Great Planes Kunai User Manual

INSTRUCTION

SPECIFICATIONS

Wingspan:

Length:
Weight:

55 in [1395mm]
36 in [915 mm]

20.0– 21.5 oz [565 – 610 g]

MANUAL

Wing Area:

Wing Loading:

2

308 in

9.4 – 10.1 oz / ft
[29–31 g/dm2]

[19.9 dm2]

Radio: 4+ channel, 4 servos

2

Motor,

ESC:

A2212-10 1400kV outrunner,
20A ESC, 8x 6 folding propeller

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 © 2014 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]

GPMA1815 ARF GPMA1816 Rx-R

INTRODUCTION

Congratulations and thank you for purchasing the Kunai. The

Kunai’s versatility makes it one of those models that everybody
should own! It can be fl own like a glider, like an aerobatic
plane, like a hotliner or even like a pylon racer. When you

put the pedal to the metal the Kunai’s light weight, thin wing

and clean lines allow it to reach warp speed right away! And

when you cut the throttle the prop folds back and the Kunai

conserves energy, allowing thrilling, power-off fl y-bys with the
only sound the whoosh of air as the Kunai silently speeds by.

And if you dump the spoilerons the Kunai slows to a crawl for

thermal seeking and easy, feather-light landings.

For the latest technical updates or manual corrections to the

Kunai visit the Great Planes web site at www.greatplanes.com.

Open the “Airplanes” link, then select the Kunai. 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.

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:

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 i g h t .

4. While this kit has been fl ight tested to exceed normal use,
if the plane will be used for extremely high stress fl ying, or if

a motor 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 har dware more suitable

for the increased stress.

5. WARNING: The fuselage pod and boom included in this

kit are made of fi berglass or carbon fi ber, 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.

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.

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

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 Kunai 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 Kunai, if not assembled and operated correctly, could
possibly cause injury to yourself or spectators and damage
to property.

NOTE: Some technically-minded modelers who wish to

check the wing, stab and motor thrust angles may do so by
visiting the web site at www.greatplanes.com and clicking
on “Technical Data.”

REMEMBER: Take your t ime and follow th e instruct ion s
to end up with a well-built model that is straight and true.

ADDITIONAL ITEMS REQUIRED

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.

3. You must use an R/C radio system that is in good condition,
a correctly sized motor, and other components as specifi ed
in this instruction manual. All components must be correctly

The chart on page 3 lists the electronic items recommended to

fi nish the Kunai. The Futaba receivers listed are recommended

because the servos plug into the end of the receiver making

it the best fi t (receivers with “top plug” receptacles may not fi t).
Also note that a Y-connector (included) may be used for the
aileron servos, but this will eliminate the optoin of spoilerons.

2

For spoilerons, two 3” [75mm] servo extensions will be required
(then the aileron servos can be connected into separate

channels and mixed electronically through programmable
mixing in your transmitter).

Servos in the 9g range up to 11mm in width are recommended
(to fi t under the aileron hatch covers the best), but servos

up to 12mm in width are suitable. Futaba S3157 or S3117
servos are recommended for the ARF, but the Rx-R includes
factory-installed servos with specifi cations similar to Tactic

TSX5 servos.

CA for the rest. Zap Goo (or similar) i s strongly recomm end ed
for gluing in the aileron servos because it is secure, yet the
servos may b e ex tracted if ever nec essary. M ore about gluing

in the servos on page 6.

❍ Great Planes Pro Epoxy 30-Minute Formula

(GPMR6043)

❍ Great Planes Pro CA Glue Thin 1/2 oz (GPMR6001)
❍ Zap Goo (PAAR3200)
❍ Great Planes Pro CA+ Glue Medium 1/2 oz

(GPMR6007)

❍ CA accelerator (GPMR6034)
❍ Non-permanent threadlocker (GPMR6060)
❍ Optional: Du-Bro 1/8" [3mm] double-sided foam

mounting tape (DUBQ3551 for attaching ESC)

Fuselage space in the Kunai is limited, yet there are still

several battery options from 850mAh up to 1300mAh. Each
has obvious tradeoffs of weight and fl ying time. The thinner
profi le of the 1200mAh (shown) fi ts best and the 1000mAh
is a close second.

