background image

2

INTRODUCTION

The U-Can-Do SF has the impressive fl ight characteristics 

of the original version with a refi ned design to speed up 
assembly, a fresh appearance with a new trim scheme, and 
now the provisions for a brushless setup. Like all of the latest 
Great Planes ARFs, many of the tasks typically required to 
be done during assembly have already been completed for 
you at the factory including pre-hinged ailerons and rudder, 
pre-glued canopy, and trimmed covering.

For the latest technical updates or manual corrections to 
the Great Planes U-Can-Do SF ARF visit the Great Planes 
web site at www.greatplanes.com. Open the “Airplanes” link, 
then select the U-Can-Do SF 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.

Academy of Model Aeronautics

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.

SAFETY PRECAUTIONS

Protect Your Model, Yourself & Others…

Follow These Important Safety Precautions

1. Your U-Can-Do SF 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 U-Can-Do SF, if not assembled and operated 
correctly, could possibly cause injury to yourself or spectators 
and damage to property.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION

  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

 

Academy of Model Aeronautics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

SAFETY PRECAUTIONS

  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

DECISIONS YOU MUST MAKE

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

 

Radio Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

 

Glow Engine Recommendations  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

 

Brushless Motor Recommendations  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

ADDITIONAL ITEMS REQUIRED

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

 

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

 

Adhesives and Building Supplies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

 

Optional Supplies and Tools. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

 

Building Stand  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

IMPORTANT BUILDING NOTES

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

KIT INSPECTION

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

ORDERING REPLACEMENT PARTS

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

KIT CONTENTS

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

PREPARATIONS

  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

INSTALL THE AILERON SERVOS,
    PUSHRODS AND BELLY PAN

  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

INSTALL THE TAIL  SECTION

  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

INSTALL THE MAIN LANDING GEAR

  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

INSTALL THE POWER SYSTEM

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

 

Brushless Motor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

 

Glow Engine. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

INSTALL THE  RECEIVER,

 

BATTERY, AND SWITCH

. . . 20

FINISH THE  MODEL

  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21

 

Optional Side Force Generators  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24

 

Apply the Decals  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24

GET THE MODEL READY TO FLY

  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24

 

Check the Control Directions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24

 

Set the Control Throws. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25

 

Proper Pushrod Hookup; Avoiding Flutter,

 

     Maximizing Servo Output Torque  . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26

 

Balance the Model (C.G.). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27

 

Balance the Model Laterally. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27

PREFLIGHT

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

 

Identify Your Model . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27

 

Charge the Batteries  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27

 

Balance Propellers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28

 

Ground Check  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28

 

Range Check . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28

ENGINE SAFETY PRECAUTIONS

  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28

AMA SAFETY CODE

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28

 

General  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28

 

Radio Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29

CHECK LIST

  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29

FLYING

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29

 

Fuel Mixture Adjustments  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29

 Takeoff 

 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30

 

Flight  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30

 

Landing  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30

 

3D Flying  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30

Summary of Contents for U-Can-Do SF

Page 1: ...l resulting liability If the buyer is not prepared to accept the liability associated with the use of this product the buyer is advised to return this kit immediately in new and unused condition to th...

Page 2: ...57 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 flying near full scale aircraft...

Page 3: ...l that is straight and true DECISIONS YOU MUST MAKE This is a partial list of items required to finish the U Can Do SF that may require planning or decision making before starting to build Order numbe...

Page 4: ...only Adhesives and Building Supplies This is the list of Adhesives and Building Supplies that are required to finish the U Can Do SF ARF 1 2 oz 15g Thin Pro CA GPMR6001 Pro 6 minute or 30 minute epox...

Page 5: ...re not of acceptable quality or if you need assistance with assembly contact Product Support When reporting defective or missing parts use the part names exactly as they are written in the Kit Content...

Page 6: ...if necessary Apply pressure over sheeted areas to thoroughly bond the covering to the wood INSTALL THE AILERON SERVOS PUSHRODS AND BELLY PAN CUT OFF UNUSED ARMS 1 Center your aileron servos with your...

Page 7: ...tring Pull the string through the hole Use the string to pull the servo leads through the wing and out the hole 4 Fit the servos into the servo openings and drill 1 16 1 6mm holes through the mounting...

Page 8: ...ey cross the outer holes in the servo arms 9 Clean the area of the pushrods between the marks you made and the threads with a paper towel dampened with denatured alcohol Apply a thin coating of epoxy...

Page 9: ...the covering between the lines you drew HOW TO CUT COVERING FROM BALSA Use a soldering iron to cut the covering from the stab The tip of the soldering iron doesn t have to be sharp but a fine tip doe...

