eamer (G
PM
Q5005)
Per
the IM
AA
S
afety C
ode, m
agneto spark-
ignition engines
must
have a
coil-groundingsw
itch o
n th
e a
ircraft to
stop
the
en
gin
e a
nd
DEC
ISION
S YOU
MU
ST MA
KE
- 4-
AD
DIT
ION
AL
ITE
MS
RE
QU
IRE
D
HA
RD
WA
RE
AN
D A
CC
ES
SO
RIE
S
In addition to the items listed in the “D
ecision
s You
Mu
st Make”
section, following is the list of hardw
areand accessories required to finish the Top F
lite Giant
P-51D
Mustang A
RF.O
rder numbers are provided in
parentheses.
❏R
/C foam
rubber (1/4" [6mm
] (HC
AQ
1000) or1/2" [13m
m] (H
CA
Q1050)
❏2’[600m
m] large silicone fuel tubing for glow
engines (GP
MQ
4133)❏
3’[900mm
] gasoline fuel tubing for gas engines(G
PM
Q4135)
❏W
illiams B
ros.#625 3" (1/4-scale) standard pilot(W
BR
Q22625)
❏M
odeling paints and paint brushes for painting pilot❏
Propeller and spare propellers suitable for
your engine
AD
HE
SIV
ES
AN
D B
UIL
DIN
G S
UP
PL
IES
In addition to comm
on hobby tools and householdtools, this is the “short list”
of the most im
portantitem
s required to build the Top Flite G
iant P-51D
Mustang A
RF.
Great P
lanes P
ro™
CA
and Epoxy
glue are recomm
ended.
❏30-m
inute epoxy (GP
MR
6047)❏
1 oz.Medium
CA
(GP
MR
6008)❏
1 oz.Thin C
A (G
PM
R6002)
❏C
A applicator tips (H
CA
R3780)
❏C
A A
ctivator (2 oz.[57g] spray bottle (GP
MR
6035)or 4 oz.[113g] aerosol (G
PM
R634)
❏T
hreadlocker thread locking cement (G
PM
R6060)
❏H
obby torch or soldering iron❏
Silver solder w
/flux (GP
MR
8070)❏
Drill bits:1/16"
[1.6mm
], 3/32"[2.4m
m], 7/64"
[2.8mm
] (or 1/8"
[3.2mm
]), 1/8"[3.2m
m], 3/16"
[4.8mm
], #9[5.0m
m], 1/4"
[6.4mm
], size “F"
[6.5mm
] (or 17/64"
[6.8mm
]), 17/64"[6.8m
m]
(or 9/32" [7.2m
m])
❏S
mall m
etal file ❏
Acrylic paint and paint brushes for painting pilot
(found at craft stores)❏
Stick-on segm
ented lead weights (G
PM
Q4485)
❏#1 H
obby knife (HC
AR
0105)❏
#11 blades (5-pack, HC
AR
0211)❏
#11 blades (100-pack, HC
AR
0311)❏
Non-elastic string for stab alignm
ent (such as K&
S #801 K
evlar thread (K+
SR
4575)❏
Fine-point felt-tip pen (Top F
lite®
Panel Line P
en(TO
PQ
2510)❏
Masking tape (TO
PR
8018)❏
Curved-tip canopy scissors for trim
ming plastic
parts (HC
AR
0667)❏
Alum
inum paint and airbrush or paint brush (for
painting cockpit)❏
Robart S
uper Stand II (R
OB
P1402)
OP
TIO
NA
L S
UP
PL
IES
AN
D TO
OL
S
Here is a list of optional tools m
entioned in them
anual that will help you build the Top F
lite Giant
P-51D
Mustang A
RF.
❏R
/C-56 canopy glue (JO
ZR
5007)❏
CA
debonder (GP
MR
6039)❏
3M 77 spray adhesive (M
MM
R1990)
❏E
poxy brushes (6, GP
MR
8060)❏
Mixing sticks (50, G
PM
R8055)
❏M
ixing cups (GP
MR
8056)(C
ontinued on page 8)
RE
TR
AC
TAB
LE
LA
ND
ING
GE
AR
The Top F
lite Giant P
-51 AR
F m
ay be assembled
with
either the
included fixed
landing gear
orretractable landing gear.
If fixed landing gear isused no other item
s will need to be purchased to
install the gear.If you w
ish to install retractablelanding gear, this m
odel is designed for Robart
pneumatic retracts.F
ollowing is the com
plete listof item
s required to install the Robart retracts:
❏(1) R
obart #622-5 Top Flite P
-51 pneumatic
retractable main landing gear (R
OB
Q1635)
❏(1) R
obart #160LWC
retractable tail gearassem
bly (RO
BQ
2225)❏
(1) Robart #157V
RX
Large-Scale D
eluxe Air
Control K
it—includes pressure vessel, air line
tubing, variable-rate air valve, T-fittings(R
OB
Q2305)
❏10’[3.5m
] red & purple #169 P
ressure tubing(R
OB
Q2369)
❏(1 pkg.) #190 A
ir Line Quick D
isconnects(R
OB
Q2395)
❏(2) D
u-Bro N
o.500TL Treaded lightw
eightw
heel (DU
BQ
0847)❏
Size “F
”[6.5m
m] or 17/64" [6.8m
m] drill (to
enlarge the hole in the wheels for the axles)
❏1-3/4" [45m
m] tailw
heel (GP
MQ
4220 –2/pkg)
No
te:There m
ay be other main w
heels that couldbe used w
ith the Robart retracts, but the D
u-Bro
wh
ee
ls liste
d
ab
ove
are
th
e
on
ly o
ne
srecom
mended because they are narrow
and will
fit in the wing.
An air pum
p will also be required to pressurize the
air tank.The R
obart hand pump could be used,
but is not practical because of the large capacityof the air tank in this m
odel.A sm
all, 12V electric
pump is recom
mended and can be purchased at
any automotive or hardw
are store.
- 5-
KIT
INS
PE
CT
ION
Before starting to build, take an inventory of this kit to
make sure it is com
plete, and inspect the parts to make
sure they are of acceptable quality.If any parts are
missing or are not of acceptable quality, or if you need
assistance with assem
bly, contact Product S
upport.W
hen reporting defective or missing parts, use the part
names exactly as they are w
ritten in the kit contents liston this page.To
p F
lite Pro
du
ct Su
pp
ort
3002 N A
po
llo D
rive Su
ite 1C
ham
paig
n,IL
61822Telep
ho
ne:
(217) 398-8970Fax:
(217) 398-7721E
-mail:
PAR
TS
PH
OTO
GR
AP
HE
D
1.Fuselage
2.Rudder
3.Canopy
4.Fiberglass cow
l5.F
iberglass air scoop6.F
iberglass wing fairing
7.Cockpit parts
8.Tail gear doors9.W
ing joiner10.Landing gear covers
11.Wings w
ith flaps & ailerons
12.Horizontal stabilizer w
ith elevators13.(2) F
iberglass wing fillets
14.(2) Plastic m
achine guns15.(2) P
lastic engine exhaust outlets16.(8) E
ngine mount spacers
17.Wheel covers
18.Servo hatches
PAR
TS
NO
T P
HO
TOG
RA
PH
ED
sheet-m
etal screws:
(34) #2 x 3/8" (24-wing servo hatches, 6-landing
gear covers, 4-wheel covers)
(28) #4 x 1/2" Phillips-head (24-all control horns
except rudder, 4-tail gear mounting)
(8)#4 x 5/8" P
hillips-head (4-rudder control horn,4-cow
l mounting)
(12) #6 x 1/2" (landing gear mounting)
(8)#2 x 1/2" (2-landing gear covers, 2-fuel tankfloor, 4-forw
ard servo tray)(8)
#2 x 3/16" (canopy mounting)
mach
ine screw
s:(4) 2-56 x 3/8" (tail gear door brackets) (4) 4-40 x 3/8" (4-cow
l reinforcement glue on)
pu
shro
ds:
(4) 4-40 x 4" wire pushrods (2-ailerons, 2-flaps)
(3) 4-40 x 36" wire pushrods (2-elevators, 1-rudder)
(6) 3/16" pushrod guide tubes (5-factory-installed infuselage, 1-throttle)
(1) 36" white, plastic pushrod (throttle)
(1) 2-56 x 4" pushrod (air valve)
nylon
hard
ware:
(7) large control horns (2-ailerons, 2-flaps, 2-elevators, 1-rudder)
(2) 1/4-20 x 2" nylon wing bolts
(1) ball link (throttle)(2) nylon clevis (1-throttle, 1-air valve)(14) pinned hinge points (for ailerons and flaps)m
etal hard
ware:
(7) 4-40 threaded metal clevises (2-ailerons,
2-flaps, 2-elevator, 1-rudder)(7) Large solder clevises (2-ailerons, 2-flaps,
2-elevator, 1-rudder)
- 6-
12
12
5
3
415
16
179
14
14
13
818
610
11
11
7
- 7-
nu
ts:(11) 4-40 hex nuts (7-clevis jam
nuts, 4-cow
l reinforcements)
(6) 1/4-20 blind nuts (factory-installed – 4-enginem
ounting, 2-wing bolts)
(4) 2-56 hex nuts (tail gear door brackets)(3) 0-80 hex nuts (2-ball link balls on tail steering
arm, 1-throttle on engine)
wash
ers:(6) #2 w
ashers (4-wheel covers, 2-fuel tank floor)
(4) #4 washers (4-cow
l mounting)
(4) #4 lock washers (4-cow
l mounting)
oth
er:(2) 3/8" [9.5m
m] heat shrink tubing (for servo
extensions) (1) 1/2" [13m
m] heat shrink tubing (for servo
extensions) (16) silicone retainers (clevises)(1) 2" x 9" [50 x 230m
m] C
A hinge strip
(3) 0-80 ball link balls (2-tail steering arm, 1-throttle)
(4) size 10 rubber bands (tail gear doors)(1) 32 oz.[960cc] G
reat Planes fuel tank and
hardware
(2) #64 rubber bands (for fuel tank mounting)
(1) 2-56 x 1" [25mm
] threaded rod (throttle pushrod)(2) D
ecal sheets(1) V
elcro®
strap(2) plyw
ood air tank mounting rings
(1) plywood air tank form
er(2) 2" x 2" [50 x 50m
m] plyw
ood wing bolt plates
(w/1/4" hole)
(6) plywood air line guides
(1) plywood air valve m
ount(6) 1/16" x 7/8" [1.5 x 22m
m] plyw
ood cowl
reinforcements (for m
ounting screws)
(6) 1/2" x 13/16" x 13/16" [12 x 20 x 20mm
]hardw
ood cowl m
ounting blocks(8) 3/8" x 13/16" x 13/16" [10 x 20 x 20m
m]
hardwood servo m
ounting blocks(8) 1/2" x 1/2" x 7/8" [13 x 13 x 23m
m] w
heel coverm
ounts (4 req’d., 4 spares)(1) hardw
ood “L”block (for tail gear door)
(2) 1/16" [2mm
] plywood large rubber band hooks
(with spacer)
(2) 1/16" [2mm
] plywood sm
all rubber band hook(w
ith spacer)(2) 3/8" x 1-3/4" [10m
m x 45m
m] hardw
ood w
ing dowels
(2) plywood aft servo trays
(2) plywood forw
ard servo trays(1) plyw
ood fuel tank mount
(2) bent aluminum
tail gear door brackets(4) nylon pinned hinges (for tail gear doors)(1) 1/8" x 1/4" x 2" [3 x 6 x 50m
m] balsa stick (for
gluing on instrument panel)
(1) 1/4" x 1/4" x 12" [6 x 6 x 300mm
] hardwood
stick (for forward servo tray)
(1) 1/16" x 3/8" x 1-9/16" [1 x 10 x 40mm
] plywood
tail gear door stop(1) 1/8" x 12" hardw
ood dowel (for cow
l mount blocks)
(2) 3/4" x 3/4" x 7" [20 x 20 x 180mm
] balsa sticks(for gluing on engine exhaust stacks)
Co
ckpit p
arts (ph
oto
grap
hed
)instrum
ent panelfloorseat bottomseat backright panelleft panelw
ing joiner
Pu
ll/Pu
ll cable co
nten
ts:(1) S
teel cable(4) C
opper tubes (swages)
(2) 2mm
metal clevises
(2) 2mm
brass couplers(2) 2m
m nuts
Fixed
land
ing
gear co
mp
on
ents:
(2) 5" [125mm
] main w
heels(2) landing gear m
ounts(4) m
etal straps(8) 3 x 10m
m screw
s(2) m
ain landing gear wires
(4) 6mm
wheel collars
(3) 1/8" wheel collars
(8) 3mm
set screws
tail gear mount
tail gear wire
2" [45mm
] tail wheel
steering arm1.5m
m hex w
rench
OR
DE
RIN
G R
EP
LA
CE
ME
NT
PAR
TS
To order replacement parts for the Top F
lite Giant
P-51D
Mustang A
RF, use the order num
bers in theR
eplacem
ent P
arts List
that follows.R
eplacement
parts are available only as listed.N
ot all parts areava
ilable
se
pa
rate
ly (a
n
aile
ron
ca
nn
ot
be
purchased separately, but is only available with the
wing kit).R
eplacement parts are not available from
Product S
upport, but can be purchased from hobby
shops or mail order/Internet order firm
s.H
ardware
items (screw
s, nuts, bolts) are also available fromthese
outlets.If
you need
assistance locating
adealer to purchase parts, visit w
ww
.top
-flite.com
and click on “Where to B
uy.”If this kit is m
issingparts, contact P
rod
uct S
up
po
rt.
RE
PL
AC
EM
EN
T PA
RT
S L
IST
Descrip
tion
Ho
w to
pu
rchase
Missing pieces . . . . . . . .C
ontact Product S
upportInstruction m
anual . . . . .Contact P
roduct Support
Full-size plans
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Not available
Co
ntact yo
ur h
ob
by sup
plier
to p
urch
ase these item
s
TOPA
1650 Fu
se set(fuselage, w
ing fairings, tailw
heel doors, brackets, etc.)TO
PA1651 W
ing
set(ailerons, flaps, fiberglass airscoop, guns, w
heel covers)TO
PA1652 Tail set
TOPA
1653 Co
wl (w
/exhau
sts)TO
PA1654 C
ockp
it kitTO
PA1655 D
ecal setTO
PA1656 C
ano
py
(Continued from
page 5)❏
Scale W
arbird Template (TO
PQ
2187)❏
36" [1m] m
etal ruler (HC
AR
0475)❏
Hobbico D
uster™
can of compressed air
(HC
AR
5500)❏
Denatured alcohol (for epoxy clean up)
❏R
eceiver mounting box (G
PM
M1010)
❏S
witch &
Charge Jack M
ounting Set
(GP
MM
1000)❏
Fuel filler valve for glow
fuel (GP
MQ
4160)❏
Fuel filler valve for gasoline (G
PM
Q4161)
❏R
otary tool such as Drem
el ®
❏R
otary tool reinforced cut-off wheel
(GP
MR
8200)❏
AccuT
hrow™
Deflection G
auge (GP
MR
2405)❏
CG
Machine
™(G
PM
R2400)
❏Laser incidence m
eter (GP
MR
4020)❏
36" [910mm
] bar for incidence meter
(GP
MR
4021) ❏
Precision M
agnetic Prop B
alancer™
(TOP
Q5700)
CO
VE
RIN
G TO
OL
S
❏21st C
entury®
sealing iron (CO
VR
2700) ❏
21st Century iron cover (C
OV
R2702)
❏21st C
entury trim seal iron (C
OV
R2750)
No
te:T
he stabilizer
and w
ing incidences
andengine thrust angles have been factory-built into thegiant M
ustang.H
owever, som
e technically-minded
modelers m
ay wish to check these m
easurements
anyway.To view
this information, visit the w
eb site atand click on “Technical D
ata.”D
ue to manufacturing
tolerances which w
ill have little or no effect on thew
ay the model w
ill fly, there may be slight deviations
between your m
odel and the published values.
