Removing Wrinkles From Covering
With
almost any ARF these days you?re going to find wrinkles
in the covering as you remove the parts from the box.
There is almost no way for manufacturers to avoid this
happening. Differences in climates between where the
parts were built and assembled and your location
will cause wrinkles to appear in the covering. Because
of this there will be wrinkles that need to be removed
prior to assembly of the plane. If possible
unpack the parts of the
plane (including removing them from the sealed bags)
and let them sit for a few days before you start working
on them. This will allow the wood, glues, and
covering of the parts to adjust to the temperature and
humidity levels where you live. This will aid in shrinking
the covering as there should be little change in the
parts later on.
The
Sig Rascal 40 is covered in Sig AeroKoteâ.
This was the first plane that I have seen with this
brand of covering, so I was a little apprehensive about
tightening the covering. This was because I had no idea
what the characteristics of the covering were, or the
proper temperatures to use to shrink and tighten the
covering. A quick trip to the Sig
Website and I was able to get the temperature settings
to use with Sig AeroKoteâ,
which I have listed below. With this I set my irons
to applicable settings and went to work at removing
the wrinkles from the covering.
|
Sig AeroKoteâ
Temperature
Ranges
|
|
Adhesive
Activates |
200°
F (93° C) |
|
Shrink
Begins |
210°
F (99° C) |
|
Maximum
Shrinkage |
250°
F (121° C) |
Experience
with ARF?s has taught me to not just dive in and start
re-shrinking the covering. Sometimes this can lead to
the covering pulling away from the edges of the part, or
covering panels pulling apart at seam lines. In order to
prevent this I start by using my covering iron to seal
down all of the edges of the covering on all parts of
the plane. This can take some time to accomplish, but
trust me that it?s well worth the time spent doing it.
After I sealed all of the edges of the covering I used a
trim iron to go around all the seams where the covering
panels met, especially where the transparent and white
AeroKoteâ
met. I took some extra time here, as I didn?t want these
two pieces of covering to pull apart.
With the
edges all sealed I then used a heat gun to shrink the
covering and pull the wrinkles out. As I heated the
covering with the heat gun I liked how the covering
responded. The covering shrank at a very predictable
rate and it was very easy to shrink out all of the
wrinkles from the covering. After the covering was tight
and all of the wrinkles were removed I used a covering
iron with a Hot Sock on it to adhere the covering to the
wood below. The Hot Sock allowed me to put a little
pressure on the covering to help adhere it to the wood
below without marring the finish of the covering.
With the
covering tight and all the wrinkles removed it's time to
move on and start putting this bird together.
The Wing Halves
The Rascal has a two
piece wing design where the wing halves do not need to
be glue together. The wing dihedral is set with an
aluminum dihedral brace that also helps to secure the
wing halves together. The dihedral brace is inserted in
a pocket in each wing half located on the spars. There
is also a metal alignment pin that is inserted in each
wing half at the rear of the wing halves. When I did a
test fit I was very pleasantly surprised to see that the
wing halves fit perfectly together and required no
adjustments or trimming to get them to fit. The plane is
designed so the wings simply slip together on the
dihedral brace and the rear alignment pin. Once the two
halves are slipped together the wing will be mounted on
the wing saddle of the fuselage with two dowel rods at
the leading edge of the wing that insert into holes in
the forward fuselage former. The wing is then secured
in place by wing mounting bolts at the rear of the wing.
This is a very simple, yet very functional, design that
will allow the Rascal to be transported in smaller
vehicles. Yet this design gives great strength in the
wing to allow it to perform in the air.
The
instructions for the Rascal do give the pilot a choice of gluing
the dihedral brace and alignment pin in place in one
wing half, or leaving it separate and assembling them on the plane when you are
ready to fly. The biggest reason why this would be
done is to secure the dihedral brace and alignment pin to a wing half so that it will not get lost in storage or
transportation of the plane. I decided to go ahead and
do this in order to demonstrate how this would be done.
