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SUN DANCER ARF ASSEMBLY MANUAL
INTRODUCTION:
Congratulations on the purchase of the Sig Sun Dancer ARF kit!
Properly assembled, powered, and flown the Sun Dancer will
become one of your favorite models in no time. The construction
of this ARF kit is extremely well engineered, providing an airframe
structure that is very light and strong. This is one of the reasons
that it flies as well as it does using the recommend engine
sizes. The Sun Dancer ARF has superb take-off and landing
characteristics combined with remarkable aerobatic capabilities.
The airframe has been specifically designed to provide you with a
model with that "zeroed out" feel. This is to say that the wings,
stabilizers are set at 0
O
in relationship to the thrust line. In turn this
provides you with a model that is completely "honest" in any
attitude and goes just where you point it. We will cover more
detailed set-up information later in the assembly instructions.
Engine Note: Do to the large number of useable engines for this
model, we simply cannot cover every possible engine installation.
However, the large volume of space provided inside the cowling
should make it easy to mount virtually any engine within the
suggested size range.
ADDITIONAL ITEMS NEEDED TO COMPLETE THIS MODEL
RADIO EQUIPMENT:
We highly recommend the use of a modern computer radio. Such
radio systems allow you to easily set and adjust every channel
and additional pre-program various flight functions to suit your
individual style of flying. Four channels are required to fly your
Sun Dancer - rudder, elevator, ailerons, and throttle.
Servos: You will require a total of eight servos - ailerons(4),
elevators(2), rudder(1), and throttle(1). Since the Sun Dancer is a
large, highly aerobatic airplane and because the control surfaces
are also large, we urge you to use appropriate servos on all
control surfaces (ailerons, elevators, and rudder). This model
should not be flown with "standard" 40- 50 inch/ounce output
servos! The Sun Dancer is large enough to impart very large air
loads and standard size servos will quickly fail, resulting in a loss
of control and possibly crashing the model. You should use heavy-
duty ball-bearing servos with at least 70 inch/ounce of torque or
more to drive the ailerons, elevators, and rudder. If available, use
a servo with metal gears instead of plastic gears. Specifically, in
our prototype models we used Hitec
servos for the ailerons, elevators, and rudder. This is a dual ball-
R
HS-645MG (Part #32645S)
bearing servo, rated at 77 inch/ounces of torque. Another good
choice would be the Airtronics
inch/ounces of torque. These servos or their equivalent from other
manufactures, can be relied upon to work well throughout the Sun
Dancer's flight envelope. A "standard" servo is adequate for the
throttle.
Servo Arms: We also suggest that you consider using after-
market reinforced plastic servo arms such as the Du-Bro "Super
Strength" products. These output arms are available to fit any
brand of servo. They are very strong and work extremely well with
this model. The Du-Bro output arms are molded from considerably
stronger material and these have held up extremely well in our
prototypes.
Servo Extension Chords: You will need the following chords...
Four 24" and two 6" standard extension chords for the ailerons.
Three standard Y-harness cords for the ailerons.
One reversing type Y-harness cord for the two elevator servos.
The three Y-harness chords for the ailerons can be the standard
type sold by all radio manufacturers for their radio systems. The
Y-harness for the elevators should be be the type that "reverses"
the travel direction on one side of the Y-harness - see the following
note about a great aftermarket product called the "Miracle Y".
Miracle "Y": Note in the photos that the elevator servos will be
mounted on opposite sides of the fuselage (i.e. with the pushrods
coming off the top of each servo in direct line with the control
horns). This is done so the geometry of the servos, pushrods, and
control horns is exactly symmetrical on both sides, providing the
exact same response to control inputs for each elevator. This is
very important in an all out aerobatic model like the Sun Dancer.
Normally in order to have this setup work properly with a standard
Y-harness, you would have to electronically reverse the wiring
inside one of the elevator servos so that both elevators will go up
(or down) at the same time. However, there is an after-market
Y-harness available that electronically reverses one of the
elevators for you. It also has a centering adjustment pot that lets
you dial in the elevators exactly to a neutral relationship with each
other. This product is called the "Miracle Y Servo Reversing
Y adapter", sold by MAXX Products of Lake Zurich, IL. It can be
ordered with any radio manufacturer's connectors you specify. We
have thoroughly tested this product and found it to be reliable,
easy to use and very reasonably priced. In addition, it is a total of
24" in length - 12" of elevator extension cables and a 12" cable for
the receiver. Perfect for the Sun Dancer!
RX Battery Pack: Finally, since you will be using a total of 8
servos to fly this airplane, we strongly suggest you use a large
capacity battery pack for his model. We used the 2400 mAh
battery pack to power the flight system. This pack provides ample
time to safely fly at least five or six flights during any given flying
1
#94731 servo, which has 80

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Summary of Contents for SIG Sun Dancer

  • Page 1 This is model with that "zeroed out" feel. This is to say that the wings, very important in an all out aerobatic model like the Sun Dancer. stabilizers are set at 0 in relationship to the thrust line.
  • Page 2: Gas Engine

    Wings: ENGINES & PROPELLERS: 1 Top Right Wing Panel The Sig Sun Dancer ARF has been flown with a wide verity of 1 Top Right Aileron engines. As everyone knows, there is no substitute for power and 1 Top Left Wing Panel...
  • Page 3: Required Tools

