Great Planes GPMA1802 User Manual

SPECIFICATIONS

Wingspan:

Wing Area: 224 in

23 in
[585mm]

[14.4 dm2]

INSTRUCTION

MANUAL

Weight:

Length:

2

Wing

Loading:

32 oz [910 g]

30 in [760mm]

20.6 oz/ ft
[63 g/dm2]

2

Radio: 4-channel, elevon mixing,

2 micro servos

Motor,

ESC:

24-45-3790kV Ammo™,
35A ESC,
HyperFlow™ 56mm fan

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

READ THROUGH THIS MANUAL BEFORE STARTING CONSTRUCTION. IT CONTAINS IMPORTANT

INSTRUCTIONS AND WARNINGS CONCERNING THE ASSEMBLY AND USE OF THIS MODEL.

Entire Contents © 2012 Hobbico,® Inc. All rights reserved.

this kit immediately in new and unused condition to the
place of purchase.

To make a warranty claim send the defective part or item to
Hobby Services at the address below:

Hobby Services

3002 N. Apollo Dr. Suite 1

Champaign IL 61822 USA

Include a letter stating your name, return shipping address, as
much contact information as possible (daytime telephone
number, fax number, e-mail address), a detailed description of
the problem and a photocopy of the purchase receipt. Upon
receipt of the package the problem will be evaluated as quickly
as possible.

Champaign, Illinois

[phone], Ext 5

[e-mail]

GPMA1802 Mnl

TABLE OF CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

Academy of Model Aeronautics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

SAFETY PRECAUTIONS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

DECISIONS YOU MUST MAKE. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

Radio Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

Ducted Fan, Motor, Battery and ESC. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

Battery Charger . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

ADDITIONAL ITEMS REQUIRED . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

Adhesives and Building Supplies. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

KIT INSPECTION. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

ORDERING REPLACEMENT PARTS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

KIT CONTENTS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

ASSEMBLY INSTRUCTIONS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

Ducted Fan Assembly . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

Mount the Fan in the Fuselage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

ASSEMBLE THE WING . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

Mount the Wing Skids . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

Finish the Wings. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

Mount the Wings to the Fuselage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

INTRODUCTION

Thank you for purchasing the Great Planes Phazer EDF

ARF. On the workbench, the Phazer’s main appeal is its

simplicity—with only two servos, “radio installation” and setup
are unusually simple and fast. And mounting the motor and
fan unit goes quickly too, so you’ll be off the workbench and
out at the fl ying fi eld in no time.

Out at the fl ying fi eld the Phazer’s appearance and fun fl ying

characteristics should easily win you over. It’s not “scary” fast,
but still fast considering its size, and capable of at least 90
mph straight-and-level. If you can do without the attention and
glory you get with bigger, more expensive jets (or if they’re out
of your budget!), you’ll have a ball fl ying your Phazer.

For the latest technical updates or manual corrections to the
Phazer visit the Great Planes web site at www.greatplanes.

com. Open the “Airplanes” link, then select Phazer ARF. If there
is new technical information or changes to this model a “tech
notice” box will appear in the upper left corner of the page.

FINAL ASSEMBLY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

Apply the Decals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

GET THE MODEL READY TO FLY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17

Set the Control Throws. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

PREFLIGHT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19

Run-In the Fan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19

Identify Your Model. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

Charge the Batteries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

Assemble the Bungee Launch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

AMA SAFETY CODE. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21

General . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21

Radio Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21

CHECK LIST . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22

FLYING. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22

Ground Check and Range Check . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22

Set a Flight Timer. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22

Launching . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22

Flying . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24

Landing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24

IMPORTANT!!! Two of the most important things you can
do to preserve the radio controlled aircraft hobby are to avoid
fl ying near full-scale aircraft and avoid fl ying near or over
groups of people.

SAFETY PRECAUTIONS

Protect Your Model, Yourself & Others…

Follow These Important Safety Precautions

1. Your Phazer should not be considered a toy, but rather a
sophisticated, working model that functions very much like
a full-size airplane. Because of its performance capabilities,
the Phazer, if not assembled and operated correctly, could
possibly cause injury to yourself or spectators and damage
to property.

2. 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 unfl yable model. In a few cases the instructions may
differ slightly from the photos. In those instances the written
instructions should be considered as correct.

Academy of Model Aeronautics

If you are not already a member of the AMA, please join! The
AMA is the governing body of model aviation and membership

provides liability insurance coverage, protects modelers’ rights
and interests and is required to fl y at most R/C sites.

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

3. You must take time to build straight, true and strong.

4. You must use an R/C radio system that is in good condition,
a correctly sized engine, and other components as specifi ed
in this instruction manual. All components must be correctly
installed so that the model operates correctly on the ground
and in the air. You must check the operation of the model and
all components before every fl ight.

5. If you are not an experienced pilot or have not fl own this type
of model before, we recommend that you get the assistance
of an experienced pilot in your R/C club for your fi rst fl ights.
If you’re not a member of a club, your local hobby shop has
information about clubs in your area whose membership
includes experienced pilots.

2

6. While this kit has been fl ight tested to exceed normal use,
if the plane will be used for extremely high stress fl ying, such
as racing, or if an engine larger than one in the recommended
range is used, the modeler is responsible for taking steps to
reinforce the high stress points and/or substituting hardware
more suitable for the increased stress.

7. WARNING: The fuselage and tail cone adapter included in
this kit are made of fi berglass, the fi bers of which may cause
eye, skin and respiratory tract irritation. Never blow into a
part to remove fi berglass dust, as the dust will blow back into

your eyes. Always wear safety goggles, a particle mask and

rubber gloves when grinding, drilling and sanding fi berglass
parts. Vacuum the parts and the work area thoroughly after

working with fi berglass parts.

❍ The Phazer has also been designed to fl y with a 4S (14.8V)

LiPo battery in the 2200mAh, 30C range. Weighing 9.2 oz.
[260g] the Flight Power® 4S 2200mAh 30C EON-X™ LiPo
(FPWP6199) has a good combination of compact size,
reasonable weight and suitable power for fl ying the Phazer.
It can also be charged at up to 5C for quick turnaround
times to get you back into the air quickly!

Note: On a 4S 2200mAh 30C battery the Ammo motor/
HyperFlow fan unit draws approximately 32A on the ground
(static), about 30A in the air and consumes about 460mAh/
minute at full-throttle.

❍ The Great Planes ElectriFly SS (Silver Series) 35A brushless

ESC is also recommended. (GPMM1830)

We, as the kit manufacturer, provide you with a top quality,
thoroughly tested kit and instructions, but ultimately the
quality and fl yability of your fi nished 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.

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

DECISIONS YOU MUST MAKE

Radio Equipment

Transmitter:

❍ Transmitter with elevon or ailevator mixing or any

other available programmable mix that can mix the
aileron and elevator channels.

Two micro servos in the 20 oz-in torque range:

❍ (2) Futaba® S3157 digital, micro, high-speed/torque

servos (FUTM0657)

Two 3" – 4" [75mm – 100mm] servo extension wires for

connecting the servos:

❍ (2) Futaba J-series 75mm extension slim leads

(FUTM3909)

Ducted Fan, Motor, Battery and ESC

Battery Charger

❍ A LiPo-capable battery charger is required. The Great

Planes ElectriFly Triton™ EQ AC/DC Charger (GPMM3155)

is recommended for a few reasons—it has built-in cell

balancing and an LCD screen that indicates individual cell
Voltage as well as fi nal charge capacity (which is valuable
for calculating fl ight times and other important data). The

Triton EQ can be powered either by a 110V AC power

source (wall plug-in) or external DC power source. For
fi eld-charging, the Great Planes 12V, 12A DC power supply
(GPMP0901) is suitable.

❍ For batteries that have a Deans connector, a Charge

Lead with banana plugs/Deans® Ultra® Male charge lead
(GPMM3148) is also required with the Triton EQ.

ADDITIONAL ITEMS REQUIRED

Adhesives and Building Supplies

Nothing extraordinary is required to assemble your Phazer.
Other than common hobby tools, here are the items required:

❍ 1/2 oz. Medium CA (GPMR6007)
❍ 1/2 oz. Thin CA (GPMR6001)
❍ CA applicator tips (HCAR3780)
❍ CA accelerator (GPMR6035)
❍ Threadlocker (GPMR6060)
❍ Great Planes Self Adhesive Lead Weights (GPMQ4485)

❍ Great Planes Pro™ 30-minute epoxy (GPMR6043) and

Top Flite® Microballoons (TOPR1090) for gluing on the

wings and installing the fan unit.

OR

❍ Zap Goo (PAAR3200) for gluing on the wings and

installing the fan unit.

❍ The Phazer has been designed to work with and includes

the Great Planes ElectriFly® HyperFlow™ 56mm ducted
fan system (GPMG3910) and the ElectriFly 24-45-3790kV

Ammo™ inrunner brushless motor (GPMG5185).

