GREAT PLANES PT40 User Manual

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Instruction manual (64 pages)

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Page 1 Instruction Book Welcome to the World of Radio Control Model Airplanes! READ THROUGH THIS INSTRUCTION BOOKLET FIRST. IT CONTAINS IMPORTANT INSTRUCTIONS AND WARNINGS CONCERN- ING THE BUILDING AND USE OF THIS MODEL. WARNING! This R/C kit and the model you will build is not a toy! It is capable of serious bodily harm and property damage.
Page 2: Table Of Contents
Congratulations on your purchase of Great we believe the finest in the nation. As a result of Planes' PT40, the Perfect Trainer! You now own the intensive testing, combined with our years of experi- easiest building, easiest flying trainer on the market.
Page 3: Building Precautions
the part of the plans you are working on to prevent You must build the plane according to the plans glues from sticking to the plans Remember a careful and instructions builder will build a warp-free, straight model that You must take time to build straight, true and will fly as it was designed to strong.
Page 4: Building Hints
T-Pins each other. Use the plans as a guide. Straightedge Remember this: In order for your PT40 to per- Masking Tape form as it should it is your responsibility to take your Sandpaper, Coarse (100 grit) and fine (220 grit)
Page 5: Parts Identification Drawings
# 2 x 3 / 8 " S C R E W 4-40x1" BOLT 5/32" COLLAR AILERON CLEVIS #4x1/2" SCREW 6-32x3/16" S C R E W 2 - 5 6 x 3/8" S C R E W AILERON CLEVIS CONNECTOR PT40 PARTS...
Page 6: Get Ready To Build
IMPORTANT: READ THIS BEFORE DIE CUT PARTS PATTERNS STARTING TO BUILD « The PT40 may be built as a "3-Channel" or "4-Channel" trainer. PT40W07 13 PER KIT WING RIBS 3/32x 3x12 BALSA In the 3-channel version, you control the rud- der, elevator and throttle, and it uses "Wing A"...
Page 7: Build The Fuselage Sides
PT40 as a 4-Channel airplane with Wing B. BUILD THE FUSELAGE SIDES D 1. Take the two large 1/8" balsa fuselage sides and put them together.
Page 8: Assemble The Fuselage
D 11. Notice that the 1/8" balsa fuse side has two D 15. Use one of the 3/8" ply engine beams as a slightly rounded corners at the front of the "hatch" spacer to position the 1/4" balsa upper tripler. Move area and at the front of the "stab saddle"...
Page 9 Note: In the next steps you will assemble the fuselage without glue! The interlocking parts ena- ble you to do this so you can get everything together, make sure the parts fit properly, check for straight- ness and make adjustments if necessary. Then you will glue everything together by applying thin CA.
Page 10: Install The Windshield And Hatch
CA glue accelerator will be helpful when using thick CA to fill any large gaps. NOTE ON FUEL TANK: The PT40 requires D 20. Remove the rubber bands from the fuselage. any 6 or 8 oz. fuel tank of your choice. Most tanks...
Page 11: Mount The Engine Beams And Breakaway Plates
5. Wet the top surface of the windshield so the wood will bend without breaking. D 6. Apply thick CA to the top of F-2 and the fuse sides where the windshield will contact, then im- MOUNT THE ENGINE BEAMS AND mediately bend the windshield down and hold until BREAKAWAY PLATES the glue sets...
Page 12: Install The Landing Gear
D 4. Remove the breakaway plates and re-drill the holes in the breakaway plates only to 1/8". 5, Fasten the breakaway plates to the beams using six #4 x 5/8" screws. PREPARE THE NOSE GEAR D 1. Referring to the steering arm drawing here, cut off about 3/16"...
Page 13: Cut The Pushrod Exit Slots For The Rudder And Elevator
D 3. Find the two 1/4" x 1/4" x 5-7/8" balsa pieces. These are used for the ends of the stab and elevator. Cut a 1-3/8" length from each of these pieces and glue them to the ends of the elevator using thin CA glue.