AS
SE
MB
LE
TH
E W
ING
S
Hin
ge th
e aileron
s and
flaps
Start w
ith th
e left win
g so
you
rs match
es the
ph
oto
s the first tim
e thro
ug
h.
❏❏
1.Lay a few
paper towels on top of each other
and cut them into sm
all squares.These paper tow
elsquares w
ill come in handy for w
iping away excess
epoxy throughout the assembly process (and w
illsave you from
wasting w
hole paper towels!).
❏❏
2.S
eparate the aileron and flap from the w
ingby
peeling off
the m
asking tape
holding them
together.U
se a paper towel square dam
pened with
naphtha lighter fluid or similar solvent to rem
ove anyglue left from
the tape.
❏❏3.
If necessary, use a covering iron with a covering
sock to go over the wing, flap and aileron to rem
ove
1/64" = .4mm
1/32" = .8mm
1/16" = 1.6mm
3/32" = 2.4mm
1/8" = 3.2mm
5/32" = 4mm
3/16" = 4.8mm
1/4" = 6.4mm
3/8" = 9.5mm
1/2" = 12.7mm
5/8" = 15.9mm
3/4" = 19mm
1" = 25.4mm
2" = 50.8mm
3" = 76.2mm
6" = 152.4mm
12" = 304.8mm
15" = 381mm
18" = 457.2mm
21" = 533.4mm
24" = 609.6mm
30" = 762mm
36" = 914.4mm
METR
IC C
ON
VERSIO
NS
To convert inches to millim
eters,m
ultiply inches by 25.4 (25.4mm
= 1")
The Top
Flite
Giant
P-51D
M
ustang A
RF
is
factory covered with Top F
lite MonoK
ote®
film.
Should repairs ever be required, follow
ing is alist
of colors
used on
this m
odel and
ordernum
bers for 6’[1.8m] rolls.
❏A
luminum
TOP
Q0205 (base color)
❏F
lat olive drab TO
PQ
0510 (anti-glare)❏
Black
TOP
Q0208 (rudder,
nose checkers)❏
White
TOP
Q0204 (nose checkers)
❏True red
TOP
Q0227 (pin striping)
- 8-
wrinkles.
The best w
ay is to glide the iron over thecovering until the w
rinkles disappear, then go over thearea again, pushing dow
n on the iron to bond thecovering to the w
ood.If the wrinkles don’t go aw
ay, thebalsa in that area m
ay be bending inward.
If this ishappening, don’t press dow
n.Sim
ply let the heat of theiron shrink the covering.
If the wrinkles m
omentarily
disappear, then imm
ediately reappear, the iron may be
too hot,
thus causing
air bubbles.
Lower
thetem
perature of the iron or use a sharp #11 blade topuncture several holes in the covering, then reheat.T
hesuggested iron tem
perature is around 360 degrees F.
❏❏4.
Cut the covering from
the holes for the hingepoints in the trailing edge of the w
ing and the leadingedge of the flap and aileron.T
here are three holes forthe aileron and four holes for the flap.N
ote that theholes in the flap and aileron are elongated.
❏❏
5.S
horten one of the pinned hinge points bycutting the last segm
ent off one end.This hinge w
illbe for the outerm
ost hole in the aileron.
❏❏6.
Without using any glue, install three hinges into
the aileron.T
he one shortened in the previous stepgoes in the hole nearest the outer tip.
Note that the
pivot pointof each hinge must align w
ith the centerof
the radius
on the
leading edge.
To achieve
thisalignm
ent the hinges will be fairly deep in the aileron.
Also note that the hinges m
ust be perpendicular to theleading edge.If necessary, use an electric drill to run a3/16" [4.8m
m] drill bit into the holes to achieve this
alignment.
Be careful not to drill through the sheeting
over the top and bottom of the aileron.
❏❏
7.A
gain without glue, test fit the aileron to the
wing.
Move it up and dow
n a few tim
es to align thehinges—
it doesn’t have to move very far—
only 3/4"[19m
m] up and 3/4" [19m
m] dow
n (measured at the
widest part of the aileron at the trailing edge as show
nin the photo).If there is too m
uch resistance, or if youare not able to m
ove the aileron up and down 3/4"
[19mm
], widen the gap betw
een the aileron and thew
ing by pulling the aileron from the w
ing slightly, orenlarge the hinge openings in the aileron.
❏❏8.
Still using no glue, test fit the flap to the w
ingthe sam
e way.
2-1/8" [55mm
] of down deflection is
required (measured at the w
idest part of the flap).
We’ll g
lue o
n th
e flap an
d ailero
n sep
arately.Th
isw
ay you
will h
ave plen
ty of w
orkin
g tim
e for
the ep
oxy.
❏❏
9.R
emove all the hinges.A
dd a small
drop ofoil to the pivot point on the aileron hinges.
3/4"
3/4"
HIN
GE
PIV
OT
PO
INT
- 9-
❏❏
10.M
ix up
some
30-minute
epoxy and
microballoons (if using m
ixing cups, approximately
1/4 oz.of m
icroballoons added to 1/8 oz.of m
ixedepoxy is recom
mended).
Use a piece of m
usic wire
to tho
rou
gh
lyapply the m
ixture in the holes in thew
ing and aileron.Use the w
ire to get the epoxy out ofthe opening of the holes in the aileron so it doesn’tget into the hinge pins.W
ipe away any epoxy around
the outside of the holes with a couple of the sm
allpaper tow
el squares.
❏❏
11.U
se the wire to apply epoxy to the ends of
the aileron hinges that go into the aileron.Insert eachhinge and w
ipe away any epoxy that squeezes out of
the holes.
❏❏12.
Apply epoxy to the other end of the hinges.
Join the aileron to the wing, pushing the hinges only
about 3/4 of the way in.U
se small strips of balsa or
toothpicks to wipe aw
ay epoxy that squeezes out,then fit the aileron the rest of the w
ay in.
❏❏
13.M
ove the aileron up and down a few
times
to align the hinges and make certain you are getting
enough deflection.U
se a small piece of m
askingtape to hold the tip of the aileron in alignm
ent with
the tip of the wing.A
llow the epoxy to fully harden.
❏❏14.
Mix up another batch of epoxy and m
icroballoonsand join the flap to the w
ing the same w
ay.
❏❏
15.A
llow the epoxy to fu
llyharden before
moving the aileron or flap.
After the epoxy has fully
hardened, “break”
them
loose by
rapidly m
ovingthem
up and down a couple of tim
es.
❏16.
Join the right aileron and flap to the right wing
the same w
ay.
Mo
un
t the servo
s
❏❏
1.U
se a straightedge and a hobby knife to cutthe covering approxim
ately 1/4" [5mm
] inside theedges of one of the openings for the servo hatch inthe bottom
of one of the wing halves.(You can save
the piece of MonoK
ote you cut out for small patches
or repairs.)
❏❏2.
Slit the covering up to the corners (indicated
by the arrows).
❏❏
3.C
ut the
remaining
three servo
hatchopenings the sam
e way.
❏❏4.
Use a trim
iron to iron the covering to the edgesof the openings and to the plyw
ood ledge inside.- 10
-
❏❏
5.Notice the correct locations of the aileron and
flap servos on the inside of the hatches (indicated bythe dashed lines).R
efer to these photos when m
ountingthe servos to the hatches in the follow
ing steps.
Now
it’s time to
mo
un
t the servo
s to th
e hatch
covers.Start w
ith th
e left aileron
servo.
Refer to
this p
ho
to fo
r the fo
llowin
g seven
steps.
❏❏
6.M
ake a one-arm servo arm
by cutting off theunused arm
s.(The outer hole in the servo arm
must be
at least 3/4" [19mm
] from the center of the output shaft.)
❏❏
7.P
lace the servo on the aileron hatch covera
s sh
own
, th
en
p
lace
th
e
arm
o
n
the
se
rvo(rem
ember, this is for the left
aileron).
❏❏8.
Take the servo off the hatch cover.Position tw
o3/8" x 13/16" x 13/16" [10 x 20 x 20m
m] hardw
oodservo m
ounting blockson the servo (one of the
blocks may have to be trim
med to accom
modate the
servo wire w
here it comes out of the servo).T
he wood
grain in the blocks runs vertically.
❏❏
9.P
lace a piece of thin cardstock (such as fromthe header card that som
e servos are packaged on)under the servo and betw
een each mounting block and
the servo.Later, the cardstock w
ill be removed, thus
providing adequate spacing for vibration isolation.
❏❏10.
Drill 1/16" [1.6m
m] holes through the blocks
for the mounting screw
s.M
ount the servo to the
blocks with the screw
s that came w
ith the servo.R
emove the cardstock spacers.
❏❏
11.M
ount the left flap servo to two m
orem
ounting blocks the same w
ay.
❏❏
12.M
ix some 30-m
inute epoxy for gluing them
ounting blocks to the hatch covers.Sm
ear a thin coatof epoxy on the inside of the hatch covers in the areaw
here the mounting blocks w
ill be glued.Thoroughly
coat the ends of the blocks that contact the covers.Wait
a few m
inutes for the mounting blocks to absorb the
epoxy, then recoat with the epoxy.P
osition the servosw
ith the mounting blocks on the covers so the servo
arms are centered
in the openings.U
se clamps or
weights to hold the m
ounting blocks to the hatch coversuntil the epoxy hardens.
❏❏
13.A
fter the
epoxy has
fully hardened,
temporarily rem
ove the servos from the m
ountingblocks.A
dd a few drops of thin C
A to the screw
holesand allow
to fully
harden.Rem
ount the servos to theblocks w
ith the screws.
- 11-
❏❏
14.P
lace the hatch covers with the servos in
the wing.B
e certain the hatch covers are positionedcorrectly as show
n in the photos back at step 5.Drill
six 1/16" [1.6mm
] evenly spaced holes through thehatch covers into the w
ing.Enlarge the holes
in th
eh
atch covers o
nly
with a 3/32" [2.4m
m] drill.
❏❏
15.C
onnect a 24" [610mm
] servo extensionw
ire to the aileron servo.Cut one of the pieces of 3"
[75mm
] heat shrink tubing supplied with this kit in
half.Slip the tubing over the connection betw
een theservo and the extension w
ire, then carefully shrinkthe tubing by heating w
ith a heat gun.
❏❏16.
Use the string in the w
ing to pull the aileronw
ire through the wing.
Mount the aileron hatch w
ithsix #2 x 3/8" [9.5m
m] screw
s.
❏❏
17.G
uide the flap servo wire through the w
ingalongside
the aileron
servo w
ire.M
ount the
flaphatch w
ith six more #2 x 3/8" [9.5m
m] screw
s.
❏18.
Mount the aileron and flap servos and hatches
in the right wing the sam
e way.
Ho
ok u
p th
e servos
Do
the left ailero
n first.
❏❏1.
Referring to the photo above, cut the ailero
np
ush
rod
to the correct length, then solder it to ala
rge,
no
n-th
rea
de
d
me
tal
clevis u
sing
th
etechniques described in the follow
ing Ho
t Tip
.
This is w
hat a properly soldered clevis looks like—shiny solder w
ith good flow, no blobs, flux rem
oved.
2.A
pply a few drops of soldering flux to the end
of the pushrod, then use a soldering iron or atorch to heat it.
“Tin”
the heated area with
silver sold
er(G
PM
R8070) by applying the
solder to the end.T
he heat of the pushrodshould m
elt the solder—not the flam
e of thetorch
or soldering
iron—thus
allowing
thesolder to flow
.The end of the w
ire should becoated w
ith solder all the way around.
3.P
lace the clevis on the end of the pushrod.Add
another drop of flux, then heat and add solder.T
he same as before, the heat of the parts
being soldered should melt the solder, thus
allowing
it to
flow.
Allow
the
joint to
coolnaturally
without
disturbing.A
void excess
blobs, but make certain the joint is thoroughly
soldered.T
he solder
should be
shiny, not
rough.If necessary, reheat the joint and allowto cool.
4.Im
mediately after the solder has solidified, but
while it is still hot, use a cloth to quickly w
ipeoff the flux before it hardens.Im
po
rtant:
After
the joint cools, coat with oil to prevent rust.
No
te:D
o not use the acid flux that comes w
ithsilver solder for electrical soldering.
1.U
se denatured
alcohol or
other solvent
tothoroughly
clean the
pushrod.R
oughen the
end of
the pushrod
with
coarse sandpaper
where it is to be soldered.
HO
W TO
SO
LD
ER
- 12-
❏❏2.
Thread a 4-40 nut and a 4-40 m
etal clevis tothe other end of the pushrod.C
onnect the pushrod tothe aileron servo arm
and to a large co
ntro
l ho
rn.
Position the horn on the aileron directly behind the
arm.T
he base of the horn should be set back fromthe trailing edge of the w
ing 1/4" [6mm
].D
rill 3/32"[2.4m
m] holes into the aileron for the horn.M
ount thehorn w
ith four #2 x 1/2" [13mm
] screws.
Adjust the
length of the pushrod by turning the clevis so theaileron w
ill be neutral when the servo is centered
(this will be fine-tuned later w
hen setting up the radio,so there is no need to tighten the 4-40 nut to theclevis until then).
❏❏3.
Hook up the flap the sam
e way.N
ote that theflap is retracted (“up”) w
hen the servo arm is rotated
aft (not when the servo arm
is centered).Be certain
the control horn is set back far enough so it will not
contact the wing at full flap deflection.
❏❏4.
One last IM
PO
RTA
NT
step;remove the screw
sfrom
both servo hatches and both control horns.Add a
few drops of thin C
A to all the holes, allow
to fullyharden.R
emount the hatches and horns.
❏5.
Mount the hatches and hook up the aileron and
flap on the right wing the sam
e way.
Mo
un
t the retracts
Install th
e left retract first.
❏❏
R1.
The sam
e as the covering was cut from
theaileron hatches, cut the covering from
the landing gearopening 1/4" [5m
m] inside the edges all the w
ay aroundthe opening.U
se a trim iron to iron dow
n the covering.
❏❏R
2.E
nlarge the hole in the Du-B
ro 5" [127mm
]w
heels (not included) with a size “F
”[6.5m
m] (or
17/64" [6.8mm
]), drill (size F w
ill provide the best fit,but a 17/64" hole is suitable).
❏❏
R3.
Cut the 1/4-20 bolts that com
e with the
Robart retracts to a length of 1-3/4" [45m
m].S
lip the
washer follow
ed by the wheel and a nut onto the bolt.
Add a sm
all drop of threadlocker to the nut, thentig
hte
n
the
a
ssem
bly to
th
e
retra
ct stru
t,sim
ultaneously adjusting the spacing of the nut sothe w
heel will roll freely.
❏❏R
4.Test fit the retract unit w
ith the wheel into the
wing.P
osition the retract so the wheel is centered in the
wheel w
ell.It w
ill probably be necessary to raise thestrut into the retract body approxim
ately 1/8" [3mm
] toachieve the correct spacing all the w
ay around.
No
te:S
teps w
ith an
“R”
are for
mounting
retracts.S
teps with an “F
”are for m
ounting theincluded fixed landing gear.
The fixed gear w
illnot be installed until after the w
ings have beenjo
ine
d.
If m
ou
ntin
g
the
fixe
d
lan
din
g
ge
ar
proceed to “Join
the w
ing
s”on page 16.
- 13-
❏❏
R5.
Extend the retract.
View
the wheel from
directly above.Adjust the strut so the w
heel has zero,to one degree of tow
-in.Lock the strut in position bysecurely tightening the bolt on top of the strut.
❏❏
R6.
Double-check to be certain the w
heel will
fully retract into the wing.
Extend the unit to m
akecertain it does not interfere w
ith any part of the wing
and the unit is operating smoothly.
❏❏R
7.H
old the retract body in the wing.U
sing them
ounting holes as a guide, drill 7/64" [2.8mm
] (or1/8" [3.2m
m]) holes into the rails.C
AU
TIO
N:
Do not
inadvertently drill into the air cylinder when you get to
the middle hole! M
ount the retract with six #6 x 1/2"
[13mm
] screws.
