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ARF
Assembly:
The
assembly starts with the lower wing. The ailerons were attached
with Zap thin CA on the hinges and a small amount of 5-minute
epoxy where the control arm inserts into the aileron. The thin
CA soaks into the fiber hinges and then into the balsa slots for
added strength so remember not to use any CA kicker accelerator
on this step.
I
used a Hobbico CS-35
Mini BB Servo for the aileron control. This high power (54
oz-in) mini servo weighs only an ounce and will easily move all
four ailerons on the Ultimate. All the linkage was supplied including
the keepers. The upper wing ailerons were then CA'ed in place.
Both wings already come with the strut cabanes glued in place.
The
horizontal stabilizer is glued in place first, followed by the
vertical stabilizer. The fins already have the covering removed
so they can be glued with either thin CA, epoxy, or white glue.
The
elevator halves and rudder are attached by the hinge material,
via the pre-made slots, and then secured in place with thin CA.
I had no alignment issues and the pieces all fit well.
The
tailwheel assembly was complete and easy to install. I drilled
2mm holes for the screws and rudder hole. The holes were coated
with some thin CA before installing the assembly and I used Pacer
Z-42 thread locker on the set screws before tightening them. Remember
to slide the one wheel collar against the plastic base before
tightening it so that it helps absorb shock on landings.
The
elevator control rods are combined together using the supplied
joiner. Each end is bent at a right angle to keep it from slipping
out under force. I used Pacer Z-42 thread locker on the three
nuts before tightening them in place.
The
elevator and rudder control horns were mounted into the pre-drilled
holes of the control surfaces. All the hardware was supplied and
the pre-mounted tubing ends even had the fuselage covering sliced
at the opening so the control rods could slide through. This provided
a very clean look. However, I needed to open the holes in the
control horns for the clevises using a 5/64" bit. All three
clevises were installed into the second hole from the outside
or second farthest from the control surface.
The
other ends of the elevator and rudder control rods attach to standard
size digital servos. The supplied keepers create a simple yet
secure connection to the servo arm. The unused position was for
the glow engine throttle servo.
A
hardwood platform was then glued in place with epoxy. It was supported
on the bottom by short blocks glued to the fuselage top. I then
covered the platform with a Velcro strip which was securely CA'ed
in place. My 6-cell EON28 3350mAh pack fit perfectly as it was
supported on all sides. A small piece of flooring foam will be
wedged in between the LiPo pack and the hardwood slat I used to
reinforce the former.
Landing
Gear:
The
gear mains assembly started by mounting the wheels and pants.
I needed to sand the one side of the wheel hub about a 1/4"
down with my Dremel tool for a perfect fit inside the pant. All
the hardware is supplied and fit well but the pants to not have
pre-drilled holes so you need to align them yourself.
The
mains screwed into pre-mounted T-nuts in the fuselage. I use Pacer
Z-24 thread locker on the grub screw collars and the three screws
holding the mains to the fuselage. My Ultimate 40 could finally
stand on its own wheels.
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