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Building Instructions JIMMY
Build the JIMMY, a radio controlled model aeroplane especially designed
for the first time builder or flyer.
The JIMMY is a model plane which is easy to be built by a first time builder, and can be
flown by a novice pilot. The design is based on a number of pre-cut parts in balsa wood or
poplar plywood.
To build the plane, you will need some tools and glue. Here is a summary:
1. A sharp hobby knife, such as a small sized, break-off blades type.
2. A sanding block, a wooden block with a piece of sanding paper stuck to it with double
sided sticky tape. Use grit size 150. Make a second block with 100 or 120 grit to trim
the edges of the plywood parts. This will wear it off a bit faster, so you can keep the
150 grit block fresh for the balsa parts.
3. Dressmaker's pins to keep the parts in place during drying of the glue. Use only glass
headed pins, the ones with plastic heads tend to lose their head when a bit of force is
applied, ending up with an unpleasant hole in your finger. Special modelling pins are
also available. To assemble plywood parts it is best to use short pin board pins, which
have a stout grip.
4. Clothespins/pegs for the same purpose. You can use ordinary clothespins, but they
tend to leave traces on the soft balsa. Purpose made little clamps are better, look at
the pictures to get the idea.
5. Glue. PVA glue is the most suitable, since it will give you some time to adjust the parts
to their proper position, and surplus glue can easily be removed with a piece of wood,
or just use your fingers. PVA glue will clean off the skin without problems before it sets.
6. Building board, MDF, minimum thickness 12 mm when you can support it on a flat
surface, but thicker when standing on its own. Make sure it is flat and not warped.
The parts will be supplied while still fixed in the balsa or ply sheet material from which they
are cut, and your first task is to release them by cutting the bridges with a sharp knife.
Sand off the remainder carefully, beware of changing the shape of the part by too much
sanding.
Dry-fit each part before applying glue to ensure a proper fit, and adjust where necessary.
Please note: In the following instructions right hand and left hand are referred to as seen in
the flying direction, i.e. looking from the rear to the front.

JIMMY
BUILDING INSTRUCTIONS
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Summary of Contents for RBC kits JIMMY

  • Page 1 The JIMMY is a model plane which is easy to be built by a first time builder, and can be flown by a novice pilot. The design is based on a number of pre-cut parts in balsa wood or poplar plywood.
  • Page 2 Building Instructions JIMMY Page Start with building the fuselage. Pick the side panels up and lay them on a plastic sheet to prevent them from sticking to your work surface. Glue the balsa side panels to the ply parts using the zigzags to align them.
  • Page 3 Building Instructions JIMMY Page Glue the main former to the bottom panel, make sure it sits square to the bottom. Glue the servo mounting plate to the rear former, check the squareness again (the rear former differs slightly from the picture).
  • Page 4 Building Instructions JIMMY Page Glue the assemblies as prepared in the previous steps to the right hand side panel. Before the glue sets, glue the left hand side panel in place, and ballast the complete assembly with a weight of your choice. The bottom picture shows the tail end glued together, don’t do this as yet, as this will be explained in detail in the next steps!
  • Page 5 Building Instructions JIMMY Page Mark the center of the two formers with a vertical pencil line, and…… line them up by sighting the two pencil lines and glue the side panels together ensuring their symmetry by aligning the stabiliser support slot with those lines:...
  • Page 6 Building Instructions JIMMY Page Complete the nose. The side panels first, the shortest one on the right. Apply glue to the teeth and on the side of the bottom panel. Slide the teeth into those on the fuselage sides and swing the sides inwards to close the joint with the bottom panel.
  • Page 7 Building Instructions JIMMY Page Glue the front part of the nose top in place, and sand it to shape after the glue has set. Sand the rear part to size but do not glue it to the fuselage. This part serves as battery and motor controller access hatch, and should be kept removable.
  • Page 8 Building Instructions JIMMY Page Prepare the 3 mm balsa tail surfaces, but wait with glueing those to the fuselage until after the iron-on covering has been applied. Glue the two pieces of the tail fin together, sand smooth and round the front and top edges.
  • Page 9 Building Instructions JIMMY Page Wing The wing will be built on top of the drawing, so start by getting a building board made out of a piece of mdf or chipboard of sufficient size for one half wing. Stick the...
  • Page 10 Building Instructions JIMMY Page Check the fit of the upper spar in the ribs. The fit should be tight, but not overly so. Adjust the cut-outs in the ribs where necessary. Glue the upper spar in position. Now for a slightly tricky bit: the root ribs are in two parts each, a front and a rear part.
  • Page 11 Building Instructions JIMMY Page Glue the 8x8 mm leading edge in the cut-outs of the ribs, and temporarily fix it with pins as shown in the picture. Glue the ply dihedral brace to the rear of the spars and to the bottom planking.
  • Page 12 Building Instructions JIMMY Page Use a plane to shave the bottom trailing edge to an angle, such that the top trailing edge fits flat in the rib cut-outs and on the bottom trailing edge. Ensure the top butts against the front of the cut-outs.
  • Page 13 Building Instructions JIMMY Page Cut the 1.5 mm balsa webbing pieces to size. These are the rectangular pieces which are glued between the ribs to the rear of the spars, with the grain vertical! Shape the leading edge to the correct cross section.
  • Page 14 Building Instructions JIMMY Page The second half wing is constructed the same way as the first, except that the dihedral brace, the rear part of the root ribs, the top planking, and the top trailing edge are all left to be completed until after the two halves are glued together.
  • Page 15 Building Instructions JIMMY Page Finishing Wing and fuselage are now ready to get their final finish. Sand everything smooth, and round the corners of the fuselage. Do not overdo it, avoid reducing the glue areas too much. The simplest way to finish all surfaces and open structures is to use iron-on covering film.
  • Page 16 Building Instructions JIMMY Page Propulsion and controls Propellor, r.p.m. and battery voltage can be applied in different combinations to achieve appropriate propulsion. The following combination works well on the prototype: Battery: 3s lipo type, 1000mAh, which stands for 3 cells in series (= nominal voltage 11.1V) with a capacity of 1000 milliAmpere/hour...
  • Page 17 Building Instructions JIMMY Page Solder 2 mm dia. gold connectors to the motor and ESC, and insulate with heat- shrink tubing. Push the motor wires through the opening in the firewall and connect them to the ESC. Mount the motor (without propellor!) to the firewall...
  • Page 18: Final Assembly

    The hatch can be held in place with an extra small rubber band attached to the wing dowels. This finalises the build of the JIMMY, but before you can go flying something else needs to be done, namely adjusting the……..
  • Page 19: Control Adjustments

    Building Instructions JIMMY Page Control Adjustments Charge your battery. Be aware that Lithium Polymer (Lipo) type batteries need a dedicated type of charger, set to the correct charging current and voltage depending on the cell count and capacity. Check the manufacturers instructions, ignoring these instructions may have serious consequences! Do not mount the propellor as yet.
  • Page 20 Building Instructions JIMMY Page...