EXTREME FLIGHT Edge 540T 85 User guide

85"

EDGE 540T 50cc ARF

Assembly Manual

Copyright 2020 Extreme Flight RC

1

Congratulations on your purchase of the Extreme Flight RC 85" Edge 540T ARF! Purpose built for the
multitude of 50-60cc engines on the market, this brand new airframe is the perfect complement to these
venerable power plants that have been neglected for far too long. Our design team started with a very
specific goal with careful consideration of weight, wing area and performance parameters to make sure
we delivered the ultimate light weight 50cc performance machine. We are happy to report that our lofty
goals for this airframe were not only met but exceeded!

The ultimate low and slow 3D machine, the 85" Edge also excels in XA and precision flight regimes.
With reduced control surface throws the Edge is a big pussycat and makes a great sport flyer. Crank up
the rates and prepare to be amazed by the truly unlimited potential of this airframe!

The 85" Edge 540T is loaded with features including advanced use of composites for a super strong,
rigid, yet light weight airframe, carbon fiber wing spars, main gear, tailwheel assembly, wing and stab
tubes. It features a 2 piece removable wing and stab with new quick release mechanisms to allow speedy
setup and break down at the flying field. The Edge 540T is available in 2 high visibility Oracover color
schemes with high contrast bottom colors and a pro quality hardware package including genuine Dubro
ball links. Elevators and ailerons are pre-hinged and hinge lines are sealed with Oracover, facilitating a
quick assembly. Experienced modelers should be able to finish assembly in a couple evenings of relaxed
shop time.

2

Please take a few moments to read this instruction manual before beginning assembly. We have outlined
a fast, clear and easy method to assemble this aircraft and familiarizing yourself with this process will aid
in a quick, easy build.

Please read the following paragraph before beginning assembly
of your aircraft!

THIS IS NOT A TOY! Serious injury, destruction of property, or even death may result from the

misuse of this product. Extreme Flight RC is providing you, the consumer with a very high quality model
aircraft component kit, from which you, the consumer, will assemble a flying model. It is beyond our
control to monitor the finished aircraft you produce. Extreme Flight RC will in no way accept or assume
responsibility or liability for damages resulting from the use of this user assembled product. This aircraft
should be flown in accordance to the AMA safety code. It is highly recommended that you join the
Academy of Model Aeronautics in order to be properly insured, and to operate your model at AMA
sanctioned flying fields only. If you are not willing to accept ALL
please return it to the place of purchase immediately.

Extreme Flight RC, Ltd. guarantees this kit to be free of defects in materials and workmanship for a
period of 30 DAYS from the date of purchase. All warranty claims must be accompanied by the original
dated receipt. This warranty is extended to the original purchaser of the aircraft kit only.
Extreme Flight RC in no way warranties its aircraft against flutter. We have put these aircraft through
the most grueling flight tests imaginable and have not experienced any control surface flutter. Proper
servo selection and linkage set-up is absolutely essential. Inadequate servos or improper linkage set up
may result in flutter and possibly the complete destruction of your aircraft. If you are not experienced in
this type of linkage set-up or have questions regarding servo choices, please contact us at
[email protected] or 770-887-1794. It is your
model.

responsibility to ensure the airworthiness of your

liability for the use of this product,

3

A few tips to ensure success

1. We are very pleased with the level of craftsmanship displayed by the builders in our factory. Through
hundreds of grueling test flights containing maneuvers that no aircraft should be subjected to, our
prototypes have remained rigid and completely airworthy. Having said that, it is impossible for us to
inspect every glue joint in the aircraft. Take a few minutes and apply some CA to high stress areas
such as the aileron servo mounting trays
ribs, etc.

2. Having survived the journey half way around the world while experiencing several climate changes, it
is not uncommon for a few wrinkles to develop in the covering. Fear not! These are not manufacturing
defects, and are easily removed with a little bit of heat. Use a sealing iron to go over all seams, stripes
and sharp points in the covering scheme. You may want to apply a drop of clear fingernail polish at
the tip of all sharp points to prevent them from lifting. To remove wrinkles use a 100% cotton tee­shirt or microfiber cloth and your heat gun and heat the covering while gently rubbing the covering
onto the wood with the t-shirt or cloth. Be careful not to use too much heat as the covering may shrink
too much and begin to lift at the edges. Take your time, and a beautiful, paint like finish is attainable.