Aileron Installation
The
Rascal utilizes two servos to operate the ailerons,
with one on each wing. The kit provides hatch covers
for the ailerons and each aileron servo will be mounted
directly to this cover. To start off, place the
servo on the cover so that the servo control arm is
centered in the fairing portion of the cover. I found
it easier to use a clamp to hold the servo in place
so that I could mark its location. For each servo mount
there are two wood blocks provided. Place a block on
the servo that is clamped to the servo cover and mark
where to drill the mounting holes. Remove the blocks
and drill the mounting holes in each block. Use the
servo mounting screws to tap threads in each hole by
screwing them into the hole. Then use thin CA to harden
the threads in each hole.
Next, glue the blocks to the servo hatch cover. These
need to be glued in place with epoxy. Before gluing
them in place use a bit of sandpaper to rough up the
plastic to give the epoxy a better surface to grip to.
Apply epoxy to each block and place them on the servo
hatch cover and clamp in place. Set them aside until
the epoxy sets. I have completely stopped using
standard screws for mounting servos in any plane
I fly. Instead I prefer to use Socket Head screws from
www.microfasteners.com. I love using these because
they simply do not strip out like screws can do. I highly
recommend that you use them for your mounting hardware.
Once the epoxy has set on the servo mounts you can
mount your servos. Place each servo on the mounting
blocks and secure in place.
The
mounting holes in each servo hatch cover are predrilled.
Place the servo hatch in place over the opening in the
wing and mark the location of the mounting holes. Use
a 1/16? drill bit to drill pilot holes at each marked
location. Use the supplied screws to tap out each hole
and then use thin CA to harden the threads in each hole.
Make sure you give the CA ample time to dry before installing
the screws or you may never get them out! The wing comes
with a pull string already in place. Use this to pull
your servo extension wire through the wing panel. Before
securing the servo hatch in place plug your servo into
the receiver and apply power to it. By doing this you
will put the servo into its neutral centered position.
With the servo centered install the control horn and
the servo pushrod on the control horn. Now install the
servo hatch in place using the supplied 4 sheet metal
screws.
Use
the included control horn to mark the location for the
control horn mounting holes. Now drill out each mounting
hole. Verify that each hole is properly drilled so that
you can mount the control horn and, when satisfied,
harden each hole with the CA. Once the CA has dried
install each control horn with the supplied screws.
Center the aileron on the wing and install the pushrod
to the control horn. Use the clevis to make adjustments
in order to mount the pushrod so that the aileron stays
centered. With the pushrod attached to the control horn
slide the silicon fuel line keeper in place over the
clevis.
Assembling the Fuel Tank
A
260cc (8.8 oz) fuel tank is included with the Rascal.
There are no surprises with the fuel tank as the setup
is the same as most of the fuel tanks on the market
today. Included with the tank are the clunk, internal
fuel line, rubber stopper, aluminum fuel tubing, and
the metal back plates for the stopper. The fuel tank
can be set up as either a 2-line or 3-line setup, and
enough materials are included to set up either option.
I decided to set up the Rascal using the Du-bro fueling
valve and a 2-line setup for the fuel tank. To set up
the stopper I first assembled the rubber stopper, the
two metal back plates, and the screw used to tighten
the stopper. The stopper comes with two holes already
opened up, so if you are going to set up a 3-line fuel
system you will need to open up the third hole in the
stopper using the tip of a hobby knife. The fuel pickup
line is simply a straight piece of tubing through the
stopper. The tubing can be cut to length by rolling
back and forth under a hobby knife, which will cut the
tubing without crushing it. The vent line for the tank
needs to be bent upwards so that it touches the top
of the fuel tank when inserted inside of the tank. For
vent lines I will use a grinding wheel on my Dremel
to angle the vent line a little bit.
The
pickup line is constructed using the provided clunk
and fuel tubing. The length of the pickup line needs
to be long enough so that the clunk comes within approximately
1/8? from the back of the fuel tank. This will allow
the clunk to freely move to all parts of
the tank as the plane is inverted. When I assemble a
fuel tank I insert a small piece of the aluminum
tubing into the middle of the fuel pickup line. Doing
this will add a little stiffness to the fuel line which
will prevent it from bending forward and getting stuck
in the front of the fuel tank.
