How To Build A Plane Bug

Transcription

1 Assembly Manual

2 Thank You for purchasing your BUG! The "Bug" is fun, friendly, and truly as tough as they come,.. thanks to its EPP foam and carbon frame construction, built in prop guard, flexible landing gear*, long arm control linkages*, this one is just hard to stop. Add it all up and you have a trainer that will save you big $$ with it's durability, if you are a 3D expert, same here, fly it, bash it about, pick it up and FLY it! Combined with a brushless motor and micro gear, the "BUG" will delight you with its unique flying characteristics, and its whisper quiet and long flight times. Set it up mild and teach a beginner to fly on this nearly unbreakable and stable airplane, or crank up the throws and defy the laws of gravity with insane agility and 3D performance. We just dare you to not giggle while your flying! After your very first launch, it will undoubtedly become your "favorite" NEW plane! You'll always take it with you! The crazy light wing loading with rudder and huge elevons combine to make the "Bug" fly like nothing else you own.the complete airplane with battery weighs slightly more than 6oz. with ordinary lightweight components. When built, it is very stiff and extremely durable, not twisty or floppy like many other planes, or "toss away fragile" like the myriad of Depron foam plane designs that can hardly survive even the slightest of mishaps without the need for careful repair, or as we all have experienced...ready for the trash can! In addition, the innovative carbon rod long arm control linkages* eliminate slop and flex to the control surfaces. The result is unusual stability, and precisely responsive flying qualities. The simple and strong carbon fiber frame literally bounces off of most any unforeseen obstacles and incorporates ingenious plug-in flexible tube to carbon rod connectors. The improved break resistant and "flexible" landing gear design keeps you taking off, flying, and landing, over and over again. The total of all of these valuable "unique" and "designed-in" benefits of the RC "Bug", will keep you FLYING...,NOT FIXING! A computer radio (expo and dual rates) is highly recommended to tame this one :) LIPOLY Warning Lithium Polymer batteries can pose a fire hazard if mishandled. Always charge with a charger designated specifically for lithium batteries. Follow manufacturer s instructions when charging. Never leave LiPoly batteries unattended when charging. General Overview Check the contents of the kit to become familiar with each part and its intended use. Some parts will need to be cut as per instructions in this manual as noted in the building process. Since some of the parts are similar, make sure you are using the correct part for that particular step. Included in the Box EPP Parts Two Sheets containing: 1 Fuselage 1 Wing 2 Elevators 1 Rudder 1

3 2 - Control Rod Standoffs 2 Die cut Wheels Next is a photo of the parts and a detailed listing of each part identifying length and thickness. Do not cut any pieces at this time but just make sure that you have all of the parts and are familiar with them. The UHU creative glue for foam and foils is included with the combo kit only but is recommended glue of choice for this build! Hardware: It s a good idea to lay out the hardware parts and become familiar with their sized and dimensions. Many are similar sized and could easily be confused later on. Of particular importance is to make note of the lengths and thicknesses of the carbon rods and the differences and ID of the black plastic tubing. Starting at the top of the above photo you have: 1 34 Inch.10 Carbon Rod which forms the prop saver bow and outer wing spar with 16 ½ Inch heat shrink tubing that gets slid on but NOT glued or shrunk Inch.10 Carbon Rod which forms the rear spar part of the D frame. 2

