6mmFlyRC F-18 Super Hornet Instruction Manual

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Instruction Manual

F-18 Hornet/Super Hornet

DISCLAIMER

6mmFlyRC guarantees our kits to be free from defects in both material and workmanship at the date of purchase. This warranty does

not cover any component parts damaged by use or modification. In no case shall 6mmFlyRC's liability exceed the original cost of the

purchased kit. Further, 6mmFlyRC reserves the right to change or modify this warranty without notice.

In that 6mmFlyRC has no control over the final assembly or material used for final assembly, no liability shall be assumed nor

accepted for any damage resulting from the use by the user of the final user-assembled product. By the act of using the user-

assembled product, the user accepts all resulting liability.

If the buyer is not prepared to accept the liability associated with the use of this product, the buyer is advised to return this kit

immediately in new and unused condition to 6mmFlyRC for a full refund.

While this kit has been flight tested for normal use, if the plane will be used for extremely high stress flying, such as racing, the

modeler is responsible for taking steps to reinforce the high stress points.

*Special thanks to Steve Shumate, who not only has provided the instructions for the T-38, F-14, F-15, F-18, and Saab Gripen, but has provided

much needed support to 6mmFlyRC. Without Steve, our job would be much harder.

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Summary of Contents for 6mmFlyRC F-18 Super Hornet

Page 1: Instruction Manual
DISCLAIMER 6mmFlyRC guarantees our kits to be free from defects in both material and workmanship at the date of purchase. This warranty does not cover any component parts damaged by use or modification. In no case shall 6mmFlyRC's liability exceed the original cost of the purchased kit.
Page 2 This model was designed to be built from either BlueCore fan-fold foam or 6 mm Depron foam. If using BlueCore, note you’ll need to peel the film backing off the fuselage exterior parts to allow sanding the fuselage corners to shape. Leave the film on the wing and empennage parts since it adds strength, durability, and smoothness.
Page 3 1. Start assembly with the forward fuselage. Lay the two fuselage sides down flat on the work bench and glue the foam corner doublers to the locations shown on the plans. Make sure to make two mirror image parts—a left side and a right side. Either 3M 77 spray adhesive or UHU Creativ works best for this step.
Page 4 3. Laminate all of the nosecone pieces together using 3M 77 adhesive. Then glue the nosecone block to the front of the fuselage. Once the glue has dried, sand the nosecone and forward fuselage to shape. Start by tracing the top outline of the nosecone onto the foam and cut to shape with a long knife or saw.
Page 5 5. Now begin assembling the aft fuselage. Notice on the plans how the fuselage sides, top, and bottom all have a gentle curve at the aft end of the fuselage that forms the exhaust nozzles. Assembly of these parts goes much easier if you first pre-form these curves into the foam pieces using a heat gun.
Page 6 7. Glue on the aft fuselage bottom piece (the centerline should be on the inside as shown). 8. Now glue the forward and aft fuselage assemblies together. Draw a small centerline mark on the inside of the forward fuselage bottom piece, and align that mark with the centerline of the aft fuselage piece.
Page 7 9. Laminate the two motor mount pieces together (3M 77 spray adhesive recommended). After the glue is dry, glue in the hardwood motor mount with 5 minute epoxy and let it cure. Check the fit of the elevator servo used at this time (before you install the motor mount), and trim or shim the foam as required for a tight fit.
Page 8 11. Next install the hardware for the pivoting stabilators. The .157” diameter carbon stabilator rod pivots inside three small pieces of 3/16” diameter aluminum, which are supported by four small squares of 1/64” ply glued to the fuselage sides (study the plans carefully here!). Begin by gluing the plywood supports to the fuselage sides (5 minute epoxy recommended), centering them over the precut holes in the foam.
Page 9 12. Shape the stabilator leading and trailing edges with fine sandpaper (220 grit), sanding a round contour on the leading edge and a tapered contour on the trailing edge. Then glue the left stabilator onto the carbon rod with 5 minute epoxy, making sure the carbon tube is centered in the fuselage first.
Page 10 14. Rudders can be installed on this model as an option. While they do help with directional control at slow speeds, they are generally of limited use and are not required for this model to fly well. If you would like to install rudders, now is the time.
Page 11 15. Next install the receiver and speed control. The receiver fits inside the compartment in the center fuselage behind the rudder servo, and the ESC is installed wherever is most convenient inside the inlet ducts. A small hole must be cut in the foam wall of the receiver compartment to pass the speed control and elevator servo leads.
Page 12 17. Lay the wing down on a flat surface and use 30 minute epoxy to glue the carbon spars in place. Place heavy books over wax paper on top of the wing to hold the wing perfectly flat as the glue cures. Next cut the flaperons free from the wing.
Page 13 19. Sand the wing strakes to the cross section shown on the plans using fine sandpaper (220 grit). Then glue the strakes onto the wing and fuselage. The tabs and slots assure proper alignment. 20. Next the aft fuselage top is installed. As before, this piece should be pre- formed with a heat gun to the proper curvature before installation.
Page 14 21. Glue the 1/32” ply rudder supports into the fuselage. Use 5 minute epoxy and slide the supports into slits in the fuselage sides. 22. Sand the vertical tail leading edges round and the trailing edges tapered. If installing rudders, cut and hinge them at this time. Cut a 20 degree bevel into the bottom of each vertical tail (make sure to make left and ride side mirror images).
Page 15 23. Install the fuselage turtledeck. First glue the turtledeck sides to the top of the wing, taking care to approximate the curvature shown on the plans and to join the ends on the fuselage centerline (drawing a centerline first will help).
Page 16 25. The canopy is removable to allow easy access to the battery compartment. It is held in place with two bamboo skewers forward (toothpicks or carbon rod could also be used) that slide into matching holes in the forward bulkhead, and two small strips of Velcro aft that are mounted to short pieces of ¼”...
Page 17 27. Attach the motor to the motor mount. This installation shown is the GWS EPS-350 motor with C gearing. Two screws on top hold the motor onto the wood mounting stick. Plug the motor into the pre-installed leads to the speed control. 28.
Page 18 29. CONGRATULATIONS! Your model is now complete! The model can be flown as is or can be painted using standard acrylic craft paint (available at most craft stores) applied with either a brush or airbrush. Remember to wipe the foam with rubbing alcohol before painting to remove any grease or dirt.
Page 19 Additional Photos Here are some additional photos of the prototype F-18 Park Jet to illustrate how the finished model should look: Page 19...
Page 20 Flight Setup 1. This model flies at it’s best with flaperon controls enabled, which requires a transmitter with flaperon mixing. If you don’t have one, this model still flies well with ailerons only. The use of flaps can not only improve takeoff and landing performance, but also maneuverability.

This manual is also suitable for:

Super hornet