3. By the time your aircraft arrives at your door step it will have been handled by a lot of people.
Occasionally there are small dings or imperfections on some of the surfaces. An effective method to
restore these imperfections to original condition is to use a very fine tipped hypodermic needle to
inject a drop of water under the covering material and into the ding in the wood. Apply heat to the
area with a sealing iron and the imperfection will disappear. Deeper marks may require that this
process be repeated a couple of times to achieve the desired result, but you will be surprised at how
well this technique works.

4. DO NOT SKIMP ON SERVOS!
well over 45 degrees. A lot of servo power is required to prevent flutter and to maintain the required
deflection for maneuvers. We absolutely recommend the use of METAL GEARED servos with a
minimum

5. Use a high quality epoxy for installing the composite control horns. We highly recommend the use of
Pacer Z-Poxy 30 minute formula. We have used this glue for many years with zero failures.

6. You may want to add a bead of RC-56 Canopy glue to the intersection of the canopy/hatch and its
wood frame for additional strength and resistance to vibration. DO NOT USE CA here as it will fog
the canopy.

7. Your aircraft is built using very modern construction techniques and is very light weight for its size.
As with any high performance machine, regular inspection and maintenance is a must
disassembling your aircraft after a flying session, pay close attention and inspect glue joints, linkages
and loose covering to be sure the airframe is sound. A few minutes spent doing this will help ensure
airframe longevity.

8. Be sure to put a drop of blue Loctite thread lock on every bolt on this aircraft! Failure to do so may
cost you your aircraft! This includes servo arm screws!

9. The basic assembly process of the Extra is very similar to that of our previously released 50cc and
100cc aircraft. Some of the photos in this manual may be taken from a previous aircraft release if we
determined that the assembly step was illustrated more clearly in these photos.

If repairs become necessary the Ultracote colors used are as follows:

White/Red/Black/Charcoal/Silver color scheme: True Red-#HANU866, White-# HANU870, Pearl

Charcoal-#HANU846, Silver-#HANU881, Black-#HANU874

Bright Yellow/Deep Blue/Silver/Midnight Blue/Cub Yellow color scheme

Midnight Blue- # HANU885, Silver-#HANU881, Bright Yellow-#HANU872, Deep Blue-#HANU873

of 400 oz. inches of torque.

Your aircraft is equipped with very large control surfaces that deflect

, landing gear mount, anti rotation pins, wing and stab root

. While

: Cub Yellow-#HANU884

4

Since the 85" Edge 540T (and most of our other giant scale models) now come pre-hinged and the hinge
gaps sealed, the most time consuming task of the assembly process has been eliminated. This leaves a
very minimal amount of gluing for the assembler, which consists of installing the composite control horns
in the ailerons, elevators and rudder, with only the rudder hinges needing to be glued. For this reason we
recommend that you spend the first hour or so of assembly completing this task. After this has been
completed the rest of the assembly process consists of installing components into and onto the airframe.

1. Locate the proper control horns and base plates for each flying surface. Place the 2 control horns into
the baseplate and carefully insert them into the pre-cut slots in the control surface. Use a fine tipped felt
marker to trace around the baseplate.

2. Remove the horn assembly and use your #11 blade to remove the covering from inside the ink line that
you traced around the control horn base. Wipe away the ink line with a paper towel soaked in denatured
alcohol.

5

3. Scuff the portion of the horns that will be inserted into the elevator with sandpaper.

4. Locate your epoxy, mixing cup, an old pushrod to stir with and a length of nylon cable tie to apply the
epoxy. We have used Pacer 30 minute Z-poxy for over 2 decades with excellent results and zero bond
failures and we highly recommend this product.

6

5. Mix a generous batch of epoxy being careful to use equal parts resin and hardener.

6. Use the nylon cable tie to apply epoxy to the slots and thoroughly coat the control horns on both sides
of each horn.

7

7. Insert the control horns into the slots and ensure that the horns are properly seated against the base
plate and the base plate is flush against the control surface.

8

8. Wipe away the excess epoxy with a paper towel soaked in denatured alcohol, making sure to do a good
job of cleaning the area. Insert a 3mm bolt and ball link into position and confirm proper alignment
before the epoxy sets.