4 1 14 Inch.10 Carbon Rod which forms the center cross of the D frame and becomes the leading edge spar and landing gear mounting point Inch.05 Carbon Rod which will form the bow for the landing gear. 3 9 ½ Inch.05 Carbon Rods which will be used to connect the control surfaces to the servos. 1 9 Inch.05 Carbon Rod which will serve as the axle. 3 5 Inch.05 Carbon Rods. One will be used to stiffen the fuselage along the pre-printed black line and the other two will mount on the elevators to mate with the 9 ½ rods above. 1 2 ½ Inch.05 Carbon Rod which glued to the rudder and connect with the 9 ½ Carbon Rod above /4 Inch.039 Steel Rod which will be used as a spring tension rod for the alternate landing gear shock system 1 12 Inch.033 Steel Rod which will be cut into three 2 Inch lengths to lock the 9 ½ carbon rods to the servo arms. And one piece 1-1/4 inches used as a filler for the landing gear center suspension strut tube inch piece of shrink wrap tubing used for protection of the prop guard. 1 4 Inch length of the larger diameter black plastic tubing which will be cut into 4 equal 1 Inch lengths to make the D frame. 1 3 Inch length of smaller diameter black plastic tubing which will be cut into one 1 Inch. 1 2 ¼ Inch length of black heat shrink tubing which will be cut into 3 equal ¾ Inch pieces. These will lock the metal connectors from the servo arms to the 9 ½ Inch carbon rods. 1 Length of clear plastic tubing which will be cut into four 1 Inch pieces for the landing gear and control surface hinges, six ¼ Inch pieces for positioning the landing gear bow and wheel locks and one ½ piece to secure the metal landing gear tension rod. Also shown are: - four small black cable wraps which will be used to attach the landing gear and mount the receiver and ESC. - One large white cable wrap which will be cut to make the servo arm extensions and tail skid. - One motor mount which will be trimmed to 1 ½. The circular mount is used to mount EFlite or other motors that require a flat mounting surface. - One roll of Blenderm Tape which will be used for hinging the control surfaces and wrapping the servos. - One tube of UHU glue. - two pieces of plastic sheeting for servo mounting plates, wheel bearing supports and fuselage side supports for spring landing gear wire mount. - heat activated glue filled red heat shrink tubing which will be cut in half for securing the servo arm extensions. Materials Needed to Build 3

5 UHU Glue for Foam and Foils X-acto Knife with sharp blades Straight edge ruler Scissors Wire Cutters Assorted sized hand pin drills (Radio Shack) Power drill and asst. drill bits Hot Glue gun and glue sticks Marker Pen Jewelers file Thin CA (Regular CA will work, it does not have to be foam safe) Kicker (CA Accelerator) Building Instructions: D FRAME USED AS PROP GUARD AND FUSELAGE SPAR/Stiffener 1 Slide the 16.5 length of heat shrink tubing onto the carbon rod main frame. Center the tubing but NEVER apply heat or glue. It is a nice fit. Carbon rod and heat DO NOT MIX! 2 Cut the 4 length of Large Diameter stiff black plastic tubing into four 1 inch lengths. These will be used to join the three pieces that comprise the D frame 3 Bend the 4 equal lengths of large diameter stiff black plastic tubing in half, place two aside. 4

6 4 Using a drill or simply a 3/32 bit by hand, bend the plastic in half and drill from one end in towards the middle to make a hole at the center. Make two pieces only. The remaining two pieces will NOT be drilled and will be used for the corners. 5 Slide the 16.5 heat shrink tubing on to the main 24 frame rod. DO NOT HEAT OR SHRINK, as it is a good fit as is. Slide the 2 drilled pieces onto each end of the 34 rod, putting the rod into the exit hole from the drill. Slide these up to meet the heat shrink tubing which you centered on the 34 rod. DO NOT GLUE YET. 5

7 6 Take one of the two remaining undrilled 1 black diameter tubes, bend it in half, and insert one end of the 34 carbon rod into it and the carbon rod into the other end. Support the bend on your workbench with the rods upright at a 45 degree angle to each other. Apply thin CA into each side of the plastic tubing. It will wick in along the carbon rod. Use kicker to accelerate the bond. 7 Take the one remaining 1 piece of black tubing, bend it in half and insert the other end of the 34 rod into it. Holding the bow against your chest, insert the free end of the 20 rod in the other half of the black tubing and support it on your work bench. Take care to hold tightly as there is a lot of tension created by forming this bow! Safety goggles would be a good idea for this step. Apply thin CA into both sides of the plastic tubing, allowing it to wick in along the rods and use kicker to accelerate the bond. Hold tightly for 30 seconds or so until the glue bonds. 7 Lay the assembled D frame on your workbench and insert the rod into each open end of the drilled out 1 tubing that was slid onto the 34 rod. 6

8 8 Adjust the 14 rod by sliding each side until there is a 8 space between the 14 rod and the bottom 20 rod. When satisfied that the space is 8 across the span, apply thin CA to each side of both pieces of the drilled tubing to secure in place. Allow CA to wick in along the carbon rods and use kicker to accelerate the bond. Your D Frame - fuselage spar/prop guard assembly is now complete. Set it aside as it will be glued to the underside of the wing later. 2 Using a straight edge and sharp Xacto knife blade, carefully slice to a depth of half way through the foam along the entire 5 pre-printed line. This will allow you to insert the rod and glue it in the center of the foam to stiffen the fuselage. Be careful not to slice through the other side of the fuselage. Test fit the carbon rod to ensure it lies just below the surface of the foam. Fuselage Stiffener: 1 Lie the fuselage on a flat surface with the 5 printed black line up. Find one of the three 5 lengths of.050 carbon rod. 7

