Alpha 40 problem
 

Hi all,
I just bought an alpha 40 and I have a problem with the landing gear(rear): It's not solid , I just put my finger on the airplane and the wheels are gonna go forward or backward and then the airplane fall on the ground .
And I have a second problem , I don't know where to put all these fitting and all the tubing for tanking, If someone would have a scheme, it would help !
THanks
Pap

RE: Alpha 40 problem
 

The landing gear wires should have a short opposite bend at the end of them, which pokes up into the fuselage. Then, when you fit the wires into the slots, and screw down the plastic clips, the gear cannot rotate. If the part of your wires that screw under the fuselage do not have the bend that goes up into the belly, you may want to call Horizon and ask for a correct set. I don't think you want to bend that stuff yourself.

I don't have a diagram for the fuel tank, and mine was a RTF, so I didn't assemble it myself. You should have two brass tubes coming through the stopper. The top tube is the vent, and goes to the muffler. Inside the tank, that tube should have a bend up towards the top of the tank. The lower tube goes to the needle valve, and on the inside of the tank, to the clunk. If it is not pre-assembled, then you have to make sure the tubing is cut to length to allow the clunk to reach just short of the back of the tank.

Good luck

RE: Alpha 40 problem
 

OK, I'm not sure I completely understand you question or problem, but I've been flying an Alpha 40 RTF for over a year now, so I'll try to help.

With regards to the main gear, it sounds like the landing gear is not completely installed. The piano wire needs to be completely pushed into the hole in the fuselage, and there should be a notch cut in the fuselage the piano wire will completely sit in. When you're done, both pieces of piano wire should be completely flush with the fuselage. You then screw two bands over the notch/piano wire, and that should hold everything in place nice and tight.

With regards to the fuel tubing, I thought the pictures and stuff in the manual were pretty straight forward. On my RTF, the fuel tubing came preinstalled on the tank, and all I had to do was push the red (fuel) line on the inlet nipple and the vent (green) line on the nipple on the muffler.

Do you have flying field you're going to go to? I found that to be the best way to learn about this hobby and get questions I had answered with respect to my plane setup.

RE: Alpha 40 problem
 

Your signature says you have an RTF, the tank should already be installed and connected.
Anyway, here's the manual for the ARF http://www.horizonhobby.com/ProdInfo...450-manual.pdf look on pg 22 where it talks about tank assy and after that installation. Page 13 in the manual covers the landing gear installation.

RE: Alpha 40 problem
 

That Alpha 40 ARF manual is very interesting. They tell you to do a few things, such as epoxy the wing halves together, and epoxy the horizontal stab to the fuse, that the RTF manual ignores. I know that they sell the RTF for those who want to get into the air quickly, but they should at least offer these steps as options for those who may not know that they are a good idea.

To pap921, I would definitely recommend that you reinforce some areas of your Alpha prior to flight. I had to add tri-stock to the back of my firewall after it popped out on a hard landing. I also added tri-stock to the horizontal and vertical stabilizers after they both came loose. You should also epoxy the wing halves together instead of relying on the 1/2" tape as per the manual.

Good luck with it, it is a great trainer.

RE: Alpha 40 problem
 

The ARF and RTF are NOT built the same way completely. Expect to see differences.

RE: Alpha 40 problem
 

Thnak you very much for the landing gear , but gor the gas ubing , I'm talking about the tubing that goes from the gas tank to the aircraft , how many holes in the cap of the gas tank , which fitting do I need ...
Some pictures could help ..;)
Thank you sooooo much
pap

RE: Alpha 40 problem
 

Just get a cheap, hand crank fuel pump. Stick a tube into the top of your gas jug, and attach it to your pump. Pull the fuel tube off your needle valve, and stick it on the other fitting on your pump. Pull the tube off your muffler, and hang it over the side of the plane (onto a rag). Crank the pump until fuel goes into the tank, and keep cranking until fuel squirts out the muffler tube. Put the tubes back onto the engine, put the lid back on your jug, and you are ready to go.

There are special can fittings, and fancy fuel delivery systems, but you really don't need them.

RE: Alpha 40 problem
 

The tube connected to the line with the weight inside the tank (called a clunk) is connected to the needle valve or carburetor. The tube connected to the tube in the tank that turns upward toward to the top of the tank (vent) is connected to the muffler. IF you have a third line, it is a separate filling line. Not all tanks use this line. If you have 2 lines you fill through the line that is NORMALLY connected to the needle valve. Overflow is through the VENT line. DO NOT get these crossed as the system will not work.