Product Support
(Do Not Remove From Department)
INTRODUCTION
In this day and age of specialization, TOP FLITE MODELS felt
that it might be a refreshing
break from the "norm" to come
up with an airplane that was
specifically designed for FUN.
The Elder was not designed to
Pylon Race, fly Pattern, be
entered in Scale or be used in
Fun-Fly contests, which have
become anything but. Nope, the
Elder was designed for the FUN
of
it.
Relatively slow, realistic and
stately in flight, the Elder is easy
to fly and build. Furthermore, it's
a lightly-loaded design that does
not tend to build-up lots of inertia
with excess flight speed. This
means that fairly rough handling does not necessarily
mean destruction. Nothing is "crash-proof" but the
Elder is a rugged aircraft that will keep coming back for
more.
For the beginners, nothing fancy is needed; go out and
fly it. For those of you who are into detail ing, the design
lends itself extremely well to all kinds of "bells and
whistles"; flying wires, turnbuckles, detailed cockpits,
plastic machine guns, etc., etc., etc. We have flown our
prototypes both "stripped" and detailed to the nines.
Either way it still looks and flies great.
A word about power is in order. Fire-breathing,
Schneurle-ported engines are not needed and indeed
are not recommended for the Elder. Normal, everday
sport engines with mufflers are all that is needed to provide you with some delightful flying. Any discussion
about powering the Elder would be incomplete without
mentioning and highly recommending the use of the HP
.21 rotary-valved 4-cycle engine. This little jewel, when
installed in the Elder, makes probably the best possible
combination imaginable! With it's quiet, scale-like exhaust note, this engine flies the Elder beautifully! The 6
ounce fuel tank shown on the plans will keep this little
RC-32 INSTRUCTION MANUAL
engine purring for almost an hour without coating your
airplane with oil! If you do decide on this engine, replace
the engine mount in your kit with a ".40-size" mount. It
all fits quite nicely; in fact, we've shown this installation
on the plans.
IMPORTANT NOTE:
TOP FLITE MODELS, INC. would certainly recommend
the Elder as a first R/C powered aircraft. However, if you
are a beginner to the sport of R/C aircraft, we would urge
you to seek and use experienced assistance in constructing and flying this airplane. Again, if you are new to this
hobby, consider this:
Flying this or any other radio-controlled model aircraft is
a PRIVILEGE and not a RIGHT and this privilege begins
with the utmost safety considerations to others and
yourself as well. An R/C model airplane in inexperienced
hands has the potential of doing serious personal or property damage. These safety considerations start at the
building board by following instructions, seeking competent help when you are confused and avoiding shortcuts. These considerations have to be carried over to the
flying field where safety must come first and limitations
TOP FLITE MODELS INC.
1901
NORTH NARRAGANSETT
AVENUE • CHICAGO,
ILLINOIS
60639
cannot be exceeded. We urge you to:
1. Send for and obtain your AMA (Academy of Model
Aeronautics) membership which will provide insurance for your R/C activities — DO NOT RELY ON
HOMEOWNERS INSURANCE.
2. Join an AMA sanctioned R/C flying club in your area
where you can obtain competent, professional instruction in trimming and learning how to fly this
model.
Check with your favorite local hobby shop for the required AMA forms or the address where they can be ob-
tained.
WARNING!!!
A radio controlled model is not a "toy." Care and
caution must be taken in properly building the
model, as well as in the installation and use of the
radio control device. It is important to follow all
directions as to the construction of this kit as well
as installation and use of the engine and radio
gear. The advice and assistance of a well experienced builder and pilot is highly recommended. Don't take chances! Improper building, operation, or flying of this model could result in serious
property damage or in bodily injury to yourself or
others.