9 3 When satisfied, remove the rod, bend the fuselage so that the slit opens and apply a UHU bead along the length of the cut. Reinsert the 5 carbon rod into the slit until it is below the surface of the foam. 4 With the carbon rod inserted, wipe off any excess glue and rest on a flat surface with a weight on top to ensure the fuselage dries flat without warping. Elevator/Rudder Hinging: Locate the wing, two elevators, fuselage, rudder, UHU and Blenderm tape. UHU will be used to coat the surface of the EPP along the tape line. This will ensure a secure bond between the Blenderm tape and the EPP foam providing a long lasting hinge. Care needs to be taken to ensure proper alignment of the tape before applying because once it s applies, it isn t coming off! Take time to read through before proceeding with this important step. 8

10 2 After allowing 5 to 10 minutes to dry, begin with the fuselage and left elevator. With the fuselage on a flat surface, position it so that the trailing edge is flush with the end of your work surface. 1 Apply a very light bead of UHU along painted side of the wing trailing edge, both left and right upper sides. Apply bead along edge approximately 1/2 deep from end of fuselage and spread with finger tip. DO NOT apply too heavy a bead, a small amount is sufficient. Spread evenly along the length of the surface with your index finger as shown by the black lines above. This will provide a secure mounting surface for the Blenderm tape to adhere to. After finishing the fuselage, apply a thin bead to the leading edge of each elevator on the printed side, approximately 1/2 back from the leading edge. Spread with finger tip, in a circular motion, along length of each elevator. 3 Apply a strip of Blenderm along the trailing edge so that half of the tape is on the trailing edge of the fuselage and half of the tape extends beyond the trailing edge. This half will be applied to the elevator in the next step. BE VERY CAREFUL WHEN ALIGNING THE TAPE BECAUSE ONCE IT IS APPLIED TO THE PRE-GLUED SURFACE IT CANNOT BE REMOVED! If you make a mistake, you can slice/cut it off and start over, but you will not need any more glue as Blenderm can stick to Blenderm. Ensure that it is lined up correctly before placing it on the glued trailing edge. (If you do position it incorrectly, DO NOT try to remove it as the foam 9

11 will tear. Simply cut off the unglued part and apply another piece over the first one after applying more UHU to the tape remaining) The above photo shows half the tape hanging off the trailing edge of the wing. 4 Make sure the trailing edge of the wing is flush with the edge of your work table. Using two fingers of one hand, bend the tape up and back over the fuselage, clearing your view of the edge of the fuselage. This will allow you to position the elevator evenly along the trailing edge of the wing. It is important to angle the elevator down about 45 degrees when aligning it to the wing. This will ensure that the tape hinge will work. Shown is a straight edge positioned near the trailing edge on the wing which serves to keep the wing flat on your work surface and helps ensure a straight tape line. 5 When satisfied that the elevator is correctly aligned with the trailing edge of the wing, use the thumb of the hand holding the tape up to spread the tape down onto the elevator. Begin in the middle and alternately work out slowly towards each end, pushing the tape down against the elevator. Trim any excess tape from the ends and repeat for the right elevator. 10

12 6. Turn the wing over and glue the two stamped Elevator standoff pieces in the space that is marked on the elevators. Apply UHU to the elevator and the bottom of the standoff. Allow to dry for 5 minutes and position with the slanted side towards the wing. Align the front edge of the standoff with the beveled edge of the elevator. 7 Place the fuselage with servo imprint UP at the edge of your work bench. Apply a light bead of UHU approximately 1/2 from the trailing edge and smooth with your finger. Apply a bead along the leading edge of the printed side of the rudder and smooth with your finger. Allow to dry for 5 minutes. CAREFULLY ALIGN THE BLENDERM TAPE TO COVER HALF ITS WIDTH OVER THE FUSELAGE TRAILING EDGE. Once applied, lift the tape as shown above and align the rudder. The top of the rudder should line up with the top of the fuselage. The space at the bottom is normal. 11

