Great Planes GPMQ1874 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 buyers are not prepared to accept the liability associated with the use of this product,they are advised
to return this kit immediately in new and unused condition to the place of purchase.
READ THROUGH THIS INSTRUCTION MANUAL
FIRST. IT CONTAINS IMPORTANT INSTRUCTIONS
AND WARNINGS CONCERNING THE ASSEMBLY
AND USE OF THIS MODEL.
FLT246P1 V2.0 Printed in USA Entire Contents © Copyright 2004
P.O.Box 788 Urbana, IL 61803 (217) 398-8970
INSTRUCTION MANUAL
SPORT FLOAT KITSPORT FLOAT KIT
SPORT FLOAT KIT
For R/C Aircraft
INTRODUCTION...............................................................2
PRECAUTIONS.................................................................2
PREPARATIONS...............................................................2
Covering method ............................................................2
Suggested tools and supplies.........................................3
Other suggested items....................................................3
Get ready to build ...........................................................3
Parts identification ..........................................................3
Die-cut patterns........................................................4 & 5
60 FLOATS PREASSEMBLY............................................6
Spine...............................................................................6
Forward keel...................................................................6
Sides and deck...............................................................6
CONSTRUCTION OF 20, 40, 60 SPORT FLOATS...........6
Framing...........................................................................6
Aft stringers ....................................................................8
Forward stringers............................................................8
Prepare for sheeting.......................................................9
Aft bottom sheeting.........................................................9
Forward bottom sheeting................................................9
Nose block and finishing...............................................10
COVERING......................................................................11
Covering method ..........................................................11
MonoKote film...............................................................11
Glass cloth & resin........................................................11
POSITIONING OF FLOATS ............................................12
Prepare your airplane to accept the floats....................13
60 FLOATS ONLY ...........................................................14
Notes about soldering...................................................14
Solder the cross braces................................................14
Mount the struts to the floats
and solder the diagonal braces.....................................15
Mounting the 60 floats ..................................................16
20 AND 40 FLOATS ONLY..............................................16
Mount the struts to the floats ........................................16
Mount the floats to the airplane ....................................16
ALL MODELS .................................................................17
Build the rudder ............................................................17
Pushrod hookup............................................................17
Connect the rudder ......................................................18
(20 and 40 floats)......................................................18
(60 floats)..................................................................19
VENTRAL FIN.................................................................19
BEFORE GOING TO THE LAKE.....................................20
WATERPROOFING.........................................................20
FLYING............................................................................20
Thank you for purchasing the Great Planes Sport Floats.
During our first flight tests with our Piper Cub 60 and Cub
20 on floats, we were amazed by the superb handling
characteristics on the water and ultra–smooth, realistic
takeoffs.Of course, the Great Planes Sport Floats will work
well with other models too.
The 20, 40 or 60 Sport Floats may be properly assembled
from this single manual. Although the Great Planes Piper
Cubs are used as examples, the same procedures and
guidelines apply if you are installing your floats on a
different model.
Please inspect all parts carefully before starting to
build! If any parts are missing, broken or defective, or if
you have any questions about building or flying these
floats, please call us at (217) 398-8970. If you are
calling for replacement parts, please look up the part
numbers and the kit identification number (stamped on
the end of the carton) and have them ready
when calling.
Remember:Take your time and follow directions to end
up with a sturdy, well-built set of floats that are straight
and true.
After the floats are built, you will have to decide how you
will finish them. Iron-on film such as Top Flite®MonoKote
®
covering is our recommended method. The alternative is
3/4 oz. fiberglass cloth and epoxy resin, then paint.
You do not have to make this decision immediately, but
refer to the Finishing section in this instruction manual
for more information. This is something you can ponder
during construction.