PRE-CONSTRUCTION NOTES
TheEIder, like otherTop Flite kits employs the use of diecut wood to ease the task of construction, parts fit and
identification. The dies used for this kit have been
rigorously checked for absolute accuracy and should
provide you with excellent fit. Die-cut parts should be
carefully removed from their sheets by first lightly sanding the back of each sheet of parts and then carefully
removing each part. Use a light garnet paper for the sanding and keep a sharp hobby knife with and X-acto #11
blade or equivalent handy for assistance in removing
any parts that might not have completely cut-through on
the dies. Parts which oppose one another and must be
precisely uniform—such as fuselage sides, ribs, etc...—
should be carefully "matched" after their removal from
the part sheets. Matching is the process of holding the
opposing pieces together with either pins, tape or spot
gluing and lightly sanding the edges of the parts until
they are identical. A sanding block with light garnet
paper is most useful for this and other phases of construction.
Your building surface should be at least large enough to
accommodate the wing panels. This surface should be
as absolutely flat as possible and yet be able to accept
pins easily. We have found that a product such as
Celotex fiber board works quite well for this purpose.
Another good surface can be found in most well-stocked
hardware stores, this is a 2'x 4'fiber board ceiling tile—these are quite inexpensive and can be used for several
airplanes before needing replacement.
As with most R/C kits that are constructed from wood, a
selection of tools—most of which can be found in the
average workshop—are a must to do the job correctly:
Hobby knife and sharp #11 blades
Single-edge razor blades
T-pins
Sanding blocks in assorted sizes
Sandpaper in various grits
Hand-held hobby saw, such as an X-acto
Dremel tool or power drill and assorted drill bits
Straight-edge, preferably metal, at least 36" long
90" triangle
Soldering iron, flux (silver) and solder
Carbide cut-off wheel for wire cutting
Small power jig-saw, such as a Moto-Saw
Razor plane
Tapes such as masking and cellophane
Our Elders were constructed using a variety of common
hobby adhesives including 5-minute epoxy, Cyanoacrylates, aliphatic resin (such as Titebond) and 1-hour
epoxy was used to secure the main wing wire tubes in
the wing roots. Since all of us have our own construction
techniques and favorite adhesives, stick with the ones
that you are familiarwith and prefer. However, in certain
areas there will be callouts for certain types of
adhesives and we urge you to try not to substitute since
doing so could possibly cause problems structurally
later on.
The last thing we should touch on before we begin actual construction is the sequence in which the Elder is
assembled. The sequence given to you in this booklet
has been proven to be the most straight-forward and provides the finished components in the orderthat you will
need them to progress to the next assembly phase. Try
to stick with the building order presented here to avoid
mistakes.
Spread the plans out on your work surface, cover them
with a clear plastic material, such as the backing from a
roll of Monokote or plastic wrap and commence construction.
WING ASSEMBLY
Wing construction for the Elder consists of building
three (3) separate pieces; the two wing panels and the
center section. These will be joined in the Final
Assembly section of this manual. You will need the
center section, with its top unsheeted during the
Fuselage Assembly section. In this sequence, be certain that you are working with a flat work surface. The
wing is built directly over the plans so cover them with
Monokote backing or food wrap.
1. Start with the center section first. Locate the die-cut
sheets containing parts W-5A (ply), W-5B (2, balsa),
W-6 (ply), W-7 (ply), W-1 A (there are four but you need
two at this time, balsa) and W-1 B (2, balsa). Remove
these parts from their sheets and clean-up any rough
edges before assembly. Also, locate the shaped
hardwood insert for the wing bolts and W-13 as well.
2. Using the plans as a guide; measure, cut and buttglue the three required lengths of 3/32" balsa sheet
that makes-up the bottom center section sheeting.
Note desired cross-grain of this sheeting. Measure,
2
cut and glue in place the
3/8" x 1/2" leading edge. Glue
the forward ply dihedral brace, W-6, in place against
the inside surface of the leading edge piece—be
sure it's centered. Glue the two forward W-1A half
ribs in place against the rear face of the dihedral
brace, lined-up with the edges of the bottom
sheeting at right angles to your work surface.
3. As shown on the plans, the center dihedral brace is a
composite made by laminating the two W-5B's to
each side of the ply W-5A, resulting in a 1/4" thick
part—do this now. Glue the completed center
dihedral brace in place to the bottom sheeting and
the two rear edges of the W-1A half ribs—again, be
sure it's centered.