❏R
8.R
eturn to step R1 and m
ount the other retractin the right w
ing the same w
ay.
Mo
un
t the lan
din
g g
ear covers and
wh
eel covers (for retractable landing gear only).
❏❏
R1.
Mark, but do not drill, the locations of the
four screws w
here shown in the photo that w
ill beused
for m
ounting the
landing gear
covers (the
locations are indicated by the arrows in the photo).
Use a fine-point felt-tip pen to draw
reference marks
on the wing, noting the locations of the screw
s.
❏❏
R2.
Install the 1/16" [1.6mm
] plywood landing
gear cover.D
rill 1/16" [1.6mm
] holes through the coverinto the w
ing where the m
arks would cross.R
emove the
cover.Enlarge the holes in the cover only
with a 3/32"
[2.4mm
] drill.M
ount the cover with three #2 x 3/8"
[9.5mm
] screws and one #2 x 1/2" [13m
m] screw
.
❏❏R
3.P
lace two hardw
ood wh
eel cover mo
un
tson the strut.
Mark the angle of the w
ing onto them
ounts.N
ote:
Only tw
o mounts per w
ing half arerequired
(but extras
are provided
in case
youaccidentally cut one too short or at the w
rong angle).
❏❏
R4.
Cut or sand the m
ounts at the angles youjust m
arked.
The w
heel covers on this model represent the
ones on the full-size P-51, but are not 100%
scale.T
hey achieve the best of both worlds in
tha
t th
ey h
ave
a
scale
a
pp
ea
ran
ce
with
simplified
assembly.
Fully
scale, operating,
sequencing doors could have been featured onthis m
odel, but would require above average
building skills and detract from the every day
flying utility of this model.
- 14-
❏❏
R5.
Use
coarse sandpaper
to thoroughly
roughen the inside of the fiberglass wheel cover
where the braces w
ill go.C
ut two b
racesfrom
a3/32" x 1/4" x 19-1/2" [2 x 6 x 500m
m] hardw
ood stickto the length show
n in the photo.Use m
edium C
A to
glue the braces into position.The braces should be
inset 1/16" from the edges of the w
heel cover.
❏❏
R6.
Reposition the m
ounts on the strut.Place
the fiberglass
wh
eel cover
on the
mounts.
The
wheel cover should be even w
ith the bottom of the
wing.
If necessary, make adjustm
ents to the anglecut on the m
ounts until the wheel cover fits.
If youend up cutting the m
ounts too short, try again with
the extras provided.
❏❏R
7.T
he same w
ay you drew the reference m
arksfor drilling the holes in the hatch, m
ark and drill theholes in the w
heel cover and the wheel cover m
ounts.
❏❏
R8.
Mount the w
heel cover to the mounts w
ithtw
o #2 x 3/8" [9.5mm
] screws and #2 w
ashers.
❏❏
R9.
Use
a 1/2"
[15mm
] strip
of coarse
sandpaper to
remove
the paint
and roughen
thestruts w
here the mounts go.
❏❏R
10.W
ith the wheel covers still attached to the
wheel cover m
ounts, glue the mounts to the struts
with 30-m
inute epoxy.Use m
asking tape with pieces
of R/C
foam underneath to hold the m
ounts to thestruts and to hold the w
heel covers in position.
❏❏
R11.
After the epoxy from
the previous stephas fully hardened, rem
ove the tape and extend thegear by hand.M
ake certain that the gear can operatefreely and that there is no interference betw
een thew
heel cover and the wing.
If necessary, trim the
wheel cover for a good fit, and/or adjust the height
and angle of the wheel cover by gluing thin balsa
“shims”
to the top of the wheel cover m
ounts.
❏❏
R12.
Use one of your paper tow
el squaresdam
pened with denatured alcohol to w
ipe the referencedraw
n on the bottom of the w
ing.R
emove the w
heelcover.A
dd a few drops of thin C
A to the holes in the
wheel cover m
ounts.Rem
ount the wheel covers.
❏R
13.R
eturn to step one and repeat the procedureto m
ount the hatch and wheel cover to the other gear.
Install th
e air lines
❏R
1.B
efore installing the air lines, cut the coveringfrom
the hole in the front of both wing halves for the
3/8" [10mm
] win
g d
ow
els.G
lue the dowels in w
ith30-m
inute epoxy.(The w
ings in the photo are joined,but your w
ings should not yet be joined.)
Now
to th
e air lines (start w
ith th
e leftw
ing
)…
❏❏
R2.
Rem
ove the retract hatch and the retractfrom
the left wing.A
dd a few drops of thin C
A to the
screw holes.
❏❏
R3.
Cut the covering from
the holes in the topof the w
ing for the servo wires and the air line tubing.
- 15-
❏❏
R4.
Cut a 21" [530m
m] piece of red
air linetubing and a 16" [400m
m] piece of p
urp
leair line
tubing from the tubing included w
ith the Robart A
irC
ontrol Kit (not included).C
onnect the red line to theo
uter
fitting on
the air
cylinder and
connect the
purple line to the inn
erfitting (the one directly on the
end) on the air cylinder.
❏❏R
5.U
se a piece of music w
ire with a hook bent
on the end or something sim
ilar to pull the air linesthrough the w
ing.N
ote that the purple line goesthrough
the sam
e hole
that the
air cylinder
fitsthrough, and the red line goes through the roundhole behind it.
❏❏
R6.
Guide the air lines out the front hole in the
top of the wing and guide the servo w
ires out theother hole.
❏❏
R7.
Mount the retract in the w
ing.Use a sm
allscrew
driver to move the end of the pushrod com
ingfrom
the air cylinder in the retracted (up) position sothe gear doesn’t flop around w
hile joining the wings.
Install the hatch.
❏R
8.H
ook up the air lines in the right wing panel
the same w
ay.
Join
the w
ing
No
te:K
eep the retracts (if installed) in the retracted(up) position so they do not extend and retract asyou handle the w
ing.
Because the angle of w
ing joiner and the angleof the ribs on the end of the w
ing panels isfactory-set, checking the dihedral, as w
ould bedone on a built-up kit, is not necessary.H
owever,
for those who insist on checking the dihedral
anyway, this m
ay be done by test fitting thew
ings together with the w
ing joiner.Tightly tape
the wing halves together.T
he joining ribs on theend of both panels should fit w
ell with no gap.If
the wing halves do not fit w
ell, remove any glue
blob
s o
r o
the
r o
bstru
ction
s th
at
may
be
interfering.Once the joining ribs of the tw
o wing
halves fit well, lay the w
ing upside-down on your
workbench.
Measure the distance betw
een thetop of the w
ing and the workbench at the leading
edge.Also m
easure the distance from the top of
the wing and the w
orkbench at the trailing edge.T
he sum
of
these tw
o distances
should be
5-3/16" [130mm
] plus or minus 1/2" [13m
m].
- 16-
❏1.
Test fit the win
g jo
iner
in one, then the otherw
ing half.The plyw
ood side goes forward.Test join
the w
ings w
ith the
joiner.M
ake any
necessaryadjustm
ents so the wings fit together w
ell.
❏2.
Gather everything required for gluing the w
ingstogether including 30-m
inute epoxy, mixing sticks,
epoxy brushes, a 12" [300mm
] piece of wire or a
small dow
el (for spreading epoxy), small paper tow
elsquares,
denatured alcohol
(for epoxy
clean up),
masking tape, #64 rubber bands and m
ixing cups.
❏3.
Mix up 2 oz.
of 30-minute epoxy.
Working
quickly, pour a generous amount into one w
ing halfw
here the
joiner goes.
Use
your w
ire or
dowel
tothoroughly
distribute the epoxy, coating all surfacesinside the w
ing.Coat the end of the w
ing and the half ofthe joiner that goes in the w
ing with the epoxy, then
insert the joiner.Proceed im
mediately
to the next step.
❏4.
Coat the other side of the joiner and the inside
of the other wing the sam
e way.Join the w
ings, thenstand the w
ing on-end with one of the tips resting on
the floor (use a piece of R/C
foam or som
ethingsim
ilar to cushion and stabilize the wing tip so it w
on’tslide around).
❏5.
With the w
ing resting on end, use paper towel
squares to wipe up excess epoxy as it squeezes out.
Wrap #64 rubber bands around the trailing edges of the
wing inboard of the flaps and around the w
ing dowels.
A clam
p could be used at the wheel w
ells also.A
ddseveral strips of m
asking tape to tightlyhold the w
ingstogether as you continue to w
ipe away excess epoxy as
it squeezes out.B
e certain the leading and trailingedges of the w
ing accuratelyalign.D
o not disturb thew
ing until the epoxy has fully hardened.
Perfo
rm
step
R6
on
ly if
you
h
ave in
stalledretracts.
❏R
6.Join the m
atching air lines from each w
inghalf w
ith a couple of T-fittings that came w
ith the aircontrol kit.
Cut tw
o 10" [250mm
] pieces of air line(also from
the air control kit) and fit each line to the“T
”fittings.
Connect one quick-connector w
ithan
O-ring to one of the lines and one quick connector
with
ou
tan O
-ring to the other line.This w
ill preventim
proper connection to the quick-connectors on theair valve w
hen mounting the w
ing to the fuselage.
No
te:W
hen joining critical components such as
the wing, it is im
perative to coat all join
ing
parts
with epoxy.In other w
ords, don’t coat only one ofthe contacting end ribs.
Coat the end ribs of
bo
thw
ing panels.S
imilarly, don’t just coat the
joiner.A
lso coat the insides of the wing w
herethe joiners go.
- 17-
❏7.
Since the aileron servo w
ires already haveextensions
on them
, they
only require
a short
Y-connector such as the Futaba
®dual extension cord
(FU
TM
4130).Longer w
ires are needed for the flapservos, so a H
obbico®Y-connector (H
CA
M2751) w
asused there.
Secure the connections w
ith a small
piece of heat shrink tubing included with this kit.
❏8.
Cut the covering from
the holes in the top andbottom
of the wing for the nylon w
ing bolts.
The
radiator air
scoop and
wing
fairing w
ill be
attached later.
If you’ve installed retracts, proceed to “AS
SE
MB
LE
TH
E F
US
EL
AG
E”
on page 19.
Install th
e fixed lan
din
g g
ear
❏F
1.U
se a rotary tool with a cutoff w
heel or a metal
file to grind a flat spot near the end of both prebentm
ain lan
din
g g
ear wires
for the set screw in the
outer wheel collar that holds the w
heels on.
❏F
2.T
he same as the covering w
as cut from the
aileron hatches, cut the covering from the landing
gear openings 1/4" [5mm
] inside the edges all thew
ay around the openings.U
se a trim iron to iron
down the covering.
❏F
3.P
lace both fixed landing gear m
ountson the
landing gear rails.The m
ounts are the same, but the
part with the straps goes tow
ard the leading edge of thew
ing.Using the holes in the m
ounts as a guide, drill six7/64" [2.8m
m] (or 1/8" [3.2m
m]) holes into the rails.
❏F
4.M
ount each main landing gear w
ire in thelanding gear m
ount with tw
o metal strap
sand four 3
x 10mm
screws.
Fasten the landing gear mounts to
the rails with six #6 x 1/2" [13m
m] screw
s.
❏F
5.M
ount the wheels to the landing gear w
ith aw
heel collar on both sides of both wheels.
Use a
small drop of thread locking com
pound on all the setscrew
s and make sure the set screw
in the outerw
heel collars that hold on the wheels is keyed into
the flat spots.U
se the included 1.5mm
wrench to
tighten the set screws.
❏F
6.R
efer to steps R1 and R
2 on page 14 to fit andinstall the plyw
ood land
ing
gear covers.
The
radiator air
scoop and
wing
fairing w
ill be
attached later.- 18
-
AS
SE
MB
LE
TH
E F
US
EL
AG
E
Hin
ge th
e elevators an
d ru
dd
er
❏1.
Cut tw
elve 1" x 1" [25 x 25mm
] CA
hinges fromthe supplied 2" x 9" [50 x 230m
m] C
A hinge strip.C
utoff the corners so the hinges go in easier.
❏2.
Test fit one of the elevators to the stab with four
hinges.If the hinge slots are too tight, they can be
“loosened”by inserting a hobby knife and m
oving itfrom
side-to-side.N
ote that it’s the back side of theblade that does the w
ork.
❏3.
Make a sm
all slit in the elevator and
stab onboth sides of all four hinges.
These sm
all slits will
indicate the ends of the hinge slots.
❏4.
Rem
ove the elevator.C
ut a small strip of
covering from
each
hinge slot
in the
stab and
elevator between the slits.D
rill 3/32" [2.4mm
] holes,1/2" [15m
m] deep in the m
iddle of all the hinge slots.A
Moto-Tool w
ith a cutting bit works w
ell for this.
These “tunnels”
will allow
the CA
to fully penetratethe hinge slots w
hen it’s time for perm
anently joiningthe elevators to the stab later on.
❏5.
Prepare the rest of the hinges and the hinge
slots in the stab and the other elevator and therudder and fin the sam
e way.
Do
no
tglue in the
hinges until instructed to do so.
Glu
e in th
e stabilizer
Before proceeding, a building stand is required for
working on the fuselage.In the R
&D
shop we prefer
the Robart ®
Super S
tand II (RO
BP
1402).
❏1.
The sam
e as you did the wing, use a covering
iron to remove any w
rinkles in the fuselage, stab andelevators.
Rem
ember to press dow
n over sheetedareas (except w
here the wood bow
s inward).
Hin
t:Use a pin to poke four or five holes beside each
rib in the top and bottom of both elevators to allow
airto escape w
hile shrinking the covering.
Note:
The follow
ing three steps describe how to
prepare the hinge slots for gluing in the CA
hinges.T
his procedure may appear to be “m
ore involved”than one w
ould prefer for an AR
F, but you will be
rewarded w
ith close, clean hinge gaps and free-m
oving,securelyhinged surfaces.
1"
1"
NO
TE
S A
BO
UT
CA
HIN
GE
ST
his kit
is supplied
with
CA
hinge
material
consisting of a 3-layer lamination of M
ylar andpolyester
specially m
ade for
hinging m
odelairplanes.W
hen properly installed, this type of CA
hinge provides the best combination of strength,
durability and easy installation.Your giant P-51 and
other giant warbirds like it have been thoroughly
tested with these hinges, but it is
essentialto installthem
correctly.Follow
the hinging instructions inthis m
anual for the best result.T
he techniquesshow
n have been developed to ensure thoroughand secure gluing.
- 19-
❏2.
Cut the covering from
the openings in bothsides of the fuselage for the stabilizer.
Also cut the
covering from the elevator pushrod tubes on both
sides of the fuselage and from the rudder tube on the
leftside of the fuselage.
❏3.
Slide the stabilizer into the fuselage.C
enter thetrailing edge of the stab in the fuselage by takingaccurate m
easurements along the trailing edge.
❏4.
Insert a pin through the top of the fuselage overthe m
iddle stringer at the firewall.T
ie a loop in oneend of a 60" [1.5m
] piece of non-elastic line such asm
onofilament or K
evlar line (K+
SR
4575).S
lip theloop in the string over the T-pin.
❏5.
Fold a piece of m
asking tape over the stringnear the other end and draw
an arrow on it.S
lide thetape along the string and align the arrow
with one
end of the stab as shown in the photo.
Sw
ing thestring over to the other end of the stab and hold it inthe sam
e position.K
eeping the trailing edge of thestab cen
teredfrom
side-to-side, move the stab tips
forward or back as necessary until the arrow
alignsw
ith both ends of the stab.
❏6.
Use a fine-point felt-tip pen such as a Top F
lite®
Panel Line P
en (TOP
Q2510) to m
ark the outline ofthe fuselage on the top and bottom
of the stab.
❏7.
Rem
ove the stab from the fuselage.U
se a sharp,new
#11 hobby blade or use the following H
ot Tipto cut
the covering from the stab along the lines.U
se care tocut only into the covering and not
into the wood.
Cutting into the balsa w
ill weaken the structure.
❏8.
