tion, even when the transmitter is in storage. Be sure to recheck
the throttle stick position before plugging in the battery pack.
Under no circumstances should you hold this model by the nose
when the battery is plugged in. Never plug your battery pack onto
the system until; 1) your transmitter is ON with the throttle stick in
the low position, and 2) you are on the flight line, ready to fly.
SIDE WINDOW INSTALLATION:
From the contents of your kit, locate the molded side windows.
Use scissors to cut out each window, leaving about 1/8" of plastic
around the edges for a gluing surface. We suggest using 5-minute
epoxy or RC-56 glue to mount the windows into the inside of the
fuselage. DO NOT use thin CA glue for this step! Apply a thin
bead of glue to these edges and press the window in place from
the inside of the fuselage. Use small pieces of tape to hold the
windows in place until the glue sets.
DECAL APPLICATION
The decals supplied with the RASCAL EP-49 are stickers with a
self-stick adhesive back. They are not water slide decals. Also,
these decals are not die-cut. Each design must be cut from the
sheet with a sharp #11 hobby knife or a sharp scissors.
Small decals can be easily applied to the model by simply remov-
ing the paper backing sheet, and then, laying the decal in position
and pressing it in place with your finger.
For the larger decals, such as the "RASCAL EP-49" wing decal,
we suggest the following "wet" method of application:
a) Carefully cut out the decal with a hobby knife.
b) Peel the paper backing sheet completely off the decal, being
careful not to let the sticky side double over and adhere to itself.
c) Use a product like SIG Pure Magic Model Airplane Cleaner,
Fantastic®, or Windex® to spray the adhesive side of the decal.
Also, spray the area of the model that will receive the decal.
d) Lightly place the decal onto the wet surface of the model.
The liquid cleaner solution will keep the decal from actually stick-
ing to the model until you have had time to shift it around into exact
position. Once in position, use a piece of stiff cardboard (or sheet
balsa, thin plywood, or a SIG SH678 EPOXY SPREADER) to
squeegee the excess liquid out from under the decal. Squeegee
repeatedly, removing all excess liquid and any air bubbles. Mop
up the liquid with a paper towel. Allow to dry overnight.
e) When completely dry, wash off any soapy smears with a soft
clean wet rag.
BALANCE YOUR AIRPLANE
IMPORTANT: An R/C model should always be balanced with
everything on board, ready for flight. The flight battery must be
installed in the fuselage and the propeller and spinner must be
mounted in place when balancing the model.
Because the RASCAL EP-49 is a relatively small and light air-
plane, the single most effective adjustment you can make to
achieve correct balance is the weight of the battery pack and its
location. As mentioned in the beginning of this manual, we rec-
ommend 3S1P lithium-polymer (lipo) battery packs in the 850-
1400 mAh range. The difference in weight between these two size
battery packs can be as much as 1-1/2 ounces, making it an ef-
fective balancing tool. Battery packs in this range all provide
plenty of flight time, so we chose the pack that best balanced our
individual airplane. We suggest that you do the same thing.
RECOMMENDED BALANCE POINT
2” to 2-5/16"
Behind The Leading Edge Of The Wing
At The Fuselage Sides
Notice that the rear face of the main wing spar of the RASCAL
EP-49 is at the rear limit of the balance range. The simplest way
to check the balance of your RASCAL EP-49 is to place a finger-
tip, one on each side of the fuselage, at the main spar location on
the bottom of the wing. Slowly lift the airplane off the worktable
and note the attitude of the fuselage. The airplane should balance
on your fingertips in level position - not nose up or nose down. If
the nose hangs low, the model is "nose heavy". If the tail hangs
low, this means that the model is "tail heavy". If either of these
conditions exists, you must make adjustments to correct the prob-
lem. Never attempt to fly a model that is out of balance! Since
the battery pack is the single heaviest component in the airplane,
it can be used to adjust almost any tail heavy or nose heavy con-
dition. This is simply done by moving the battery forwards or back-
wards inside the airplane, and/or going to a lighter or heavier
battery pack.
FLYING YOUR RASCAL EP-49
The RASCAL EP-49 appeals to R/C fliers of all experience levels
-from beginners to expert pilots. Assuming that the expert pilots
will not need much guidance, these flying notes are written for the
R/C newcomer.
PRE-FLIGHT
Be sure your flight battery pack is fully charged. Also, be sure
your transmitter is fully charged. We highly recommend that you
perform a standard range check on your radio system - with and
without the motor running. Make sure your propeller is balanced
and has no nicks or cracks - never fly with a faulty propeller! Fi-
nally, take a few minutes to give your model a thorough pre-flight
inspection. Make sure everything is secure and tight and operat-
ing properly, before attempting to fly the model. Any problems you
have will not magically disappear in the air - they will get worse!
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