NOTE: Major wing repair or replacement will be easier if
they are not permanently attached. Zap Goo or RTV silicone
may be used for attaching the wings, yet can be removed
later if required.

Following are the colors of MonoKote® used on the Phazer:

❍ Jet White ❍ Missile Red ❍ Metallic Platinum

(TOPQ0204) (TOPQ0201) (TOPQ0408)

3

KIT INSPECTION

Before starting to build, take an inventory of this kit to make
sure it is complete, and inspect the parts to make sure they
are of acceptable quality. If any parts are missing or are not
of acceptable quality, or if you need assistance with assembly,
contact Product Support. When reporting defective or missing
parts, use the part names exactly as they are written in the
Kit Contents list.

Great Planes Product Support

3002 N Apollo Drive, Suite 1 Ph: [phone], ext. 5
Champaign, IL 61822 Fax: [phone]

E-mail: [e-mail]

Illinois and Nevada residents will also be charged sales tax. If
ordering via fax, include a Visa® or MasterCard® number and
expiration date for payment.

Mail parts orders Hobby Services
and payments by 3002 N Apollo Drive, Suite 1
personal check to: Champaign IL 61822

Be certain to specify the order number exactly as listed in the
Replacement Parts List. Payment by credit card or personal
check only; no C.O.D.

If additional assistance is required for any reason contact
Product Support by e-mail at productsupport@greatplanes.
com, or by telephone at [phone].

ORDERING REPLACEMENT PARTS

Replacement parts for the Great Planes Phazer ARF are

available using the order numbers in the Replacement Parts
List that follows. The fastest, most economical service can be
provided by your hobby dealer or mail-order company.

To locate a hobby dealer, visit the Great Planes web site at

www.greatplanes.com. Select “Where to Buy” in the menu

across the top of the page and follow the instructions provided
to locate a U.S., Canadian or International dealer.

Parts may also be ordered directly from Hobby Services by

calling [phone], or via facsimile at [phone], but
full retail prices and shipping and handling charges will apply.

KIT CONTENTS

REPLACEMENT PARTS LIST

Order No. Description

GPMA4240
GPMA4241
GPMA4242
GPMA4243
GPMA4244
GPMA4245
GPMA4246
GPMA2885
GPMA2999
GPMG3910
GPMG5185

2

Fuselage
Wing
Canopy
Skid set
Flange/adapter set
Decal sheet
Wing joiner tube
Bungee launch set
Bungee hook/nut/washer
HyperFlow fan unit
24-45-3790 Ammo brushless motor

1

Kit Contents

1. Wing

2. Fuselage w/ Canopy

3. Skid Set

4. Cone Adapter

5. Front Housing Flange

4

18

19

12

17

6. Housing Mount

7. Fin Hole Cover

8. Battery Mount Plate

9. Velcro Battery Mount

10. Velcro Strap

3

5

6

11

11. Finger Grips

12. Wing Joiner Tube

13. Bungee Launch Kit

14. 24-45-3790 Ammo
Motor

4

9

10

7

8

14

13

16

15

15. Motor Extension Wires

16. HyperFlow Fan Unit

17. Balance Stand

18. Balance Gauge

19. C. G. Supports

ASSEMBLY INSTRUCTIONS

Ducted Fan Assembly

Reference the separate HyperFlow instruction sheet as
necessary, but follow the instructions below for assembly/
installation into the Phazer.

1. Enlarge the hole in the fan housing to allow installation

❏

and removal of the motor without having to remove the brass
fan adapter.

2. As shown in the HyperFlow manual, trim the three

❏

alignment guides from inside the housing to accommodate

the motor.

4. Key one of the 3mm set screws (for fastening the brass

❏

fan rotor adapter to the motor shaft) onto a 1.5mm Allen
wrench—a basic “L” wrench is included if you don’t have one
of your own. Use a metal fi le to lightly fi le down the end of the
screw—it won’t take much—just a few passes to remove the
slightest fraction of an inch.

3. Trim any fl ashing from around the fan housing so the

❏

fi berglass cone adapter will fi t correctly.

5

NO

FAN ROTOR

ADAPTER

(BRASS)

MOTOR

SHAFT

The adapter is

not all the way on.

The adapter is

all the way
down onto the
motor shaft up
to the threads.

YES

S

O

T

Enlarge to Fit
3 mm Screws

P

FLAT

7. Take out the set screws and lightly wet the threads with

❏

threadlocker. Then tighten them back into the adapter locking
it onto the shaft.