Peel the covering from
the top and bottom of
the center of the stab.Rem
ove any ink from the stab
and fuse with a paper tow
el square dampened w
ithdenatured alcohol.R
e-seal the ends of the coveringto the stab w
here it may have lifted w
hile peeling offthe m
iddle.
On
e mo
re align
men
t pro
cedu
re befo
re glu
ing
the stab
into
the fu
selage…
To avoid cutting into the balsa, use a solderingiron instead of a hobby knife to cut the covering.T
he tip of the soldering iron doesn’t have to besharp, but a fine tip does w
ork best.Allow
the ironto
heat fully.
Use
a straightedge
to guide
thesoldering
iron at
a rate
that w
ill just
melt
thecovering and not burn into the w
ood.T
he hotterthe soldering iron, the faster it m
ust be moved to
melt a fine cut.
HO
W TO
CU
T C
OV
ER
ING
FR
OM
BA
LS
A
- 20-
❏9.
Bolt the w
ing to the fuselage with tw
o 1/4-20 x2" [50m
m] nylon w
ing bolts.C
enter the stab in thefuselage.
Stand approxim
ately ten feet behind them
odel and view the stab and w
ing.If the stab and
wing align w
ith each other, proceed to the next step.If the stab and w
ing do not align, but are close, placea sm
all weight on the “high side”
of the stab to see ifyou
can bring
it into
alignment.
If w
eight is
notenough,
remove
the stab
from
the fuselage
andlightly sand the slots in the fuselage as necessary toalign the stab w
ith the wing.
Reinsert the stab and
check the alignment.
❏10.
When ready to perm
anently glue the stab intothe fuselage, w
rap one side of the stab with a plastic
bag or wax paper.
This w
ill protect the stab fromepoxy w
hen sliding it into the fuse.
❏11.
Th
oro
ug
hly
coat the slot in the fuselagew
here the stab fits and the top and bottom of the
stab w
here it
joins the
fuselage w
ith 30-m
inuteepoxy.
Slide
the stab
into position.
Rem
ove the
protective plastic wrapped around the stab in the
previous step.Wipe off excess epoxy.
Recheck the
stab alignm
ent the
same
as w
as done
in the
previous steps.D
o not disturb the fuse until theepoxy has fully hardened.
❏12.
Stick a T-pin through the m
iddle of four hingesto keep them
centered.A
fter the epoxy on the stabhas hardened, join the elevators to the stab w
ith thehinges and rem
ove the T-pins.M
ake a small gap
between the stab and elevators—
just enough to seelight through or to slip a piece of paper through.A
llowing enough tim
e between drops to allow
the CA
to soak in, add six to eight drops of thin CA
to bo
thsid
esof all the hinges.H
int:
Use a C
A applicator tip
so the CA
can be applied directly to the hinges.
❏13.
Join the rudder to the fin with the hinges and
glue them in the sam
e way.
Install th
e cockp
it
Refer to
this p
ho
to w
hile w
orkin
g o
n th
e cockp
it.
❏1.
Use sm
all scissors or curved-tip scissors (suchas K
yosho®
or Great P
lanes) to cut out the cockpitsid
es.Do not cut the lip
from top.Trim
the aft edge(the edge w
ith the angle) of both sides so they will fit
between the form
ers in the cockpit.
Installation of the included semi-scale cockpit kit is
optional.If you prefer not to install the com
pletecockpit, all that has to be done is to paint theexisting balsa cockpit area and add the instrum
entpanel
decal.S
hould you
decide to
install the
cockpit, keep in mind that although this m
odel is anA
RF, the included cockpit kit is a starting platform
.S
hould you wish to add m
ore detail, study photosof a full-size P
-51 cockpit, then decide how to
proceed.Many of the m
echanisms can be added
or enhanced simply w
ith a fine paint brush and aselection of plastic m
odel paint.Whatever pilot you
decide to use should be test fit before gluing any ofthe
cockpit parts
into position
in case
anym
odifications are required.
- 21-
❏2.
Cut out the in
strum
ent p
anel.T
here is no liparound the top.Trim
the sides as necessary to fit inthe fuselage.
❏3.
Glue the 1/8" x 1/4" x 2" [3 x 6 x 50m
m] balsa
stick to the balsa instrument panel in the fuselage.
Temporarily fit the cockpit sides and the instrum
entpanel into position.
❏4.
Use sm
all scissors or curved-tip scissors torough-cut out the can
op
y.The best w
ay is to do it inthree steps—
each time getting closer to the finished
outline.F
irst, cut away the biggest pieces.T
hen cutcloser, but no closer than 1/8" [3m
m] from
the finalcut.F
inally, cut to the final shape all the way around,
then true the edges by sanding.
❏5.
Cut out the co
ckpit flo
or
to fit between the
formers.C
ut out the seat back,leaving a 1/8" [3m
m]
lip all the way around.From
inside the fuselage, raisethe floor up to the cockpit sides.H
olding the floor inposition,
lower
the seat
back into
the cockpit.
Temporarily place the canopy on the fuselage.M
akecertain there is approxim
ately 3/16" [5mm
] clearancebetw
een the top of the seat back and the top of thecanopy.Trim
the seat back if necessary.
❏6.
Now
that you understand how it all fits, sand the
edges of all the cockpit parts straight and true.A
ddany additional details you prefer, then use m
ediumC
A to securely glue in the cockpit parts.
❏7.
Add any other final details to the cockpit you
prefer.On our m
odel we added 600-grit sandpaper to
the cockpit floor aft of the seat.- 22
-
If installin
g fixed
land
ing
gear,
skip to
“Mo
un
tth
e fixed tail g
ear”o
n p
age 26.
Mo
un
t the tail g
ear do
ors
❏R
1.C
ut the covering from the tail gear opening in
the bottom of the fuselage.
❏R
2.M
ake two larg
eand tw
o smallru
bb
er ban
dh
oo
ksby gluing together the 1/16" [1.6m
m] plyw
oodpieces as show
n.
❏R
3.U
se medium
-grit sandpaper to roughen one sideof all four nylon pinned hing
esso glue w
ill adhere.C
arefullyoil the hinge pin area w
ith a small
drop ofhousehold oil or a sm
alldab of petroleum jelly.
❏R
4.U
se medium
CA
to glue two of the hinges and
one of the small
rubber band hooks to the leftdoor
as shown.T
he hook should be 2" [50mm
] from the
front of the door and the tab on the hook should beraised from
the surface so a rubber band can behooked around it.A
lso note that the pin portion of thehinges is on the outer edge of the door as show
n inthe close up photo.
❏R
5.P
repare the other tail gear door the same w
ay.
❏R
6.M
ove the hinges back and fourth severaltim
es.If they are difficult to move, use a hobby knife
to pick out any CA
that may have gotten into the pin.
❏R
7.G
lue the large rubber band hooks to thetriangular balsa stick inside the door openings w
herethey w
ill align with the sm
all hooks on the doors.P
hotos in the following steps show
the hooks.
❏R
8.H
olding the left door up to the wheel opening,
mark the locations of the hinges on the edge of the
opening.Cut 1/16" [2m
m] notches at the m
arks andbevel the tri-stock so the hinge pins w
ill be even with
the bottom of the fuselage.
Fit the right door the
same w
ay.
❏R
9.Test fit both doors in the opening.
Make
certain they will not interfere w
ith each other when
permanently glued into position.
Make adjustm
entsw
here necessary.- 23
-
❏R
10.O
ne at a time, glue the hinges on the doors
to the fuselage.There m
ust be a 1/32" to 1/16" [1 to2m
m] gap betw
een the top of the doors and thebottom
of the fuselage.
Mo
un
t the retractab
le tail gear
❏R
1.R
emove the steerin
g arm
from the R
obart#
16
0LW
C
retra
ctable
ta
il g
ea
r a
ssem
bly (n
ot
included).File a flat sp
ot
near the top of the shaft forthe set screw
in the steering arm to lock onto.M
ountthe
steering arm
to
the shaft
with
a drop
ofthreadlocker and the set screw
.
❏R
2.F
ile another flat spot near the bottom of the
shaft for one of the set screws in the stru
t.Tighten
both set screws w
ith a drop of threadlocker on each.B
e certain the steering arm and the axle in the strut
remain parallel w
ith each other.Make adjustm
ents tothe flat spots if necessary.
❏R
3.If necessary, enlarge the hole in a 1-3/4"
[45mm
] tail wheel (not included) w
ith a #9 [5.0mm
]drill.C
ut the axle included with the R
obart retractabletail gear to the correct length, then file a flat spot onit and m
ount it to the assembly.
❏R
4.F
it a 0-80 ball link ball in the middle hole in
both sides of the steering arm as show
n in the photoat step 8.
Secure each w
ith a drop of threadlockerand an 0-80 nut.
❏5.
Use w
ire cutters to cut the supplied braid
edcab
leinto tw
o equal lengths.S
lide a small co
pp
ertu
be
(called a swage) over one end of one of the
cables, then guide the end of the cable back through.
❏6.
Guide the cable the other w
ay back through the sw
age.
❏7.
Use pliers to pull the short end of the cable until
the sm
all loop
doubles-over at
the end
of the
swage—
but don’t pull too hard or you’ll pull the cableback through.
- 24-
❏8.
Snip off the short end of the w
ire at the swage.
Slip the loop over one of the ball link balls on the
steering arm.T
ighten the loop until it is small enough
to remain secu
reon the ball, yet m
ay still be priedoff.S
queeze the swage w
ith pliers.Connect the other
cable to the other ball link ball the same w
ay.
❏R
9.M
ark the bent aluminum
tail gear d
oo
rb
rackets“R
”and “L”
as shown in the photo.
(The
dashed lines in the photo note the bends in thebrackets w
hich will help identify the right one from
the left one.)
❏R
10.M
ark, then drill two 3/32" [2.4m
m] holes
through the right side of the tail gear for mounting the
right bracket.The m
etal is hard, so be patient while
drilling.Use a m
etal punch if you have one to dimple
the hole locations first.
❏R
11.M
ount the right bracket with tw
o 2-56 x 3/8"[9.5m
m] screw
s, a drop of threadlocker and 2-56 nuts.
❏R
12.M
ount the left bracket the same w
ay.
❏R
13.C
onnect 40" [1m] of red air line to the aftfitting
on the tail gear air cylinder and 40" [1m] of purple air
line to the forward
fitting on the air cylinder.There is not
enough air
line leftover
from
the m
ain gear,
soadditional line w
ill have to be purchased separately(R
obart #169 Pressure Tubing).
❏14.
Place the tail gear retract in the fuselage w
hilesim
ultaneously guiding the pull/pull cable through thegray plastic guide tubes and guiding the air lines upthrough the fuselage.
❏15.
Drill four 3/32" [2.4m
m] holes through the rails
for mounting the tail gear.
If your drill bit is not longenough
to reach
the rail
nearest the
top of
thefuselage, use m
edium C
A to tem
porarily glue a 3/32"[2.4m
m] drill bit in a 1/8" [3.2m
m] brass tube.
After
drilling the holes, the drill can be removed from
thetube by heating.
❏16.
Mount
the tail
gear w
ith four
#4 x
1/2" [13m
m] screw
s.
❏R
17.G
lue the hardwood “L”
blo
ckdirectly to the
aluminum
frame of the retract.G
lue the 1/16" x 3/8"
"L" B
LO
CK
RE
TR
AC
TF
RA
ME
- 25-
x 1-9/16" [1 x 10 x 40mm
] plywood tail g
ear do
or
stop
to the inside of the sheeting on the bottom of
the fuselage.These w
ill keep the doors from closing
too far.H
ook two sm
all rubber bands included with
this kit onto both pair of rubber band hooks.
❏R
18.U
se the air pump that w
ill be used topressurize the air tank or a can of com
pressed air toretract and extend the tail gear a few
times to m
akesu
re
everyth
ing
o
pe
rate
s co
rrectly.
Ma
keadjustm
ents where required.S
kip ahead to “Hook up
the elevators and rudder”on this page.
Mo
un
t the fixed
tail gear
❏F
1.C
ut the covering from the tail gear opening in
the bottom of the fuselage.
Refer to
this p
ho
to fo
r the fo
llow
ing
three step
s.
❏F
2.F
ile flat spots on the tail gear wire for the set
screw in the outer w
heel collar that holds on the wheel,
and for the set screws in the w
heel collar steering armthat hold the tail gear w
ire in the tail gear mount.
Mount
the tail wheel w
ith two w
heel collars and set screws
using a drop of thread locking compound.
❏F
3.E
nlarge the holes in the steering arm w
ith a5/64" [2m
m] or 3/32" [2.4m
m] drill bit.M
ount a 2-56ball link ball to each arm
with a 2-56 nut and a drop
of threadlocker.
❏F
4.A
ssemble the tail gear.
Be certain to use
thread locking compound on all the set screw
s.Also
note that the steering arm should be perpendicular to
the tail wheel.
Perfo
rm step
s 5,6,7 & 8 an
d step
s 14,15 & 16 o
np
ages 24 &
25 to co
nn
ect the p
ull/p
ull cab
les toth
e steering
arm an
d to
mo
un
t the tail g
ear in th
efu
selage.W
hen
finish
ed,
pro
ceed to
“Ho
ok u
pth
e elevators an
d ru
dd
er.”
Ho
ok u
p th
e elevators an
d ru
dd
er
Refer to
this p
ho
to fo
r the fo
llow
ing
three step
s.
❏1.
Cut 6" [150m
m] from
the unthreaded end of two
36" [910mm
] wire pushrods.
Connect the pushrods
to the middle hole in tw
o nylon control horns with a
4-40 nut, threaded clevis and a silicone retainer.S
lide the pushrods into the elevator pushrod tubes inboth sides of the fuselage.
❏2.
Mount the control horns to the elevators the
same w
ay you mounted the control horns on the
flaps and ailerons (by drilling 3/32" [2.4mm
] holesand using #4 x 1/2" [13m
m] screw
s—don’t forget to
harden the holes with thin C
A after
first installing,then rem
oving the screws).
❏3.
Prepare the rudder pushrod and m
ount thecontrol
horn the
same
way,
only use
#4 x
5/8"[16m
m] screw
s instead of 1/2" [13mm
] screws.
- 26-
❏4.
Glue together both 1/8" [3m
m] plyw
ood aftservo
trays.Test fit the two elevator, one rudder and
on
e
tail
wh
ee
l se
rvo
in
the
tray.
Ma
ke
any
adjustments required so the servos fit.
❏5.
Place the servo tray in the fuselage.
Refer to
this p
ho
to w
hile h
oo
king
up
the servo
s.
❏6.
Place all four servos in the servo tray.
Make
three one-arm servo arm
s and one two-arm
servo
arm from
the arms that cam
e with your servos.P
lacethe arm
s on the servos as shown in the photo.
❏7.
The sam
e as was done for the aileron and flap
pushrods, mark the elevator and rudder pushrods
where they are to be cut for soldering on the clevises.
One at a tim
e, unthread each pushrod from the clevis
on the control horn, remove the pushrod from
thefuselage, cut it to the correct length, then solder onthe clevis.R
einstall the pushrod from the front, then
connect them to the servo arm
s and control horns.D
on’t forget to use a silicone retainer on all theclevises and to install 4-40 nuts on the pushrodsahead of the thread-on clevises.
❏8.
Connect the tw
o clevises with the threaded,
brass couplers and nuts on them to both ends of the
tail steering servo arm.P
ut a small piece of tape on
one of
the pull/pull
cables com
ing from
the
tailsteering arm
.Center the tail w
heel and slide the tapealong the cable to m
ark where it w
ill be looped-overto go into the brass coupler.
❏9.
Take the servo arm off the tail steering servo
and disconnect the cable from the ball link on the
steering arm.
Pull the cable up through the guide
tube.Use the tape as a reference for w
here to bendthe cable to loop it through the brass coupler.S
ecurethe cable to the coupler w
ith a swage.
❏10.
Guide the looped end of the cable back dow
nthrough the guide tube and reconnect it to the balllink ball on the steering arm
.M
ark and connect theother cable to the brass coupler on the other side ofthe servo arm
same w
ay.