The
completed stopper assembly is then inserted into the
fuel tank and the screw for the stopper is then tightened.
Tighten the screw just enough to snug the stopper into
the tank, but do not over tighten the screw as this
can split the tank. A good rule of thumb here is to
tighten the screw until you cannot turn the stopper
assembly. I like to use a Sharpie marker to label the
lines on the fuel tank to prevent confusion later on.
. Also included with the Rascal is a mounting bracket
for mounting a Dubro
Fueling Valve.
Mounting the Engine and Fuel Tank
I
have to be honest that I found mounting the
engine the hardest part of assembling this plane. To
be fair to Sig I will say that I had a bit of a brain
cramp as I installed the engine and probably made it
a bit more difficult for myself than it should have
been. I found it difficult to get the engine mounted
with the carburetor on the engine, but I didn?t modify
the engine compartment at all. If I had simply cut the
opening a bit wider I would not have had any problems. I guess hindsight is indeed 20/20 vision. I
would highly recommend that, if needed, you cut the
engine opening a bit wider to facilitate your engine
install. I do hope that everybody out there can benefit
from my mistake. So let?s take a look at installing
the engine and fuel tank on this plane.
The
Rascal has a little bit of a different engine mount
than a lot of ARF?s out there these days. The engine
mount consists of two metal bars that bolt directly
to the wood frame of the plane, and then the engine
will bolt to the metal bars. I labeled each bar so that
I didn?t confuse them as I was drilling out the mounting
holes. The easiest way to prepare the mounts for drilling
is to put the engine on them so that they can be marked
for drilling. Use a small amount of thin CA to temporarily
?glue? the engine to the mount. But before this is done
it will need to be determined where to position the
engine on the mount. Install the spinner backplate on
the engine output shaft to position it. I used a little
bit of scrap 1/16? balsa to set the gap between the
spinner and the fuselage. Put a couple of small drops
of thin CA on the bottom of the mounting lugs of the
engine and then position it on the mounts, using the
balsa to set the position of the engine.
Once
the CA has dried remove the bolts holding the metal
bars in place and remove them along with the engine.
Now mark the position of the engine mounting holes on
the bar, and then snap the bars off the engine. Use
a 9/64? drill bit to drill the mounting holes into the
metal bars. Now you can use the supplied bolts and locknuts
to secure the engine to the mounting bars. Before mounting
the engine into the fuselage it?s a good time to go
ahead and mount the fuel tank. Use the foam to pad the
sides, top and bottom of the fuel compartment before
inserting the fuel tank. The fuel tank is inserted from
inside the fuselage into the fuel tank compartment.
When doing this make sure to orient the tank so that
the top of the tank is at the top of the fuselage. The
kit contains a piece of balsa used to secure the tank
into the fuselage. Place a piece of foam between the
tank and the balsa block. A small drop of medium CA
will secure this block in place to secure the tank,
but can easily be broken out if the tank needs to come
back out. When placing the tank make sure that the neck
of the tank inserts firmly into the hole in the fuselage
before securing it in place.
Before
installing the engine it?s also a good time to mount
the remote fueling valve if one is going to be installed.
Simply secure the valve into the previously installed
mounting bracket. When I set up a plane I prefer to
use two different color fuel lines so that I always
know which line is which: pink line for fuel pickup/delivery
and blue for vent/pressure. Next the fuel lines are
installed and placed in the engine compartment. The
fuel pickup line will go from the tank to the remote
fueling valve, and then the line will run from the valve
and be attached to the carburetor when the engine is
installed. The vent line is attached to the tank and
will be connected to the muffler pressure tap when the
engine is installed as well.