Tools and Building Supplies

Little in the way of tools and adhesives is required to prep the
Kunai. 30-minute epoxy is recommended for gluing the tail
surfaces and the wing halves together and thin or medium

Item Specification ARF Rx-R

Motor Included1400 kV 52g Brushless Inrunner

Propeller Included8 x 6 folding (for 3.17mm shaft)

ESC 20A – 25A for brushless motors GPMM1820 20A Included

4-6 ch. Mini Receiver

(front plug)

3S LiPo Battery

Servos

Servo Extensions

LiPo Balancing Charger

Futaba R6106HFC FASST or

Futaba R2008SB FHSS

850

mAh

1000

mAh

1200

mAh

1300

mAh

Four 9g servos

(12 mm max. width)

(2) 12" [ 300 mm] (from aileron servos) FUTM4507

Spoilerons: (2) 3" [ 75 mm] (from Rx) FUTM3909

No spoilerons: (1) Y-harness (from Rx)

DuraTrax Onyx 235

Please do yourself a favor: If you don’t already have one,

purchase a quality, machined, 1.5mm Allen hex driver such as
a Duratrax Ultimate Hex Driver (DTXR0288). Lesser-quality

hex drivers end up stripping out the set screws in the propeller

hub resulting in an unsecure propeller or a hub and motor
that will be diffi cult to remove from the airplane.

FUTL7651
FUTL7608

GPMP0826
GPMP0830
GPMP0836
GPMP0840

S3117 FUTM0417,
S3157 FUTM0657,

TSX5 TACM0205

Included

DTXP4235

Included

Included

3

If building the ARF version that comes without a receiver you’ll

also need to do a little soldering to shorten the three motor

wires coming from the ESC, and then re-cover the female

bullet connectors with 3/16" heat shrink tubing (GPMM1056 ).

ORDERING REPLACEMENT PARTS

Replacement parts for the Great Planes Kunai 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.
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.

One fi nal note before assembly, save the box top or bottom

to use as a temporary building stand while gluing on the tail.

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.

If additional assistance is required for any reason contact
Product Support by e-mail at productsupport@greatplanes.

com, or by telephone at [phone].

REPLACEMENT PARTS LIST

Order No. Description

GPMA2285
GPMA2286
GPMA2287
GPMA2288
GPMA2289
GPMA2290
GPMA2291
GPMA2292
GPMA2293

Wing
Fuselage
Tail Surface Set
Motor
Folding Propeller Assembly
Propeller Blades
Hatch
Decals
ESC

Great Planes Product Support

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

E-mail: [e-mail]

4

Right

Aileron Servo

Neutral

Right

Aileron

Input

Spoileron

Input

Left

Aileron Servo

KIT CONTENTS

1

1

4

5

6

ASSEMBLY

This instruction manual applies to both the ARF and the
Rx-R editions of th e Kuna i. If a sse mbling the Rx-R version,
simply skip steps that do not apply. NOTE: Even though
the control horns are glued into position in the Rx-R version,
apply a couple drops of thin CA to the base of all the horns
where they meet the control surfaces just for added security.
Also be sure the screws on the pushrods in the aileron horns
are tight and secure.

2

3

7

the wood underneath. NOTE: Avoid using a heat gun or the

covering may pull away at the seams.

Kit Contents

1.

Wing

2.

Horizontal Stabilizer

3.

Vertical Stabilizer

4.

Fuselage

5.

8 x 6 Folding

Propeller Assembly

6.

Hardware A

7.

Hardware B

8.

Decal Sheet (not shown)

ASSEMBLE THE WINGS

Prepare the Aileron Servos

for Installation

Between the time the Kunai was produced and the time you
opened the box, the covering may have relaxed, causing
areas of loose covering or wrinkles. The absolute best way
to tighten the covering is with a covering iron and a protective,
cloth covering sock. The ideal surface temperature of the cover
so ck should b e ap proximately 300 º F [150º C] — if using a 21st

Century covering iron turn the dial to 300ºF [150ºC]. First

glide the iron over the surface lightly to tighten the covering,
then go over it again, pressing down to bond the covering to

Tighten the Covering

1. If your ser vos came with double or four-arm ser vo arms,

❏

cut off the unused arms for your two aileron servos. Connect
the servos to your receiver with an ESC and program a mix in
your transmitter and power up the servos so they will respond
as shown in the illustrations (a slider or dial is suggested for

controlling the spoilerons).

5