❏11.
Mark the hole locations for the servo m
ountingscrew
s on the servo tray.Rem
ove the servo tray, thendrill 1/16" [1.6m
m] holes at the m
arks.S
crew, then
remove a screw
in each hole.Add a few
drops of thinC
A and allow
to harden.
❏12.
Securely glue the servo tray in the fuselage
with 30-m
inute epoxy.M
ount the servos in the trayand hookup the pushrods.
We’ll fin
ish u
p th
e rest of th
e radio
installatio
nan
d m
ou
nt th
e com
po
nen
ts for th
e air systemafter th
e eng
ine h
as been
mo
un
ted.
Mo
un
t the en
gin
e
The follow
ing instructions illustrate how to m
ount aU
.S.
Engines
41cc gas
engine.A
G
reat P
lanesG
asoline Engine M
ount (GP
MG
2000—not included)
and the parts included with this m
odel will provide
the correct alignment and spacing.
If not using aU
.S.
Engines
41cc engine,
use the
appropriatehardw
are to mount your engine (or engine m
ount)centered on the horizontal and vertical alignm
entm
arks on the firewall.
Note that the back of the
spinner backplate should be 7-1/2" to 7-3/4" [190 to200m
m] from
the firewall.
❏1.
If using a U.S
.E
ngines 41cc engine, use theen
gin
e mo
un
t temp
latein the back of the m
anual tom
ark the engine mounting bolt locations on a G
reat- 27
-
Planes G
asoline Engine M
ount.Drill 17/64" [6.8m
m]
(or 9/32" [7.2mm
]) holes at the marks.
Cut off the
bottom of the m
ount as indicated on the template.
Mark the to
pand fro
nt
of the mount as show
n.
❏2.
Rem
ove the muffler and carburetor from
theengine.
This w
ill facilitate mounting the engine and
fitting the cowl.
❏3.
The
U.S
.E
ngines 41cc
is to
be spaced
approximately 7/8" [22m
m] fro
m th
e mo
un
t(not
from the firew
all).If your U.S
.Engine cam
e with the
1/2" [13mm
] black, plastic engine mount spacer, glue
together three
1/8" [3mm
] plywood en
gin
e mo
un
tsp
acers.If your U
.S.
Engine did n
ot
come w
ith theblack, plastic spacer, glue together seven
1/8" [3mm
]plyw
ood engine mount spacers.T
his is most easily
done by lightly coating the spacers with 30-m
inuteepoxy and using the bolts that cam
e with the G
reatP
lanes Gasoline E
ngine Mount to bolt the spacers to
the engine—
do not
over tighten
the bolts,
thusdeform
ing the plywood.
No
te:The straig
ht
edge ofthe spacers goes on the right side of the fuselage.
❏4.
After the epoxy on the engine m
ount spacerhas hardened, rem
ove it from the engine and sand
the edges even and smooth.
❏5.
Use 1/4-20 x 1-1/2" [40m
m] bolts and 1/4"
[6.4mm
] washers (not included) to m
ount the enginew
ith the plywood spacers and the plastic spacer (if
included with the engine) to the engine m
ount.B
oltthe engine m
ount to the firewall using the rubber
bushings, washers and bolts that cam
e with it.
Mo
un
t the co
wl
Refer to these photos for the follow
ing two steps.
❏1.
Use a hobby knife and sandpaper to shape four
of the six supplied 1/2" x 13/16" x 13/16" [12 x 20 x20m
m] hardw
ood cow
l mo
un
ting
blo
cksto m
atchthe shape of the fuselage and the cow
l.
❏2.
Th
oro
ug
hly
roughen the firewall in the four
locations where the cow
l mounting blocks w
ill go.C
oat the end of the blocks and the firewall w
ith 30-m
inute epoxy.Allow
the epoxy to “tack up”so the
blocks won’t fall off, then place them
on the firewall.
Continue to m
onitor and reposition the blocks asnecessary until they w
ill stay in place.A
llow the
epoxy to fully harden.
❏3.
After the epoxy from
the previous step hashardened, drill tw
o 1/8" [3.2mm
] holes through theblocks
and the
firewall.
Cut
eight 1-1/4"
[30mm
]pieces from
the 1/8" x 12" [3.2 x 300mm
] hardwood
dowel.
Coat
the dow
els and
the holes
in the
mounting blocks w
ith 30-minute epoxy, then use a
hamm
er to tap the dowels all the w
ay in.- 28
-
❏4.
Mark the center of all four m
ounting blocks with
a pen.Lay a sm
all ruler on the fuselage with one
edge over the mark.U
se a felt-tip pen to draw a line
directly on the fuselage along the ruler.Mark another
line on the fuselage 2-1/2" [65mm
] as shown from
the center mark on the m
ounting block.W
hen thecow
l is in place the lines and measurem
ents will
pinpoint the center of the blocks under the cowl.
❏5.
Mark the rem
aining three cowl m
ounting blocksand the fuselage the sam
e way.
❏6.
Slide
the cow
l over
the engine
onto the
fuselage.Use a D
remel tool w
ith a cutting bit to trimthe cow
l where necessary so you can get it to fit over
the engine.A
t this stage the cowl shouldn’t require
much trim
ming since the carburetor and m
uffler havebeen rem
oved.
❏7.
If necessary,
use a
prop ream
er or
theappropriate-size drill to enlarge the hole in the propfor the crankshaft (or propeller bolt).
❏8.
Temporarily m
ount the spinner backplate andpropeller to the engine.
Mount the spinner cone to
the backplate with the 3m
m screw
s.
❏9.
Use tape or have an assistant hold the cow
l inposition.B
e certain to provide clearance between the
cowl and spinner—
1/8" to 3/16" [3 to 5mm
] should beadequate.A
lso be certain the checkers on the top ofthe cow
l are centered on the checkers on the top ofthe fuselage.
❏10.
Mark the cow
l 2-1/2" [65mm
] from the m
ark onthe line indicating the center of one of the cow
lm
ounting blocks.D
rill a 3/32" [2.4mm
] hole throughthe cow
l into the mounting block inside.
❏12.
Temporarily fasten the cow
l to that mounting
block by partially installing a #4 x 5/8" [16mm
] screw.
Drill the rest of the holes the sam
e way.
❏13.
After all four holes have been drilled, rem
ovethe cow
l and enlarge the holes in th
e cow
l on
lyw
itha 1/8" [3.2m
m] drill.M
ount the cowl w
ith the screws.
❏14.
Rem
ove the spinner, prop and cowl.W
ipe thealignm
ent marks from
the fuselage using one of thesm
all paper towel squares dam
pened with alcohol.
❏15.
Drill a 1/8" [3.2m
m] hole through four of the
supplied 1/16" x 7/8" [1 x 22mm
] round, plywood cow
lrein
forcem
ents.
Align
the hole
in one
of the
reinforcements
over the
hole in
one of
the cow
lm
ounting blocks as shown in the photo.
If necessary,trim
the aft edge of the cowl reinforcem
ent so it will not
interfere with the fuselage w
hen glued inside the cowl.
❏16.
If necessary, trim the rem
aining three cowl
reinforcements the sam
e way.
❏17.
Roughen the inside of the cow
l around the screwholes.
Add
a dab
of petroleum
jelly
or a
drop of
household oil to the threads of four 4-40 x 3/8" [9.5mm
]screw
s and 4-40 nuts.Glue the cow
l reinforcements to
the inside of the cowl using the screw
s and nuts to holdthem
until the epoxy hardens.
❏18.
After the epoxy has hardened, rem
ove thescrew
s.R
edrill the holes with a 1/8" [3.2m
m] drill,
then mount the cow
l with four #4 x 5/8" [16m
m]
screws, #4 flat w
ashers and #4 lock washers.M
ountthe spinner and prop to see how
it all looks.- 29
-
Install th
e air tank
Refer to
this p
ho
to w
hile in
stalling
the air tan
k.
❏R
1.G
lue together the two 1/8" x 3-3/8" [3 x 85m
m]
O.D
.plywood air tank m
ounting rings.Glue the rings
to the ring that’s part of the instrument panel form
er.
❏R
2.T
here should
be tw
o pieces
of air
linerem
aining that are approximately 24" [610m
m] long.
Connect one of the pieces to the air tank.
Slip the
1/8" [3mm
] plywood air tan
k form
eraround the air
tank, then place the assembly in the fuselage.
Use
medium
CA
to permanently glue the air tank form
erto F
-3as show
n, or if you prefer to make the air tank
removable, use #2 screw
s (not included) to hold theair tank form
er to F-3.
❏R
3.U
se a few dabs of R
TV
silicone or epoxy toglue the air tank into position.
Install th
e fuel tan
k
No
te:The included G
reat Planes 32 oz.[960cc] fuel
tank is suitable for both gasoline and glow fuel.
Refer to
this p
ho
to w
hile p
reparin
g th
e fuel tan
k.
❏1.
Assem
ble the fuel tank using the hardware and
included fuel-pickup line that goes inside the tank.Be
certain the clunk cannot contact the back of the tank.O
therwise, it m
ay become stuck above the fuel level
and discontinue fuel flow causing the engine to quit.
Note:
The fuel tank setup in the m
anual uses threelines.T
he line connected to the fuel pickup in the tankgoes to the carburetor.T
he line connected to the fittingon the top of the tank is for fueling and defueling.T
heline connected to the m
iddle fitting on the tank (which
must be drilled out w
ith a 5/64" [2mm
] drill) is the ventline.A
three-line setup eliminates the requirem
ent for afuel filler valve.If you prefer to use a filler valve, a tw
o-line setup m
ay be used.
❏2.
Drill 3/32" [2.4m
m] holes through the m
arksnear the aft edge of the plyw
ood fuel tan
k floo
r.Use
two #64 rubber bands to hold the fuel tank to the fuel
tank floor with a sheet of 1/4" or 1/2" [6 or 13m
m] R
/Cfoam
in between.
❏3.
Connect the external fuel lines to the tank—
usesilicone fuel line for glow
engines and use neoprenefuel line for gasoline engines.
Leave the lines extralong so that they can be guided through the firew
all.T
he lines will be cut to the correct length later.
❏4.
Drill holes through the firew
all for the fuel lines.T
he size of the holes will depend on the size of the
fuel line you are using.Be certain to drill the holes so
that the lines will not interfere w
ith the engine orengine m
ount and so they will not becom
e kinkedbehind the firew
all.
❏5.
Fit the fuel tank w
ith the fuel tank floor in thefuselage w
hile guiding the fuel lines through the holes.N
ote that the frontof the fuel tank keys into the groovebetw
een the balsa sticks on the back of the firewall.
❏6.
While you still rem
ember, w
rite the name of
each fuel line (“carb,”“vent,”“fueling,”) on the firewall
near the hole where the line com
es out.T
his way
you’ll know w
here the lines go when it’s tim
e toconnect them
.
❏7.
Using the holes near the aft end of the fuel tank
floor as a guide, drill 1/16" [1.6mm
] holes through thesm
all hardwood blocks that support the rear of the
floor.Fasten the floor to the blocks with tw
o #2 x 1/2"[13m
m] screw
s and #2 washers.
- 30-
Ho
ok u
p th
e thro
ttle
Note:
If using a spark ignitionengine, be certain to
maintain
a m
inim
um
d
istance
of 12"
[300mm
]betw
een electronic parts of the radio system (servo,
receiver, battery, etc.) and the engine.Also, never use
a full-length, metallic pushrod to operate the throttle.
Refer to
the fo
llow
ing
two
ph
oto
s wh
ile ho
okin
gu
p th
e thro
ttle.
❏1.If using a U
.S.E
ngines 41cc, move the ball link
ball that was factory-m
ounted on the bellcrank to them
iddle hole.Connect a 0-80 ball link ball to the outer
hole on the other end of the bellcrank with a drop of
threadlocker and a 0-80 nut.
❏2.M
ark the engine mount w
here the throttle pushrodshould go through to connect to the bellcrank.
❏3.R
emove the engine from
the engine mount.B
oltthe m
ount to the firewall w
ithout the engine.B
eing
certain n
ot to
drill in
to th
e fuel tan
k, drill a 3/16"[4.8m
m]
hole through
the engine
mount
and the
firewall at the m
ark for the throttle pushrod.Enlarge
the hole in th
e eng
ine m
ou
nt o
nly
with a 1/4"
[6.4mm
] drill.
❏4.R
emount the engine to the engine m
ount.
❏5.
Cut tw
o 4-3/4" [120mm
] forw
ard servo
trayrails
from the 1/4" x 1/4" x 12" [6 x 6 x 300m
m]
hardwood stick.
Securely glue the rails to the m
ainside stringer as show
n.
Refer to
this p
ho
to w
hile in
stalling
the fo
rward
servo tray.
❏6.
Glue together both plyw
ood forw
ard servo
trays.Place the forw
ard servo tray on the rails.Drill
four 1/16" [1.6mm
] holes through the servo tray andthe rails for the m
ounting screws.Take out the servo
tray and enlarge the holes in th
e servo tray o
nly
with a 3/32" [2.4m
m] drill.M
ount the tray to the railsw
ith four #2 x 1/2" [13mm
] screws.
❏7.C
ut the 3/16" x 24" [4.8 x 610mm
] gray pushrodguide tube to the correct length for the throttle.
Use
coarse sandpaper to roughen the tube so glue will
adhere w
here it
goes through
the firew
all and
formers.S
lide the guide tube into position.
❏8.
Fit the throttle servo in the servo tray.
Cut the
white, plastic pushrod to the correct length so it can
be connected to the throttle servo with a nylon clevis
and to the bellcrank with a nylon ball link.
❏9.T
hread a 2-56 x 1" [25mm
] threaded rod intoboth ends of the throttle pushrod.C
onnect the nylonball link to one end of the rod, then slide the rod intothe guide tube from
the front.
❏10.
Connect the nylon clevis to the threaded rod
on other end of the pushrod.C
onnect the clevis tothe throttle servo arm
with a silicone retainer.
Use
medium
CA
to glue the guide tube to the firewall and
the formers.
❏11.
Rem
ove the forward servo tray.
Add a few
drops of thin CA
to the holes in the servo tray railsand allow
to harden.Mount the throttle servo to the
tray as well.R
emount the servo tray.
- 31-
Ho
ok u
p th
e air lines
Refer to this photo w
hile hooking up the air lines.
❏R
1.U
se epoxy to glue the plywood air valve
mo
un
tto the forw
ard servo tray.A
fter the epoxyhardens, m
ount the air valve to the air valve mount.
❏R
2.Use the rem
aining air line and two T-fittin
gs
to connect the fill po
rt, check valve
and pressu
reg
aug
e(optional) to the air tank.
Also connect the
qu
ick disco
nn
ectsto the air lines com
ing from the
tail gear air lines via two T-fittin
gs.T
he remaining,
open end of these T-fittings will be connected to the
air valve.
Connect
another line
to the
T-fittingbetw
een the fill port and the check valve.This line w
illbe connected to the air valve.N
ote:
Use the plyw
oodair lin
e gu
ides to keep the air lines neat and tidy and
away
from
other w
orking com
ponents (such
asservos, pushrods, etc.).
❏R
3.M
ount the fill port and pressure gauge (ifused)
to the
fuselage side.
The
fill port
can be
mounted flush to the outside of the fuselage via a
mount m
ade from plyw
ood (not supplied).
❏R
4.Connect the air valve servo to the air valve using
a 2-56
x 4"
[100mm
] pushrod
and a
nylon clevis.
Connect the pushrod to the servo arm
with a “Z
”bend.C
onnect the remaining air lines to the air valve.
Mo
un
t the kill sw
itch
(for sp
ark ign
ition
eng
ines o
nly)
As stated in the IM
AA
Safety C
ode, all magneto spark
ignition engines must have a m
anually operated, coil-grounding
switch
to stop
the engine
and prevent
accidental starting.A
.3 Am
p slide switch, 16 gauge
wire and tw
o spade terminals w
ere purchased at thelocal R
adio Shack
®for this purpose.T
hese comm
oncom
ponents should also be available at any hardware
or home im
provement store.
