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TABLE OF CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION ................................................................................2
AMA ...................................................................................................2
SAFETY PRECAUTIONS ..................................................................2
DECISIONS YOU MUST MAKE .........................................................3
 Radio 

Equipment 

..........................................................................3

 

Power System Recommendations ...............................................3

 Propeller 

.......................................................................................4

 

Batteries & Charger ......................................................................4

ADDITIONAL ITEMS REQUIRED .....................................................4
 

Required Hardware & Accessories ..............................................4

 

Adhesives & Building Supplies .....................................................4

 

Optional Supplies & Tools ............................................................4

BUILDING STAND .............................................................................5
IMPORTANT BUILDING NOTES .......................................................5
ORDERING REPLACEMENT PARTS ...............................................5
COMMON ABBREVIATIONS ............................................................6
METRIC CONVERSIONS ..................................................................6
METRIC/INCH RULER .......................................................................6
KIT INSPECTION ...............................................................................7
KIT CONTENTS .................................................................................7
PREPARATIONS ................................................................................8
BUILD THE WING  PANELS ...............................................................8
 

Install the Aileron & Flap Servos & Pushrods ..............................8

 Fixed 

Flaps 

.................................................................................11

 BUILD THE FUSELAGE .................................................................11
 

Install the Tail Surfaces...............................................................11

 

Install the Tail Servos & Pushrods ..............................................12

 

Glow Engine Installation .............................................................13

 

Brushless Motor Installation .......................................................16

 

Assemble & Install the Landing Gear .........................................18

FINISH THE  MODEL ........................................................................20
 

Install the Receiver .....................................................................20

 

Install the Cowl, Spinner & Propeller ..........................................21

 

Install the Wing & Canopy Hatch ................................................22

 

Apply the Decals ........................................................................22

GET THE  MODEL  READY TO  FLY ..................................................22
 

Install and Operate the Motor Battery (Brushless Only).............22

 

Battery Precautions/Connecting Batteries .................................23

 

Check the Control Directions .....................................................23

 

Set the Control Throws ...............................................................23

 

Balance the Model (C.G.) ...........................................................24

 

Balance the Model Laterally .......................................................25

PREFLIGHT .....................................................................................25
 Identify 

Your 

Model 

.....................................................................25

 

Charge the Batteries ..................................................................25

 Balance 

Propellers 

.....................................................................25

 Ground 

Check 

............................................................................25

 Range 

Check 

.............................................................................25

ENGINE SAFETY PRECAUTIONS ..................................................26
LITHIUM BATTERY HANDLING & USAGE ....................................26
AMA SAFETY CODE (excerpts) .....................................................26
CHECK LIST ....................................................................................27
FLYING .............................................................................................27
 

Fuel Mixture Adjustments ...........................................................27

 Takeoff 

........................................................................................27

 

Flight .................................................................. Back Cover Page

 

Landing .............................................................. Back Cover Page

 

Flaps .................................................................. Back Cover Page

INTRODUCTION

Congratulations on your purchase of the Great Planes 
Cherokee .40 ARF! We have designed this plane to be a 
quick, fuss-free build by minimizing the amount of glue and 
measuring that needs to be done for a typical ARF. With a 
bolt-on, self-aligning tail section along with many other small 
time-consuming tasks already complete, you can have your 
Cherokee .40 ARF built in as little as 4 to 6 hours. Just like 
its full-scale counterpart, the Cherokee .40 ARF is extremely 

easy to fl y and would be appropriate for beginners who 
have mastered a trainer or for the veteran pilot who just 
appreciates the rich history of the Cherokee. 

For the latest technical updates or manual corrections to 
the Cherokee .40 ARF visit the Great Planes web site at
www.greatplanes.com. Open the “Airplanes” link, then 
select the Cherokee .40 ARF. If there is new technical 
information or changes to this model, a “tech notice” box will 
appear in the upper left corner of the page.

AMA

We urge you to join the AMA (Academy of Model Aeronautics) 
and a local R/C club. The AMA is the governing body of model 
aviation and membership is required to fl y at AMA clubs. 
Though joining the AMA provides many benefi ts, one of the 
primary reasons to join is liability protection. Coverage is not 
limited to fl ying at contests or on the club fi eld. It even applies 
to fl ying at public demonstrations and air shows. Failure to 
comply with the Safety Code (excerpts printed in the back of 
the manual) may endanger insurance coverage. Additionally, 
training programs and instructors are available at AMA club 
sites to help you get started the right way. There are over 
2,500 AMA chartered clubs across the country. Contact the 
AMA at the address or toll-free phone number below:

Academy of Model Aeronautics

5151 East Memorial Drive

Muncie, IN 47302-9252

Tele. (800) 435-9262

Fax (765) 741-0057

Or via the Internet at:

http://www.modelaircraft.org

IMPORTANT!!! Two of the most important things you can do 
to preserve the radio controlled aircraft hobby are to avoid 
fl ying near full-scale aircraft and avoid fl ying near or over 
groups of people.

PROTECT YOUR  MODEL, YOURSELF 

& OTHERS....FOLLOW THESE

 IMPORTANT SAFETY PRECAUTIONS

1. Your Cherokee .40 ARF should not be considered a toy, 
but rather a sophisticated, working model that functions very 
much like a full-size airplane. Because of its performance 
capabilities, the Cherokee .40 ARF, if not assembled and 
operated correctly, could possibly cause injury to yourself or 
spectators and damage to property.

2. You must assemble the model according to the instructions
Do not alter or modify the model, as doing so may result in an 
unsafe or unfl yable model. In a few cases the instructions may 
differ slightly from the photos. In those instances the written 
instructions should be considered as correct.