The
fuselage of the Rascal needs to have openings cut into
it in order for the muffler and needle valve to exit
the engine compartment. With the design of the Rascal
fuselage the easiest way to cut these holes is to install
the engine in the fuselage. Before doing this place
tape over the exhaust port and carburetor opening to
prevent any wood or debris from entering these ports
as the fuselage is cut. The engine is then mounted back
into the fuselage. With the engine in place use a small
drill bit to drill through the fuselage at each end
of the exhaust port of the engine. This will give a
general idea of where the fuselage needs to be opened
up. Using the muffler as a guide, mark an outline of
where the hole will need to be cut. Start off by drilling
a starter hole into the center of the marked area. Then
use a Dremel tool to slowly carve out the hole in the
fuselage.
Continue
carving away and opening the hole until it is wide enough
to be able to mount the muffler to the engine. Make
sure to open the hole up enough to be able to get the
vent line from the fuel tank through. Once the opening
is completely opened up the edges need to be sealed
to prevent fuel and exhaust residue from soaking into
the wood. Mix a small amount of epoxy and use a disposable
brush to ?paint? the wood of the opening. As a side
note, the Racal has the wood of the engine compartment
sealed at the factory and will not need to be done by
the modeler when assembling the plane. The hole for
the needle valve is drilled and opened in the same manner
as the hole for the muffler. Once the engine compartment
has been completely prepared the engine can be taken
out, the tape removed and the engine permanently installed
into the fuselage. When installing the engine place
blue threadlock on the mounting bolts and then use them
to secure the engine in place.
With
the engine mounted in place the fuel and vent lines
can now be connected. Next the muffler and needle valve
can be installed.
Finally
the prop and spinner need to be installed. I chose a
Master Airscrew 11x6 prop for the Rascal as I felt it
would give the best all around performance for a plane
of this type. First install the spinner backplate, then
the propeller, the thrust washer and finally the prop
nut. Place the prop so that it hits the compression
of the engine when it is at approximately the 2-o'clock
position. This will make it easier to flip start the
engine if an electric starter isn?t used. When tightening the prop bolt use a box end
wrench in order to fully tighten the bolt on the plane.
Many people will try to use the 4-way wrenches used
to remove glow plugs, and will not fully tighten the
bolt securing the prop. This leads to the prop being
thrown if the engine backfires. Lastly, install the
spinner on the plane and tighten the two screws to secure
it.
Fuselage and Tail Group Assembly
Assembling
the tail group is pretty straightforward with no surprises.
The assembly begins by mounting the horizontal stabilizer.
The horizontal stabilizer for the Rascal comes out of
the box with the elevator already hinged. Take a few
seconds here to verify that the elevator is indeed firmly
attached to the horizontal stabilizer. Before attaching
the stabilizer verify that it will mount
properly. I clamped the stabilizer in place on the fuselage
and then set the plane on a level surface. With the
wing attached, stand behind the fuselage and look straight
down the fuselage from the rear of the plane. The horizontal
stabilizer should be parallel with the wing of the plane.
If the stabilizer isn?t parallel to the wing sand the
mount on the fuselage until it will sit parallel.
Next
we need to check that the stabilizer is square to the
fuselage. To do this the stabilizer needs to be checked
from a fixed point on the fuselage. I chose a point
on the fuselage just forward of the wing. Measure and
mark the center of the fuselage at this point. From
this point the distance to each side of the horizontal
stabilizer will be measured, making sure that you measure
to the same point on both sides of the stabilizer. Adjust
the stabilizer until the distance is the same on both
sides. A quick note here. Try to avoid using items like
string to measure this distance. This is because string
will stretch and it will be difficult to get an accurate
measurement. I use a dressmaker?s tape measure for checking
this measurement.
When
you are satisfied with the position of the stabilizer
turn the fuselage over and mark the position on the
stabilizer using a Sharpie marker. I prefer to use Sharpie
type markers here because they will clean up easily
with a paper towel and a little bit of rubbing alcohol.
With
the position marked we now need to remove the stabilizer
in order to epoxy it to the fuselage. Sig has done a
great job with this ARF and that is evident in the fact
that the covering has already been removed in the area
we need to epoxy. Mix up a batch of 30-minute epoxy
and apply it to the mount on the fuselage. Position
the stabilizer on the fuselage and clamp it in place.
Use a paper towel with alcohol on it to clean up any
epoxy that squeezes out as you clamp it in position.
Use 30-minute epoxy for this in order to have enough
time to turn the fuselage back over and recheck your
alignment before the epoxy sets.
With
the horizontal stabilizer in place the vertical stabilizer
will be mounted next. Place the stabilizer in place
on the plane and trace out the edges of the forward
edge of the stabilizer using a Sharpie marker. The covering
in the area will need to be removed prior to gluing
the stabilizer in place. To attach the vertical stabilizer
mix up a small amount of 30-minute epoxy and apply it
to the bottom of the stabilizer. Place the stabilizer
on the fuselage and secure it in place with masking
tape. Use a square to check that the stabilizer is at
a 90° angle to the horizontal stabilizer and adjust
it as needed to get it square.
While
the epoxy is setting on the stabilizer, work on the
rudder can begin. The first thing that needs to be done
is to mount the steering arms for the tailwheel. Position
the arms on the rudder and mark the position of the
mounting holes using a marker. Drill out the holes with
a 1/16? drill bit and use the supplied mounting screws
to cut threads in the holes. Remove the screws and use
thin CA to harden the threads. When the CA has dried
the steering arm can be mounted on the rudder.
The
rudder is the only control surface that does not come
attached from the factory. The rudder mounts with standard
CA hinges. To do this first mark the centerline of each
hinge and insert straight pins in each hinge on this
center mark. Then insert the hinges into the rudder.
Next mount the rudder into the vertical stabilizer.
Remove the pins and position the rudder as close to
the stabilizer as possible. Turn the fuselage on its
side and deflect the rudder as far as possible. With
the rudder deflected apply 4-5 drops of thin CA to each
hinge. Hold the rudder for a few seconds after application
to give it time to set before proceeding. Now turn the
fuselage over and repeat these steps on the other side.
After the CA has set on the other side flex the rudder
back and forth a few times to ensure proper movement.
The
last part of the tail group is to attach the tailwheel
assembly. Position the assembly according to the measurements
provided in the instructions and mark the mounting
holes. Use a 1/16? bit to drill the holes and cut the
threads with the supplied screws. Use thin CA to harden
the threads and mount the tailwheel assembly when the
CA has completely dried. The springs for the tailwheel
steering will not be installed until after the radio
equipment is installed in the plane.
Installing the Landing Gear
The
landing gear hardware included with the Rascal is very
nice quality gear. The wheel pants are made from a lightweight
fiberglass and expertly finished in high gloss paint.
If there is a weak point to the landing gear it would
be the foam wheels provided. I would have liked to see
rubber wheels provided as I fly off of an asphalt runway
which can be rough on foam wheels. But those who fly
off of grass or aren?t as rough on landing gear as I
am will find the foam wheels very adequate.
To
assemble the landing gear start by inserting an axle
bolt though the wheel and tightening a lock nut on the
other side. This is tightened down to the point that
the wheel can still spin freely on the axle but doesn?t
?wobble?. This is then inserted into the
mounting hole in the landing gear. Then another lock
nut is placed on the bolt and tightened down to secure
the landing gear in place.
The
landing gear is pre-drilled with the mounting holes
for the wheel pants to mount to. Also, the wheel pants
are already drilled with the mounting holes and blind
nuts installed inside the wheel pant. The wheel pant
is slid over the wheel onto the axle. Then line up the
mounting holes in the wheel pant with the holes in the
landing gear. The wheel pant is then secured in place
with two bolts and lock washers. Make sure to check
for proper wheel rotation once the wheel pant is secured.
The other wheel pant is then installed using this same
procedure.
The
landing gear mounting block is pre-drilled and has blind
nuts installed to mount the landing gear to the fuselage.
The landing gear will be mounted with 2 M4 x 20mm (3/4?)
bolts and split ring lock washers. Put a small amount
of blue thread lock on the bolt before inserting and
tightening it. The installed landing gear with wheel
pants really adds to the classic lines of the Rascal
Radio Installation
Installing
the radio equipment in the Rascal is very easy to do.
The two aileron servos are already installed in the
wings, so now the remaining servos need to be installed
in the fuselage. The servo mounting tray is already
installed inside of the fuselage, so all that needs
to be done is to drill the mounting holes and mount
the servos. First place a servo into each of the holes
in the mounting tray and mark the location for each
servo mounting screw. Remove the servos and drill each
mount hole with a 1/16? drill bit. Then use the servo
mounting screws (I used the Socket Head Screws from
www.microfasteners.com mentioned above) and thread
them into each hole to cut threads in the wood. Remove
the screws and use thin CA to harden the threads and
allow time for the CA to dry completely. Now the three
servos can be mounted in the servo tray. Make sure to
pay attention to the orientation of the output shaft
of the servo and where the control arms will be.
On
the Rascal I chose to mount the switch on the right-hand
side of the fuselage because the placement of the engine
has exhaust residue on the left side of the plane. I
used a Dubro remote
mount for mounting the switch in the fuselage side.
The remote mount provides a template for cutting the
holes to mount the switch, so it?s a pretty easy task
to cut the hole and mount the switch into the side of
the fuselage. For mounting the receiver I decided to
place it just forward of the servo mounting plate. In
order to secure it inside of the fuselage I cut two
small blocks of basswood and screwed an eyehook into
each block. I then glued those to the floor of the fuselage
on each side of where the receiver would be mounted.
With the receiver in place I used rubber bands stretched
between each eyehook to secure the receiver in place.
I drilled a small hole in the bottom
of the fuselage to run the antenna out of the fuselage.
I use a servo control arm on the antenna wire as a strain
relieve inside of the fuselage in order to keep pressure
off of the receiver if anything snags the antenna wire.
I ran the wire back to the tailwheel mount where I used
a small spring and another servo arm to secure the antenna
wire. The spring will keep the wire tight and out of
the way on the bottom of the fuselage.
The
last thing I did was to use a couple of self-adhesive
wire management tie-downs to secure the aileron Y-harness
to the bottom of the wing and bring it to the back of
the wing. The reason I did this was a bit silly, but
I didn't want to see the wire hanging down inside of
the cockpit when the plane was assembled. This way the
wire drops down back behind the cockpit windows and
can't be seen from outside of the plane. I connected
the Y-harness to the receiver with a 6" servo extension
wire.
I
did not mount the battery at this time because I wanted
to be able to adjust the CG of the plane when I balanced
it.
Pushrod Installation
The
pushrods for the rudder, throttle and elevator are constructed
from the included nylon tubing. To assemble them it
is required to thread the metal control links into the
nylon. The instructions call for inserting the control
link into the chuck of a drill, and then using the slow
speed of the drill to thread the link into the tubing.
While doing this, extra care needs to be taken to not
damage the threads of the link. The link needs to be
threaded approximately ¼? into the tube. The instructions
next call for threading the clevis onto the link, but
I decided to add a little bit here. Most pushrods have
threaded clevises on one end and the pushrod is secured
at the servo end so that it is not able to turn. But
the Rascal?s setup has a threaded clevis at each end
of the pushrod. This can lead to the pushrod turning
from vibrations when the plane it running. In order
to stop this I added a stop nut at each end of the pushrod,
threaded onto the link and it will be tightened against
the clevis once the control throws are set. This will
keep everything tight and prevent it from turning. Once
this end of the pushrod is completed the pushrod is
inserted into the pushrod tube.
The
control horn is mounted next. Connect the clevis to
the control horn and hold it in place on the rudder,
lining the holes of the horn with the hinge line of
the rudder. Use a marker to mark each hole in the control
horn. A 1/16? drill is used to drill the mounting holes
for the control horn. Mount the control horn by placing
the screws through the control horn, the rudder and
screwing them into the backplate of the control horn.
Connect the pushrod clevis to the control horn.
Next
use two craft sticks (popsicle sticks) and two clamps
to center the rudder and hold it there while marking
the length of the pushrod. Thread a clevis onto a metal
control link so that 3-4 threads extend into the clevis.
