GREAT PLANES T-Craft, Instruction Manual

Page 1: ...hall 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 liabili...

Page 2: ...REFLIGHT 45 Charge The Radio Batteries 45 Balance The Propeller 45 Find a Safe Place to Fly 46 Ground Check The Model 46 Range Check Your Radio 46 Engine Safety Precautions 46 AMA SAFETY CODE 46 Gener...

Page 3: ...n We highly recommend the use of micro servos on the ailerons and standard servos on the rudder elevator and throttle 4 You must properly install all R C and other components so that the model operate...

Page 4: ...5 Curved Tip canopy scissors HCAR0667 Top Flite Precision Magnetic Prop Balancer TOPQ5700 Slot Machine motorized hinge slotting tool GPMR4010 On our workbench we have three 11 Great Planes Easy Touch...

Page 5: ...a flat surface Cover the plans with waxed paper or Great Planes Plan Protector to prevent glue from sticking to the plan 5 When instructed to test fit parts this means DO NOT USE GLUE until you are s...

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

Page 7: ...3 16 x 3 8 balsa stick 7 From the leftover 1 8 x 3 16 balsa stick cut and glue the rudder ribs and cross brace to the frame 8 Remove the rudder from your building board Inspect all the glue joints and...

Page 8: ...6 x 30 balsa stick cut and glue the elevator cross braces to the frame 9 Repeat steps 7 and 8 to build the second elevator half 10 Remove the elevators from your building board Inspect glue and sand a...

Page 9: ...leading edge of the elevators You ll have to make several shallow passes to make the recess deep enough for the joiner wire 15 Temporarily join the elevators with the joiner wire The joiner wire will...

Page 10: ...gin by carefully cutting a very shallow slit at the hinge location to accurately establish the hinge slot Make three or four more cuts going a little deeper each time As you cut slide the knife from s...

Page 11: ...your progress matches the photos 1 Match the six 1 8 x 1 4 x 30 basswood main spars so any warps will counteract each other 2 Cut two of the main spars in half Draw a line 1 from one end of each of th...

Page 12: ...16 plywood wing joiner 10 Pin and glue the die cut 3 32 balsa W 2 W 3 W 4 and W 6 ribs and the die cut 1 8 balsa W 5 rib onto the main spar perpendicular to the building board Note There is a W 3 and...

Page 13: ...ign the dihedral gauge with the centerline of the wing Glue the forward spars in the top and bottom of ribs W 2 and W 3 with the root ends against the dihedral gauge Make sure that these forward spars...

Page 14: ...g joiners and the two die cut 1 16 plywood outer wing joiners 2 Use epoxy to glue the two center wing joiners together aligning the centerlines and the edges 3 Assemble the die cut 1 8 plywood wing ti...

Page 15: ...a paper towel dampened with rubbing alcohol Check that the tip crutch is in position the right wing panel is flat against your building board and the main spar is straight Use clamps to hold the join...

Page 16: ...building board supported by the jig tabs on ribs W 6 and the center crutch at the center of the wing The F on the center crutch goes to the front 19 Locate the 1 4 x 2 1 4 hardwood wing dowel Round bo...

Page 17: ...nd flush with the TE Use masking tape or clamps to hold it tight against the wing sheeting until the epoxy cures 28 Complete the partial die cutting of the aileron servo bay in rib W 5 29 Test fit the...

Page 18: ...on the 1 x 12 side 3 Glue the aileron base on the aileron LE along the centerline and perpendicular to the face of the LE 4 From the 3 32 x 3 8 x 30 balsa sticks cut and glue aileron ribs to both side...

Page 19: ...When satisfied with the fit glue the aileron horn base to the LE LE doubler and aileron rib 13 Draw a centerline on the LE of the aileron and the TE of the aileron bay Note The centerline is not cent...

Page 20: ...rt flush with the wing tip and sand the top and bottom edges of the tip support to blend into the wing tip 5 From the 3 8 x 3 8 x 8 balsa stick cut and glue tip blocks to the top of the wing tip TE an...

Page 21: ...the two fuse sides together and check that they match up all the way around If they are not identical pin them together and use a sanding bar to make them match 7 Lightly sand both sides of each fusel...

Page 22: ...cut 1 8 plywood firewall spacers to the back of F 1B on the left side The spacers will set the right thrust in the firewall when the firewall is installed in the fuselage 15 After the epoxy has cured...

Page 23: ...rmer in place 2 Use the die cut 1 8 plywood former gauge 4 to hold the die cut 1 8 plywood former F 4 at the proper angle to the fuse side while gluing the former in place 3 Lay the fuse on its left s...

Page 24: ...ng board Then glue the aft end of the fuse together and former F 6 to the fuse sides Note A small misalignment here will throw the aft end out of line so double check before gluing 9 Test fit the die...