Page 10: ...exposed wood with 30 minute epoxy although messy a more reliable glue joint can be attained if you also coat the inside edges of the stab pocket Reinstall the stab and properly position it in the poc...

Page 11: ...rudder and clean the rudder end of the wire with denatured alcohol Apply a few drops of oil along the hinge of the nylon tab Coat the inside of the fin slot with epoxy as well as the rudder end of the...

Page 12: ...l the rudder pushrod in the same manner using the remaining 5 7 8 150mm carbon tube 11 Apply a drop or two of oil onto the tail wheel axle and slide on the tail wheel Secure it in place with a 1 8 3 2...

Page 13: ...ks Be sure to drill the holes as shown in the picture It is recommended to start with a small drill bit and work your way up in size to 11 64 4 4mm Doing this will improve accuracy in the positioning...

Page 14: ...piece of dowel into each hole and sand them flush with the sides of the motor mount 6 Attach the brushless motor mount to the firewall using four 6 32 x 3 4 19mm machine screws four 6 flat washers fo...

Page 15: ...ws and three 4 flat washers If you are using an ESC other than the one recommended you may need to modify the tray or mount the ESC in a different manner 11 Connect the motor wires to the ESC route th...

Page 16: ...nes running horizontally and vertically depending on the engine model A 55AX O S engine stock muffler will fit in the cavity without the need to cut away the bottom of the cowl The 65AX stock muffler...

Page 17: ...hand fill the perforated cutout lines for the cooling hole and ESC tray slots in the firewall These cutouts are for the brushless installation only and should be glued in place for a glow engine setu...

Page 18: ...ft uncut With the tubes installed in the stopper fit the stopper plates loosely in place with the 3 x 25mm phillips screw to hold the assembly together 8 Make a strap 12 305mm long by overlapping the...

Page 19: ...r GPMR8130 to mark the location of the engine tab mounting holes onto the engine mount rails 14 Use four 6 32 x 3 4 19mm machine screws four 6 lock washers and four 6 flat washers to attach the engine...

Page 20: ...h the servo arm to the throttle servo perpendicular to the servo case be sure to install the servo arm screw Adjust the carb barrel so that it is close to 50 open and tighten the set screw in the scre...

Page 21: ...ad The balancing connector will remain accessible through the canopy hatch To help prevent inadvertent charging of a LiFe battery through this jack without also connecting the balancing connector we i...

Page 22: ...n the locations shown two on each side Mark onto the tape pieces exactly where the cowl mounting screw holes will be drilled The holes should be located in the center of the thickness of the firewall...

Page 23: ...rs 7 Install the propeller and spinner onto the motor You may need to enlarge the hole in the prop and spinner backplate with a reamer or drill to match the prop shaft of your power system It may also...

Page 24: ...cket with a mixture of liquid dish soap and warm water about one teaspoon of soap per gallon of water Submerse the decal in the soap and water and peel off the paper backing Note Even though the decal...

Page 25: ...e throws ELEVATOR HIGH LOW 1 25mm 15 3 4 19mm 11 15 16 24mm 12 5 8 16mm 8 2 1 2 64mm 23 1 1 8 29mm 10 RUDDER AILERONS 3D 2 5 16 59mm 36 1 1 2 38mm 20 4 102mm 39 Up Down Up Down Right Left IMPORTANT Th...

Page 26: ...reatest mechanical advantage of the servo over the control surface which will increase the servo s centering capabilities and output torque minimize any free play in the system and allow high ATV sett...

Page 27: ...to minimize or eliminate any additional ballast required If additional weight is required nose weight may be easily added by using a spinner weight GPMQ4645 for the 1 oz 28g weight or GPMQ4646 for th...

Page 28: ...rrectly do not fly Find and correct the problem first Look for loose servo connections or broken wires corroded wires on old servo connectors poor solder joints in your battery pack or a defective cel...

Page 29: ...nstructions Be sure to check the items off as they are completed that s why it s called a check list 1 Check the C G according to the measurements provided in the manual 2 Be certain the battery and r...

Page 30: ...w the model handles at slower speeds Add power to see how the model climbs as well Continue to fly around executing various maneuvers and making mental notes or having your assistant write them down o...

Page 31: ...will go It is possible to get the flat spin without falling and it is also possible to climb during the spin Inverted Flat Spins This is the same as the up right flat spin except most planes like to...

Page 32: ...ng this maneuver Some planes perform better with more elevator deflection and a farther forward C G while other planes prefer a further aft C G and less elevator deflection Elevator to flap mixing can...

Reviews: