Great Planes GPMA16 User Manual

WARRANTY

Great Planes

®

Model Manufacturing Co. guarantees this kit to be free from defects in both material and workmanship at the date of
purchase. This warranty does not cover any component parts damaged by use or modification. In no case shall Great Planes’ liability
exceed the original cost of the purchased kit. Further, Great Planes reserves the right to change or modify this warranty

without notice.

In that Great Planes has no control over the final assembly or material used for final assembly, no liability shall be assumed nor
accepted for any damage resulting from the use by the user of the final user-assembled product. By the act of using the
user-assembled product, the user accepts all resulting liability.

If the buyer is not prepared to accept the liability associated with the use of this product, the buyer is advised to return this
kit immediately in new and unused condition to the place of purchase.

While this kit has been flight tested to exceed normal use, if the plane will be used for extremely high stress flying, the modeler is
responsible for taking steps to reinforce the high stress points.

READ THROUGH THIS MANUAL BEFORE
STARTING CONSTRUCTION. IT CONTAINS
IMPORTANT WARNINGS AND INSTRUCTIONS
CONCERNING THE ASSEMBLY AND USE OF
THIS MODEL.

GPMZ0229 for GPMA16** V1.0© Copyright 2000

P.O. Box 788 Urbana, IL 61803 [phone]

INSTRUCTION MANUAL

Wing Span - 78.5 in
Wing Area - 676 sq in
Weight - 2 lbs
Wing Loading - 7 oz/sq ft
Fuse Length - 39 in

Important Safety Precaution......................................................2

Introduction.................................................................................2

Precautions .................................................................................2

Preparations................................................................................2

Building Supplies and Tools ..................................................2

General Inspection ................................................................3

Replacement Parts .....................................................................3

Assembly.....................................................................................3

Optional Spoilers ........................................................................4

Radio Settings.............................................................................5

Balance The Model .....................................................................5

Checking For Warps...................................................................5

Preflight .......................................................................................5

Charge the Batteries .............................................................5

Find a Safe Place to Fly ........................................................5

Range Check Your Radio ......................................................6

AMA Safety Code (excerpt)........................................................6

General..................................................................................6

Radio Control.........................................................................6

Flying ...........................................................................................6

Trim Flights............................................................................6

Your First Hi-Start Launch .....................................................6

First Flights ............................................................................7

Thermal Flying.......................................................................7

Facts About Thermals............................................................7

Thermal Soaring ....................................................................7

Pointers For Contest Flying ......................................................8

Ballasting.....................................................................................8

Your Spirit Select is not a toy, but rather a sophisticated, working
model that functions very much like a full-size sailplane. Because
of its realistic performance, the Spirit Select, if not assembled and
operated correctly, could possibly cause injury to yourself or
spectators and damage property.

We recommend you get experienced, knowledgeable help from an
instructor during your first flights. You’ll learn faster and avoid
risking your model before you’re ready to solo. Your local hobby
shop has information about flying clubs in your area whose
membership includes qualified instructors.

You can also contact the national Academy of Model Aeronautics
(AMA), which has more than 2,500 chartered clubs across the
country. Through any one of them, instructor training programs and
insured newcomer training are available. Contact the AMA at the
address or toll-free phone number below:

Academy of Model Aeronautics

5151 East Memorial Drive

Muncie, IN 47302-9252

Tele. [phone]

Fax [phone]

Or via the Internet at:

http://www.modelaircraft.org

The Spirit Select is a very stable and predictable aircraft, allowing
pilots of differing skill levels to enjoy it.

The Spirit Select is easy to assemble, flies great, and would be a
great selection as your first R/C airplane.

1. You must assemble the model according to the instructions. Do
not alter or modify the model, as doing so may result in an unsafe
or unflyable model. In a few cases the instructions may differ
slightly from the photos. In those instances the written instructions
should be considered correct.

2. You must make sure the R/C radio system and other
components in the model operate properly on the ground and in
the air.

3. You must test the operation of the model before every flight to
insure that all equipment is operating and you must make certain
that the model has remained structurally sound. Be sure to check
clevises or other connectors often and replace them if they show
signs of wear or fatigue.

Remember: Take your time and follow directions to end up
with a well-built model that is straight and true.

Please inspect

all parts carefully before starting to build!

YOU CAN CONTACT US...

If any parts are missing, broken or defective, or if you have
any questions about building or flying this airplane, please
call us at [phone]. You can also check our web site at
www.greatplanes.com for the latest Spirit Select updates, or
e-mail your questions to:

[e-mail].

If you are calling for replacement parts, please

reference the

part numbers and have them ready when calling.

These are the only building tools that are required.

❏ Small Phillips Screwdriver
❏ Pliers

Building Supplies & Tools

PREPARATIONS

Note: We, as the kit manufacturer, provide you with a top
quality kit and great instructions, but ultimately the quality of
your finished model depends on how you build it; therefore,
we cannot in any way guarantee the performance of your
completed model, and no representations are expressed or
implied as to the performance or safety of your completed
model.

PRECAUTIONS

INTRODUCTION

PROTECT YOUR MODEL,YOURSELF

& OTHERS...FOLLOW THIS

IMPORTANT SAFETY PRECAUTION

TABLE OF CONTENTS

2

Remove the fuselage, wing panels, and stabilizer assembly from
their bags. Inspect all items closely to check for any damage. If any
damage is found, contact the place where your Spirit Select was
purchased, or Hobby Services, to obtain a replacement for your
damaged items.

Your Spirit Select is covered using Top Flite

®

MonoKote® covering.
Eliminate any wrinkles you find in the covering by shrinking them
away with a heat gun. Then, apply pressure to the area with a

covering
iron and a hot sock. This will securely bond the covering to the
wood so the wrinkles will be less likely to reappear in the future.

If needed, replacement parts for your Spirit Select are

available

through your hobby supplier.

Wing Kit .......................................................................GPMA2176

Fuselage Kit.................................................................GPMA2177

Tail Set .........................................................................GPMA2178

Canopy Set ..................................................................GPMA2179

❏

1. Check the fit of the wing joiner in the wing panels.

Remove any
excess material from the joiner to allow the panels to fit together.
The joiner does not have to be glued into the wing. This will allow
the wing panels to be separated for easier transportation.

❏ 2. Find and open the holes in the stabilizer covering for the

attachment screws. Attach the stabilizer to the fuselage using two
2mm x 15mm screws, two 2mm nuts and four 2mm washers.

Use thread lock on the nuts to prevent loosening. Note: The fin and
rudder have been removed for clarity in the photo above.

❏ 3. Attach the clevis in the second hole from the outside of the

control horn. Trim the opening at the rear of the fuselage as
necessary to allow the pushrod to move freely.

❏

4.

For contest flying you may want to move the tow hook to the

rear hole as it can help achieve a higher launch but be careful as
the sailplane will be more apt to “Pop-Off” the line.

Note: A piece of self-adhesive foam rubber weather

stripping can be
applied to the front of the fuselage bottom to help protect it from
getting nicked up during landings.

ASSEMBLY

REPLACEMENT PARTS

General Inspection

3