Summary of Contents for Cherokee .40 ARF

Page 1: ...resulting from the use by the user of the final user assembled product By the act of using the user assembled product the user accepts all resulting liability If the buyer is not prepared to accept t...

Page 2: ...or the veteran pilot who just appreciates the rich history of the Cherokee For the latest technical updates or manual corrections to the Cherokee 40 ARF visit the Great Planes web site at www greatpla...

Page 3: ...ormance of your completed model and no representations are expressed or implied as to the performance or safety of your completed model Remember Take your time and follow the instructions to end up wi...

Page 4: ...rs for both are provided below Great Planes PolyCharge4 DC only 4 output LiPo charger GPMM3015 or Great Planes ElectriFly Triton2 DC comp peak charger GPMM3153 ADDITIONAL ITEMS REQUIRED Required Hardw...

Page 5: ...you will need the working time and or the additional strength Photos and sketches are placed before the step they refer to Frequently you can study photos in following steps to get another view of the...

Page 6: ...3243 Horizontal Stabilizer Elevator GPMA3244 Canopy Hatch GPMA3245 Wheel Pants GPMA3246 Landing Gear GPMA3247 Cowl GPMA3248 Wing Tube GPMA3249 Decal Sheet COMMON ABBREVIATIONS Stab Horizontal Stabiliz...

Page 7: ...re written in the Kit Contents list Great Planes Product Support 3002 N Apollo Drive Suite 1 Champaign IL 61822 Telephone 217 398 8970 ext 5 Fax 217 398 7721 E mail airsupport greatplanes com 1 Cowl 2...

Page 8: ...m hardwood servo mounting blocks to the inside of the aileron and flap hatch covers Be sure that the blocks are aligned over the rectangles with the grain direction perpendicular to the covers Allow t...

Page 9: ...control horn 8 Position the control horn over the plywood plate in the aileron if you cannot see it hold the aileron at a shallow angle in good lighting or use a small pin to puncture the covering usi...

Page 10: ...the screw holes with thin CA 12 Install a control horn onto the flap using two 2 x 3 8 9 5mm screws Make note that these screws are shorter than the ones used for the aileron control horns As you did...

Page 11: ...the wood when cutting the covering 4 Wipe away the lines from the pen using a cloth dampened with alcohol and glue the strips into position BUILD THE FUSELAGE Install the Tail Surfaces 1 Place the hor...

Page 12: ...ter the rudder servo with your radio system and install the servo arm perpendicular to the servo case as shown with the outer drilled hole toward the center of the fuselage 2 Temporarily insert a 36 9...

Page 13: ...is on the elevator pushrod should attach to the outer hole in the elevator control horn Glow Engine Installation The Cherokee 40 ARF is designed to be flown with a 40 to 46 two stroke glow engine 56 f...

Page 14: ...n 4 Fit the fuel tank tray into the fuselage by inserting the tab at the forward end of the tray into the slot in the firewall Press the tray down onto the receiving tabs in the fuselage former and cr...

Page 15: ...ine to the mount using four 6 32 x 3 4 19mm SHCS four 6 flat washers and four 6 lock washers 9 Drill a 3 16 4 8mm hole in the firewall inline with throttle arm in the carburetor using a long drill bit...

Page 16: ...cess pushrod 1 4 6mm behind the screw lock pushrod connector Brushless Motor Installation If you have installed a glow engine skip this section as it only contains information relevant to installing a...

Page 17: ...ots in the plywood fuel tank tray as shown The fuel tank tray is also used as the battery tray for a brushless installation 5 Fit the fuel tank tray into the fuselage by inserting the tab at the forwa...

Page 18: ...install the wheel pants wheel collars and wheels onto the axles Thread a 6 32 x 1 4 6mm SHCS into each wheel collar with threadlocking compound and tighten the screws against the flat spots on the axl...

Page 19: ...nting holes onto the hardwood plate Drill 3 32 2 4mm holes at the marks you made Mount the steering block onto the hardwood plate using four 4 x 5 8 16mm self tapping screws being sure to harden the h...

Page 20: ...done so already cut the fuel line and vent line to muffler to the correct length and connect them to the engine The fill line should be left uncut and it can hang free from the bottom of the plane A f...

Page 21: ...e and align it with the colors on the fuselage When satisfied with the fit tape the cowl into position Measure 3 8 9 5mm forward from the aft end of the cowl at each mark you made on the masking tape...

Page 22: ...sors or a sharp hobby knife to cut the decals from the sheet 2 Be certain the model is clean and free from oily fingerprints and dust Prepare a dishpan or small bucket with a mixture of liquid dish so...

Page 23: ...vo arms 2 With the transmitter and receiver still on check all the control surfaces to see if they are centered If necessary adjust the clevises on the pushrods to center the control surfaces 3 Make c...

Page 24: ...ater you may wish to experiment by shifting the C G up to 7 16 11mm forward or 7 16 11mm back to change the flying characteristics Moving the C G forward may improve the smoothness and stability but t...

Page 25: ...Propellers Carefully balance your propeller and spare propellers before you fly An unbalanced prop can be the single most significant cause of vibration that can damage your model Not only will engine...

Page 26: ...re to follow all instructions could cause permanent damage to the battery and its surroundings and cause bodily harm ONLY use a LiPo approved charger NEVER use a NiCd NiMH peak charger NEVER charge in...

Page 27: ...nnectors etc 6 Add a drop of oil to the axles so the wheels will turn freely 7 Make sure all hinges are securely glued in place 8 Reinforce holes for wood screws with thin CA where appropriate servo m...

Page 28: ...utter is detected is to slow the model immediately by reducing power then land as soon as safely possible Identify which surface fluttered so the problem may be resolved by checking all the servo grom...

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