4. Now glue the two rear W-1 B ribs in place to the bottom sheeting and rear face of the center dihedral
brace. As shown, these two half ribs also line-up
with the outside edges of the bottom sheeting, at
right angles to the work surface. Now glue the
shaped hardwood wing bolt insert in place between
the W-1B ribs, with its rear edge lined-up with the
rear edges of these ribs. Finally, glue remaining W-7
ply dihedral brace in place against the rear edge of
the shaped wing bolt insert and the two W-1B
ribs—be sure it too is centered. Locate and mark the
position of W-13 on the outside surfaces of the two
W-1B ribs, do this with light pencil marks (you will
need these marks for later locating and cutting-out
the cockpit opening). Glue W-13 in place.
NOTE: For the time-being, this completes the center
section construction. We will finish it after we have
used it in the construction of the fuselage. Set it
aside for now and build the two wing panels. The
wing panels are constructed directly over the plans
—build both at the same time.
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5. Locate and remove all of the required die-cut parts,
W-2's (12), W-3's (10), W-4's (10) and the W-8 wingtips
and the W-9, 10, 11 and 12 wingtip formers. These
should be removed carefully and their edges
cleaned-up with a sanding block as needed. Start
construction by accurately cutting and positioning
the bottom 3/32" x 1" leading edge sheeting strip in
place.
Dothesamethingfortherear 3/32"x
edge sheeting as well. Now take one of the W-2 ribs
and test fit it in place between these two sheet
strips. The notches should fit accurately, allowing
the bottom of the rib to contact the work surface. If
any adjustment is needed due to gaps, move the rear
sheeting strip slightly forward or back as needed;
once satisfied, pin the sheeting in place.
6. You are now going to provide the proper dihedral
angle to the leading edges and the spars to give you
an accurate, tight fit when the two panels are joined
to the center section later. Take the center section
structure that you just built and position it in place
against the inboard edges of the two sheeting strips
that are pinned in place. Tilt the center section structure down until the front and rear ply dihedral brace
arms contact the sheeting. The resulting angle of
the side of the center section is the angle that you
want to impart to the inboard ends of both spars and
the leading edge. Take one of the 3/8" x 1/2" x 30"
leading edges and lay it in place on the leading edge
sheet, against the now tilted center section—note
the gap at the bottom due to the tilt. Use a razor blade
to trim the end of the leading edge to fit flush and
square to the tilted center section's leading edge.
Once satisfied, mark and cut the other end of the
leading edge to end at the outboard edge of the
leading edge sheeting. You should now have a
perfect fitting leading edge—repeat the process for
the opposite panel and glue the leading edge in
place. Now do the same thing to the inboard ends of
the top and bottom spars. Position and pin the bot-
tom spar in place over the plans. Glue the first, in-
board W-2 rib in place to the rear face of the leading
edge, to the spar and the rear trailing edge sheeting
strip. Hold the tilted center section structure in
place to provide accurate placement of this first rib.
7. Glue all of the remaining W-2 ribs in place.
8. Glue the top spar in place into the W-2 rib slots—use
the center section once again to ensure proper in-
board positioning of the spar end.
9. Glue all of the W-4 half ribs in place to the top and
bottom spars and the leading edge.
10. Glue all of the W-3 angled rear ribs in place. NOTE:
Where the forward ends of these ribs contact the W-2
ribs, they should be chamfered to fit flush, do this
with your sanding block.
11. As shown on the cross sections on the plans, the
bottom rear trailing edge sheeting strip needs to be
chamfered a little to receive the top rear trailing
edge strip. Do this now with your sanding block.
Once satisfied, glue the top rear trailing edge
sheeting
strip
(3/32" x 1")
in
place, again using
1 "trailing
the
tilted center section structure for alignment and
positioning. Pin in place and allow to dry.
12. Glue
13. Remove the wing panels from the work surface. In-
14. Use a razor plane and your sanding block to now
15. You will notice on the plans that each wing panel is
TAIL GROUP
The tail group of your Elder, hopefully like the rest of the
airplane, is quite straight-forward and buildable directly
over the plans. Note there are a few options open to you
with these parts in terms of shape. The stab's gentle
curves which terminate in sharp points at the trailing
edge of the elevators give a certain "look." This look can
be changed by rounding the outboard trailing edges of
the elevators to get rid of the sharp point. This "softens"
the look of these shapes. The same thing can be done to
the fin and rudder, top and bottom—looks nice. As
shown, you can also seal lop the trail ing edges of the rudder and elevators to give yet another look.
