GREAT PLANES F-15 EAGLE, Instruction Book

Page 1: ...mbly or material used for final assembly 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 assembled product the user accepts all resulting liability If the buyer is not prepared to accept the liability associated with the use of this product he is advised to immediately return this kit in n...

Page 2: ...ok 1 In step 5 on page 24 and in step 3 on page 40 we have provided a slightly different style of nylon torque rod horn than shown You will need to drill these horns with a 7 64 drill and tap them using the 6 32 thread cutting screw provided F154ADD1 ...

Page 3: ...NG 41 FINAL ASSEMBLY 42 MAKE RUDDER PUSHRODS 42 FIT THE WING TO THE FUSE 42 PREPARETHECANOPY 43 BALANCE THE AIRPLANE LATERALLY 44 FINAL SANDING 44 COVERING 44 GLUE FINS IN PLACE 44 GLUE THE AILERON HINGES 44 GLUE TAIL FEATHER HINGES 45 COCKPIT SEAT 45 GLUE CANOPY IN PLACE 46 DECALS AND TRIM 46 WING SEATING 47 RE INSTALL ENGINE RADIO 47 CONTROL SURFACE THROWS 47 BALANCE YOUR MODEL 47 FINAL HOOKUPS ...

Page 4: ...all parts carefully before starting to build If any parts are missing broken or defective or if you have any questions about building or flying this airplane please call us at 217 398 8970 and we ll be glad to help If you are calling for replacement parts please look up the part numbers and the kit identification number stamped on the end of the carton and have them ready when calling PRECAUTIONS ...

Page 5: ... HCAQ3750 recommended D 2 3 4 Main Wheels Great Planes GPMQ4204 recommended See page 5 D 2 1 4 Nose Wheel Great Planes GPMQ4202 recommended See page 5 D 10oz Fuel Tank Great Planes GPMQ4104 recommended D 5 32 Wheel Collars 6 needed 2 packages of GPMQ4306 D Iron on Covering Material 2 rolls Top Flite Aluminum Super MonoKote recommended D Fuelproof Paint for trim We used Chevron Perfect Paint silver...

Page 6: ... 1 4 main wheels and a 2 nose wheel For grass fields larger wheels will be required such as 2 3 4 main wheels and a 2 1 4 to 2 1 2 nose wheel COMMON ABBREVIATIONS USED IN THIS BOOK AND ON THE PLANS Elev Elevator Fuse Fuselage LE Leading Edge front LG Landing Gear Ply Plywood Stab Stabilizer TE Trailing Edge rear Tri Triangle Inches TYPES OF WOOD Balsa Basswood Plywood GET READY TO BUILD THE F 15 D...

Page 7: ...6 DIE CUT PATTERNS ...

Page 8: ...he fin LE starts Remove the fin tip Carve and sand the front of the fin tip to a round cross section but do not sand behind the line you just made D D 4 Glue the fin tip to the top of the fin Sand the aft edge of the tip flush with the fin TE D D 2 Using the plans as a guide cut the top 2 1 2 off a 1 4 balsa rudder F154R03 with a razor saw Glue the top portion to the aft fin piece as shown above T...

Page 9: ... the 1 4 balsa middle stab piece F154S02 in place Sand it if necessary to achieve a good fit and glue it in place Sand the root of the stab until all three pieces are even with each other BUILD THE STABILIZER AND ELEVATORS D D 3 Position the 1 4 balsa elevator F154S04 over the plan and mark where the stab tip will be cut off Cut the tip off with a razor saw and glue it to the stab rear Do this ove...

Page 10: ... good precaution is to wear leather gloves while performing the following steps A Begin by carefully cutting a very shallow slit at the hinge location The first cut is to establish your cut in the right place so concentrate on staying on the line and don t cut too deep B Make three or four more cuts in the same line going slightly deeper each time As you make these additional cuts work on going st...