9

9. Repeat this process for the other stab half, the aileron control horns and the rudder control horns.
***PLEASE NOTE*** pull-pull rudder actuation with the rudder servo mounted in the rudder tray
under the canopy is recommended for lightweight 50cc engines in order to achieve proper balance. If
using a heavier 60cc or electric motor setup with large 12S LiPo batteries the rudder servo may be
mounted in the rear of the fuselage. This decision will determine whether you use a single control horn
set for push-pull rudder actuation or a dual horn setup for pull-pull. Be sure to use the included plywood
jig to make sure the rudder control horns are properly aligned while the epoxy sets.

10

11

10. Assemble and install the servo mounting grommets. Connect an EF 20 AWG servo extension to each
aileron servo lead (secure with heat shrink tubing or an EF Servo Safety Clip) and install the elevator
and aileron servos in their designated locations. We highly recommend using the Extreme Flight socket
head servo screws to mount your servos. The servo output spline of the elevator and aileron servos
should be oriented toward the front of the model.

11. Locate the linkage components from the hardware package and the recommended servo arms for
each surface. Thread a ball link onto each end of the provided turnbuckle pushrods. Install the linkages
for the elevators and ailerons as pictured using the provided 3mm fasteners. Be sure to use the small
conical spacers between the aluminum servo arm and ball link to prevent binding. For the elevator use
the 1.75" mounting hole on the 2" EF arm. For the ailerons use the 1.25" hole in the 1.5" EF arm. This
will ensure maximum mechanical advantage and best servo resolution.

12

Fuselage Assembly

12. We’ll begin by installing the landing gear. Locate the carbon fiber main landing gear,
4-4mm bolts, lock nuts and washers. Insert the gear into the slot on the bottom of the fuselage and center
it in the slot. Secure the landing gear with 4 4mm bolts, washers and nylon insert lock nuts by inserting
the bolts and washers through the carbon gear and the aluminum gear mounts inside the fuselage. Secure
with the 4mm nylon insert lock nuts.

13

13. The landing gear fairings add a nice scale touch to the aircraft. Slide the fairing onto the gear and
up against the fuselage. Secure the fairing to the gear with "Goop" silicon glue. Use blue painters tape to
secure the fairings until the adhesive sets.

14. Locate the 2 axles, 2 locking nuts, 2 wheels, 4 wheel collars, 2 outer pant supports and plywood
spacers and 2 wheel pants from the hardware package. Place the threaded portion of the axle through
the hole in the landing gear, place a washer onto the axle and secure the axle with a locking nut.

14

15. Use your rotary tool and a grinding bit or a file to create a flat spot on the axle for the wheel collar

and wheel pant support set screws to seat against. Attach the aluminum axle support to the plywood
spacer with the provided wood screws.

16. slide a wheel collar onto the axle followed by the wheel and then the wheel pant support. Push the
wheel pant support as far as possible onto the axle and tighten the set screw, then adjust the wheel collar
position to properly position the wheel on the axle as shown.

15

17. Slide the wheel pants into position and secure with 2 3mm bolts and washers inserted through the
carbon gear and into the blind nuts in the wheel pants. Be sure to use thread lock on the bolts! Pull the
pant back from the plywood support block and run a bead of Epoxy on the plywood surface to adhere the
block to the wheel pant wall. This adds an enormous amount of strength and rigidity to the wheel pant.

16

18. Next let’s install the rudder onto the fuselage. Glue the hinges into the rudder first with epoxy and
allow to cure. Use a pushrod to apply epoxy to the holes in the rudder post and push the rudder into
position and wipe away any excess epoxy with a paper towel and denatured alcohol.

19. Drill a hole in the bottom of the rudder 3 inches back from the front of the bevel to accept the ball
link for the tiller arm. Secure the ball link with epoxy. When dry slide the tiller arm into the hole in the
ball link and secure the tailwheel assembly to the fuse with the provided 3mm bolts. Again, be sure to use
blue thread lock on all bolts!

20. Next let’s install the engine. We have made this process very easy. If using a DA-50, DA-60, GP-61 or
DLE-61 there are drill marks laser scribed on the face of the firewall (Please note, the DLE-61 mounting
pattern is slightly different than the DLE-55). If using another engine or electric motor simply download
a template from their website and tape it in place over the centering marks that have been laser scribed
into the front of the firewall. Drill at the location of the mounting holes. For best results I always use a
pointed reamer to accurately mark the center of the holes then start drilling with a 1/16" bit and continue
with progressively larger bits until I achieve the correct hole diameter. This ensures that the hole is
accurately drilled in the correct location and makes a much neater hole in the plywood.

