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❏ 

1. Turn on the transmitter and receiver and center the

trims. If necessary, remove the servo arms from the servos
and reposition them so they are centered. Reinstall the
screws that hold on the servo 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 certain that the control surfaces and the

carburetor respond in the correct direction as shown in the
diagram. If any of the controls respond in the wrong
direction, use the servo reversing in the transmitter to
reverse the servos connected to those controls. Be certain
the control surfaces have remained centered. Adjust if
necessary.

Use a Great Planes AccuThrow (or a ruler) to accurately
measure and set the control throw of each control surface

as indicated in the chart that follows. If your radio does not
have dual rates, we recommend setting the throws at the
low rate setting.

Note: The throws are measured at the widest part of the
elevators, rudder and ailerons.

At this stage the model should be in ready-to-fly condition
with all of the systems in place including the engine, landing
gear, covering and paint, and the radio system.

More than any other factor, the C.G. (balance point) can
have the greatest effect on how a model flies, and may
determine whether or not your first flight will be
successful. If you value this model and wish to enjoy it for
many flights, DO NOT OVERLOOK THIS IMPORTANT
PROCEDURE. 
A model that is not properly balanced will
be unstable and possibly unflyable.

Balance the Model (C.G.)

IMPORTANT: The Viper 500 ARF has been extensively
flown and tested to arrive at the throws at which it flies
best. Flying your model at these throws will provide you
with the greatest chance for successful first flights. If, after
you have become accustomed to the way the Viper 500
ARF flies, you would like to change the throws to suit your
taste, that is fine. However, too much control throw could
make the model difficult to control, so remember, “more is
not always better.”

These are the recommended control surface throws:

High Rate

Low Rate

ELEVATOR:

1/4" [6mm] up

1/8" [3mm] up

1/4" [6mm] down

1/8" [3mm] down

RUDDER:

1/4" [6mm] right
1/4" [6mm] left

AILERONS:

3/8" [9.5mm] up

1/8" [3mm] up

3/8" [9.5mm] down

1/8" [3mm] down

Set the Control Throws

4-CHANNEL

TRANSMITTER

TRANSMITTER

4-CHANNEL

TRANSMITTER

4-CHANNEL

TRANSMITTER

4-CHANNEL

Check the Control Directions

GET THE MODEL READY TO FLY

18

Summary of Contents for Viper 500 ARF

Page 1: ...buyer is advised to return this kit immediately in new and unused condition to the place of purchase IMPORTANT NOTE This model is designed for sport flying and AMA Quickie 500 racing We will not quot...

Page 2: ...an fly at reasonable speeds until your confidence and skill are up to their full speed adrenaline rush The Viper 500 ARF is designed for sport flying and AMA Quickie 500 pylon racing competition accor...

Page 3: ...y connection of throttle and aileron servos FUTM3910 Switch Standard with heatshrink to secure to battery Servos 4 3 requiring 35 oz in of torque Servo recommendations The Viper 500 ARF is designed to...

Page 4: ...ecommended that you use only 30 minute or 45 minute epoxy because you will need the working time and or the additional strength Photos and sketches are placed before the step they refer to Frequently...

Page 5: ...lick on Where to Buy If this kit is missing parts contact Great Planes Product Support Replacement Parts List Order Number Description How to Purchase Missing pieces Contact Product Support Instructio...

Page 6: ...mount wing GPMQ3046 4 6 32 x 1 4 Bolts for main landing gear GPMQ3024 5 2 x 3 8 Screws to mount servo tray and hatch GPMQ3820 1 2 Washers to mount servo tray and hatch GPMR3400 1 2 x 9 CA Hinge Strip...

Page 7: ...photo the aileron torque rods protrude from the bottom of the wing cut the covering from the servo opening and the bottom of the four wing bolt holes Turn the wing over and cut the covering from the...

Page 8: ...A to the top and bottom of each hinge Do not use CA accelerator Gently work the aileron up and down while the glue hardens After the CA has fully hardened test the hinges by pulling on the ailerons 1...

Page 9: ...me as you did with the wing Permanently attach the ruddervators to the V tail the using the same hinging technique used with the ailerons 2 Bolt the V tail to the fuse with two 8 32 x 1 1 2 38mm flat...

Page 10: ...make a slight bend Reinstall the pushrods and attach the clevises Note This bend is to make the pushrod move as freely as possible in the pushrod tube It may take several small adjustments to get fri...

Page 11: ...hole in the mount as a guide to drill a 3 16 4 8mm hole through the firewall Note It is okay if you drill through a portion of the factory installed blind nut on the back of the firewall Remove the m...

Page 12: ...uselage in the approximate location of the fuel lines from the tank Remove the tank Drill 1 4 6mm holes for the fuel lines Harden the wood around the holes you just drilled with thin CA 12 Guide a 12...

Page 13: ...der Modifications on page 16 1 Trim the servo tray to fit your servos 2 Glue the V tail servo supports to the servo tray The side you glued the supports onto is now the bottom Note If you used servos...

Page 14: ...A 8 Lift the plastic antenna tube up through the servo tray Reinstall the receiver and receiver battery 9 Remove the covering from the antenna tube exit at the rear of the fuse 10 Using an arm cut off...

Page 15: ...20 Secure the front of the hatch with a 2 x 3 8 9 5mm screw and 2 washer 21 Determine the size of the throttle servo you are going to use Using the photos as a reference mount the throttle servo in th...

Page 16: ...e modifications are recommended only if your radio does not have V tail mixing 1 Cut the tail of the fuse off 1 4 6mm behind the tail skid 2 Remove covering from the rudder 3 Glue 1 4 x 1 2 x 1 1 2 6...

Page 17: ...dervator pushrod as shown Connect the two ruddervator pushrods together with two 5 32 4mm wheel collars 15 Attach the rudder pushrod to the right hand servo with the Faslink as done with the other ser...

Page 18: ...f the systems in place including the engine landing gear covering and paint and the radio system More than any other factor the C G balance point can have the greatest effect on how a model flies and...

Page 19: ...eight to fall off Use 2 sheet metal screws RTV silicone or epoxy to permanently hold the weight in place 4 IMPORTANT If you found it necessary to add any weight recheck the C G after the weight has be...

Page 20: ...an assistant holding the model using hand signals to show you what is happening If the control surfaces do not respond correctly do not fly Find and correct the problem first Look for loose servo con...

Page 21: ...hasn t been cut shortened or otherwise damaged 5 Balance your model laterally as explained in the instructions 6 Use thread locking compound to secure critical fasteners such as the set screws that h...

Page 22: ...rface flutter Because flutter can quickly destroy components of your airplane any time you detect flutter you must immediately cut the throttle and land the airplane Check all servo grommets for deter...

Page 23: ...to be aware of the relationship between a race model s airspeed and the responsiveness of its flight controls A flight plan greatly reduces the chances of crashing your model just because of poor pla...

Page 24: ...____________ Where Purchased _________________________ Date Construction Started __________________ Date Construction Finished _________________ Finished Weight __________________________ Date of Firs...

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