13 trim the side facing forward at a 45 degree angle similar to the two standoffs you glued on the underside of the wing. UHU this block in line with the pre-printed black line on the rudder. Position it on the foam just behind the edge of the tape. This will serve as a support for the rudder control rod brace you will install later.. 8 Ensure that the rudder is angled down about 45 degrees before applying tape. Gently press down the tape with your thumb, starting in the middle and alternately work your way outward. Gluing D frame to bottom of Wing 9 Locate one of the small scraps of foam you removed from the fuselage cutouts and cut a small square block. You can 1 Carefully position the assembled D Frame on the bottom side of the wing. Note the centering marks for positioning. 12

14 Center the frame from side to side assuring that the front cross rod spar is flush with the front of the wing. 2 When satisfied with the position, apply one drop of thin CA at one to two locations on each rod and use kicker to ensure that D frame does not move when applying UHU in the next step. The CA only functions to hold the frame in position while applying UHU so only a few tack welds are needed. Apply the CA on the inside of the rods, the UHU will go on the outside, except for the leading edge spar. 3 Run a bead of UHU along the outside of the frame on the back and two side rods. Run a bead along the inside of the leading edge rod. Apply a thin bead to both sides of each of the four corners to provide extra support. When applying the bead, gently force the UHU under the rod. The glue will shrink and wick under the rod providing a strong almost invisible bond. Wipe any excess with a paper towel and check your alignment once again. 13

15 some of the parts installed. Do not install now, we will cover each item in the following steps. Before we begin make the following cuts: Cut a one inch length of the small diameter black plastic tubing. From the clear plastic tubing, cut two 1 inch lengths and six ¼ inch pieces. From the small white plastic styrene piece, cut four square pieces for wheel bearing. Score with a cris cross pattern one side of each of the four pieces so the hot glue will hold better. 4 To ensure a flat true wing, place the assembly on a flat surface and use weights on straight edges to hold the D frame secure while it dries. Allow to sit at least one hour. Landing Gear Assembly 1 Locate the 14 and carbon rod, 3 length of smaller diameter stiff black tubing, length of clear tubing, two wheels, small length of white styrene plastic strip and two rubber bands. landing gear assembly. The above photo shows 2 Using four of the quarter inch pieces of clear plastic tubing, slide one of the ¼ tubes onto the 14 rod. Position it 4.25 in from the end of the rod and glue with CA and kicker. Slide a 14

16 second piece of clear tubing onto the rod and position it 3.75 inches from the end of the rod. Glue with CA and kicker. Repeat for the other side of the rod. These will serve to hold the bowed landing gear in position on the front spar when attached with cable wraps at a later step. 3 Use a file to create a point on each end of the 9 carbon rod which will serve as the axle. Be sure you have the 9 rod and not one of the three 9 ½ rods that are used later on for the control surface connections. 4 Using a 1/32 drill bit, drill a hole 1/8 in from the end of the one inch length of black tubing. Now using one of the filed points you just made, insert the point into the hole you just drilled and slide the black tubing onto one of the axle ends, and position it in the center of the axle. DO NOT GLUE. This piece will receive the.039 music wire suspension bow and the.033 music wire filler which will be inserted through the fuselage at a later step. 15

17 5 Take the 1 piece of clear tubing that you cut and slide it half the length of the tubing onto the axle, bend it in half, and carefully using the point you created with the file, poke a hole in the tubing as shown above. Slide the axle out 7/8 beyond the bend in the tubing. Repeat for the other side of the axle. DO NOT GLUE YET. The landing gear bow will be glued into the open plastic tubing and the 7/8 extended axle will receive the wheels. 16

18 6 Your assembled axle and bow piece should look like those above. Starting at the bottom of the photo above, the carbon rod has the four ¼ pieces of tubing glued in place to secure the assembly to the front spar. Above this rod is the 9 carbon rod axle with the 1 black tubing slid onto the axle and positioned in the center. At each end is the 1 clear tubing, slid half the tubing s length onto the axle and then punctured with the filed points you made with 7/8 of the axle extended beyond the bend for the wheels. Above are the two rubber bands, two wheels, two remaining ¼ clear plastic tubing pieces which will hold the wheels on and the four square white styrene pieces you cut and scored. 7 Insert one end of the 14 rod into the open end of the clear tubing. When centered, apply thin CA and allow it to wick along the rod into the clear tubing. When it appears full, use kicker to accelerate the bond. 17