Covering Method
PREPARATIONS
PRECAUTIONS
INTRODUCTIONTABLE OF CONTENTS
2
3
Metric Conversions
❏ 1/2 oz. Medium CA Adhesive - (GPMR6007)*
❏ 1/2 oz.Thin CA Adhesive - (GPMR6001)
❏ 1/2 oz.Thick CA Adhesive - (GPMR6013)
❏ CA accelerator (optional) - (GPMR6035)
❏ CA applicator tips (optional) - (HCAR3780)
❏ T-Pins - (HCAR5150)
❏ Waxed Paper
❏ 6-Minute Epoxy - (GPMR6045)
❏ 30-Minute Epoxy - (GPMR6047)
❏ Small building square or draftsman's triangle
❏ Reinforced cut-off wheel - (GPMR8200)
❏ Hand or Electric Drill
❏ Drill Bits: 1/16", 1/8",13/64" or #12
❏ Razor Saw
❏ #1 Hobby knife handle
❏ #11 Blades - (HCAR0311, box of 100)
❏ Common pliers
❏ Screwdrivers (phillips and flat)
❏ Sandpaper (coarse, medium, fine grit)
❏ T-Bar or sanding block
❏ Soldering iron
❏ Silver Solder - (GPMR8070 w/flux)
❏ Lightweight Balsa Filler - (HCAR3401)
❏ Propane torch or heavy-duty soldering iron
(for 60 floats only)
❏ Double-sided foam tape - (GPMQ4442)
❏ RTV silicone rubber
❏ Lead weights - (GPMQ4485)
Finishing Supplies
For iron-on covering:
❏ Top Flite MonoKote
®
film (recommended)
❏ Sealing Iron - (TOPR2100)
For “glassing”:
❏ Finishing resin (GPMR6049)
❏ 3/4 oz. fiberglass cloth - (HCAR5000)
❏ Mixing cups
❏ 1" wide paint brush
❏ Mixing sticks - (GPMR8055)
❏ Epoxy brushes - (GPMR8060)
❏ Fuelproof primer and paint
(Top Flite LustreKote®recommended)
*Items in parentheses (GPMR6007) are suggested part
numbers recognized by distributors and hobby shops and
are listed for your convenience. Our own brand has been
provided where possible: GPM is the Great Planes brand,
HCA is the Hobbico®brand, TOP is Top Flite.
IMPORTANT: For your model to handle properly on the
water and in the air, the Sport Floats must be built on a flat
surface. Also, a relatively soft, flat building board that you
can stick “T” pins into is required. This is for pinning down
individual parts that make up the completed assembly. A
suitable building board is a sheet of ceiling tile or “Celotex”
used in home construction. This material may be found at
hardware or home improvement stores. If the building
board is not flat, it must be clamped to your flat building
table.Now we're ready to begin!
During construction of the floats, most of the procedures
will have to be performed two times as there are two floats.
You may build each float individually to completion or
simultaneously build one float alongside the other.
Remove all parts from the box. As you do, determine the
name of each part by comparing it with the instructions and
the parts list included with this kit. Using a ball point pen,
lightly write the part name on each piece to avoid confusion
later. Use the die-cut patterns shown on pages 4 and 5 to
identify the die-cut parts and mark them before removing
them from the sheet. Save all scraps. If any of the die-cut
parts are difficult to punch out, do not force them! Instead,
cut around the parts with a hobby knife. After punching out
the die-cut parts, use your T-Bar or sanding block to lightl y
sand the edges to remove any die-cutting irregularities.
Parts Identification
Get Ready to Build
Other Suggested Items
Suggested Tools & Building Supplies
Inch Scale
0" 1" 2" 3" 4" 5" 6" 7"
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 110 120 130 140 150 160 170 180
Metric Scale
4
DIE-CUT PATTERNS
60 – SIZE
5
DIE-CUT PATTERNS
20 – SIZE
40 – SIZE
If you are building the 20 or 40 Sports Floats, skip to
“Construction of 20, 40, 60 Floats” in the next column
on this page.
❏ 1. On a flat surface covered with wax paper, laminate the
die-cut 1/8" plywood forward and aft spine to one 1/16" diecut plywood spine doubler with 6-minute epoxy.Use weights
to hold the pieces together. Hint: Before the epoxy fully
cures, use a #11 blade to remove excess epoxy that gets into
the notches or oozes out from between the laminated pieces.
With Great Planes 6-minute Pro™Epoxy, this can be done
about 10 to 15 minutes after the epoxy has been mix ed.
