GREAT PLANES Reactor ARF, Instruction Manual

13

We’re going to instruct you to center the servos and 
adjust the pushrods now, but this could be done later 
during fi nal setup if you prefer.

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 3. Temporarily connect the servos to your receiver with a 

battery and a switch so you can move the servos with your 
transmitter. Turn on your transmitter and make sure the trims 
are centered and turn on the receiver.

90˚

90˚

NO

NO

YES

CUT OFF THE

UNUSED ARMS

GREAT PLANES

LARGE-SCALE ARM

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 4. Mount your servo arms to the servos—if using the 

recommended Great Planes large-scale servo arms, 
position the square plastic inserts so the servo arms will be 
90-degrees to the servo. If using the standard servo arms that 
came with your servos, fi nd the arm that will be 90-degrees 
to the servo and cut off the remaining unused arms.

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 5. Read the following 

Expert Tip

 about how to solder 

pushrods, then make the pushrods and connect the rudder 
and elevator with the pushrods and control horns as shown 
in the photos. 

IMPORTANT:

 Be certain you are soldering the 

solder clevises

 onto the non-threaded end of the pushrods 

and threading the 

threaded clevises

 onto the threaded end 

of the pushrods. Sometimes modelers mistake unthreaded 
clevises for threaded clevises. 

Note:

 Make sure the horns 

are-mounted over the hardwood plates built into each control 
surface and are positioned as thown in the sketch at step 6. 
And drill 1/16" [1.6mm] holes for the #2 x 1/2" [12.7mm] Phillips 
horn mounting screws. Don’t forget the important procedure 
of installing, then removing the screws and hardening the 
holes with thin CA.

HOW TO  SOLDER

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 A. Use denatured alcohol or other solvent to thoroughly 

clean the pushrod. Roughen the end of the pushrod with 
coarse sandpaper where it is to be soldered.

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 B. Apply a few drops of soldering fl ux to the end of 

the pushrod, then use a soldering iron or a torch to heat 
it. “Tin” the heated area with 

silver solder

 (Stay Brite, 

STAR2000) by applying the solder to the end. The heat of 
the pushrod should melt the solder—not the fl ame of the 
torch or soldering iron—thus allowing the solder to fl ow. 
The end of the wire should be coated with solder all the 
way around.

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 C. Place the clevis on the end of the pushrod. Add 

another drop of fl ux, then heat and add solder. The same 
as before, the heat of the parts being soldered should 
melt the solder, thus allowing it to fl ow. Allow the joint to 
cool naturally without disturbing. Avoid excess blobs, but 
make certain the joint is thoroughly soldered. The solder 
should be shiny, not rough. If necessary, reheat the joint 
and allow to cool.

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 D. Immediately after the solder has solidifi ed, but while 

it is still hot, use a cloth to quickly wipe off the fl ux before 
it hardens. 

Important:

 After the joint cools, coat with oil 

to prevent rust. 

Note:

 Do not use the acid fl ux that comes 

with silver solder for electrical soldering.

This is what a properly soldered clevis looks like—shiny 
solder with good fl ow, no blobs, fl ux removed.

“JAM” NUT

SILICONE RETAINER

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 6. After all the pushrods have been made and the elevator 

and rudder connected, tighten the 4-40 “jam” nuts to 
the threaded clevises and install silicone retainers on all 
the clevises.