Page 11: ...oth sides of each elevator to a taper see cross section on plans The trailing edge should end up approximately 3 32 wide Do not sand to a sharp edge Leave the ends square Sand the leading edge of the elevator to a V shape as shown on the plan Sand the trailing edge of the stab tip to the same taper as the elevator D D 1 Working over the fuselage side view covered with waxed paper trial fit a die c...

Page 12: ...0 degrees until they are positioned as shown in the photo above Do not glue them yet Make sure they are upright and not inverted D D 4 Position a die cut 3 32 balsa wing saddle doubler F154F10 as shown in the photo Notice that the aft edge of the front portion is aligned with the aft edge of the fuse doubler top The top surface of the doubler should be flush with the edge of the fuse side D 5 Go b...

Page 13: ...ds the nose of the plane Only apply a couple drops of thin CA on the bottom half of F3 You will glue the top portion of the former later Apply a drop of thin CA to the back side of each 4 screw to keep them from vibrating loose D 12 Tack glue F2 into the fuse with a few drops of thin CA The nose gear bearing should be towards the rear of the fuselage D 10 Glue the die cut 1 8 ply nose gear doubler...

Page 14: ...they are accurately lined up with one another and the side of F1A with the punch marks is showing Wipe off any excess glue before it cures Glue the 1 8 x 2 3 8 x 2 3 8 plywood firewall doubler F154F30 to F1B It should be positioned approximately 3 8 above the bottom of the firewall and centered side to side D 17 If you are using the supplied Great Planes Adjustable Engine Mount EM4070 drill a 5 32...

Page 15: ...ther piece of 1 2 balsa triangle on the other side of the fuselage Sand the fuse sides fuse bottom and the triangle flush with the front of the firewall D 21 Cut three 1 7 8 long pieces of 1 4 balsa triangle from the 1 4 x 30 balsa triangle stock WSTR015 Glue one of the pieces into the corner formed by the firewall and the fuse bottom Glue the other two pieces into the corners formed by the firewa...

Page 16: ...ainst former F7 and make sure the bottom of the turbine side is level with the bottom of the former Glue it to the former Do the same for former F6 and then go back and add thick CA to each joint D 29 Test fit the 7 16 x 5 8 x 6 5 8 grooved basswood landing gear block F154F21 into its slot in the bottom of the fuselage Trim the slot or sand the ends of the block if necessary to get the landing gea...

Page 17: ... x 1 1 4 grooved basswood short landing gear blocks F154F22 in place against the fuselage side doubler The grooved side of the blocks should be against the fuse doubler D 35 Cut two 15 3 4 long pieces of 1 4 x 30 balsa triangle WSTR015 Glue these inside the top edge of each turbine side from F5 rearward Make sure the top edge of the triangle is flush with the top edge of the turbine side D 33 Dril...

Page 18: ...utt glued up against the LG block and the bottom fuse sheeting so hold it flush with the bottom sheeting while you glue it with thin CA Add a bead of medium CA inside the fuselage to reinforce this joint Glue the other aft turbine bottom in place D 40 Glue two die cut 3 32 balsa turbine inlet sheeting pieces F154F09 together D 38 Glue a die cut 1 8 balsa forward turbine bottom F154F13 in place It ...

Page 19: ...hole Method 2 Cut and tap threads into the holes you just drilled using a 6 32 tap and tap wrench If you use this method you will have to supply your own 6 32 x 1 socket head cap screws for attaching the engine to the mount MOUNT ENGINE AND INSTALL SERVOS D 1 Screw the mount onto the firewall using the 6 32 x 1 cap screws but leave the screws loose for now Place the engine on the mount and squeeze...

Page 20: ...od using the 1 threaded rod that came with the pushrod Insert the inner pushrod into the outer tube and snap the clevis onto the steering arm Slide the silicone retainer over the clevis Cut a scrap piece of balsa to support the end of the steering outer tube and glue it in place on the fuse bottom Glue the steering outer tube to the balsa piece but make sure the steering arm can operate throughout...