1. Start with the stab, build it directly over the plans
2. Cut, fit and glue the two 1/4" sq. balsa ribs into each
3. From the 1/4 " x 1-1/2" x 24" balsa stock supplied,
wingtip W-8 in place to the ends of the wing
panels. Note the positions of and glue wingtip
formers W-9, W-10,W-11 and W-12 in place.
spectthem for anydriedglobsof glue, remove these
with a #11 X-acto knife. While holding both panels
together, make sure they are identical by using a
sanding block to go around all of the edges to match
them as closely as possible. Take your time here and
do a neat job.
shape the leading edge down to the cross sections
shown. A strip of masking tape just behind the
leading edge and across all of the ribs will protect
them while you are forming the leading edge shape.
Finally, use a well-worn piece of light sandpaper to
go over all of the wing panel surfaces to totally
smooth it out for covering later.
shown with three lengths of 1/4" sq. spruce which is
meant to serve as wing wire anchor points. If it is
your intention to use these wires on your model, cut
and glue these anchor points in place.
which you have covered with the clear backing from
Monokote or food wrap. Position S-1 in place and
pin. Cut a length of 1/4"x 1/2" stock to glue to the forward edge of S-1—glue in place. Glue the two S-2
leading pieces to the two S-3 pieces to form the two
required leading edges. Glue these in place to each
side of S-1 and the 1/4" x 1/2" trailing edge of S-1.
side of the stab. Use short lengths of 1/4" x 1/2" stock
to make the fillets—note their grain direction.
measure and cut the two elevators. Notch them as
shown to accept the 1/4" dia. x 3-1/2" dowel elevator
joiner. With the stab still in position on the work
bench, position the elevator halves in place and pin.
Protect the trailing edge of the stab with a strip of
waxed paper and epoxy the dowel elevator connector in place in the notches made earlier—allow to dry
completely.
4
4. Remove the stab and elevators from the plans. Build
the fin next in the same manner using the R-1 and R-2
die-cut pieces with a 1/4" sq. and 1/4" x 1/2" balsa
frames shown. Cut the rudder to shape from the remainder of the 1/4" x 1-1/2" balsa stock used for the
elevators. Position the rudder in place to the back of
the fin and glue R-3 in place to the leading edge of
the rudder. Remove the parts from your building
board.
5. The elevators, stab, fin and rudder are now finalsanded to shape. Start by using masking tape to
mount the elevators to the stab. Use a sanding block
to go over all of the outside surfaces, to carefully
match them. Lay the stab on a flat working surface,
masking tape down, and use the sanding block to
sand it flat. Use the sanding block to taper the
elevators as shown on one side; once satisfied, tape
the stab/elevator hinge line, turn the stab over,
remove the tape from this side, and repeat the process. The same method is used for the fin and rudder. Once complete, use sandpaper to round the
leading edges. Set these parts aside for covering
and assembly to the fuselage.
FUSELAGE ASSEMBLY
Before starting construction, study the plans and drawings to familiarize yourself with how the fuselage is
assembled. Note that it really is nothing more than a
basic "box" fuselage with semi-formers in the nose area
to create the rounded cowling effect. This simple and effective way of making a fuselage can only be ruined in
one way; building it crooked. This can be done by not
making the fuselage side frames identical and/or missizing the top and bottom cross braces. Another common error is to make improper joints. The Elder relys a
great deal on the strength of its frame—make those
joints fit correctly. Note also that the uprights and cross
braces are a mix of both spruce and balsa. These are
notated.
1. Locate and remove die-cut parts F-6 and F-10, two of
each. Securely pin F-6 in place directly over your
covered fuselage plan. Note that the bottom aft
spruce longeron terminates in the rear notch in part
F-6. Glue the forward end of the bottom spruce
longeron into F-6, disregard the curve of this
longeron for now.
