Hobbico FLWA4120 Instruction Manual

- 1 -

Instruction manual

FLITEWORK P-38 Lightning 1.5m FLWA4120

Version 1.00

Wingspan 1465 mm
Length 1065 mm
Take off weight 1500 g
RC Channels

Ailerons, elevator, rudder, motor,
electric retracts

Battery 3s 2200 - 2500 mAh

Fully licensed through the Red Bull GmbH - Austria

Please read the instruction manual carefully and take notice of the safety guidelines.

If the model is given to a third party, always include this instruction manual to the model.

The Flitework Gmbh assumes no liability in case of misprints. Technical amendments reserved.

Distributed by

www.flyingbulls.at

- 2 -

Technical data........................................................1

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

General information...............................................2

Environment protection infos.................................2

Safety precautions.................................................3

Recommended accessories...................................4

Additional items required.......................................4

Kit check................................................................4

Content of delivery.................................................4

Wing and fuselage assembling..............................5

Mounting the main fuselage...................................6

Glueing the rudders to the fuselage.......................5

Installing the elevator.............................................6

Installing the receiver.............................................7

Elevator linkage.....................................................7

Mounting the rudder linkage..................................8

Installing the aileron linkages.................................8

Assembling the propeller.......................................8

Placing the battery.................................................9

Center of Gravity....................................................9

Setting the control throws......................................9

Check list...............................................................10

Service line............................................................10

Personal notes.......................................................11

Introduction

Designed as an interceptor, the P-38 Lightning also was used for long range escorts and as fighter bomber. The
superior speed and the long range have been very useful features in the second world war. The version of the Flying
Bulls differs from the original type by missing turbo chargers and new aerodynamic styled motor cowls.
Before this P-38 comes to the Flying Bulls, it was used for Reno AirRace by the successful U.S. Pilot Lefty Gardner.

Attention please!

Remote controlled model planes are not a toy! For assembling, flying and servicing such models, you need a high
grade of technical comprehension and liability. Careless assembling and operation may cause personal and material
damage.
Because the Flitework GmbH has no influence on assembly, RC installation, operation and servicing of the flight
device, any liability is rejected under explicit advice to these dangers.

● Read this manual and its safety precautions carefully!
Keep this manual and if you give the model to a third
party, put this manual to the model.

● Take care, that you are familiar with your transmitter
and all electronic components, used in your plane.

● Take care of all safety instructions of tools, which are
you using to assemble this model.

● Only take glues, which are recommended for the
specific materials and which are approved for model
business.

● Before assembling please check all parts of this kit. If
some parts are missing or have a mistake, please call.

● The symbols on the package show you, that the
model and its accessories should not be put to waste.
All electric and electronic parts should be deposed to
places of waste manage­ment.

● Batteries and accumula­tors must be removed
from the devices and
should be deposed to the
correct waste manage­ment organisation. Take
information from your
home town government.

- 3 -

1. Your P-38 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 P-38, 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 a 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 as correct.

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

4. You must use an R/C radio system that is in first-class
condition and a correctly sized engine and compo­nents (fuel tank, wheels, etc.) throughout the building
process.

5. You must correctly install all R/C and other compo­nents so that the model operates correctly on the
ground and in the air.

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

7. If you are not already an experienced R/C pilot, you

should fly the model only with the help of a competent,
experienced R/C pilot.

8. While this kit has been flight tested to exceed normal

use, if the plane will be used for extremly hight stress
flying, 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 hight
stress points and/or substituting hardware more suit­able for the increased stress.

Flitework quality

We, as the kit manufacturer, provide you with a top quality kit and instructions, but ultimately the
quality and flyability 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.

- 4 -

1x Main fuselage with canopy, pilot figure and pre­ installed front retract.
2x Twin fuselage with preinstalled motors, ESCs and
electric retracts
2x Half wings, including aileron servos
1x Elevator
2x Rudder
2x Anodized scale spinner, propeller blades and
propeller hubs.
2x Chilling inlets

2x Linkage and screw sets
2x Additional foam parts like chilling inlets and
elevator levelling compound
1x Carbon fiber wing joiner
1x wiring looms
1x Multilingual instruction manuals

1 x Lipo battery 3s 2200 - 2500 mAh 25C
Order No.: GPMP0861 / FPWP 2253
1 x Receiver min. 6 channels
Order No.: TACL0624 / TACL0625

· Hobby knife

· Philips screw driver

· Set of small wrenches

· 5 Min. epoxy glue

· Prop balancing device

· Blue locking agent

Before starting to build, use the Kit Contents list to 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 Hobbico Product Support.