Page 21: ... place D 10 Assemble your 10 oz fuel tank not included Determine where the fuel lines should pass through the firewall and drill a 1 4 hole for each line Lay a 1 2 thick layer of foam on the bottom of the tank compartment and then position the tank toward the back of the compartment Surround the tank with foam so it can not shift forward Route the fuel lines through the firewall and mark on the fi...

Page 22: ...e two outside pieces of tape around to the other fuse side Stick them to the fuse side making sure the sheeting is bending nicely and lying against the firewall and the dash Pull the remaining piece of tape around and stick it to the fuse side The tape should keep the wood from splitting Now apply thin CA to glue the sheeting to the dash and the firewall Do not glue it to the top stringer yet Also...

Page 23: ...lide the spinner ring spinner backplate assembly onto the crankshaft and temporarily hold it in place with the prop nut and a couple washers if necessary D 6 Cut the remaining 1 4 balsa shaped nose side as needed to fit around the engine Do not worry about getting a tight fit around the engine because you still have to be able to get the engine in and out Just cut pieces to fit between the spinner...

Page 24: ...will probably have to cut away some of the nose right top side before you can remove the engine Also remove the engine mount D 13 Using a razor plane and a sanding block rough sand the nose section to a smooth cross section as shown in the photo The nose should be round at the spinner ring and smoothly transition to the cross sections shown on the plans at the firewall and F2 Fill any voids with H...

Page 25: ...ors are aligned with each other when the threaded ends of the torque rods are aligned GLUE THE STABILIZERS IN PLACE D 4 Cut off the threaded end of the torque rod 7 8 above the bend as shown in the photo Clean up the cut with a file or cut off wheel so the threads are not damaged Scuff up the outside of the nylon bearing with sandpaper and then slide the bearing tube down towards the threaded end ...

Page 26: ... end of the wire NOTE If you positioned your elevator servo other than where shown on the plan you may have to alter the length of these pushrod wires D 2 Position the two 8 1 2 rods in the fuselage as shown above and snap the clevises onto the torque rods Slide the 1 4 split wire coupler D 3 Adjust the elevator servo horn and both elevators so they are in their neutral position and the split coup...

Page 27: ...e not moved Slide the clevis retainers over the torque rod clevises Make sure the retainers do not hit former F7 D 2 Securely glue the 1 4 x 1 x 3 1 8 ply wing bolt block F154F20 in place Soak the area around the block with thin CA to help harden the wood there Glue 1 2 triangle stock above and below both ends of the bolt block D 6 Sand the 1 4 x 7 8 x 3 1 16 balsa torque rod brace F154F31 to fit ...

Page 28: ...utout This will tell you where to install the hatch tabs in the next step D 5 If you haven t already done so remove the elevators and the hinges Sand the aft end of the fuselage to even out all the sides and the tops and bottom Glue the 3 32 x 2 1 2 x 6 1 2 balsa fuse back F154F32 in place If you installed an antenna tube drill a hole in the back to allow it to exit the fuse Sand the edges of the ...

Page 29: ... 2 x 3 8 flat head screws SCRW069 provided Sand the edges of the hatch until there is a 1 32 gap all around the hatch when it is positioned in the hatch cutout To remove the hatch from the fuselage just press down on the front edge of the hatch WING NOTE The following instructions explain how to build the wing on a flat surface directly over the plans The j i g tabs will automatically build in the...

Page 30: ...fore it cures D 3 Place two spars in position on the plan with the spar doublers up and the thick end two laminations toward the root center of the wing These will be the right and left bottom spars The tapered end of the spar doublers should end just inside rib 8 Cut the root of the spars to the correct angle at the wing centerline so they fit together nicely Securely glue the two spars together ...

Page 31: ...he LE S and the ends of the TE S Raise the spar up into the rib notch and glue it in place Notice on the photo and on the plans exactly where the TE is attached to the rib D 7 Position the TE S in place by working the aft end of the 3 and 7 ribs into their respective notches in the TE Center the TE S vertically on the ribs and glue them with thin CA Make sure the TE S meet nicely at the wing cente...

