Flying Thingz Flag Ship 40 Construction Manual

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Flying Thingz

Flag Ship 40

Kit# FT3012

A Sport Scale Flying Flag

Made In The USA!

About This Construction Manual

This booklet divides the construction into sub-assemblies; wing, fuselage, etc. Please read each section carefully before starting on that particular subassembly. There is a complete description of all parts under “Kit Contents” Please check to make sure your kit is complete. We are human, and occasionally miss something! If you have trouble identifying a part, or are missing something, please contact us and we can help.

During the construction process the steps will outline what part to use. We have used actual pictures instead of unclear or often inaccurate illustrations to assist in the building process. This manual was intended for English users, and all measurements are made in standard units. (Inch, foot, etc.) This manual was intended to be used alongside of the plans. Please refer to the plans if any step is unclear.

Customer Service

Should you experience a problem building or flying this kit, we recommend you see your dealer first. If you are unable to solve the problem, feel free to call or write:

Flying Thingz

2075 Grandview St.

Oceanside, CA 92054

[email protected] or online at www.flyingthingz.com

This product is sold with exclusion of all warrantees, expressed or implied, statutory or otherwise.

Pilot assumes all risk in building and operating this model. Refer to and abide by AMA rules at www.modelaviation.com for regulations on Radio

Control Models.

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Kit Contents

Part No.

QTY.

Dimensions

Description

9654 2 Laser Cut 1/8” balsa

Balsa fuselage sides

9655 1 ½” x 36” balsa triangle

Fuse and bar reinforcement

9658

4” x 1/16” x 36” balsa

Bottom fuse sheeting

9660

12” x 24” x 1/8” ply

Laser Cut Construction set

9659

Laser Cut 1/8” balsa

Fuselage hatch and sheeting

9661

¼” x ¼” x 36” balsa

Hatch reinforcement

9662

Metal

5/32” Nose Gear

9663

Metal

Pre-bent 5/32” Wire Main Gears

9664

4-40 bolt

1- hatch mount

9671

4-40 blind nuts

1- hatch mount

9691

Laser Cut Ply

Control horns

9694

1.5# CNC Cut Foam

CNC cut foam wing; elevons

9674

Coroplast (corrugated plastic)

Uncle Sam

9675

Paper

Full Color Construction manual (Your Reading It ) 9684

36” x 48” Paper

Full size plan sheet

9690 1 Laser Cut 1/8” balsa

Balsa fuselage sides

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Additional items you will need to build a flyable R/C Mower

This is a list of parts used on the Sky Cutter prototype. Consult your hobby shop or our website at

www.flyingthingz.com for these additional items.

□ 3- 2 ½” wheels

□ Engine- .40-.53 2c or .45-

.72 4c

□ 4- Pushrods (Nyrods work)

□ Motor Mount

□ 6- 5/32” wheel collars

□ 8 oz fuel tank □ 2’ medium fuel tubing

□ Foam rubber

□ 2” spinner □ Prop- suitable for engine

□ Covering material (low

temp)

□ 4 Ch radio with elevon

mixing

□ Fiber Tape

□ Clear Packing Tape

Tools and materials you will need

□ Instant CA (superglue). Used

to instantly bond parts

□ #80; #120; #400 sand paper

□ Steel straight edge

□ Slow CA (superglue) Used to

bond parts that need to be moved for alignment

□ Hobby Knife and extra blades

□ Tack Rag

Note: CA’s come in many grades, and some are not compatible for foam, balsa and ply woods.

□ Black Sharpie and Pen

□ Wire cutters and needle nose

pliers

□ Epoxy and resin glue

□ Assorted screwdrivers

□ Paper towels □ CA Accelerator Used to

accelerate or instantly harden CA (superglue).

□ Building pins

□ Scissors

□ Alphaic Resin glue (white

glue)

□ Razor saw

□ Sanding blocks

□ Small building square

□ Masking tape

□ Epoxy or Polyurethane

Paints

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Construction

Fuselage Construction

□ Begin by setting the

two fuselage sides across from each other. This way you will have a left and right side. (Reference the plans as to which side to glue the lower wing saddle to!)

□ REMEMBER TO MAKE

2 OPPOSITE SIDES! Using medium CA, glue the LASER cut plywood fuselage sides to the balsa fuselage sides. Use the top and the front of the balsa fuselage for alignment. (Again, check the plans as to what side the ply wood doublers face!)