19 8 Mark the center of each wheel on both sides to help you locate the square when gluing. Apply hot glue to the scored side of the white styrene and position one on each side of each wheel. When set, again locate the center of the wheel and using a 1/32 drill, drill a hole for the axle. When satisfied that the CA has bonded, bend the 14 rod into a bow and insert the other end into the clear tubing on the other end of the axle. When satisfied with the fit, apply thin CA and allow it to wick into the tubing. Use kicker to accelerate the bonding. 18

20 Apply UHU to the outside surface of each wheel. Stretch the rubber band slightly and apply to outer surface of each wheel. Shown are both wheels, drilled and rubber band applied. Slide the wheels onto the axle and using the filed points you created, puncture a hole in the two remaining ¼ pieces of clear tubing to hold the wheels on the axle. 10 Your finished landing gear assembly should look like this. Installing Control Rods on Elevators and Rudder. 1 Locate the two carbon rod elevon surface control rod braces and the carbon rod rudder surface control rod brace. 9 Carefully, with axle pointed downward, apply one drop of thin CA into the opening of the clear tubing to secure in place. Use kicker to accelerate the bond. When dry, repeat for other side. 19

21 2 Using a sharp knife blade, carefully slice through the printed black line on the underside of the elevator to accept the end of the 5 carbon rod brace. Slice through the top of the foam standoff, at an angle as shown, to accept the other end of the carbon rod brace. Test fit the rod so that the exposed end is lined up with the hinge line and stands 1 1/8 above the foam at the tip. When satisfied with the fit, remove the rod and apply UHU inside the slits at the black line and in the standoff. Reinsert the carbon rod and recheck your measurements. While the glue is air drying, do the same procedure on the other elevator. After about five minutes, recheck the measurement and if correct, squeeze the slit in the foam standoff to lock the rod in position. Perform the same procedure on the other side. 3 Locate the 2.5 rod for use on the rudder. Make a slit in the preprinted line at an angle to accept one end of the rod. Make a small slit in the standoff you glued on the rudder to accept the other end of the rod. The open rod end should line up with the hinge line and rise 1/4 above the foam at the open end. When satisfied with the fit, remove the rod and apply UHU to two cuts you just made. Reinsert the rod and allow to stand for five or so minutes. Recheck your measurements and positioning and when satisfied, gently press the standoff slit together to lock the rod in position. Installing the Motor Mount 1 Your kit includes a black plastic motor mount tube and round plate. If you are using our motor, the round plate is not needed as the motor will slide into the open tube and is held in place by tightening the screw. If you will be using a different 20

22 type of motor, the round plate will serve to mount your motor and then can be inserted into the tube. If using an 8mm shaft mount motor such as the Lightflite 1100KV motor, NOW is a good time to check that your motor shaft fits into the tube without too much difficulty. Loosen the screw and pry open the hole to spread it a bit. Test fit the motor. If it is too snug, use a rattail or round file to clean out some material. If you have a drill press, you can run a 21/64 (approx. 8mm), drill through the opening to clean out a bit of material for a nicer fit. Whatever you do please tighten the screw very snug when the motor is finally inserted, we do not want it coming off in flight! 2 Your motor mount will need to be cut to 1 ½ Inches using a hobby saw or electric cutoff tool. Measure back 1 ½ Inches from the end with the screw and cut. The cut piece can be discarded. Using a sharp hobby knife, crisscross score all four sides of the motor mount. This will provide a better surface for the UHU to adhere to. 3 Apply UHU to both sides of the motor mount 4 Position the motor mount in the cutout on the wing making sure that it is flush with the carbon rod and leading edge of the wing. The motor mount should be flush with the bottom surface of the wing and rise slightly above the top surface of the wing. If you look closely, you can see the motor mount above the surface in the photo above. Do not induce any up thrust. Make it level. 21

23 This photo shows the motor mount flush with the bottom foam surface. 2 With the fuselage lined up on the wing, mark the location where the rear spar meets the fuselage. Remove the fuselage and cut a small channel out to accommodate the rear spar. Installing the Fuselage to the Wing 1 For this step you will glue the fuselage to the wing. Before gluing, you will need to test fit the fuselage to the wing and mark the location where the rear wing spar crosses the fuselage. 22

