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38” EPP Slick Build manual 

Please read this manual carefully before beginning assembly. 

 

This aircraft is constructed of EPP (Expanded Polypropylene) Foam.  This makes the 38”Slick 

light and extremely durable, able to withstand repeated crashes without major damage.  This 

makes the 38” Slick an ideal 3D trainer or practice aircraft.  Additionally, designer Andrew Jesky 

has developed the Slick to have excellent flight characteristics for all types of aerobatics.  

However, the durability and performance of this aircraft will depend upon proper assembly by 

you, the builder.  For best results, read and follow this manual. 

 

 

Summary of Contents for 38" EPP Slick

Page 1: ... able to withstand repeated crashes without major damage This makes the 38 Slick an ideal 3D trainer or practice aircraft Additionally designer Andrew Jesky has developed the Slick to have excellent flight characteristics for all types of aerobatics However the durability and performance of this aircraft will depend upon proper assembly by you the builder For best results read and follow this manu...

Page 2: ... covering the build of our 33 EPP Extra The 33 Extra and the 38 Slick are built using similar techniques We highly recommend that you watch the 33 Extra instructional videos before building your Slick if you are unfamiliar with these techniques The 33 Extra videos are hosted on www youtube com The exact address of the video on hinging is http www youtube com watch v RNpTN5S wdc although it is easi...

Page 3: ...ker X12 or X20 Battery 3S 900 1350mah Servos 4 x Hitec HS 65 Micro receiver Velcro for battery retention Assembly Lay out the wing with ailerons top red side up As shown apply weights to the foam pieces to hold them in place during the hinging process ...

Page 4: ...Line up the ailerons with the wing perfectly then apply a 1 8 wide bead of Welder glue all along the hinge line ...

Page 5: ...n a thin stripe about 3 4 inch wide along the hinge It does not take much thickness to create a strong hinge the glue should be very thin Remember more glue can always be added to a thin hinge but thick glue is heavy and stiff and cannot be easily take away See video tutorial mentioned at the beginning of this manual for more information Repeat for other aileron Allow to dry ...

Page 6: ...While wing is drying hinge elevator to rear horizontal fuselage and rudder to the vertical stabilizer in the same way ...

Page 7: ...ue to glue these across the hinges on your Slick Use your razor or scraper to remove any excess glue while flattening the floss down against the foam We recommend applying the floss to the wing tip end and the inboard end of each aileron and to the ends of the elevator hinge line When you do this the floss will almost disappear against the foam This technique will add lifespan to your hinges ...

Page 8: ...Using plenty of welder glue attach the wood motor mount to the foam motor mount piece as shown ...

Page 9: ...When your hinges are completely dry set the rudder aside Assemble the nose wing horizontal fuselage and horizontal tail as shown with welder glue Punch out foam squares from pieces as shown ...

Page 10: ...knife or the end of a piece of carbon to get the foam out of the slots When the slots are empty you can install the spars starting with the pre cut 36 5 wing spar It is important to use plenty of welder glue for this Coat the carbon spar in glue and put plenty of glue in the slot Then press the spar into the slot Glue will squeeze out Squeegee this glue down flat with your razor or scraper ...

Page 11: ...Place weights on the wing as necessary to make sure the wing and spar dries flat and straight Repeat the procedure to install the pre cut 14 5 long flat elevator spar into the elevator Allow to dry ...

Page 12: ...selage Note that this has tabs that extend into slots in the horizontal section Glue the bottom vertical fuselage in as shown using plenty of glue Use the plywood parts sheet in your kit or another 90 degree tool to make sure it is straight and level Allow to dry ...

Page 13: ...You will need to check the fit of the elevator to the vertical fuselage Because the EPP foam is flexible the elevator opening may need to be trimmed as shown to allow full elevator movement ...

Page 14: ... be directed to cut sections of specific length from this rod and glue these sections into the fuselage as shown Use Welder glue for these steps It is tempting to use CA glue for speed but Welder will give a much stronger and more durable structure Start by cutting 2 pieces each 6 inches long To install the bracing pieces put welder glue on the ends and press them into the foam with a twisting mot...

Page 15: ...e a drop of Welder glue on the spot where each rod is inserted into the foam and spread it out to make a spot about wide This will produce a very strong installation when dry Do this for every place where a carbon rod is inserted into the EPP foam Cut 2 more 6 long pieces Install as shown ...

Page 16: ...The next four pieces are 8 long Install as shown ...

Page 17: ......

Page 18: ... truss pieces to install in this step they are approximately 5 6 long however to account for variations in construction we recommend that you measure this distance on your particular build before cutting Install as shown ...

Page 19: ...Locate the 2mm plywood parts sheet To release parts from the sheet cut the tab areas with a sharp hobby knife NOTE You will not use all of the pieces on the sheet ...

Page 20: ...are your servos for use by installing long single sided servo arms If you cannot obtain a plastic long servo arm for servos your kit includes wood long servo arms Attach to your servos with screws as shown ...