□ Glue F1 and F2 onto

ONE side of the fuselage. Use a square to get them perfectly vertical. We will join the other side to these in a couple minutes.

□ Set the fuselage

upside-down, and glue the other half of the fuselage side to F1, F2, and the servo tray.

□ Next add the forward

servo tray to it’s location in front of F2.

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□ Now you will add the

forward hatch bolt plate to the notch in the fuse side behind F2

□ Using the rear servo

tray as a spacer, sheet the rear of the fuselage with the small laser cut 1/8” balsa. DO NOT glue the servo tray at this time.

□ With the fuselage still

UPSIDE DOWN, glue in the rear servo tray. Use a 1” block underneath to support and space the rear servo tray. (DO NOT glue the block) Add a few pieces of triangle stock on the bottom to support the tray.

□ Set the1/8” balsa hatch

under the fuselage and glue your ¼”x¼” stick hatch support rails between F1 and F2. Glue only to the hatch, DO NOT let glue get on the fuselage body.

□ Glue the 1” x ¼” balsa

rear into the notch in the fuselage. Sand flush with fuselage sides.

□ Create a tongue for the

rear part of the hatch with a piece of ¼” x 1” balsa and a 1/8” ply scrap. The ¼”x1” balsa should fit snugly between the two fuselage sides.

□ Glue on the 1/8” ply

lower fuselage plate between the wing saddles.

□ Trim the excess hatch

to be flush with the fuselage and sand smooth.

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□ Using the 1/16”x4”

balsa, sheet the bottom of the fuselage cross grain. Sand the edges flush.

□ Add the ½” tri stock to

the back of F-1

□ Do a final sanding, and

set aside till later.

Wing Construction

□ Sand the entire wing

lightly to remove any roughness left from the CNC cutting process.

□ Place the center cut out

on the wing next to the fuse so there is ¾” from the back of the cut out to the front of the TE.

□ Mark a line on the foam

that matches that of the rear of the fuse.

□ Cut on your line to

make the filler for the aft wing.

□ Place filler in cut out.

There will be a small overhang at the TE. Cut this off flush with the TE. (We do it this way to account for the loss of foam from the cutting process.)

□ Sand the foam filler

smooth, and glue into place. You should have a nice, even fit. Fill any gaps with filler.

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□ Mark the center of the

wing at the trailing edge for Uncle Sam. Use a square to get it perfect. This is important!

□ Cut a 3/16” wide slot for

Uncle Sam to fit into. The slot goes all the way through the wing. A table saw makes this easy, but a sharp knife or a Dremel tool works well also.

□ Stack the laser cut gear

blocks in the order shown to the left. (Notched block is in center)

□ Use Epoxy to assemble

the layers. Clamp in a vise until dry. After dry, sand edges flush, then use a 5/32 drill bit to enlarge the gear slot.

□ Flip the wing over and

reference the plans for the locations of the landing gear blocks. Trace the outline of the blocks onto the wing. Using a Dremel tool or razor blade, make a channel that matches the gear blocks. (MAKE SURE YOU CUT THE SLOT ON THE BOTTOM OF THE WING!)

□ Using Epoxy, glue in

the gear blocks. Use plenty epoxy to get a good bond! (DO NOT USE CA’s ON FOAM)

□ Sand the gear block

area smooth.

Elevons

□ We have already cut

the Elevons from foam, sand if necessary to remove cutting residue. Cut the 24” elevon in half for each side if the wing.

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□ Use your drill, saw or

Dremel to cut a 2” long slot for the laser cut aileron control horn. The slot is 1” from the end of the aileron. Wait until after covering to glue the plywood control horn into place.

Make Covering Easier!

We supply a special covering that is super easy to use, needs no iron, lasts and is fuel proof. It is also lighter than the other coverings. We use this on all our planes and have great results. The Computer cut covering sets are available for the USA, JAPAN, and ENGLAND flags. You can order online at FlyingThingz.com

Covering

Wing:

□ Before covering the

foam, spray it with a light coat of 3-M Super 77 spray adhesive. Let it sit for 10 minutes! (This lets the solvents evaporate so they are not trapped under the covering) Cover the wing bottom first. The seam will go straight down the center. Leave the rest to wrap around the edges.

(HINT: Use a few strips of

fiber reinforced strapping tape across the length of the LE for added durability from bumps)

□ Use the same

technique on the top; go LE to TE. Fold access over the tips and trim center section for a ½” overlap. Cover the wing tips last.