❏1.
Mount the sw
itch in a location where it w
ill beeasily accessible from
outside the model.
❏2.
Determ
ine the
correct length
of the
wires
knowing that they m
ust not contact the muffler or
engine.C
ut the wires to the correct length, then
solder the wires to the sw
itch and spade terminals.
❏3.
Connect the term
inals to the engine, making
certain the wires w
ill not contact the engine or muffler.
BO
TTO
M O
F S
WIT
CH
SO
LD
ER
TH
E
WIR
ES
WH
ER
ES
HO
WN
- 32-
Fin
ish th
e eng
ine co
mp
artmen
t
❏1.
Use a high-speed rotary tool w
ith a carbidecutting
bit to
cut the
hole in
the cow
l for
thecarburetor.F
or the U.S
.Engines 41, this procedure is
made easier if the m
uffler and venturi are removed.
Slip the cow
l into position, then, carefully viewing the
cowl and the carburetor inside and out, m
ark theapproxim
ate location of the cutout.Rem
ove the cowl.
Cut inside the lines starting w
ith a small hole.F
it thecow
l, redraw the lines, then rem
ove and cut the cowl
again.C
ontinue to “zero-in”on the correct size and
shape of the cutout by fitting, marking and enlarging
the cutout in small increm
ents.M
ount the venturiafter the cow
l has been fit over the carb.No
te:T
he
venturi must be rem
oved whenever the cow
l requiresrem
oval or installation.D
uring initial engine tuningand break-in it w
ill be best to leave the cowl off the
model until all adjustm
ents have been made.W
hensatisfied w
ith the performance and reliability of the
engine, the cowl can be installed.
❏2.
Cut the fuel line that goes to the carburetor to
the correct length, then hook up the fuel line.Drill tw
oholes through one of the rem
aining 1/2" x 13/16" x13/16"
[12 x
20 x
20mm
] hardw
ood blocks
toaccom
modate
the fuel
lines.Trim
the
block to
asm
aller, finished shape, then use epoxy to glue theblock to the bottom
of the firewall.G
uide the fuelingline and the vent through the holes in the block.
❏3.
Cut any other necessary holes in the cow
l forthe ignition sw
itch, engine exhaust, fuel lines, etc.
❏4.
If you haven’t already done so, remove the
engine and coat all bare wood parts (such as the
engine mount, engine m
ount spacers, cowl m
ountblocks, etc.) w
ith 30-minute epoxy or fuelproof paint.
Allow
to dry, then remount the engine.
MO
UN
T T
HE
SC
AL
E D
ETA
ILS
Rad
iator air sco
op
❏1.
Mount the w
ing to the fuselage with the w
ingbolts.P
lace the fiberglass radiato
r air scoo
pon the
wing.
Place a piece of thin cardstock betw
een theback of the air scoop and the fuselage.
Use a fine-
point felt-tip pen to mark the outline of the air scoop
onto the bottom of the w
ing.
❏2.
Carefully cut the covering 1/32" [1m
m] inside
the line.Be careful not to cut into the balsa.P
eel thecovering from
the wing.
❏3.
Glue the plyw
ood win
g b
olt p
latesto the
bottom of the w
ing with 30-m
inute epoxy using thew
ing bolts to hold them dow
n.(Although the covering
is still on the wing in this photo, the covering should
be removed from
your wing under the air scoop.)
- 33-
❏4.
Use a fine-point felt-tip pen to m
ark small lines
directly on the wing, noting the location of both w
ing boltplates.R
eposition the air scoop on the wing, then m
arkthe sam
e lines on both sides of the air scoop.
❏5.
Cut the inside of the air scoop at the lines to
accomm
odate the wing bolt plates.
❏6.U
se the same procedure to m
ark the location ofthe w
ing bolts on the air scoop.Using the m
arks onthe scoop as a guide, cut 1/2" [13m
m] holes through
the bottom of the scoop for w
ing bolts.
❏7.R
oughen the lip around the base of the scoopso glue w
ill adhere.P
lace a sheet of wax paper
between the w
ing and the fuselage.
❏8.G
lue the air scoop to the bottom of the w
ing with
30-minute epoxy m
ixed with m
icroballoons.Hold the
air scoop down w
ith weights and use paper tow
elsquares dam
pened with alcohol to clean up epoxy
that squeezes out.
❏9.
Unbolt the w
ing after the epoxy hardens.S
lippieces of fuel tubing over the w
ing bolts so they don’tfall out.
Win
g fairin
g
❏1.
Bolt
the w
ing to
the fuselage.
Test fit
thefiberglass w
ing
fairing
to the wing and fuselage.
Trim the w
ing fairing as necessary to fit.
❏2.Trace the outline of the w
ing fairing onto the wing.
Cut aw
ay the covering 1/32" [1mm
] inside the line.
❏3.
Roughen the inside of the w
ing fairing aroundthe edges w
here it will contact the w
ing.Holding the
wing
fairing in
position, glue
it to
the w
ing w
ithm
edium C
A.
- 34-
Win
g fillets
❏1.
The sam
e as the air scoop and wing fairing,
position the fiberglass wing fillets on the w
ing andfuselage and trace their outline onto the fuselage.R
emove the w
ing.Cut the covering on the fuselage
1/16" [2m
m]
inside the
lines and
peel off
thecovering.
(Cutting 1/32" [1m
m] inside the lines w
asappropriate for the air scoop and w
ing fairing, but1/16" [2m
m] is better for the w
ing fillets.)
❏2.Lay a sheet of w
ax paper or a plastic film (cut
from a plastic bag) over the top of the w
ing to protectit from
glue.Mount the w
ing.Use coarse sandpaper
to tho
rou
gh
lyroughen the inside surface of the w
ingfillets w
here they contact the fuselage.
3.Without using any glue, test fit one of the fillets to the
fuselage and wing.
Press the fillet to the fuselage
noting where pressure w
ill be required to make it fit
best when actually gluing it on.R
emove the fillet.
❏4.A
pply a bead of medium
CA
all the way dow
nthe w
ing fillet approximately 1/8" [3m
m] from
the topedge.
Apply another bead of m
edium C
A dow
n them
iddle.Do not apply any C
A near the bottom
of thefillet so glue does not drip out (although it w
ouldn’t bea disaster as the w
ing is protected).
❏5.R
est the fillet on the wing about 1" [25m
m] aw
ayfrom
the fuselage.T
hen, working quickly, slide the
fillet up to the fuselage tightly holding it down to the
wing and to the fuselage.
Do not relieve pressure
until the CA
hardens enough to securely hold thefillet it in place.
❏6.
Glue the other w
ing fillet to the fuselage thesam
e way.
❏7.R
emove the w
ing and place the fuselage upside-dow
n in your building stand.Apply m
edium C
A to any
gaps between the fillets and the fuselage sides.
Mach
ine g
un
s
❏1.C
ut out the molded plastic m
achin
e gu
ns
firstby cutting 1/8" [3m
m] outside the m
olded-in cutlines,then by cutting on the lines.True the edges w
ith a barsander and 180-grit sandpaper.
Sm
ooth the edgesw
ith 400-grit sandpaper.
❏2.T
he same as w
as done with the other m
oldedparts, position the m
achine guns on the wing 4"
[100mm
] from the “break”
in the leading edge, tracetheir outline, cut and rem
ove the covering, then gluethe m
achine guns to the wing w
ith medium
CA
.
4"
- 35-
En
gin
e Exh
aust
❏1.
Cut out the m
olded plastic eng
ine exh
aust
pip
esleaving an approxim
ately 3/32" [2mm
] ridge allthe w
ay around.True the edges w
ith a bar sanderand 180-grit sandpaper.S
mooth the edges w
ith 400-grit sandpaper.
❏2.U
se medium
CA
to glue a 3/4" x 3/4" x 7" [20 x20
x 180m
m]
balsa stick
to the
inside of
eachexhaust pipe.
❏3.Trim
the balsa sticks until they are even with the
gluing surface of the exhaust pipes.
Refer to
this p
ho
to fo
r the fo
llow
ing
three step
s.
❏1.
Test fit one of the exhaust pipes to the cowl
where show
n in the photo.Use coarse sandpaper to
sand the cowl w
here the balsa inside the pipes will
be glued on.
❏2.A
pply a coating of microballoons m
ixed with 30-
minute epoxy to the balsa stick inside one of the
pipes.Position the pipes on the cow
l and hold themdow
n with rubber bands or m
asking tape.Wipe aw
ayexcess epoxy before it hardens.
❏3.A
fter the epoxy from the previous step hardens,
glue the other set of exhaust pipes to the other side.
Can
op
y and
pilo
t
❏1.D
etermine how
you will be m
ounting the pilot.Inthe m
odel depicted in the manual, a W
illiams B
rother’s#625 3" (1/4-scale) S
tandard pilot (WB
RQ
22625) was
used and mounted to a m
ounting plate made from
1/8"[3m
m] lite-ply (not included) that w
as painted black.Testfit the pilot and place the canopy on the fuselage.M
akecertain the pilot does not contact the canopy.
Make
adjustments as necessary.
❏2.
Paint the pilot and m
ounting plate if used.A
crylic modeling paint (found at hobby shops and
craft stores) is suitable.
❏3.S
ecurely
mount the m
ounting plate and pilot inthe cockpit.
- 36-
❏4.
Wash the canopy in w
arm, soapy w
ater, thendry it off.
Place the canopy on the fuselage.
Be
certain it is centered from side-to-side.
Temporarily
tape the canopy into position.Drill four evenly spaced
1/16" [1.6m
m]
holes through
both sides
of the
canopy and the cockpit sides.Take the canopy off
and enlarge the holes in th
e cano
py o
nly
with a
3/32" [2.4mm
] drill.Mount the canopy w
ith eight #2 x3/16" [4.8m
m] screw
s.
❏5.R
emove the canopy and screw
s.Add a few
dropsof thin C
A to the holes to harden the threads.A
llow the
CA
to fully harden, then remount the canopy.
Ap
ply th
e decals
1.U
se scissors or a sharp hobby knife to cut thedecals from
the decal sheets.Where possible, round
the corners
so they
won’t
catch and
lift w
hilecleaning and handling the m
odel.
2.Be certain the m
odel is clean.Prepare a dishpan or
small bucket w
ith a mixture of liquid dish soap and w
armw
ater—about 1/2 teaspoon of soap per gallon of w
ater.S
ubmerse one of the decals in the solution and peel off
the paper backing.Note:
Even though the decals have
a “sticky-back”and are not the w
ater transfer type,subm
ersing them in soap and w
ater allows accurate
positioning and reduces air bubbles underneath.
3.P
osition the decal on the model w
here desired.H
olding the decal down, use a paper tow
el to wipe
most of the w
ater away.
4.Use a piece of soft balsa or som
ething similar to
squeegee remaining w
ater from under the decal.
Apply the rest of the decals the sam
e way.
❏N
ote:To apply the stars and
bars on the bottom of
the right wing, rem
ove the aileron servo hatch.Apply
the decal.S
queegee the water out, then cut along
the edges of the hatch.Position the hatch.A
pply thecut off portion of the decal to the hatch.
GE
T T
HE
MO
DE
L R
EA
DY
TO F
LY
Co
mp
lete the rad
io in
stallation
❏1.
Mount the receiver on/off sw
itch in a strategiclocation w
here it won’t interfere w
ith anything insidethe fuselage and w
here it will not get coated w
ithengine
exhaust outside
the fuselage.
Due
to the
higher levels of vibration from som
e gas engines, two
switches m
ay be used for redundancy.If using tw
osw
itches, solder
the w
ires together
as show
n.A
Great P
lanes Sw
itch & C
harge Jack Mounting S
et(G
PM
M1000)
was
also used
for charging
andvoltage m
onitoring from outside the fuselage.
- 37-
❏2.S
ecurely mount the receiver and battery using
1/4" or 1/2" [6 or 13mm
] R/C
foam rubber to protect
them from
vibration.The included V
elcro strips may
be used to secure them w
here preferred.O
n theprototype test m
odels the battery was m
ounted tothe top of the w
ing bolt plate in the fuselage and thereceiver w
as mounted to the forw
ard servo tray.If
preferred, the battery location could be determined
wh
ile
ba
lan
cing
th
e
mo
de
l, th
us
red
ucin
g
or
eliminating any additional ballast required to get the
model to balance.
❏3.
Connect the battery, sw
itch(es) and servos tothe receiver.
Use servo extensions or Y-connectors
where necessary (on the m
odel shown in the photo,
6" or
8" [150
or 200m
m]
servo extensions
were
required for each elevator servo, and for the batteryand the aileron plug in the receiver.
❏4.
Make a strain
relieffor the receiver antenna
from a leftover servo arm
.Install the strain relief near
the end of the antenna where it enters the receiver.
Drill 3/32" holes through a few
of the formers to guide
the receiver
antenna aw
ay from
the
servos and
wires.
Guide
the antenna
through a
hole in
thefuselage insulated w
ith a piece of leftover air line orfuel tubing.C
onnect the end of the antenna to a pinstuck into the fin via a rubber band and a h
oo
km
adefrom
another leftover servo arm.
Balan
ce the M
od
el(C.G
.)
The m
odel should be in ready-to
-flycondition w
ithall of the system
s in place including the landinggear, engine, propeller, spinner, etc.It is advisable tohave tw
o people to balance the model—
one to holdthe m
odel (or place it on the balance stand) and oneto view
it from the side to see if the stabilizer is level.
❏1.If using a G
reat Planes C
.G.M
achine to balancethe m
odel, set the rulers to 4-9/16" [116mm
]and
adjust the bases so the upright rods are spacedapproxim
ately 22-1/2" [570mm
] apart (to support thew
ing at the “break”in the leading edge as show
n inthe sketch).
If not using a C.G
.m
achine, accuratelym
ark the C.G
.on the top of both sides of the w
ing 4-9/16" [116m
m]
from the “break”
in the leadingedge w
ith a fine-point felt-tip pen.Connect the m
arksw
ith a strip of 1/8" [3mm
] (or narrower) tape.(You w
illbe able to feel the tape line w
hen lifting the model
upside-down w
ith your fingers.)
More than any other factor, the
C.G
.(balance
point) can have the greatest
effect on how a
model flies and m
ay determine w
hether or notyour first flight w
ill be successful.If you value thism
odel and wish to enjoy it for m
any flights, DO
NO
T
OV
ER
LO
OK
T
HIS
IM
PO
RTA
NT
PR
OC
ED
UR
E.
A
model
that is
not properly
balanced will be unstable and possibly unflyable.
- 38-
❏2.W
ith the wing attached to the fuselage, all parts
of the model installed (ready to fly) and an em
pty fueltank,
place the
model
upside-down
on the
CG
Machine, or lift the m
odel upside-down w
ith yourfinger tips on the tape line.
❏3.
When view
ing the model from
the side, thehorizontal stabilizer should be level.If the tail is low
,the m
odel is “tail heavy”and the battery pack and/or
receiver must be shifted forw
ard or weight m
ust beadded to the nose to balance.
If the tail is high, them
odel is “nose heavy”and the battery pack and/or
receiver must be shifted aft or w
eight must be added
to the tail to balance.If additional weight is required,
Great P
lanes (GP
MQ
4485) “stick-on”lead m
ay be
added where necessary.
If nose-weight is required
attach it to the firewall (don’t attach w
eight to thecow
l—it is not intended to support w
eight).If tail-
weight is required it could be attached to the inside
of the fuselage through the tail gear door opening.Ineither case, do not rely upon the adhesive on theback of the lead w
eight to permanently hold it in
place.O
ver tim
e, fuel
and exhaust
residue m
aysoften the adhesive and cause the w
eight to fall off.Instead, use #2 sheet-m
etal screws, R
TV
silicone orepoxy to perm
anently hold the weight in place.
❏4.IM
PO
RTA
NT:
If you found it necessary to addany w
eight, recheck the C.G
.after the w
eight hasbeen installed.