Service center Revell GmbH

Henschelstr. 20-30, 32257 Bünde, Germany

Tel: [phone]

Email: [e-mail]

- 5 -

Take off the turbocharger cap, lifting the covers backside
off the magnetic holder. Then pull backwards. The ESC
wires should stay below the wing area at this time.

Connect the V-cable, named AIL with the aileron servo
cable of the wing 1.

Put the wires numbered 2 (ELE), 3 (THR), 4 (RUD), 5
(GEA) and the power supply for motor into the cable duct
of the wing, like shown in the picture above. It is very
useful, to write the appropriate numbers onto the plugs.

Then you can close the cable duct with adhesive tape.

Move the servo cables in the shown position, that they
are no handycap during inserting the main wing into the
twin fuselage.

Put the plastic inserts into the wings and screw the half
wing and the twin fuselage together, using the 35 mm
screws in front and the 25 mm screws on the back. Take
a little bit soap for greasing the screws.

- 6 -

Patch the cables with the same numbering together.

1. Aileron 2. Elevator

3. Throttle 4. Rudder

5. Retract
Now you can close the fuselage with the turbo cap. Pro-

ceed with the second main wing and twin fuselage in the
same manner.

Before you glue the rudder blades to the fuselage, remove
the painting from the glueing areas by sanding it.

Take the carbon fiber tube and join the wings together. Put
the main fuselage onto the wing from the front side. Put
the Acryl plates into the recesses of the wings and screw
the wing to the fuselage. Use the longer screws in front.
Take care to meet the plastic inserts of the fuselage cor­rectly.

If necessary, shorten the fitting a little bit, that you can glue
the rudder close to the end of the fuselage.

Glue the rudder, registration number on outer side, to the
twin fuselage, using 5 min. Epoxy glue. Fix the part with
pins, until the glue has hardened.

For mounting the elevator, you need the rectangular plas­tic inserts like shown in the picture above. Now put the
elevator so into both rudder blades, that both rectangular
recesses are on the inner side of the rudder blades.

- 7 -

Use the flat parts with claws on upper side and press the
into the EPO. The pilot pins goes through the elavator and
reache the middle of the mounting socket of the rudder.

Put the opposite plate on the lower side and screw rudder
and elevator together.

The model is completely covered with a co­lor, which includes a lot of aluminium pow­der. This aluminium parts are a shielding
against radio waves. So we recommend, that
the Rx antenna should go through the base
of the canopy to reach the cockpit inside.

First connect the wires, coming from the retract (No. 5)
and from the steering servo (No. 4) to the according plugs.

Then connect all other plugs to the receiver. Take care,
that you have the correct channels of your radio.

For Tactic and Futaba radios apply the following channels:

1. Ailerons 2. Elevator

3. Throttle 4. Rudder

5. Retracts

If you like to connect the two aileron servos to separate
channels, you have to change the aileron V-cable to 2
pcs. of 10 cm servo extensions.

In the picture above, you can see a possible placement of
the receiver. The antenna is pointing upwards.

With a hot brass tube you can make a hole in the bottom
of the cockpit. The direction of the hole should be retro­verted a little, that you meet the place between pilot and
pilots seat. Glue a drinking straw into the hole, that the
antenna is gliding inside the straw without any resistance,
when you snap in the canopy.

Hole for antenna

Glue the elevator levers into the flap. Do not forget to sand
the glueing areas before. Take care, that the screw for
mounting the linkage wire points to the middle of the
elevator. Otherwise you cannot reach the screw.

- 8 -

Take the longer linkage wire and hook it into the servo
lever, using the 3rd hole from outer side.

Do this work on the 2nd side in the same manner. Then put
the servo levers and the elevator flap in neutral position
and fix the linkage wire with the clamp screws. Use blue
locking agent for this screws.

Look for an exact neutral position of both servos and the
elevator flap.

For the rudder linkage you should use the middle length
linkages. Do the mounting procedure in the same manner
as you have done for elevator linkage.

Glue the rudder lever into the rudder flaps, that the clamp
screws do not point to the elevator.

Glue the aileron levers into the aileron flaps. The clamp
screws of the linkage holder should point to inner side.

Hook the linkage into the 2nd hole from outer side of the
servo lever, look for exact neutral position of aileron servo
and aileron flap and fix the linkage with the clamp screw.
Don’t forget to use blue locking agent for clamp screws.

The propeller consists of 3 propeller blades, the propeller
hub and the spinner.
Spinner and propeller blades are chrome plated.

The three blades of one package should be used toge­ther, because they are preselected. Put the blades into the
hub part one, cover it with hub part 2 and screw the hub
together with controlled force.