Page 14: Make The Hinges
MAKE THE HINGES 1. Take the 9" strip of hinge material and roughen both sides with 220 grit sandpaper. This is best done with a small piece of sandpaper held with your fin- gers, rather than a sanding block. Do not sand the centerline of the hinge material.
Page 15: Mount The Fin To The Stab
the stab slightly until both measurements are the same within 1/16" . 3. With the fuse on a flat surface, lay the stab in place on the fuselage in the stab saddle area with the front of the stab touching the rear surface of F-6 and centered side-to-side.
Page 16: Build The Wing Panels
18-24 hours. BUILD THE WING PANELS NOTE: Like the fuselage, the PT40 wing is made to fit together without glue, so you can assem- ble all of the major parts and check to make sure D 6.
Page 17 D 6. Insert the fronts of the ribs into the notches 3. Before using the L.E. and T.E. pieces, you must in the balsa leading edge (L.E.). determine which pieces are to be used for the right wing panel. Here's how: D 7.
Page 18: Join The Wing Panels
D 13. Apply thin Ca to all joints. After the thin CA Clamp or hold the parts until the glue hardens. has cured, apply some thick CA to each joint. Set the right wing panel aside, and turn the D 14. Find the die-cut plywood sheets containing the plan around so the left wing panel is facing you.
Page 19: Install The Center Ribs And Bottom Sheeting
INSTALL THE CENTER RIBS AND D 6. Working on waxed paper, glue the bottom BOTTOM SHEETING sheeting to the inside edges of the ribs and dihedral braces. LI 1. After building the wing, you have two ribs remaining. Lay these ribs, one at a time, on the draw- 7.
Page 20: Install Trailing Edge, Ailerons And Torque Rods (Wing B Only)
7. With a razor saw, cut off the ends of the tapered trailing edges even with the tip ribs. There are several ways to accomplish this, so you may choose one of these: A- File the groove with an 1/8" or 5/32" diameter round file, available at hardware stores (this type of file is normally used to sharpen small chain saw teeth).
Page 21: Install The Wing Tips
D 19. Sand the leading edge of the ailerons to a "V" D 12. If the nylon bearing fits snugly into the groove, shape as shown on the plan. you may use a few drops of thin CA to glue it in place. If you have a loose fit, use thick CA or epoxy.
Page 22: Sand The Wing Smooth
5. Apply thin CA glue around the edges, holding the plates firmly in place until the glue sets. TRIAL FIT THE WING IN THE SADDLE 1. Using your T-bar sander, sand the inside edge of the plywood fuse side doublers at the same angle as the F-2A or F-2B formers.
Page 23: Mount The Engine
Note: There are many different engines that at the marked locations. will be OK for mounting in the PT40 and the engine mounting system that is used makes it possible for you to install any engine you choose as long as it is within the following range: .25-.40 2-cycle, or .35-.45...
Page 24: Install The Servos
Note: The following instructions and photos de- type (as shown on the fuse plan side view), it will fit scribe how to install Futaba S-28 servos in your PT40. nicely under an 8 oz. fuel tank in the front compart- If your radio equipment is different from that shown ment.
Page 25: Install Nylon Control Horns
D 7. "Lock" the servo tray in place by gluing a few scraps of 1/8" ply (from the die- cutting scrap) to the fuse side and the top of the servo tray using thick CA as shown here. D 13. Screw the aileron servo to the mount using the screws provided with your radio.
Page 26: Pushrods
6. Temporarily mount the control horns on the D 6. Take one of the 12" threaded wires, attach a rudder and elevator. (Note that the elevator horn is clevis and bend the wire to match the drawing of the mounted on the bottom, and the rudder horn is elevator rear pushrod wire (top view).
Page 27 D 17. Screw the nylon clevises back on the rear ends B-Bend up with pliers. of the pushrods. Pry the clevises open with a screw- driver and hook them up to the outer holes in the nylon elevator and rudder horns. Twist the pushrods slightly, so the rods come out of the fuse side slots without binding.
Page 28 B-Moving the Z-bend to a different hole in the D 29. Use a drill with a 1/8" bit to drill holes through servo arm (outer hole gives more movement than F-2 for the throttle and nose gear pushrods. the inner hole). C- Turning the nylon clevis on the pushrod.