Page 32: ...fit a tapered balsa tip trailing edge F154W11 in place You may need to sand the inboard end of the tip trailing edge or the aft ends of ribs 9 and 10 to achieve a good fit When satisfied with the fit glue it in place making sure it is aligned with rib 8 Also make sure ribs 9 and 10 are centered on it to allow room for the capstrips which will be applied later Install the other tip trailing edge D ...

Page 33: ...e spar doubler stops just before rib 8 Cut the excess spar off flush with rib 10 center spar F154W09 in its notches Cut the ends off at an angle so it will fit neatly against the top wing spar Use a straight edge to press it all the way down into the notches and glue it in place It is not intended to be flush with the top surface of the wing Make sure to get good glue joints where it attaches to t...

Page 34: ...ght but just position the sheet so it slightly overlaps past the TE Any overlap can be sanded off flush with the TE later 13 2 1 4 Cut Here Flip triangle over and glue here D 2 Make four leading edge sheets by cutting a triangle 2 1 4 wide and 13 long off of one end of D 4 Before applying the leading edge sheeting in the next steps use your T bar to lightly sand off the edges of the shear webs and...

Page 35: ...flush with rib 3 D 7 Tilt the wing up with the LE down and apply a drop of thick slow curing CA to each rib Hold the wing at an angle so the glue will drip down and coat the edge of each rib Apply a line of glue to the front edge of the spar and immediately place the wing on your flat work surface Replace the weights or pins to keep the wing jig tabs against the work surface Press the sheeting dow...

Page 36: ...e bottom of the spar and not the front or back D 3 Cut the remaining 1 8 x 1 4 x 30 basswood center spar F154W09 to fit as you did earlier on the top surface Apply a bead of thick CA on the top surface of all the center spar shear webs and install the center spar Make sure all the jig tabs are on the work surface and the center spar is pressed down against the shear webs NOTE The spar need not be ...

Page 37: ...pe any excess epoxy off of the wing faceplate before it cures D 10 Use a T pin and a piece of string to check the alignment of the wing Stick the T pin in the middle of the tail and loop the string around the pin Pull the string over to the end of one spar and hold your finger there on the string Swing the string over to the other tip and compare the measurement Adjust the wing if necessary and do...

Page 38: ...ast one will have to be cut to fit D 15 Flip the wing over wing right side up and using the blind nut as a guide drill a 1 8 hole in the center sheeting to mark where the bolt should go D 13 Place the wing back on the work surface with the jig tabs down wing upside down Cut one piece of 1 16 x 2 5 8 x 8 balsa wing center sheeting F154W16 to fit up against the leading edge sheeting Glue it in place...

Page 39: ...t shaping the wing tip yet D 1 Measure to locate the middle of the grooved balsa center TE F154W17 and make a perpendicular relief cut almost all the way through within 1 16 with a razor saw Do not cut all the way through This cut is needed to allow the center TE to conform to the dihedral angle of the wing as shown in step 7 on the next page D 2 Place the center TE over the wing plan and mark whe...

Page 40: ... the leading edge centerline and drilling straight in to the proper depth D 7 Carefully glue the center TE to the wing so the torque rods are exiting the bottom of the wing The slot you cut earlier should allow the center TE to fit the dihedral Make sure the center TE is properly aligned with the wing and is not tilted up or down Also be careful not to get any glue on the torque rod wires D 5 Use ...

Page 41: ...cut off D 9 Insert the hinges into the slots and trial fit the ailerons in place on the wing Do not glue the hinges until after you have covered the wing Tape both ailerons in their neutral position and check to see if the threaded portion of the torque rods are both parallel and approximately perpendicular to the wing surface If not remove the ailerons and twist the torque rods until they are D 3...

Page 42: ...into the horn NOTE You may have to enlarge the servo horn holes with a 5 64 diameter drill bit CAUTION Do not enlarge the holes enough to produce any aileron slop Replace the servo horn and check the operation of the ailerons Enlarge the notches in the center TE and the wing TE S if required to achieve full aileron throw See page 47 for the recommended amount of aileron movement D 2 Final sand the...