17

18

21. The distance from the front face of the motor box to the motor drive washer is 172mm or 6.8 inches
(this is the length of the DLE-61, the longest of the engines recommended). Because the DA-50 is the
recommended motor we have included a set of machined aluminum standoffs to be used in conjunction
with the stock 2.5" standoffs included with the DA-50 to achieve the proper spacing.

22. The following photos show the GP-61 and Xpwr 40 mounted on an 85" airframe. We used a Blazing
Star DA-60 mount for the GP-61 (they share the same mounting pattern) and the full length Blazing Star
XXL Standoff Set to achieve the proper spacing with the Xpwr 40. You may notice we used a hacksaw to
remove 1" from the muffler downpipe to make fitting the cowl easier.

19

***Please note that we removed the laser scribed panels in the F1 former in our electric powered
airframe to allow cooling air to reach the batteries***

23. There is a hole in the bottom of the motorbox to mount your throttle servo. This location corresponds
to the throttle arm on most single cylinder engines provides a straight shot from the servo arm to the
throttle arm. Some engine makes may require a different location. If using the DA-50 mount the servo
in the provided location and fabricate the throttle linkage from the provided components.

20

24. If using an electric motor we recommend mounting the ESC to the bottom of the motorbox either
with screws, nylon cable ties or Velcro straps.

25. If using a lightweight 50cc engine like the DA-50 mount your rudder servo in the servo tray under
the canopy using the manufacturer supplied mounting hardware. For proper geometry use the Extreme
Flight 3” pull-pull rudder arm with the cables crossed. Assemble the pull-pull cable linkage as shown by
inserting the end of the pull-pull cable into one of the aluminum crimp tubes. Insert the cable through
the hole in the brass fitting and back through the crimp tube. Loop the cable one more time through the
crimp tube and pull it tight. Use a crimping tool or set of side cutters to carefully crimp the tube in
multiple places, taking care not to cut through the crimp tube and cable. Repeat this for the other 3 cable
ends and install onto the servo arm and control horns using the provided 3mm hardware.

21

22

26. If using a 60cc engine or large electric motor with high capacity LiPo batteries mount the rudder
servo in the provided location in the rear of the fuselage with the output spline mounted toward the rear
of the aircraft. You will need to mount your rudder linkage to the interior side of the servo arm for
sufficient clearance as shown. A 1.5 inch servo arm will provide full rudder deflection with travel control
turned up in your transmitter menu.

23

27. If you plan to keep your stabs attached to the fuselage during transport then a 36" 20 Awg servo
extension is long enough. If you plan to remove the stabs you will need to use a 48" extension. Secure the
extension to the elevator servo lead with an EF Servo Safety Clip or heat shrink tubing.

28. The 85" Edge uses a new quick mount system that allows the stab/elevator assembly to be installed or
removed quickly with no tools required. The thumb screws ride on a sliding carriage system which when
moved to the forward position allow the stabs to be slid into place. The bolts are then pushed rearward
into position and tightened. The front thumbscrew has an O ring that fits into a recess in the forward
mounting tab. This prevents the carriage from sliding forward when the thumbscrew is tightened. To
remove simply loosen the rear thumb screw a couple turns to clear the tab. The forward thumbscrew
will require a few more turns so that the O ring clears the forward tab.

24

29. If using a 50-60cc gas engine install a Flowmaster 17 ounce tank onto the tank tray and plumb with
EF Flowmaster Blue Fuel Line. There is a laser cut opening to accept an EF Fuel Dot as well. The
following picture shows the location of our tank, batteries and receiver which provided the ideal center of
gravity.

30. Mount your ignition to the interior side of the motor box lid and secure the lid with 4 screws. Next
use a rotary tool to cut the cowl to clear the cylinder head, mufflers and make an air exit. Take a minute
to add some thick CA or Epoxy to the intersection of the cowl and plywood cowl ring.

25

31. There is a set of clear plastic baffles included to be used for electric setups to direct air over the
motor. Cut and trim the baffles and glue to the cowl inlets with Goop or medium CA.