Page 29: Balance The Airplane Laterally
BALANCE THE AIRPLANE LATERALLY SPECIAL NOTE: Do not confuse this pro- cedure with "checking the C.G." or "balancing the airplane fore and aft". That very important step will be covered later in the manual. Now that you have the basic airframe nearly completed, this is a good time to balance the airplane laterally (side-to-side).
Page 30: Sand The Fuselage
Since we recommend that you use a plastic cov- sand the entire fuselage smooth. Pay special atten- ering such as Super Monokote to finish your PT40, tion to the glue joints, as they will show right through you'll need to be aware of the tools you'll need to the covering if left bumpy or uneven.
Page 31: Cover The Wing
SPECIAL NOTE: One important flying bottom covering by at least 1/4" at the leading edge. characteristic of the PT40 is its ability to recover "hands-off" from a steeply banked turn. This is made D 13. Next, cover the top of one of the wing panels.
Page 32: Final Assembly
Also, re- check it periodi- cally before you go flying, because THIS IS A VERY IMPORTANT REASON FOR THE STABILITY OF YOUR PT40 D FINAL ASSEMBLY 1 Lay the rudder and elevator (and ailerons if you built Wing B) on the plans and mark the hinge...
Page 33 ting on the carburetor. Run a second piece of tubing D 11. Cut a hole in the center of the fuse top, about from the tank "vent" through the hole in F-l to the 2" behind the wing saddle, and glue in a 2-1/2" length pressure tap fitting on the muffler.
Page 34: Balance Your Model
given below, with full movement of the transmitter sticks. ELEVATOR = 3/16" up and 3/16" down RUDDER = 3/16" right and 3/16" left AILERONS = 7/16" up and 1/8" to 1/4" down D 23 Write your name and address plainly on a piece of paper and glue the paper inside the fuselage onto one of the fuse sides If you lose your model the finder will know who to contact...
Page 35 model is, attempting to learn to fly on your own is Keep all engine fuel in a safe place, away from dangerous and may result in serious or even fatal high heat, sparks or flames as fuel is very flammable. injury to yourself and others, and total destruction Do not smoke near the engine or fuel, remember that of your model Therefore, find an instructor (even if...
Page 36: Ama Safety Code
4. TRIM OUT THE MODEL box system The instructor has his or her transmitter attached to yours by a cord There is a switch on the Trimming the model means that you have an instructor's transmitter so he/she can control who is experienced flier fly the model and make final adjust- flying the model If you get into trouble, the instruc- ments to the amount of throw in the control surfaces...
Page 37: Changing From 3 To 4 Channel Version
4-channel version 6 After the model passes you, start a very gentle left The best way to do so is to purchase a new PT40 turn Level it out and now do 2 or 3 figure eights,...
Page 38: Flight Problems Chart
FLIGHT PROBLEMS TROUBLE SHOOTING GUIDE FLIGHT PROBLEM PROBABLE CAUSE RECOMMENDED SOLUTIONS Does not automatically pull out of a 1 If dive continues straight ahead, the 1 (a) Re-trim the elevator for level flight dive after elevator stick is released cause may be incorrect elevator trim (a) at 1/2 throttle.
Page 39: Glossary
GLOSSARY AILERON: The hinged, movable surfaces on the trailing edge of the wing FORMER: A part that gives shape to the fuselage and also divides it into that causes the aircraft to roll (bank) left or right. different compartments. Same as a bulkhead. Usually designated "F1", "F-2", etc.
Page 40: Parts List
PT40 PARTS LIST PART NUMBER QTY DESCRIPTION QTY DESCRIPTION PART NUMBER 7-Ply 3/8x2x3-15/32 PT40F14 Balsa shaped 1/8 PT40F01 Landing Gear Plate Fuselage Side 3-Ply 1/32 x 1-1/2x3/4 PT40W10 Balsa Shaped 1/8 PT40F02 Wing Plate Fuselage Top Balsa Shaped 1/8 PT40F03...

GREAT PLANES PT40 User Manual

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