Center the servo control arm on the servo and mark the
pushrod so that the control link will thread in approximately
¼?. Remove the pushrod from the plane and cut to length
on the mark. Now thread in the control link using a
drill in the same manner as the other end of the pushrod.
Reinsert the pushrod leaving the rudder still centered.
Now thread the clevis back onto the control link and
adjust so that it will mount into the servo control
arm.
With
the rudder pushrod completed the elevator and throttle
pushrods are constructed in the same manner. With the
pushrods installed the control throws can be set. The
control surface throws for the Rascal are set as follows:
| Ailerons: |
3/4"
up, 3/4" down |
| Elevators: |
3/4"
up, 3/4" down |
| Rudder: |
1"
left, 1" right |
Installing Steering Springs
The
tail wheel on the Rascal is steered by the rudder through
springs attached to the rudder by the previously installed
steering arms and the tailwheel control arms. I like
planes that have spring steering on the tailwheel as
this will absorb any shock on the tailwheel and not
transfer it to the rudder. With the rudder, rudder servo,
pushrods and tailwheel assembly installed the springs
can now be installed. Make sure that both the rudder
and tailwheel are centered and insert each spring
into the steering arms on the rudder. Make sure that
both springs stay even as they are installed. At the
rudder twist the spring wire back over on itself and
then wrap it around itself a couple of times to secure
it. This is then done in the same manner on the tailwheel
steering arm. Next the other spring is done in the same
manner, making sure to keep it even with the first spring
as it is secured.
Any
excess spring wire can now be snipped off, although
you may want to leave a little bit of excess wire until
after you have flown the plane. This would make it easier
to unwrap the wire in case you need to adjust the tension
of the wire to increase or decrease the sensitivity
of the steering.
Installing the Windows
The
Rascal has the front windshield pre-installed when it
arrives, but the side windows will need to be installed
during the assembly of the plane. To install the side windows
they will need to be cut out and trimmed, leaving approximately
3/8? of material around the window. I use Formula 560
Canopy Glue to attach the side windows to the inside
of the fuselage. Place a bead of glue around the window
in the ?lip? of material that we left after it was cut.
Place the window in the fuselage and secure in place
(I prefer to use blue painter?s tape for things like
this) to allow the glue to dry. After taping the window
in place use a paper towel to wipe away any glue that
may have squeezed out when it was put in place. After
the glue is dry remove the tape.
Installing Graphics
The
graphic decals that are included with the Rascal are
self-adhesive and can be applied directly to the plane.
Even with this I recommend that the graphics be applied
to the plane using Windex. Using Windex will allow the
graphic to be put in place and properly positioned with
ease. Without Windex there is no way to adjust the position
of the graphic once it is set on the surface of the
plane. This is a very easy procedure to do and has outstanding
results. Start off by checking the position of where
you want the graphic on the plane. Once you are satisfied
with where it will be placed spray Windex on this area.
Remove the backing paper from the graphic and then set
it in place on the plane. Position the graphic where
you want it to be and work the Windex out from under
the graphic. This can be done with a squeegee, an old
credit card or piece of stiff cardboard. When you have
as much liquid as possible out from underneath the graphic,
lightly use a paper towel to dry the graphic off. Now
allow the graphic to dry overnight without being disturbed
. After it is dry the graphic will be firmly secured
in place.
Balancing the Rascal
To
balance the Rascal the CG should be located 3-3/8? back
from the leading edge of the wing, but can be as far
back as 3-7/8? if the pilot desires. I used a Great
Plane CG machine to balance the Rascal at the recommended
CG point. I had not installed the battery in the plane
prior to balancing so that I could use it to shift weight
in the plane if needed to adjust the CG to the recommended
location. Initially the plane balanced slightly nose
heavy without the battery. I placed the battery behind
the CG to bring the plane in to level balance on the
CG machine. When I was satisfied with the balance I
installed the battery underneath the servo tray in the
fuselage. Rechecking balance showed the CG to be right
on the mark as recommended in the instructions.
|
Email this Article
| PDF