Page 25: ...4 x 24 basswood stick cut and glue firewall reinforcements in the joint between the firewall and fuselage sides and the firewall and front deck 17 Temporarily install the die cut 1 8 plywood fuel tan...

Page 26: ...mers and fuse sides The slots in the side of the fuse for the pushrod tube exit can be filled with Hobbico balsa filler or a 50 50 mixture of microballoons and epoxy 24 After the filler has cured use...

Page 27: ...hole at each mark If you have access to a drill press it is the best tool for the job However if you are using a hand held electric drill try to keep the drill bit perpendicular to the rails 6 Install...

Page 28: ...7 Trim and sand the forward edge of the top deck sheets flush with the front of the firewall and the aft edge to the instrument panel as shown Sand the fuse sides to blend into the top deck sheet 8 Te...

Page 29: ...wing at the two punch marks on the wing bolt plate Two small 90 degree triangles will help you to align the drill perpendicular to the top surface of the wing Important Do not allow the wing to shift...

Page 30: ...h the fit use 30 minute epoxy to glue the stab to the fuse Double check the stab alignment while the epoxy is curing 3 Set the fin in position on the stab The fin TE must line up with the aft edge of...

Page 31: ...lower hinge Without using any glue join the rudder to the fuse 8 Trim the clear windshield along the embossed cut lines Then tape it in position on the front of the cabin 9 With the wing installed not...

Page 32: ...of the stab and aligned with the fuse sides 4 From leftover 1 8 balsa fit and glue filler pieces between the dowel stringers and fin and the dowel stringers and aft deck base Apply balsa filler to any...

Page 33: ...the landing gear rail with the landing gear straps and four 2 x 3 8 screws 1 Trim one matching set of wheel pant halves along the molded cut lines You can use a hobby knife to carefully score along th...

Page 34: ...leftover ABS trim and glue strips to the inside of the wheel pant along the seams 6 To reinforce the wheel pant use epoxy to glue the fiberglass tape over the seam on the inside of the wheel pant 7 Us...

Page 35: ...l pant to the landing gear with the nylon landing gear strap Refer to the fuse plan for a detailed view of the wheel pant assembly 13 Adjust and tighten the wheel collars on the landing gear so that t...

Page 36: ...ories that may protrude from the cowl example fuel fill valve engine choke etc Tape the template to the fuselage side accurately indicating the position of the accessories 7 Measure the distance from...

Page 37: ...ut a 3 16 x 1 2 x 30 balsa stick in half to make two wing struts 2 Taper and round the LE and TE of the wing struts to an airfoil shape as shown on the wing plan 3 Cut three CA hinge pieces 1 4 x 1 4...

Page 38: ...fuse For storage the struts may be folded down onto the wing and held in place with rubber bands 1 Prepare the servos by installing the rubber grommets and brass eyelets into each servo 2 From the lef...

Page 39: ...on the 1 4 x 1 4 servo rail Note If a 2 stroke engine is being installed the throttle pushrod will possibly need to be routed down the center of the fuse requiring the throttle servo to be mounted in...

Page 40: ...f the firewall Hint Make a small 90 degree bend at the non threaded end of the pushrod to hold on to Carefully hold the white inner pushrod with a pliers while threading the pushrod into the inner pus...

Page 41: ...ong the bottom edge of the fuse Remove all the balsa dust from the model with compressed air a tack cloth or a vacuum with a brush Many surface blemishes on a framed model are caused by bumps and bals...

Page 42: ...paint is too thick to spray properly it can be thinned with a small amount of lacquer thinner Do not thin with more than 40 thinner In general about 10 thinner will adequately thin the paint for airbr...

Page 43: ...epoxy to glue the tailwheel bearing in the aft end of the fuse After the epoxy has cured pack the tailwheel wire hole in the rudder with 6 minute epoxy Install the rudder with its hinges Repeat the gl...

Page 44: ...ises to the control horns 2 Make a strain relief from a cut off servo arm and place it on the antenna where the antenna exits the fuse Route the receiver antenna out of the fuse Anchor the antenna to...

Page 45: ...me of a club in your area We recommend that you join AMA and a local club so you can have a save place to fly and have insurance to cover you in case of a flying accident The AMA address and telephone...

Page 46: ...closed room or garage Get help from an experienced pilot when learning to operate engines Use safety glasses when starting or running engines Do not run the engine in an area of loose gravel or sand t...

Page 47: ...the Taylorcraft behaves in each Try to stay within a sensible and realistic scale like flight envelope If you feel as though you have your hands full keep this in mind pull back on the throttle stick...

Page 48: ...2 View Use the 2 view or photocopy it and use the copy to design your trim scheme...