□ Carefully position the

blue stars section on the leading edge of the Right wing. Use care to push out any bubbles. A light misting of water before applying the blue will help placement.

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□ Carefully trim the blue

along the fuselage cut out. SAVE THIS PIECE!!! Set it aside on a piece of nonstick backing.

□ Cover the fuselage with

the white covering. Use a heat gun to help pull around the corners for a smooth finish. When finished, remove the covering that will be hidden in the wing center section. This will allow for a good glue joint.

□ FIRST slide the fuse

into place and apply the rest of the stars to the top of the fuselage. Use blue covering to fill in the rear and right side of the fuselage. LAST apply the red stripes in the order shown on the plans.

Elevons:

□ Use the same

technique as the wing to cover the elevons in white. Align the elevons on the wing, and then apply the red strips to match the wing.

Uncle Sam

□ Using the plans as a

drawing reference, give uncle same his looks with a black sharpie marker. Use paint or some scrap covering for the stripes on his hat.

□ Remove only the

covering on the TOP OF THE WING over the Uncle Sam mounting slot. Using 5 min. epoxy, glue him in place. Use a square to keep him vertical.

Final Assembly

Remove any covering where the fuse and wing will be glued

Using epoxy, glue the fuse into the wing cradle,

making sure it is in the correct position and seated both front and back. Use some white alphaic resin glue to fill in the fuselage and wing joint. This will keep out the fuel and will dry clear. Fit the main gear into place. Secure the landing gear with the supplied gear straps and screws. The gear is designed to break the straps before damaging the wing!

Mount the nose gear to the fire wall. Make sure to leave enough room for your engine and

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mounts. We like the engine mounts with a gear hole built in. Hinge the elevons using packing tape. Put a layer of 2” tape across the top of the hinge, then flip over the elevon, and do a layer on the bottom. Use extra covering material to cover the hinge if desired. Use epoxy to glue the control horns into the elevons at this time. (see plans for diagram) If you desire the optional air rudder for improved cross wind handling and aerobatics, cut ONE SIDE of a flute on Uncle Sam-- at the back of his neck, extending to the top of the hat. Attach the rudder to the nose gear servo with a pushrod. You will need 1 large nylon control horn for this option. You may also consider adding a 3/16 dowel or carbon rod vertically down through Uncle Sam for increased stiffness in aerobatic maneuvers. You can also use string flying wires to add rigidity. Add your radio gear to the servo trays. The rear servo tray has a receiver section to rubber band to. Run the receiver antenna out the rear of the plane, and tape down between the elevons. DO NOT cut the excess wire, let it dangle. Bolt on your engine to the engine mount before mounting to set the spacing (if using a 2 piece mount) Then drill and bolt the engine and mount to the front of F-1. Place your fuel tank behind F-1 and run fuel and vent lines to the engine through F-1 Use threaded end pushrods for your controls. Connect all surfaces to the servos securely, and test for free movement. Make sure to use a sleeve on the outside to eliminate any flexing.

Add your wheels and wheel collars to the main

and nose gear. Make sure that you airplane is sitting at a slightly nose up attitude on the gear. This will help the plane rotate for takeoff. Do a final check over all parts and electronics to make sure all is correct. And don’t forget to take a picture now!

Flying

Do the standard range checks, and make sure your controls are moving in the right directions, including the nose wheel and throttle. Double check your CG! Get used to the taxi and show off your new toy to all those watching! When you are ready to take off, advance throttle SLOWLY, you don’t want it to torque around on you. Since we have no air rudder, if you are in a crosswind, uses down elevator to keep the nose wheel on the ground until you are ready to rotate for take off. When you are up to flying speed, gently ease off the down, and slowly pull back. It is responsive, and needs no extra help finding its home in the clouds! Get used to the way it flies up high, try a few stalls (it won’t do any thing crazy) and play around. When it’s time to land, set up normal, but keep on a little power until you are over the runway. With its low 1:1 aspect ratio, it is not the best glider out there. If you find your self in a power out situation, just keep the nose down to maintain speed. A little practice up high will make this kind of incident a snap. You will find it to be fun to fly and a real crowd pleaser! Have FUN and be safe!!

Don’t forget to send Pictures

and Comments to us!

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Flying Thingz

2075 Grandview St

Oceanside, CA 92054

[email protected] or online at www.flyingthingz.com