24 3 You will also need to cut a small notch out of the lower nose of the fuselage to accommodate the front carbon rod spar. The notch should be 1/8 by 1/8 as shown above. 3 Using your finger or a cotton swab, apply and spread UHU along all of the surfaces on the fuselage that will contact the wing. Besides sure to include the sides of the notches that will fit into the precut slots on the wing. Apply UHU to all surfaces that will contact the wing. 23

25 Installing Servos on Your Bug 4 Next apply and spread UHU to the surfaces on both sides of the wing that will join with the fuselage. Make sure to apply UHU inside the pre-cut slots on the wing. 5 Let the UHU dry for not more than five minutes before sliding the fuselage onto the wing. When the glue is tacky, gently slide the fuselage onto the wing, making sure up is up. Wiggle the fuselage to fully insert the notches into the wing cut outs. The UHU will allow you to gently move and align the fuselage until it is straight and true. A 90 degree square will assist in making sure the fuselage is perpendicular to the wing but it is also easy to just eyeball it from different angles. When satisfied that all is straight, put it aside for about ten minutes. After ten minutes, come back to it and check your alignment one more time to ensure it is straight and true. At this point make sure the fuselage is pushed fully into the notches on the wing and that the fuselage is in full contact with the motor mount. When satisfied, allow to dry at least one hour before handling. 1 Center each servo by connecting to a receiver or servo adjustment device and fit the large doubled sided horn so that it is perpendicular to the case. BE SURE TO ALIGN A LEFT AND RIGHT SERVO FOR THE ELEVONS when fitting the horn and centering the servo. Cut the unused side of the servo horn. You should have a left and right servo. Snip the locking end of the large white cable wrap and discard the locking portion. Next cut two 1 3/4 lengths from the large white cable tie. Cut the red heat shrink tubing in half. 24

26 2 Slide the heat shrink tubing on the piece of cable tie and insert the servo horn into the tubing. Notice that the cable tie is on the inside of the servo horn. The tubing above is raised up to show the cable tie on the horn. SLIDE THE RED TUBING ALL THE WAY DOWN THE ARM TO THE HUB. 3 Using a pliers as a heat sink so we do not distort the servo horn splines, apply hot air or carefully use a bit of flame evenly to the heat shrink tubing to melt the glue and shrink it. While the glue is hot, squeeze it between your fingers or use the pliers to squeeze and disperse the melted glue between the cable tie and the horn, allow to cool and set aside. 25

27 4 When cool, measure out 1 1/2 from the center of the servo horn mounting screw hole and drill a 1/32 hole for the control rod. CUT the remaining cable tie off about ¼ above the hole you drilled for the control rod. Repeat for other elevator servo. 5 It is best to remove any labels that are on the servo before this step. Wrap each of the three servos with Blenderm tape. This will make it easier to remove a servo if necessary. If you do not have ½ blenderm tape, use the included 1 roll to cut a 3 length and then slice it down the middle to make two ½ lengths to wrap the servo. Or you can simply glue the servo without applying tape but put a few criss cross cuts on the surface of the servo on the side that will be glued to the styrene plates. 26

28 6 Cut three mounting plates from the 6 strip of white styrene. Cut 3 squares approximately 1 inch square. Score the styrene in a crisscross pattern on both sides with an Xacto knife to assure a good bond with the hot glue. 7 Apply three lines of hot glue and position each strip over the printed servo. There will be three squares installed, one for each elevator servo on the bottom of the wing and one for the rudder servo on the left upper side of the fuselage. The locations are preprinted on the foam. 27

29 8 Apply three lines of hot glue to the bottom of the servo and position on white styrene. The view above is the underside from the front. The elevator horns are positioned towards the rear of the wing. Note the left and right servo. 9 Glue the rudder servo to the left side of the fuselage. In the photo above, forward is to the left. The horn is towards the front of the fuselage. The position was preprinted on the fuselage. 28