32. Secure the cowl to the fuselage by inserting a 3mm bolt through the bottom of the cowl and into the
blind nut in the lower fuselage along with 2 3mm bolts inserted through the F1 former and into the blind
nuts in the cowl. Use blue thread lock on all 3 bolts! The factory has included an assortment of rubber
grommets that you can use to prevent your fuel line from getting chafed. You can see in this photo we
used a couple of them for the fuel tubing and the throttle servo lead. There are also 2 large grommets for
the hole on the side of the motor box where your ignition spark plug wire will exit.

26

27

33. Install your choice of prop (if using the DA-50 we highly recommend the Falcon 23x8 Carbon Fiber
prop) and Extreme Flight 4" carbon fiber spinner. We have spinners available that are painted to match
these color schemes.

34. Install your switches (there are suggested switch mounting locations laser scribed in the fuselage
sides visible from the interior of the fuselage), batteries and receiver. In our prototype flown with the
GP-61 we mounted our batteries on either side of the fuel tank for correct balance. We used Pulse
receiver batteries, 2S 2550mah for ignition and 3600mah for servos/receiver.

35. The wings are attached to the fuselage using a brand new quick mount lever system. There is a steel
stud mounted in the root of the wing. The wing is slid onto the carbon fiber wing tube and against the
fuselage side and the lever inside the fuselage is pushed into place, capturing the stud. This is a very
secure system that allows fast assembly and disassembly of your model at the flying field.

28

36. Included with your Edge are a set of Side Force Generators (SFGs) along with 2 clear spacers to be
installed between the SFGs and wing tip to prevent them from interfering with aileron movement. They
are to be installed using the supplied white thumb screws threaded through the holes in the SFG, through
the clear spacer and into the pre-installed blind nuts in the wing tip.

37. The canopy is attached to the fuselage using the 2 spring loaded latches in the rear of the canopy and
two of our new Carbon Lock canopy latches in the middle of the canopy. Apply slight down pressure to
the canopy when engaging the Carbon Lock canopy latches.

This completes the assembly of the 85" Edge 540T. As a final step clean the entire aircraft with glass
cleaner, apply your choice of graphics, then apply a coat of spray-on wax and buff the finish to a high
gloss with a micro fiber cloth. My favorite product for this is Eagle One Wet Wax AS-U-DRY, available
in the automotive section of most Wal-Marts, K-marts, Sears, Targets, etc. People often ask me at trade
shows how I get the planes to look so shiny, this is my method.

Set-up and trimming

Besides basic assembly, this is the most important part of preparing your airplane for flight. It can also
be the most time consuming, but once your plane is properly dialed in you will agree it was time well
spent.
The range for the center of gravity begins at 6 inches from the leading edge of the wing measured at the
root and extends back .75"
One of the best ways to fine tune the CG for your aircraft is the 45 degree line test. Fly the aircraft in
front of you from left to right (or right to left if you prefer) at full throttle. Pull the aircraft into a 45
degree up line and establish this line. Roll the aircraft inverted, neutralize the elevator and pay close
attention to what the plane does. Ideally the plane will continue on this line for several hundred feet
before it starts to slowly level off. If the airplane immediately drops the nose and dives toward the ground
it is nose heavy. If it begins to climb inverted toward the gear it is tail heavy. There is no need to have the
Edge excessively tail heavy to perform 3D maneuvers.

29

Control surface throws

I highly recommend that you purchase a throw meter that measures in degrees. There are several units
available commercially. These units are a great aid in set-up and definitely beat the “that looks about
right” method. For any type of precision flying, surfaces that travel equal distances are a must. The
following control surface travels are what I use on my own Edge. These are a good starting point, but are
by no means the only way to set up the Edge. Start here and then adjust to fit your own preferences and
style of flying.

Elevator: 10-12 degrees low rate, 18-20% exponential
all you can get for high rate, 50-60% exponential

Aileron: 18-20 degrees low rate, 30-40% exponential
all you can get for high rate, 50-60% exponential

Rudder: 20 degrees low rate, 50% exponential
all you can get for high rate, 60-70% exponential.

Again, this is just a starting point. Adjust to your liking.
Thanks again for your purchase of the Extreme Flight RC 85" Edge 540T
ARF. I hope you enjoy assembling and flying yours as much as I have mine.
See you at the flying field!
Chris Hinson
Extreme Flight RC

30