Balan
ce the M
od
el Laterally
❏1.W
ith the wing level, have an assistant help you
lift the model by the engine propeller shaft and the
bottom of the fuse under the T
E of the fin.
Do this
several times.
❏2.
If one wing alw
ays drops when you lift the
model,
it m
eans that
side is
heavy.B
alance the
airplane by
adding w
eight to
the other
wing
tip.W
eight may be tem
porarily adhered to the bottom of
the wing tip w
ith the adhesive foam tape that com
esw
ith it, then permanently glued inside after doing the
necessary in-flight checks to determine the exact
amount of w
eight necessary.A
n airp
lane th
at has
been
laterally balan
ced w
ill track better in
loo
ps
and
oth
er man
euvers.
Ch
eck the C
on
trol D
irection
s
❏1.Turn on the transm
itter and receiver and centerthe trim
s.If necessary, remove the servo arm
s fromthe servos and reposition them
so they are centered.R
einstall the screws that hold on the servo arm
s.
❏2.
Adjust the length of any pushrods necessary
and the pull/pull cables on the tail wheel by screw
ing
the clevises in or out.S
ecurely tighten all the 4-40jam
nuts on the 4-40 pushrods to lock the clevisesdow
n.This w
ould also be a good time to study the
insta
llatio
n
of
all
the
syste
ms
to
ma
ke
sure
everything is
secure and
connected properly
(airlines, servo w
ires, receiver antenna, etc.).
❏3.
Make certain all the controls respond in the
correct direction.If any of the controls respond in thew
rong direction,
use the
servo reversing
in the
transmitter to reverse the servos connected to those
controls.B
e certain
the control
surfaces have
remained centered.A
djust if necessary.
Set th
e Co
ntro
l Th
row
s
Use
a G
reat P
lanes A
ccuThrow
(or
a ruler)
toaccurately m
easure and set the control throw of each
control surface as indicated in the chart that follows.
NO
TE
:The throw
s are measured at the w
idest p
artof the elevators, rudder ailerons and flaps.
This is w
here your model should balance for the
first flights.Later, you may w
ish to experiment by
shifting the C.G
.up to 5/16" [8m
m] forw
ard or5
/16
" [8
mm
] b
ack
to
cha
ng
e
the
flyin
gcharacteristics.
Moving
the C
.G.
forward
may
improve the sm
oothness and stability, but them
odel may then require m
ore speed for takeoffand m
ake it more difficult to slow
for landing.M
oving the
C.G
.aft
makes
the m
odel m
orem
aneuverable, but could also cause it to become
too difficult to control.In any case, start at th
ereco
mm
end
ed b
alance p
oin
t and do not at anytim
e balance
the m
odel outside
the specified
range.N
ote:
If flying the model at the forw
ardC
.G.
location, you should land with the elevator
throws (provided on page 40) set to the h
igh
rate.If
the m
odel is
nose-heavy the
low-rate
throws m
ay not provide enough control to flairupon landing.
- 39-
Balan
ce Pro
pellers
Ca
refu
lly b
ala
nce
yo
ur
pro
pe
ller
an
d
spa
repropellers before you fly.A
n unbalanced prop can bethe single m
ost significant cause of vibration thatcan
damage
your m
odel.N
ot only
will
enginem
ounting screws and bolts loosen, possibly w
ithdisastrous effect, but vibration m
ay also damage
your radio receiver and battery.V
ibration can alsocause your fuel to foam
, which w
ill, in turn, causeyour engine to run hot or quit.
We
u
se
a
Top
F
lite
Pre
cision
M
ag
ne
tic P
rop
Balancer
™(TO
PQ
5700) in the workshop and keep a
Great P
lanes Fingertip P
rop Balancer (G
PM
Q5000)
in our flight box.
CH
EC
K L
IST
❏1.F
uelproof all areas exposed to fuel or exhaustresidue
such as
the cow
l m
ounting blocks,
wing saddle area, etc.
❏2.C
heck the C.G
.according to the measurem
entsprovided in the m
anual.❏
3.Be certain the battery and receiver are securely
mounted in the fuselage.S
imply stuffing them
intoplace w
ith foam rubber is not sufficient.
❏4.E
xtend the receiver antenna and make sure it
has a strain relief inside the fuselage to keeptension off the solder joint inside the receiver.
❏5.
Balance the m
odel laterallyas explained in
the instructions.❏
6.Use threadlocking com
pound to secure criticalfasteners such as the nuts that hold the w
heelaxles
to the
struts, screw
s that
hold the
carburetor arm (if applicable), set screw
s thathold the tail gear com
ponents, etc.❏
7.Add a drop of oil to the axles so the w
heels will
turn freely.❏
8.Make sure all hinges are securely
glued in place.❏
9.R
einforce holes for wood screw
s with thin C
Aw
here appropriate
(servo m
ounting screw
s,cow
l mounting screw
s, etc.).❏
10.Confirm
that all controls operate in the correctdirection
and that
the throw
s are
set up
according to the manual.
❏11.
Make sure there are silicone retainers on all
the clevises
and that
all servo
arms
aresecured to the servos w
ith the screws included
with your radio.
❏12.S
ecure connections between servo w
ires andY-connectors
or servo
extensions, and
theconnection betw
een your battery pack and theon/off sw
itch with vinyl tape, heat shrink tubing
or special clips suitable for that purpose.❏
13.Make sure none of the servo w
ires or air linesinterfere w
ith any moving parts (servo arm
s,pushrods, retracts, etc.).
❏14.
Make sure the fuel lines are connected and
are not kinked.❏
15.S
ecurely tighten the propeller nut.R
emove the
3mm
screws that hold the spinner cone to the
backplate.A
dd a small drop of thread locking
compound to the screw
s, then reinstall the screws.
During the last few
mom
ents of preparation yourm
ind
m
ay b
e
elsew
he
re
an
ticipa
ting
th
eexcitem
ent of the first flight.Because of this, you
may be m
ore likely to overlook certain checksand procedures that should be perform
ed beforethe m
odel is flown.To help avoid this, a checklist
is provided to make sure these im
portant areasare
not overlooked.
Many
are covered
in the
instruction manual, so w
here appropriate, refer tothe m
anual for complete instructions.B
e sure tocheck the item
s off as they are completed (that’s
why it’s called a check list!).
IMP
OR
TAN
T:T
he
To
p
Flite
G
ian
t P
-51
DM
ustang AR
F has been exten
sivelyflow
n andtested to arrive at the throw
s at which it flies best.
Flying your m
odel at these throws w
ill provideyou w
ith the greatest chance for successful firstflights.If, after you have becom
e accustomed to
the w
ay the
Mustang
flies, you
would
like to
change the throws to suit your taste, that is fine.
How
ever, too much control throw
could make the
model difficult to control, so rem
ember, “m
ore isnot alw
ays better.”
These are the recom
mended control surface throw
s:
Hig
h R
ateL
ow
Rate
EL
EVA
TOR
9/16" up3/8" up
[14mm
][10m
m]
9/16" down
3/8" down
[14mm
][10m
m]
RU
DD
ER
1-1/2" right1" right
1-1/2" left1" left
[38mm
][25m
m]
AIL
ER
ON
S:
3/4" up1/2" up
[19mm
][13m
m]
5/8" down
3/8" down
[16mm
][10m
m]
Half R
ateF
ull R
ateF
LA
PS
:1-3/16" [30m
m]
2-1/8" [55mm
]
No
te:If
flying the
model
at the
forward
C.G
.location, you should land w
ith the elevator throws
set to the hig
hrate.If the m
odel is nose-heavy thelow
-rate throws m
ay not provide enough control toflair upon landing.
- 40-
❏16.B
alance the propeller and spare propellers.❏
17.Place your nam
e, address, AM
A num
ber andtelephone num
ber on or inside the model.
❏18.C
ycle the receiver battery pack (if necessary)and m
ake sure it is fully charged.❏
19.If you w
ish to photograph your model, do so
before your first flight.❏
20.P
erform a range check w
hen you get to theflying field.P
RE
FL
IGH
T
Iden
tify You
r Mo
del
No m
atter if you fly at an AM
A sanctioned R
/C club
site or if you fly somew
here on your own, you should
always have your nam
e, address, telephone number
and AM
A num
ber on or inside your model.
It isreq
uired
at all AM
A R
/C club flying sites and A
MA
sanctioned flying events.Fill out the identification tag
on page 47 and place it on or inside your model.
Ch
arge th
e Batteries
Follow
the battery charging instructions that came
with
your radio
control system
to
charge the
batteries.You should always charge your transm
itterand receiver batteries the night before you go flying,and at other tim
es as recomm
ended by the radiom
anufacturer.
NO
TE
:C
hecking the
condition of
your receiver
battery pack is hig
hly reco
mm
end
ed.
All battery
packs, whether it’s a trusty pack you’ve just taken
out of another model, or a new
battery pack you justpurchased, should be cycled, noting the dischargecapacity.
Oftentim
es, a weak battery pack can be
ide
ntifie
d
(an
d
a
valu
able
m
od
el
saved
!) by
comparing its actual capacity to its rated capacity.
Refer to the instructions and recom
mendations that
come w
ith your cycler.If you don’t ow
n a batterycycler, perhaps you can have a friend cycle yourpack and note the capacity for you.
Gro
un
d C
heck
If th
e en
gin
e is
new
,fo
llow
th
e en
gin
em
anu
facturer’s
instru
ction
s to
b
reak-in
the
eng
ine.A
fter break-in, confirm that the engine idles
reliably, transitions
smoothly
and rapidly
to full
power and m
aintains full power—
indefinitely.A
fteryou run the engine on the m
odel, inspect the model
closely to make sure all screw
s remained tight, the
hinges are
secure, the
prop is
secure and
allpushrods and connectors are secure.
Ran
ge C
heck
Ground check the operational range of your radio
before the first flight of the day.With the transm
itterantenna collapsed and the receiver and transm
itteron, you should be able to w
alk at least 100 feet away
from
the m
odel and
still have
control.H
ave an
assistant stand by your model and, w
hile you work
the controls, tell you what the control surfaces are
doing.Repeat this test w
ith th
e eng
ine ru
nn
ing
atvarious speeds w
ith an assistant holding the model,
using hand signals to show you w
hat is happening.If the control surfaces do not respond correctly, d
on
ot fly!
Find and correct the problem
first.Look forloose servo connections or broken w
ires, corrodedw
ires on old servo connectors, poor solder joints inyour battery pack or a defective cell, or a dam
agedreceiver crystal from
a previous crash.
EN
GIN
E S
AF
ET
Y P
RE
CA
UT
ION
S
Keep all engine fuel in a safe place, aw
ay from high
heat, sparks or flames, as fuel is very flam
mable.D
onot sm
oke near the engine or fuel;and rem
ember
that engine exhaust gives off a great deal of deadlycarbon m
onoxide.Therefore
do
no
t run
the en
gin
ein
a closed
roo
m o
r garag
e.
Get help from
an experienced pilot when learning to
operate engines.
Use safety glasses w
hen starting or running engines.
Do not run the engine in an area of loose gravel or
sand;the propeller may throw
such material in your
face or eyes.
Keep your face and body as w
ell as all spectatorsaw
ay from the plane of rotation of the propeller as
you start and run the engine.
Keep
these item
s aw
ay from
the
prop:loose
clothing, shirt sleeves, ties, scarfs, long hair or looseobjects such as pencils or screw
drivers that may fall
out of shirt or jacket pockets into the prop.
Use a “chicken stick”
or electric starter to start theengine.D
o not use your fingers to flip the propeller.M
ake certain
the glow
plug
clip or
connector is
secure so that it will not pop off or otherw
ise get intothe running propeller.
Make
all engine
adjustments
from
behind the
rotating propeller.
The engine gets hot! D
o not touch it during or rightafter operation.
Make sure fuel lines are in good
condition so fuel will not leak onto a hot engine,
causing a fire.
To stop a glow engine, cut off the fuel supply by closing
off the fuel line or following the engine m
anufacturer’srecom
mendations.
Do not use hands, fingers or any
other body part to try to stop the engine.To stop a
gasoline powered engine an on/off sw
itch should beconnected to the engine coil.D
o not throw anything into
the propeller of a running engine.
Failure to follow these safety precautions m
ayresult in severe injury to yourself and others.
- 41-
AM
A S
AF
ET
Y C
OD
E (excerp
ts)R
ead and abide by the following A
cademy of M
odelA
eronautics Official S
afety Code:
GE
NE
RA
L1.
I w
ill not
fly m
y m
odel aircraft
in sanctioned
events, air shows, or m
odel flying demonstrations
until it has been proven to be airworthy by having
been previously successfully flight tested.
2.I
will
not fly
my
model
aircraft higher
thanapproxim
ately 400 feet within 3 m
iles of an airportw
ithout notifying the airport operator.I will give right
of way to, and avoid flying in the proxim
ity of fullscale aircraft.W
here necessary an observer shall beused to supervise flying to avoid having m
odels fly inthe proxim
ity of full scale aircraft.
3.W
here established, I will abide by the safety rules
for the flying site I use, and I will not w
illfully anddeliberately fly m
y models in a careless, reckless
and/or dangerous manner.
7.I w
ill not fly my m
odel unless it is identified with m
ynam
e and address or AM
A num
ber, on or in the model.
9.I w
ill not operate models w
ith pyrotechnics (anydevice that explodes, burns, or propels a projectileof any kind).
RA
DIO
CO
NT
RO
L1.
I w
ill h
ave
com
ple
ted
a
su
ccessfu
l ra
dio
equipment ground check before the first flight of a
new or repaired m
odel.
2.I w
ill not fly my m
odel aircraft in the presence ofspectators until I becom
e a qualified flier, unlessassisted by an experienced helper.
3.I w
ill perform m
y initial turn after takeoff away
from
the pit
or spectator
areas, and
I w
ill not
thereafter fly over pit or spectator areas, unlessbeyond m
y control.
4.I w
ill operate my m
odel using only radio controlfre
qu
en
cies
curre
ntly
allow
ed
by
the
F
ed
era
lC
omm
unications Com
mission...
Sin
ce the G
iant P
-51D M
ustan
g A
RF
qu
alifies asa “g
iant scale”
mo
del an
d is th
erefore elig
ible tofly in
IMA
A even
ts,we’ve p
rinted
excerpts fro
mth
e IMA
A S
afety Co
de w
hich
follow
s.
IMA
A S
AF
ET
Y C
OD
E (excerp
ts)
Defin
ition
:
For the purpose of the follow
ing IMA
A S
afety Code,
the term G
iant Scale shall refer to radio controlled
model aircraft, either scale or non-scale, w
hich havea w
ingspan of 80 inches or more for m
onoplanesand
60 inches
or m
ore for
multi-w
inged m
odelaircraft and have a ram
p weight (fueled and ready to
fly) of 55 lbs.or less.
Sectio
n 1.0:
SA
FE
TY
STA
ND
AR
D
1.1 Adherence to C
ode:T
his safety code is to bestrictly follow
ed
1.2 The m
ost current AM
A S
afety Code in effect is to
be observed.H
owever, the com
petition sections ofthe code m
ay be disregarded.
Sectio
n 3.0:
Safety C
heck
3.4 Flight Testing:A
ll Giant S
cale R/C
aircraft are tohave been flight tested and flight trim
med w
ith am
inimum
of six flights before the model is allow
ed tofly at an IM
AA
Sanctioned event.
3.5 Proof of F
light:T
he completing and signing of
the Declaration section of the S
afety Inspection formby the pilot (or ow
ner) shall document as fact that
each aircraft has been successfully flight-tested andproven airw
orthy prior to an IMA
A event.
Sectio
n 5.0:
EM
ER
GE
NC
Y E
NG
INE
SH
UT
OF
F(kill sw
itch)
5.1 All m
agneto spark ignition engines must have a
coil grounding switch on the aircraft to stop the
engine.This w
ill also prevent accidental starting ofthe engine.T
his switch shall be readily available to
both pilot and helper.This sw
itch is to be operatedm
anually and without the use of the radio system
.