30 Installing the Control Rods get weak over time you can repair it by wrapping it with a piece of the Blenderm tape. Attaching the Landing Gear 1 Locate two small black cable ties and the landing gear assembled earlier. Make sure the 1 black tubing that was slid `1 Cut three 1 lengths of the clear plastic tubing. Locate the three 9 1/2.050 carbon rods, one for each elevator and one for the rudder. Slide one of the clear pieces of tubing onto the glued on control rod to about half the length of the tubing. Insert one of the 9 1/2 rods into the other end. LEAVE A GAP BETWEEN THE TWO RODS OF APPROXIMATELY 1/32. This will insure free movement of the joint. Carefully apply thin CA to one end and allow it to wick in along the rod to fill the spaces. When full, apply kicker to accelerate the bond. Repeat for the other elevator and rudder. Try to avoid getting any CA on the outside of the tubing if possible, as this could make it brittle over a period of time. If one of these tubes onto the axle is centered. This will aid in centering the landing gear. With the bug upside down, position the landing gear so that the black tubing on the axle is centered on the fuselage. Position the leading carbon spar in between the two ¼ clear tubing pieces glued onto the bow. Make a slit between the carbon rod and the foam to allow the cable tie to slip through and bind the bowed landing gear to the leading carbon spar. 29

31 Repeat the procedure for the other side. Trim the excess cable wrap. DO NOT OVER TIGHTEN THE CABLE TIES. JUST SNUG THEM JUST ENOUGH TO PREVENT THE CLEAR TUBING FROM PASSING THROUGH. This will allow free movement of the landing gear assembly and prevent any breakage of the bow when it is being pushed back in a harder landing. 2 Cut two 1 squares from the remaining white styrene. These will be used to reinforce the fuselage where the tension rod slips through for the landing gear. In the photo above you can see where the pre-printed marks are showing where the plastic meets the foam. We ve placed a black dot in the center to help center the squares. Glue one square to each side of the fuselage, flush with the bottom centered on this dot. 30

32 Hand drill a hole through the center of each square with a 1/32 drill bit. This will accept the music wire tension spring. Gently bow the rod in an arc and slightly inward. Insert the 90 degree bent end through the fuselage and secure with a 3/8 piece of clear tubing. Insert the other end in the 1 black tubing in the middle of the axle using a 1 ¼ piece of.033 music wire as a space filler for a snug fit. You do not need to glue this connection. This will allow the lading gear to better absorb the shock of hard landings. The above photo is looking down on the tension rod. 3 Locate the 6 1/4.039 music wire. Make a ½ 90 degree bend in one end. This will be inserted through the fuselage where the styrene was glued and secured with a 3/8 piece of clear plastic tubing that you will cut. 31

33 The above photo from the right side shows the gentle arc created to fit into the one inch black plastic tubing on the axle. The rod is arched up and inwards to fit into the 1 black tubing on the axle. When you are done, later you can cut a bit of the long music wire suspension rod to shorten it to insure that the wheels are just back enough to clear the prop. Wheel center should be about ¾ back from the leading edge of the wing when looking at the sideview of the plane. Finally, the above is a shot from the other side of the fuselage showing the 5/8 clear tubing holding the music wire in. 32

34 Align and Glue Control Surfaces: 4 Locate the remaining piece of white cable tie. Cut it to a length of 2. Apply hot glue and attach to bottom rear of fuselage. This will serve as a tail skid. 1 Locate the piece of music wire. Cut three - 2 pieces. Make a 90 degree bend ¼ in from the end of each wire. This will be inserted into the servo control horns. Locate the smallest diameter heat shrink tubing and cut into three equal pieces (approximately ¾ each). These will secure the music wire to the carbon rod when the surfaces are aligned. 2 Plug the servos into a receiver or servo adjusting tool and center the arms 90 degrees perpendicular to the mounting surface. 33

35 3 Slide the tubing onto the music wire and then slide the tubing with the music wire onto the open end of the control rod. Begin with the elevators. You DO NOT need to shrink this tubing as we will use CA later to secure and finalize this connection. However if you prefer to work with a snugger fit, use only a solder iron to slightly shrink this tubing connection and AVOID any direct contact with the heat source and the carbon rod! Locate the hole you drilled in the white cable wrap arm and insert the bent music wire from the fuselage side of the arm. When inserted, slide the carbon control rod onto the other side of the arm. This will lock the music wire in place. With the servo arm centered 90 degrees perpendicular to the wing, slide the carbon control rod for the elevator until the surface is level and lined up with the wing. Slid the heat shrink tubing so that it rests halfway between the control arm and the unbent end of the music wire as shown below. 34

