SIG RASCAL ARF, Assembly Manual, Page: 11 / 18

mounting plate to the inside of the fuselage, aligning its slot with
the slot in the fuselage. The plywood plate provides a hardpoint for
the switch. Using the screws provided, mount the switch in place
into the fuselage. Do not over-tighten the switch mounting screws.
❑
8) Connect the rudder and elevator servo leads to their
appropriate receptacles in the receiver. Switch on the transmitter.
With a charged battery pack plugged into the ESC, your radio
system can now be checked. Be sure that you have the servo
leads plugged into the correct receiver receptacles. Remember
that the rudder servo should be plugged into the receiver aileron
receptacle.
Next, check the servos for the correct direction of
travel. If needed, reverse their travel direction through the
transmitter. Without the propeller in place, check the throttle action
of the motor. With all controls checked and the correct direction
of travel confirmed for both servos, the servo arms are now
centered.
Place the trim levers on the transmitter to their neutral positions.
Unscrew the servo arm retaining screw from both servos and lift off
the servo arms. Reposition them back in place at 90° to their
direction of travel. Doing this provides equal servo travel in both
directions. (Many of today's modern R/C systems provide servo-
centering capabilities and should you have trouble mechanically
setting the servo arms in the right position, this feature allows you
to do it through the transmitter.) Be sure to replace the servo arm
screws. With the servos centered, the radio installation is just
about done. Turn off the radio system, disconnect the battery pack
from the ESC and turn off the transmitter.
❑
9) The ESC simply floats free in the fuselage nose, behind the
motor. DO NOT wrap the ESC in foam, plastic, etc. It gets warm
during operation and must be free of any wrapping, allowing it to
remain relatively cool. The receiver should be placed into the
compartment, directly beneath the two servos. We suggest using
a couple of squares of thin foam on the top and bottom of the
receiver to hold it in place without being able to shift position. The
receiver antenna is routed out of the fuselage through the tube
installed just behind the window frame on the right side.
We
suggest securing the end of the antenna with a pin at the rear of
the fuselage or the top of the fin.
❑
10) The battery pack is held securely in place during flight with
the 3-1/2" length of Velcro® tape provided in the kit. Pull the two
Velcro® strips apart, remove the protective backing from the tape
side and stick one strip to the bottom of your battery pack and the
other strip to the floor of the battery hatch.
❑
11) With the above steps taken care of, all that remains is the
connection of the pushrod ends to the rudder and elevator horns.
Start with the elevators. Use a small piece of masking tape at each
elevator tip, holding the elevators in neutral to the stabilizer. Turn
the radio system on to accurately center the servos.
Lay the
fuselage on its side on your workbench. Slip one of the Z-bend
connectors into the outer most (bottom) elevator horn hole. Hold
the pushrod cable in line with the straight end of the connector and
use a fine line marker pen to make a mark on the cable where it
just meets the end of the connector. Use diagonal cutters to cut
the cable end at the mark just made.
Use a small piece of
aluminum foil at the rear of the fuselage, directly beneath the
cable/connector junction, protecting the fuselage from a possible
stray drop of solder. Slip a brass tube connector onto the cable.
Line-up the end of the wire connector with the end of the cable and
slide the brass tube halfway onto the connector. Place a small
amount of flux on the cable/tube/connector joints and use a small
amount of solder to "sweat" the joints together. Remove the foil
and tape from the elevators and test the elevator movement with
the radio system. Turn the fuselage over and repeat the process
with the rudder connection. However, this time, use the middle
(center) hole in the rudder horn for attaching the linkage.
Remember to tape the rudder in its neutral position to the fin. After
making the solder connection, remove the tape from the rudder
and test the movement of the rudder with your radio.
❑
12) The suggested initial control movements for the rudder and
elevators are now set. Most modern radio systems allow you to set
the total movement of the servos directly from the transmitter. The
following control movements are recommended for initial flights.
These measurements are taken from the widest part of the
elevators and rudder, at the trailing edges. Later, when you're
more comfortable with the Rascal and how it flies, these control
movements can be increased to suit your needs.
11