velope a pattern and mark it on the cowling for guidance when
you are cutting.
a) Begin by marking a centerline on the top of the cowl.
b) Then take width and length measurements off your engine
and transfer them to the top of the cowl, using the centerline as
the base reference point. The simple pattern shown in the previ-
ous photo was quickly made by measuring the diameter of the en-
gine head and the overall length of the engine. It will serve as an
undersize starting point for removal of material.
c) A Dremel® Tool, or similar powered hand-tool, with a 5/8"
dia. coarse grit sanding drum is without a doubt the best tool to
use for removing the material inside the lines quickly, easily and
accurately. However, if you do not have access to such a power
tool, you can cut the opening with a drill, a hobby knife, and a file
- by first drilling a series of almost touching holes inside the pat-
tern lines (1/8” dia. works well); then using the knife to cut through
the connecting material between each hole; and finally finishing
the edges of the opening with the file or a sanding block.
Be aware that there are no hard and fast "rules" for the exact per-
fect shape for openings in a cowling. Most important, make it big
enough to provide the access you need to the engine. The best
method is to "sneak up" on these openings, continually trial fitting
the cowling over the engine until it finally fits properly. Once the
opening is big enough for you to slip it over the engine and place
it in correct location on the model, then continue modifying the
opening as needed to provide access to the needle valve and the
fuel line tubing at the carb.
d) When satisfied with the opening in the cowling, mount the
cowl to the fuselage with the four M3 x 10mm Screws provided.
Begin by placing the cowl over the engine and in correct position
on the front of the fuselage. Be sure to leave a 3/32” to 1/8” gap
between the front of the cowling and the back of the propeller, for
clearance. Tape the cowling in correct position using a low-tack
tape.
e) At the rear of the cowl there are four small pre-drilled mount-
ing holes - two on each side of the airplane. Use a 1/16" drill bit
to make a guide hole through one of the cowl mounting holes and
into the fuselage side. Install an M2.6 x 10mm PWA Screw into
the drilled hole and screw it in place - do not over-tighten the
screw. Recheck the overall fit of the cowl and make any adjust-
ments needed with tape to hold it in place. Then on the opposite
side of the fuselage, drill another 1/16" guide hole and install a
screw into that hole. Repeat this process for the remaining two
cowl mounting holes. Remove the tape.
Both glow engine and electric motor users resume assembly here.
❑
48) RECEIVER BATTERY PACK
a) If you are using a receiver battery pack (all glow and some
non-BEC electric motor installations) wrap the battery pack with
a single layer of 1/2” thick soft foam rubber to insulate it from vi-
bration and shock. Use tape or rubber bands to hold the foam
around the battery.
b) For now, leave the receiver battery pack loose on the bottom
of the fuselage in front of the servos. Later, when the Center of
Gravity (CG) is established, the final position of the battery pack
will be determined.
❑
49) From the kit contents, locate the bag containing the molded
clear plastic side windows. The clear windows are molded to fit
into the fuselage window frames from the inside. Note that each
window has a flange all the way around the outside perimeter to
provide a easy gluing surface. You may need to trim the flanges
a little closer than the factory did, in order to fit them in place. A
sharp scissors or snips works best for trimming the windows.
Glue the windows in place with 5-minute epoxy or RC-56 type
glue.
Do not
use thin CA glue because it can cloud the plastic.
Apply a thin bead of glue around the edge of the window and
press the window in place from the inside of the fuselage. Don’t
use too much glue or it may ooze out onto the outside surface of
the window. Use a few small pieces of low tack tape to hold the
window in place until the glue dries.
RECEIVER BATTERY PACK
17
INSTALL SIDE WINDOWS