36 accelerate the bond. Repeat for the other elevator and the rudder. Installing Speed Controller and Radio Gear When you get to this point a bit later, with the radio on, assuring that all the radio controls and programs are neutral, center all the servo arms at 90 degrees to the plane by using the subtrims. If you cannot get the elevons just right, remove the servo horns and gently heat and move the servo arms fore or aft within the red shrink wrap to adjust as needed. Let cool and reinstall. Now center or level all of the control surfaces at neutral. When satisfied, tilt the nose of the bug up slightly or hold it with the prop guard so the tail is towards the ground so the CA does not get onto the cable tie arm or on the servo and carefully apply a drop of thin CA down into this connection and allow it to wick into the joint. Do not worry about the CA getting on the foam, EPP has no reaction to regular CA s. When it appears at the other end of the heat shrink tubing, use kicker to Regardless of the type of ESC or receiver you use, the locations and method of installation will be the same. The ESC will be located on the lower right side of the fuselage just behind the right servo and your receiver will be located on the lower left side of the fuselage right behind the left elevator servo. The receiver and ESC will be opposite each other and can be secured in one of two ways. One way would be to use the included black cable wraps. Cut a small hole in the fuselage above and below the receiver and thread the cable wrap abourn both and tighten. A second method would be to use Velcro to attach them to the fuselage. It is recommended to use UHU to ensure a good bond with the foam and Velcro tape. Simply put a thin layer of the UHU directly on the sticky side of the Velcro and apply the Velcro. When dry it will be a solid bond. The photo s below show using the cable ties. Following are some photo s of the installed equipment. 35

37 Here we see the right lower side of the fuselage with the ESC cable tied to the bottom fuselage. The motor has been mounted with the three wires exiting on the lower right side to connect with the speed controller. The black and red wires going up through the wing are the battery connector wires for the speed controller. Make a small slit and force them through the wing to the top side. We ll show them in a later photo. Also shown is the small hole to the left of the servo going through the fuselage. Both the servo connector and the ESC servo plug have been pushed through this hole to the receiver side which is shown next. Above is a shot of the lower left side of the fuselage. Here we can see the wires coming through the fuselage from the other side. We also have the wire from the rudder servo, located directly above the receiver, coming down through the wing. 36

38 Above is a shot of the top right side of the fuselage. Here we see the battery connector wire coming up from the ESC below the wing. We also see the 6 piece of hook (scratchy side) of the Velcro strip applied to this side of the fuselage. Again, simply put a thin layer of the UHU directly on the sticky side of the Velcro and apply the Velcro about halfway in the middle of the motor mount back along the fuselage. This is where the battery will be attached and connected. This is a shot of the rudder servo showing the connector wire being fed down through the wing to the receiver located directly below. Charge your batteries according to the charger manufacturers guidelines, and you are ready to set up your radio and fly! CG and Radio SetUp Tips Your final step is to set the CG and set up your radio. Your CG is set by holding the Bug between you thumb and index finger as shown. This approx. 1/3 of the main wing back not including the elevons. Hold it here and move the battery until the plane is balanced with a slight nose up attitude. You can balance the plane by moving the battery forward of aft. The 37

39 Bug should fly slow with a slight nose up to level position at ½ throttle. Realize that the throttle will be sort of another control surface in a way. If you give throttle the plane will tend to go up without elevator input and visa versa. This is due to the flat plate characteristics. Get used to it, and you will have a BALL! You know you have it right when you pull UP elevator and both elevons move up. When you push DOWN elevator, both elevons will move down. Also, when you give RIGHT aileron, the right elevon moves UP and the left elevon moves DOWN. LEFT aileron will result in the LEFT elevon moving UP and the right elevon moving DOWN. It may be necessary to use sub trims on your radio to adjust the travel endpoints to insure that both surfaces are perfectly equal when the sticks are moved to their max position. Rudder and throttle work normally. Dual rates are set at about 45% ( for absolute beginners) or 65% (experienced) of full, and are highly recommended for first time Bug pilots until you become familiar with the Bug s hyper maneuverability and quick response to input. Most pilots find the use of approx % exponential control on BOTH high and low rates beneficial and make the Bug less sensitive to stick input at centers. You will need a mixing radio that has an Elevon function. Different manufactures refer to it by different names so you may need to refer to your manual. In effect, you will be mixing the Elevator and Aileron channel to control your bug. Your throttle and rudder are connected normally. Thank You for purchasing your Bug! ENJOY! If you have any concerns, questions, comments, feedback, suggestions, pictures, you are very welcome to contact us. We would love to hear from you. Ron info@lightflite.com

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