Page 43: ... them with a 3 32 bit Install the horns on the rudders with the 2 56 x 5 8 screws SCRW002 provided Notice that the control horns go on the inside of both rudders so be sure and make a right and left rudder D 3 Install the rudders on the fins using hinges so the control horns are between the rudders FIT THE WING TO THE FUSE D 1 Gently sand the wing saddle smooth and then set the wing in place right...

Page 44: ...the canopy D 1 Using a scissors carefully cut the canopy CANPY057 along the trim line D 3 Turn the plane upside down and insert the nylon bolt in its hole Slide the 1 2 diameter paper tube PTUBE001 into the hole and push it down over the head of the nylon bolt and against the wing bolt block Carefully glue it to the fuse bottom with thick CA Be careful and only use a drop or two of CA so it doesn ...

Page 45: ...d the tip Modelers who do this often cut through the covering and part way into the balsa stab This can weaken the stab to the point where it may fail in flight We highly recommend using the Top Flite SmartCut MonoKote trim tool when covering your plane It allows you to effortlessly achieve smooth consistent cuts and end up with a great looking covering job RECOMMENDED COVERING SEQUENCE D 1 Stab b...

Page 46: ...ol will remove the permanent marker when you re done D 3 Assemble and paint the pilot We used a Williams Bros 171 1 1 2 scale Military pilot Securely glue him to the cockpit bottom It is a good idea to scrape or sand the paint off the cockpit bottom where the pilot will be attached for a good glue bond D 4 Cut the instrument panel decal out of the decal sheet and stick it in place GLUE CANOPY IN P...

Page 47: ...e turtle deck former This aft portion of he canopy is now known as the Turtle Deck DECALS AND TRIM D 1 The decal sheet included gives you everything you need to trim your model the way our prototypes were done Study the photos on the box to determine where to place the decals D 2 Thoroughly clean your airplane before applying decals D 3 Cut out the individual decal items and apply them in the loca...

Page 48: ...ght turbine bay and hook everything up to it Wrap the receiver in 1 2 latex foam to protect it Scrap pieces of balsa can be used to hold the receiver in place D 3 Re install the engine propeller spinner and wheels Attach the wing to the fuselage Check the operation of all controls to make sure they operate smoothly WE RECOMMEND THE FOLLOWING CONTROL SURFACE THROWS NOTE Throws are measured at the w...

Page 49: ... either shift the location of radio components the battery pack can be installed all the way up into the compartment between F2 and F3 if needed or add weight to the nose or tail until it balances within the range Tail weight may be added by using Great Planes stick on lead weights GPMQ4485 and later if the balance proves to be OK you can open the fuse bottom and glue these in permanently RADIO SE...

Page 50: ...rom any other R C airplane operation and away from houses buildings and streets A schoolyard may look inviting but it is too close to people power lines and possible radio interference GROUND CHECK THE MODEL If you are not thoroughly familiar with the operation of R C models ask an experienced modeler to check to see that you have the radio installed correctly and that all the control surfaces do ...

Page 51: ...on FLYING AMA SAFETY CODE Read and abide by the Academy of Model Aeronautics Official Safety Code a portion of which is reprinted here GENERAL 1 I will not fly my model aircraft in competition or in the presence of spectators until it has been proven to be airworthy by having been previously successfully flight tested 2 I will not fly my model aircraft higher than approximately 400 feet within 3 m...

Page 52: ...Sloppy fit of clevis pin in horn Elasticity present in flexible plastic pushrods Side play of pushrod in guide tube caused by tight bends Sloppy fit of Z bend in servo arm Insufficient glue used when gluing the torque rods into the control surfaces Excessive flexing of aileron caused by using too soft balsa aileron Excessive play or backlash in servo gears and Insecure servo mounting IMPORTANT NOT...

Page 53: ...TWO VIEW DIAGRAM ...