- 9 -

Put the spinner base plate an the propeller onto the motor
shaft. Then place the shim and screw the propeller to the
propeller adapter with the M5 nut. The holes for spinner
mounting should be exactly between to prop blades.

Now you can place the spinner cap and fix it with the 3
included screws.

Glue the 2 velcro tapes into the fuselage so, that you can
close them on upper side. Place the anti gliding rubber
pad (40mm x 20mm) like shown in the picture above.
Put the battery from backwards into the battery slot and
push it in front as far as possible. Fix the battery with the
velcro tapes. Close the battery duct.

Before flight you can connect the battery with the ESC
before closing the fuselage with the canopy.

The CG is located 75 mm behind the leading edge of the
main wing, close to the main fuselage.

If you use a battery with a weight of 180 g, the CG should
be located correctly.

Ailerons Elevator Rudder

+/- 18mm +/- 15mm +/- 20mm

If you have mounted the linkages like recommended in the
instruction manual, the control throws should be OK.

If necessary you can adjust them using Dual Rate and
Expo of your radio.

FLWA4843 P38 1.5m Twin fuselage left
FLWA4844 P38 1.5m Twin fuselage right
FLWA4845 P38 1.5m Main fuselage with canopy
FLWA4846

P38 1.5m Wing set with carbon fiber joiner

FLWA4847 P38 1.5m Rudder (2 pcs.)
FLWA4848 P38 1.5m Elevator
FLWA4849 P38 1.5m Propeller
FLWA4850 P38 1.5m Spinner
FLWA4851 P38 1.5m Front retract
FLWA4852 P38 1.5m Main retract left
FLWA4853 P38 1.5m Main retract right
FLWA4854 P38 1.5m Brushless motor
FLWA4855 P38 1.5m 30A ESC
FLWA4856 Propeller adapter

* * *

- 10 -

Service - Department Revell GmbH

Henschelstr. 20-30, 32257 Bünde, Germany

Tel: [phone]

Email: [e-mail]

During the last few moments of preparation
your mind may be elsewhere anticipating the
excitement of the first flight. Because of this,
you may be more likely to overlook certain
checks and procedures that should be per­formed before the model is flown. To help
avoid this, a checklist is rovided to make
sure these important areas are no over­looked. Many are covered in the instruction
manual, so where appropriate, refer to the
manual for complete instructions. Be sure to
check the items off as they are completed
(that's why it's called a check list!).

● 1. Check the C.G. according to the measure­ments provided in the manual.

● 2. Be certain the battery and receiver are
securely mounted in the fuse. Simply stuffing
them into place with foam rubber is not suffi­cient.

● 3. Look for a correct position of your receiver

antenna or antennas. The antenna should not
be ´close to other wires inside the fuselage.

● 4. Balance your model laterally as explained

in the instructions.

● 5. Use threadlocking compound to secure

critical fasteners such as the set screws that
hold the wheel axles to the struts, screws that
hold the carburetor arm (if applicable), screw­lock pushrod connectors, etc.

● 6. Add a drop of oil to the axles so the wheels

will turn freely.

● 7. Make sure all hinges are securely glued in

place.

● 8. Reinforce holes for wood screws with thin
CA where appropriate (servo mounting
screws, cowl mounting screws, etc.).

● 9. Confirm that all controls operate in the
correct direction and the throws are set up
according to the manual.

● 10. Make sure there are silicone retainers on
all the clevises and that all servo arms are
secured to the servos with the screws includ­ed with your radio.

● 11. Secure connections between servo wires
and Y connectors or servo extensions and
the connection between your battery pack
and the on/off switch with vinyl tape, heat
shrink tubing or special clips suitable for that
purpose.

● 12. Make sure any servo extension cords you
may have used do not interfere with other
systems (servo arms, pushrods, etc.).

● 14. Secure the pressure tap (if used) to the
muffler with high temp RTV silicone, thread
locking compound or J.B.Weld.

● 15. Make sure the fuel lines are connected
and are not kinked.

● 16. Balance your propeller (and spare propel­lers).

● 17. Tighten the propeller nut and spinner.

● 18. Place your name, address, AMA number

and telephone number on or inside your mod­el.

● 19. Cycle your receiver battery pack (if nec­essary) and make sure it is fully charged.

● 20. If you wish to photograph your model, do
so before your first flight.

● 21. Range check your radio when you get to
the flying field.

- 11 -

- 12 -

Flitework GmbH
Geymannstraße 27

4713 Gallspach
Austria / Europe

Tel: [phone]
Skype: elektroflug
Mail.: [e-mail]

www.flitework.at

Remember to think.

Have a ball!

But always stay in control and fly in

a safe manner.

GOOD LUCK AND

GREAT FLYING!