    It has to do with the moisture beneath the covering. Wood takes 2 Aluminum Cabane Strut Assembly on or loses ambient humidity. Your Sun Dancer ARF was manufactured in a relatively humid region of the world. The wood 2 Aluminum Strut Fittings...
  • Page 4: Top Wing Assembly

    Paper Towels Dremel ® Tool With Selection of Sanding and Grinding Bits Large Fuel Tubing TOP WING ASSEMBLY: Note that a piece of string has been factory-installed in each wing panel to make it easier to pull the servo wires and the attached extension cords through the openings in each wing panel.
  • Page 5: Bottom Wing Assembly

    alignment. The best procedure with this type of hinge is to inject glue into the hole and then insert the hinge. Use a clean cloth soaked with methanol or rubbing alcohol to wipe off any excess glue that has oozes out into the control surfaces. Then move to the next hinge.
  • Page 6: Stabilizer & Elevator Assembly

    The hinges are slightly smaller than the hinges used ENGINE MOUNTING: 14) Gasoline engines, like the FPE 3.2 pictured here, fit best in the Sun Dancer when mounted inverted. You will need to purchase mounting bolts and blind nuts to fit your particular engine installation.
  • Page 7: Mounting The Cowl

    (not supplied) between the firewall and the backplate of the securely tighten in place. FPE engine to achieve the proper 7-1/8" distance. Sig has a set of laser cut plywood spacers specifically for the FPE 3.2 gas engine. They are part # SIGSH803 (2 spacers per package, so you will need three packages with a total of five spacers needed to achieve the 1-3/6"...
  • Page 8: Fuel Tank Assembly

    engine, all that is required is to remove part of the cowling from around the spark plug and around the muffler tubes. Note: If you are using an engine other than the FPE , you will have to adjust the size and shape of the cowling openings to suit your engine. b.
  • Page 9 stopper in the same orientation as shown in the photo again, b. The ignition system must be able to be turned on and off leaving a 1/2" of the tubing protruding form the stopper. Note: The as needed and this means that there must be a separate switch for neck of the fuel tank is NOT located in the center of the tank body this purpose.
  • Page 10 FPE 3.2 engine in the Sun Dancer, but these instructions should be similar for other engines as well. 22) The Sun Dancer is a large model so make it easy on yourself by installing a fueling valve in his airplane. For gasoline Use a pencil to mark the firewall at the point where the throttle engines, Du-Bro makes a very good fueling valve, Du-Bro #335.
  • Page 11 23) The rudder pull-pull system can now be installed. From 24) Mount the two elevators servos in the fuselage at this the kit contents, locate the 2 Steel Cables, 4 Swage Tubes, 4 time using the hardware and screws provided by the servo Threaded Rigging Couplers, and 4 Metal R/C links.
  • Page 12 measuring from the center of the firewall to the tip of the stabilizer BUILDER’S TIP: Use a sharpened piece of music wire or an awl at the hinge line. Make sure that both of these measurements are to perforate the mating surfaces of the stabilizer and the fuselage. equal and secure in place with straight pins.
  • Page 13 Slide a wheel collar onto the axle followed by a main wheel, and 32) Using slow curing epoxy, apply a liberal amount to the then another wheel collar. Locate the outer wheel collar near the bottom of the fin, insides of the rudder fairings, the fillet area on top end of the axle and snug its set screw tight against the axle.
  • Page 14 34) You will need two metal control horns for the elevators, one left and one right, and eight M2.8 x 10mm metal screws. Hold the control horn in place on the elevator, lined up with the elevator servo output arm. Make sure the pivot holes in the control horn line up with the hinge line.
  • Page 15 coupler up against the end of the R/C Links to lock the links in place. 39) For better access to the bottom of the rudder, temporarily remove tailwheel assembly from the fuselage. Mount the metal rudder T-Horn onto bottom of the rudder with the two M2 x 9mm PWA screws that have been provided.
  • Page 16: Radio Installation

    Note: Our Sun Dancer prototype required that the battery pack (2400 mAh) be placed inside the fuselage just behind the fuselage former at the trailing edge of the bottom wing.
  • Page 17 Note: Do not install the interplane struts at this time. Wing Incidence: Because the Sun Dancer is a biplane configuration, the incidence of the wings is twice as critical and therefore must be properly set up to achieve the "awesome" flight performance that this model is capable of providing.
  • Page 18 TANK for balancing purposes. The decals provided with this kit are typical markings that might be Due to the large size and weight of the Sun Dancer, we found that seen on a full size aerobatic airplane. They are not intended to be the simplest way to check the balance is the old "fingertips at the...
  • Page 19 The tail will come up as flying somewhat on how you like to fly. Some pilots like their models speed is reached and a little up elevator will lift the SUN DANCER extremely reactive, others strive for more smoothness. The SUN off the ground.
  • Page 20 For those of you interested in using your SUN We hope you will enjoy your SUN DANCER for a long time to DANCER for 3D aerobatics, set up your radio to take advantage of come. Please fly the model safely with constant regard to other the huge control movements available from this model.
  • Page 21: Academy Of Model Aeronautics

    SIG MANUFACTURING COMPANY, INC. is committed to your success in both assembling and flying the SUN DANCER ARF kit. Should you encounter any problem building this kit, or discover any missing or damaged parts, please feel free to contact us by mail or telephone.
  • Page 22 TIG welded custom aluminum muffler, complete instructions, and a one-year limited warranty. Sig Manufacturing is pleased to be the exclusive distributor of First Place Engines. For the SIG Sun Dancer, we recommend the FPE 3.2 cu.

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