5.2 E
ngines w
ith battery
power
ignition system
sm
ust have a switch to turn off the pow
er from the
battery pack to disable the engine from firing.T
hisw
ill also prevent accidental starting of the engine.T
his switch shall be readily available to both pilot
and helper.This sw
itch shall be operated manually
and without the use of the R
adio System
.
5.3 There m
ust also be a means to stop the engine
from the transm
itter.The m
ost comm
on method is to
close the carburetor throat completely using throttle
trim.
How
ever, other methods are acceptable.
This
requirement applies to all glow
/gas ignition enginesregardless of size.
Sectio
n 6.0:
RA
DIO
RE
QU
IRE
ME
NT
S
6.1 All transm
itters must be F
CC
type certified.
6.2 FC
C Technician or higher-class license required
for 6 meter band operation only.
Ad
ditio
nal IM
AA
Gen
eral Reco
mm
end
ation
s
The follow
ing recomm
endations are included in theS
afety Code not to police such item
s, but rather tooffer basic suggestions for enhanced safety.
Servos need to be of a rating capable to handle the
loads that the control surfaces impose upon the
servos.S
tandard servos are not recomm
ended forcontrol surfaces.S
ervos should be rated heavy-duty.F
or flight-critical control functions a minim
um of 45
inch/ounces of torque should be considered.T
hisshould be considered a m
inimum
for smaller aircraft
- 42-
and higher torque servos are strongly encouragedfor larger aircraft.
The use of one servo for each
aileron and one for each elevator half is stronglyre
com
me
nd
ed
.U
se
of
du
al
servo
s is
also
recomm
ended for larger aircraft.
On-board batteries shall be 1000 m
Ah up to 20 lbs.,
1200 mA
h to 30 lbs., 1800 mA
h to 40 lbs.and 2000
mA
h over 40 lbs.flying weight.T
he number and size of
servos, size and loads on control surfaces, and addedfeatures should be considered as an increase to thesem
inimum
s.Batteries should be able to sustain pow
er tothe onboard radio com
ponents for a minim
um of one
hour total flying time before recharging.
Bo
th
red
un
da
nt
an
d
fail-sa
fe
ba
ttery
system
s are recom
mended.
Th
e
use
o
f a
nti-g
litch
device
s fo
r lo
ng
le
ad
s are recom
mended.
There is no m
aximum
engine displacement lim
it, asit is the position of this body that an underpow
ereda
ircraft
pre
sen
ts a
gre
ate
r d
an
ge
r th
an
a
noverpow
ered aircraft.
How
ever, the
selection of
engine size relative to airframe strength and pow
erloading m
andates good discretionary judgment by
the designer and builder.C
urrent AM
A m
aximum
sfor engine displacem
ent are 6.0 cu.in.for two-stroke
and 9.6
cu.in.
for four-stroke
engines.T
hesem
aximum
s apply only to AM
A S
anctions concerningcom
petition events (such as 511, 512, 515 and 520)and, as such, the m
aximum
s apply.A
ll IMA
A (non
competition) events should be sanctioned as C
lass“C
”events, in which these engine size m
aximum
s donot apply.
Generally, it is recom
mended that no attem
pt shouldbe m
ade to fly a radio controlled model aircraft w
itha gasoline engine in w
hich the model aircraft w
eightw
ould exceed twelve (12) pounds (underpow
ered)per cubic inch of engine displacem
ent, or be lessthan five (5) pounds (overpow
ered) per cubic inch ofengine displacem
ent.E
xample:
Using a 3 cu.
in.engine, a m
odel would likely be underpow
ered at an
aircraft weight greater than 36 pounds.
With the
same
engine, an
aircraft w
eighing less
than 15
pounds would likely be overpow
ered.
Servo arm
s and wheels should be rated heavy duty.
Glass-filled
servo arm
s and
control horns
are highly recom
mended.
Co
ntro
l su
rface
s lin
kag
es
are
liste
d
in
ord
er
of preference:
1.C
able system
(pull-pull).
A
tiller bar
is highly
recomm
ended along with necessary bracing.
2.Arrow
Shaft, fiberglass or alum
inum, 1/4" or 5/16"
[6 or 8mm
] O.D
.bracing every six (6) to ten (10)
inches is highly recomm
ended.
3.Tube-in-tube (nyrod).Bracing every few
inches ishighly recom
mended.
Inner tube should be totallyenclosed in outer tube.
4.H
ardwood dow
el, 3/8" O.D
.bracing every six (6)
to ten (10) inches is highly recomm
ended.
Hin
ge
s sh
ou
ld
be
ra
ted
h
eavy
du
ty a
nd
ma
nufa
cture
d
for
Gia
nt
Sca
le
use
p
rima
rily.H
om
em
ad
e
an
d
orig
ina
l d
esig
n
hin
ge
s a
reacceptable if determ
ined to be adequate for theintended use.C
levis (steel,
excluding heavy-duty
ball links)
andattachm
ent hardw
are should
be heavy
duty 4-40
threaded rod type.2-56 threaded size rod is acceptablefor som
e applications (e.g.throttle).
Clevis is to have
lock nuts and sleeve or spring keepers.
Propeller tips should be painted or colored in a
visible and contrasting manner so as to increase the
visibility of the propeller tip arc.
FLY
ING
The Top F
lite Giant P
-51D M
ustang AR
F is a great-
flying model that flies sm
oothly and predictably.The
Mustang
does not,
however,
possess the
self-recovery characteristics of a prim
ary R/C
trainer andshould be flow
n only by experienced R/C
pilots.
Fu
el Mixtu
re Ad
justm
ents
A
fully
cowle
d
en
gin
e
may
run
a
t a
h
igh
er
temperature
than an
un-cowled
engine.F
or this
reason, the fuel mixture should be richened so the
engine runs at about 200 rpm below
peak speed.By
running the engine slightly rich, you will help prevent
dead-stick landings caused by overheating.
CA
UT
ION
(TH
IS
AP
PLIE
S
TO
ALL
R/C
AIR
PLA
NE
S):If, w
hile flying, you notice an alarming
or unusual sound such as a low-pitched “buzz,”this
may indicate control surface flutter.
Flutter occurs
when
a control
surface (such
as an
aileron or
elevator) or a flying surface (such as a wing or stab)
rapidly vibrates up and down (thus causing the
noise).In
extreme
cases, if
not detected
imm
ediately, flutter can actually cause the controlsurface to detach or the flying surface to fail, thuscausing loss of control follow
ed by an impending
crash.The best thing to do w
hen flutter is detected isto slow
the model im
mediately
by reducing power,
then land as soon as safely possible.Identify which
surface fluttered (so the problem m
ay be resolved)by checking all the servo grom
mets for deterioration
or signs
of vibration.
Make
certain all
pushrodlinkages are secure and free of play.
If it flutteredonce, under sim
ilar circumstances it w
ill probablyflutter again unless the problem
is fixed.Som
e thingsw
hich can cause flutter are;E
xcessive hinge gap;N
ot mounting control horns solidly;P
oor fit of clevispin in horn;
Side-play of w
ire pushrods caused bylarge bends;
Excessive free play in servo gears;
Insecure servo
mounting;
and one
of the
most
prevalent causes of flutter;Flying an over-pow
eredm
odel at excessive speeds.
- 43-
Takeoff
Before you get ready to takeoff, see how
the model
handles on the ground by doing a few practice runs
at low
speed
son the runw
ay.Hold “up”
elevator tokeep the tail w
heel on the ground.If necessary,
adjust the tail wheel so the m
odel will roll straight
down the runw
ay.If you need to calm
your nervesbefore the m
aiden flight, shut the engine down and
bring the model back into the pits.Top off the fuel,
then check all fasteners and control linkages forpeace of m
ind.
If possible, takeoff directly into the wind.T
he Giant
P-51 handles crossw
ind takeoffs well, but taking off
directly into the wind is usually desired—
use therudder as necessary to m
aintain heading.W
henready, advance the throttle and hold a bit of upelevator to keep the tail on the ground to m
aintaintail
wheel
steering.A
s the
model
gains speed
decrease up elevator allowing the tail to com
e off theground.
One
of the
most
important
things to
remem
ber with a tail dragger that has a large engine
is to
always
be ready
to apply
righ
trudder
tocounteract engine torque.
Gain as m
uch speed asyour
runway
and flying
site w
ill practically
allowbefore gently applying up elevator lifting the m
odelinto the air.
At this m
oment it is likely that you w
illneed
to apply
more
right rudder
to counteract
engine torque.Be sm
ooth on the elevator stick andretract the gear w
hen comfortable.A
llow the m
odelto establish a g
entle
climb to a safe altitude before
turning into the traffic pattern.
Flig
ht
For reassurance and to keep an eye on other traffic,
it is a good idea to have an assistant on the flight linew
ith you.Tell him to rem
ind you to throttle back oncethe plane gets to a com
fortable altitude.W
hile fullthrottle is usually desirable for takeoff, m
ost models
fly more sm
oothly at reduced speeds.
Take it easy with the M
ustang for the first few flights,
gradually getting
acquainted w
ith it
as you
gainconfidence.A
djust the trims to m
aintain straight andlevel flight.A
fter flying around for a while, and w
hile
still at a safe altitude with plenty of fuel, practice slow
flight and execute practice landing approaches byreducing the throttle to see how
the model handles
at slower speeds.A
dd power to see how
she climbs
as well.
Continue to fly around, executing various
maneuvers
and m
aking m
ental notes
(or having
your assistant write them
down) of w
hat trim or C
.G.
changes may be required to fine tune the m
odel soit flies the w
ay you like.Mind your fuel level, but use
this first flight to become fam
iliar with your m
odelbefore landing.
Lan
din
gO
ne of the keys to landing a giant-scale model is to
maintain sufficient airspeed throughout the landing
ap
pro
ach
.A
n
unu
sua
lly h
igh
a
irspe
ed
is
no
tnecessary, but those unfam
iliar with landing giant-
scale m
odels are
sometim
es deceived
by the
model’s larger size.
Larger models often appear to
be closer than they actually are.A
dditionally, most
giant-scale models slow
down rapidly, thus causing
the uninitiated to land short.To avoid this initial
illusion, make your landing pattern closer than you
normally m
ight for a .40-size sport model.A
lso, don’tpull the throttle all the w
ay back and leave it therethe w
ay you normally w
ould.Instead, m
omentarily
pull the throttle all the way back, but then advance it
a “click”or tw
o to keep the engine RP
M up and
maintain airspeed.
Once over the runw
ay you cancut the throttle the rest of the w
ay and the model w
illslow
for the landing flare.
The P
-51 may be landed w
ith or without flaps.F
lapsincrease lift and drag, so the plane m
ay be landedslow
er, thus reducing rollout after touchdown (not as
much of a factor on grass runw
ays).To initiate a
landing approach, lower the throttle w
hile on thedow
nwind leg.If using flaps, allow
the model to slow
before extending them.C
ontinue to lose altitude, butm
aintain airspeed by keeping the nose down as you
turn onto the crosswind leg.
Make the final turn
toward the runw
ay (into the wind) keeping the nose
down to m
aintain airspeed and control.If using flapskeep a few
additional “clicks”of pow
er so the model
doesn’t slow to
om
uch.Level the attitude when the
model reaches the runw
ay threshold, modulating
the throttle as necessary to maintain the glide path
and airspeed.If overshooting, smoothly advance the
thro
ttle
(alw
ays re
ad
y o
n
the
rig
ht
rud
de
r to
counteract torque)
and retract
the flaps
when
enough airspeed
is gained.
Clim
b out
to m
akeanother attem
pt.When the m
odel is a foot or so offthe deck and you are ready to m
ake the landingflare, sm
oothly increase up elevator until it gentlytouches dow
n.Once the m
odel is on the runway and
has lost flying speed, hold up elevator to hold the tailon the ground, thus m
aintaining tail wheel steering.
No
te:If ever the occasion arises w
hen a dead-sticklanding m
ust be performed, do not extend the flaps
until certainthe m
odel will be able to reach the
landing zone (on dead-stick landings it is comm
on toland w
ith no flaps at all).Without engine pow
er, flapscan unexpectedly reduce the m
odel’s range, thuscausing you to com
e up short of the field.
One final note about flying your G
iant P-51.H
ave a goalor flight plan in m
ind for every flight.The goal could be
learning a
new
maneuver,
perfecting know
nm
aneuvers, or learning how the m
odel behaves incertain conditions (such as on high or low
rates).This is
not necessarily to improve your skills (though it is never
a bad idea!), but
more
importantly
so you
do not
surprise yourself
by im
pu
lsivelyattem
pting a
maneuver
without
any planning.
Every
maneuver
should be deliberate.For example, if you’re going to do
a loop, plan it out—check your altitude, m
ind the wind
direction (anticipating rudder corrections that will be
required to maintain heading), rem
ember to throttle
back on the down side, and m
ake certain you are on thedesired
rates (high/low
rates).
A
flight plan
greatlyreduces the chances of crashing just because of poorplanning and im
pulsive moves.R
emem
ber to think!
Have a b
all! Bu
t always stay in
con
trol an
d fly in
a safe man
ner.
GO
OD
LU
CK
AN
D G
RE
AT
FLY
ING
!
- 44-
- 45-
Economical gasoline pow
er for quarter- and giant-scale.
Boost realism and cut fuel costs! The 41cc burns an inexpensive
blend of unleaded gasoline and 2-cycle oil for fuel; plus, theincluded spring-starter m
akes an electric starter, starter batteryand glow
starter unnecessary. Other features: Internal, solid
state electronic ignition; smooth, dynam
ically balanced flywheel;
chrome-plated cylinder bore; full roller bearings; engine m
ount;and a 2-year w
arranty.
U.S. Engines
�41cc 2.5 R
/C Engine (U
SEG0041)
Great for alm
ost any rechargeable R/C
battery!
It weighs barely a pound and m
easures only about the size of athick paperback book - but the Triton is so versatile, you can useit w
ith lithium-ion, lithium
polymer and lead-acid batteries as
effectively as NiC
d and NiM
H cells. It w
ill peak tiny park flyerpacks and 24V car batteries alike - and can discharge as w
ell ascharge, cycle packs from
1 to 10 times autom
atically, mem
orizepeak
and average
battery voltages
for each
cycle, and
constantly display battery capacity, voltage, current and time as
each cycle progresses. 1-year warranty.
Great Planes
®ElectriFly�
Triton�
(GPM
M3150)
Com
puterized DC
Peak Charger/D
ischarger/Cycler
- 46-
More value for the dollar - m
ore possibilities for the pilot!
With a 9C
, the sky's the limit - and D
ial N' Key program
ming puts
it within easy reach. There's a rotary dial for finding functions,
push-buttons to do everything else, and more possibilities than
you'd ever imagine. Experim
ent with triple rates. See the travel
of each servo on a bar graph and reset the limits of any you w
ish.D
elete an auxiliary function and substitute a custom m
ix, orassign it to a different knob or sw
itch - even to one of the two
proportional slider switches. Factory program
ming enables the
transmitter to be used for airplanes, helis or sailplanes.
Receiver: R
149DP
Servos: (4) S9001Tx N
iCd: 700m
AhR
x NiC
d: 1000mAh
Band: 50, 72M
Hz
Modulation: PC
M
Futaba®9C
9-Channel R
adio System (FU
TJ88**)
For precise dual servo control without m
ixing!
With the SR
10, you can control two servos on a single channel
without special m
otors or mixing. Easy to install, sim
ple to trim -
and equipped with an R
F noise filter for signal clarity. Ideal forcars, boats or tw
o-servo control surfaces on large-scale craft. 1-year w
arranty.
Futaba®SR
10 Dual Servo R
everser (FUTM
4150)
- 47-
U.S
.41ccE
NG
INE
MO
UN
T T
EM
PL
AT
E
Cut out or m
ake a copy of this identificationtag.
Fill in the appropriate inform
ation andplace it on or inside the m
odel.
This m
odel belongs to:
Nam
e
Address
City,S
tate Zip
Phone num
ber
AM
A num
ber
This m
odel belongs to:
Nam
e
Address
City,S
tate Zip
Phone num
ber
AM
A num
ber
- 48-