❏ 2. Glue the other doubler to the other side of the
assembly with 6-minute epoxy.
❏ 1. Since the par ts are smaller, both forward keel
doublers may be laminated to the forward keel at the same
time. Mix up some 6-minute epoxy and apply to one side of
both die-cut 1/16" plywood forward keel doublers. Then
position a doubler on each side of the die-cut 1/8" plywood
forward keel. Hold the pieces together with weights.
Remove the excess epoxy before it fully cures.
❏ 1. Trial fit the die-cut 3/32" balsa upper float side,
lower float side and aft float side. Make adjustments if
necessary. When satisfied with the fit, use thin CA to glue
the three pieces together over a building table covered with
waxed paper. After the CA has cured, use 150-grit
sandpaper and a sanding block to sand both sides of the
float side flat and smooth. Make another float side,
identical to the first.
❏ 2. Use thin CA to glue the die-cut balsa forward deck to
the aft deck. After the CA has cured, sand both sides of
the deck flat and smooth.
NOTE: If your float parts do not match each photo exactly,
it is because these instructions are written for all three
sizes. Regardless of which size Sport Float you are
building, the forward end of the float deck is the end
that tapers slightly.
❏ 1. Drill 1/8" holes through the punch mar ks in the die-cut
1/8" plywood forward and aft strut mounting plates.
❏ 2. With the die-cut 1/8" plywood former doubler F
centered on the die-cut 1/8" plywood former E, align the
bottom edge of the doubler F with the lightening holes in
former E. Glue the pieces together with thin CA.
Framing
CONSTRUCTION OF 20, 40 & 60
Sides and Deck
Forward Keel
Spine
60 FLOATS PREASSEMBLY
6
7
❏ 3. Tr ial fit the 1/8" plywood forward and aft strut mounting
plates, spine and formers C, D, E, and G to the balsa deck.
The formers are positioned in descending order with former A
in the front(see the photo to the right). NOTE: The aft str ut
mounting plate for the .40 and .60 Sport Float has the holes
towards the front. The aft strut mount plate for the .20 Sport
Float has a flat edge.Make sure all parts contact the deck, then
use thin CA to glue only the mounting plates to the deck.
❏ 4. Remove the formers and spine from the deck. Place a
scrap piece of wood under the deck, then using the holes in the
strut mounting plates as a guide, drill 1/8" holes through the
deck. Run a 4-40 x 1/2" bolt in and out of eight 4-40 blind nuts
to make sure the threads are “cleaned out.” Use a hammer to
lightly tap the 4-40 blind nuts into the plates, then add a few
drops of thin CA to the flange of each blind nut to secure them
in place. Do not get glue in the threads of the blind nuts.
Reinstall the spine and formers.Make sure all parts contact the
deck, then use thin CA to glue the spine to the deck.NOTE:Do
not glue the spine to the deck from former C forw ard.
❏ 5. Lay waxed paper over your flat building board and
position all the formers except A and I on the deck. Make
sure the notches in the formers fit all the way down to the
deck and make adjustments if necessary. Doubler F faces
the rear of the float.
❏ 6. Using a carpenter's square or a draftsman's triangle,
make sure each former is perpendicular to the deck and
use medium CA to glue them to the deck and spine.
❏ 7. Making sure the formers remain perpendicular to the
deck, trial fit, then use medium CA to glue the forward and
aft keel into the notches in the formers and the spine.
❏ 8.Remove the structure from the building board and use
a T-bar or flat sanding block with 150-grit sandpaper to
bevel the edges of the deck sheeting to match the formers.
❏ 9. Pin the assembly to your waxed paper-covered flat
building board.Trial fit, then sand a bevel to the top edge of
both die-cut balsa float sides to match the deck. Be sure
to make a
right
and a
left
side.
❏ 10. Align the step of one of the float sides with the aft
edge of former E. Use medium CA to glue the side to all
formers and the deck from former B to former H. Do not
glue the side to the deck forward of former B. Glue the
other side in the same manner. NOTE: The float side will
bow inward slightly at former G. This slight bow
is intentional.
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