8. Use a felt-tip pen and/or drill a small dimple on top surface

❏

of the base of the adapter where shown. If necessary, this
will be used as an alignment cue for balancing the fan later.

❏

with the HyperFlow fan unit. Fit the adapter onto the motor

shaft with one of the set-screw holes in the adapter aligned

with the fl at spot on the shaft and make sure the adapter goes

all the way on up to the threads. If you can’t get the adapter
to go on all the way just by pressing it on, use a hobby torch
to heat the adapter fi rst.

5. Retrieve the brass fan rotor adapter that was packaged

9. Temporarily fi t the fan onto the adapter and the cone

❏

onto the fan. Use a 1/16" [1.6mm] twist drill, in a pin vise or
held in your fi ngers, to lightly dimple the side of the fan and
cone that align with the side of the adapter that also has the
dimple. Make sure all three dimples are in alignment. These
will all serve as temporary reference marks.

6. Test-fi t both set screws into the brass adapter on the

❏

shaft—the screw you fi led down goes into the hole that is not
over the fl at spot. Make sure the end of that screw is fl ush (or
slightly below) the surface of the adapter. If necessary, fi le
down the screw a little more.

10. Remove the cone and fan from the motor. Use a hobby

❏

knife to slightly enlarge the slots in the fan housing as shown
to accommodate the motor screws.

6

11. Mount the motor to the fan housing with two of the 3

❏

x 5mm screws packaged with the Ammo motor; one or two
washers for each screw; and a drop of threadlocker on the

threads. The washers will make sure the screws don’t bottom
out on the fi berglass insulator ring inside the motor.

12. As shown in step 6 in the HyperFlow manual, test-fi t

❏

the stator extension to the fan housing—make sure the little
notch in each stator blade allows the blade to fi t all the way to
the blades in the housing. If necessary, slightly enlarge any
notches that interfere for a proper fi t.

13. Once satisfi ed with the fi t of the stator extension, carefully

❏

glue it to the fan housing with CA—use CA sparingly so as
not to let excess run down inside the housing.

15. Use medium-grit sandpaper to smooth the rough edges

❏

around the motor wire hole in the fi berglass cone adapter so
it won’t damage the motor wires.

16. Test-fi t, but do not glue the cone adapter to the rear of

❏

the fan housing. Note that the hole in the housing should be

180 degrees from the side of the motor where the wires exit—

this will be the top of the unit. Once you have the housing and
adapter mated correctly, permanently glue the two together by
adding a few drops of thin CA to the seam around the outside.

Also apply a few drops of medium CA to each stator blade

where it contacts the inside of the adapter—again, use CA
sparingly so as not to cause excess to run down inside the fan.

14. Lightly sand the edge of each blade on the stator

❏

extension to remove any fl ashing and to make sure they are
even with the housing.

17. Fit the cone to the fan and the fan onto the adapter

❏

with all the dimples aligned. Secure the cone and fan to the
adapter with a 3mm screw and washer, but don’t use any
threadlocker yet.

7

Mount the Fan in the Fuselage

Installation of the fan unit may takes a little “fi ne tuning” to
get the parts into position. Once glued in it is permanent, but
the motor and fan may still be removed if ever required later.

3. Test fi t the front housing fl ange into the fan housing

❏

just to make sure it fi ts—if necessary, trim or sand a slight
bevel inside the edge of the housing to easily accommodate
the fl ange.

1. Test fi t the plywood fan housing mount over the fan

❏

housing to make sure it fi ts—it should fi t slightly snug, but not
too tight because you’ll be installing the housing through the
mount while both parts are in the fuselage. If the mount fi ts too
tightly over the housing sand the inside of the mount so it fi ts.

2. Carefully bend the motor wires upward toward the hole in

❏

the fi berglass cone adapter, then connect the motor extension

wires through the hole. While you’re at it, position the plywood

housing mount and guide the motor wires through it.

4. Remove the fl ange and housing mount from the fan unit,

❏

but don’t take the wires out of the housing mount. With the
housing mount off the fan unit but the motor wires running
through the mount, fi t the mount and fan unit through the
cheater hole in the bottom of the fuselage. Key the fi berglass
adapter ring on the back of the fan unit around the inside of
the fi berglass tail cone in the fuselage, then fi t the plywood
housing mount over the fan housing. If you cannot get the
housing mount all the way into position do not force it. Proceed
to the next step.

8