Page 21: ...s use planet of welder glue Note that the horns go on the BOTTOM of the wings the side you are currently working on Cut two pieces of the included steel music wire into sections 3 0 long Using Z bend pliers or needle nose pliers add Z bends as shown which reduces the overall length to about 2 75 ...

Page 22: ...If you want to keep your servos clean of glue residue you can wrap the servo cases in masking tape Install the aileron servos with a large dab of welder adhesive as shown ...

Page 23: ...Cut 4 pieces of bracing 12 long Install as wing bracing as shown Note that we have deflected the aileron servo as shown to insure that the rear brace has plenty of clearance when installed ...

Page 24: ...re cut legs 8 long and 2 pre cut axles 1 5 long and one piece of carbon fiber yarn Cut the carbon fiber yarn into two equal length pieces Fold a piece of paper as shown to make a 45 degree angle tool and lay out one set of leg pieces along it as shown ...

Page 25: ...Using a drop of thick CA glue glue the leg pieces together at the 45 degree angle Do the same to the second set Using thick CA glue one end of the carbon fiber yarn into the joint as shown ...

Page 26: ...Wrap the yarn tightly around the joint as shown and soak the yarn with thin CA Allow to dry then trim off the end of the yarn Repeat for second leg ...

Page 27: ...hown Make sure the gear legs are the same height above the wing so that the plane will sit level when you turn it over and tack them into place with a few drops of thick CA then spread a generous amount of Welder glue over the spots where the gear legs meet the wing and the fuselage as shown Allow to dry ...

Page 28: ......

Page 29: ...Install the wheels and a short section of included silicone tubing as a wheel retainer Add a tiny drop of CA glue to the wheel retainer ...

Page 30: ...Take the 3 section of pre cut round rod and install it with welders glue as shown for use as a tail skid Apply a thin layer of welder glue to the nose area as shown ...

Page 31: ...Locate the wheel pants and poke a hole with a small screwdriver as shown Using plenty of Welder glue on the carbon axle pieces push the pants onto the legs and shown and allow to dry ...

Page 32: ...o the lower fuselage and wing After you are satisfied with the fit glue the upper fuselage on with Welder glue Install the motor mount piece as well with plenty of welder glue to help align the nose and use a drop of CA to hold the tail end perfectly together while the welder dries ...

Page 33: ...Using a sharp hobby knife bevel the bottom of the rudder below the vertical stabilizer as shown ...

Page 34: ...to the fuselage and check the swing of the rudder When you are satisfied with the fit glue the vertical stabilizer to the fuselage using CA first so that if will hold alignment and adding a bead of Welder to each side of the joint for durability ...

Page 35: ...Allow to dry then add a bead of welder glue to the bottom of the rudder which you beveled earlier Not much welder glue is needed here to form a hinge here wipe away excess glue and allow to dry ...

Page 36: ...Using a hobby knife make a pass through slot for servo wires through the horizontal fuselage as shown Test fir your servos Trim the openings as needed as shown ...

Page 37: ...Install rudder and elevator servos as shown if you want to preserve your servos from glue residue you can wrap the servo body in masking tape Use welder glue to adhere the servos ...

Page 38: ...tall the elevator horn into pre cut slot as shown using Welder glue Install rudder horn into pre cut slot as shown using Welder glue Trim approx3 8 from the back of the rudder horn to fit the pre cut slot ...

Page 39: ...Locate the pre cut elevator 17 and rudder 19 5 carbon pushrods Cut 4 pieces of included heat shrink tubing 1 long each Also cut and bend 4 Z bend wire sections 1 25 1 5 long each as shown ...

Page 40: ...Assemble one end of each pushrod as shown Shrink the tubing onto the pushrod capturing the z bend Slide the pushrod holders onto the pushrods as shown ...

Page 41: ...Install the pushrods onto the control horns on the elevator and rudder Assemble the servo ends of the pushrods The pushrods are supplied with a bit of excess length to allow you to trim as necessary ...

Page 42: ...working close to the foam Use a piece of plywood to shield the foam while you shrink with a match or soldering iron At the mid point of each pushrod make a slot with your hobby knife and glue in the pushrod holder Trim off any excess length on the plywood pushrod holder ...

Page 43: ...Screw your brushless motor onto the motor mount ...

Page 44: ...ceiver as shown Install a 3 4 extension on one aileron servo if needed and plug in all servos Install Velcro for battery holding as shown NOTE Self adhesive Velcro does not stick well to EPP We recommend using welder glue with a few drops of CA to hold the Velcro in place while the Velcro dries ...

Page 45: ...eat shrink tubing This will lock the Z bend in place Setup values Recommended Center of Gravity CG 4 5 behind the leading edge of the wing where wing meets fuselage This is approximately 2 3 behind the carbon main wing spar After some flights you should adjust the CG by moving the battery forward or aft to get precisely the feel you want Control throws for 3D flight Elevator 45 degrees up and down...

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