2. Pin F-10 in place directly over the plans. Measure
and cut the top rear spruce longeron that fits in place
from the back of the "tab" on F-10 aft to the tail post.
(A tool such as an X-acto mitre box and razor saw is
quite good for cutting spruce.) Glue the top rear
longeron in place to F-10.
3. Locate one of the three 1/4" x1" x 3 "ply formers that
are supplied with your kit. Hold this former in place
on top of F-10, in front of the "tab." With a pencil,
mark its forward location on the former. From your
1/4" sq. balsa stock, cut and fit the top forward
longeron which extends forward from the pencil
mark you just made to the back face of the firewall.
Note that you will have to make a slight cut in the top
of this longeron at the wing's leading edge location
to get It to bend back down to follow the drawing—
just "crack" It slightly at this point. Glue this
longeron in place.
4. Cut, fit and glue In place all of the uprights and
diagonal braces (1/4" sq. and 1/4" x 1/2" balsa) from
the nose back to and including the 1/4" sq. uprights
just ahead of the F-10 former (these connect the
front edge of the F-10 with the top rear edge of F-6).
5. Cut, fit and glue In place the rearmost 1/4" sq. spruce
tailpost upright—be sure that the correct angle is
also trimmed Into its bottom end for the bottom
longeron. With the frame firmly secured to the
building board, bend the bottom longeron up to meet
the rearmost upright that was Just Installed. Glue
and securely block this longeron in place.
6. With the exception of the 1/4" x 1/2" servo tray bearer,
cut, fit and glue all remaining balsa and spruce
uprights in place; thus completing the basic frame.
You will now want to make a second, identical frame.
We have found the easiest way to be sure that they
are identical is to build the second frame directly on
top of the first. Be sure to cover the first frame with
Monokote backing or food wrap first.
7. Hold or tape the two completed frames together and
use your sanding block to make sure they are iden-
tical. Separate them and sand their sides smooth
(both sides) with the sanding block.
8. Measure and cut the two required 1/4" x 1/2" x 2-1/2"
balsa cross braces that fit at the top and bottom of
the fuselage at the wing's trailing edge. Measure
and cut the 1/4" x 2-1/2" balsa bottom cross brace that
fits in the bottom of the radio compartment and the
1/4"x2-1/2" spruce cross brace that fits in place at the
top, front of the two frames. Locate all of the three
1/4" x 1" x 3" ply formers. Position the two frames upside down over the top view on the plans—accurately please! Pin them in place at right angles to the
work surface. (NOTE: Due to the slight incidence
angle in these frames, they will not fit flat to the surface. This is not important at this time.) Epoxy the
two forward 1/4" x 1" x 3" landing gear formers in
place in the notches provided in the F-6's. Glue the
two remaining balsa bottom cross braces in placepin and al low to dry. Remove the frame from the work
surface, turn it over and glue the forward 1/4" sq.
spruce and rear(wing'strailing edge) 1/4 "x 1/2 "cross
braces in place. Now epoxy the remaining 1/4"x1"x
3" ply former in the space left on top of F-10.
9. Locate the 1/4" x 2-5/8" x 3" ply firewall. You must now
use the plans to locate the position of your motor
mount on the firewall. This mount is installed inverted. Mark the location of the four mounting holes
onto the firewall. Use a drill and a 1/8" dia. drill bit to
drill the holes through the firewall. Use the four 4-40
blind mounting nuts provided and epoxy them in
place to the back of the firewall, into the holes just
drilled—keep adhesive out of the threads. Test
mount the motor mount with the 4-40 x 7/8" bolts provided. Remove the mount and epoxy the firewall to
5
the front of the fuselage frame, align it carefully and
allow to cure.
10. Use your sanding block and medium sandpaper to
now go over the frame. Make sure the edges are all
square and clean.
11. Locate and assemble, if needed, the fuel tank that
you plan to use. This airplane can use either 4,6 or 8
oz. fuel tanks. Note that we are showing the Sullivan
slant-type tank that is mounted inverted in the nose.
This is because this position places the tube outlets
more inline with the engine's carb. Fit your tank into
the nose of the fuselage frame. Use short (3")
lengths of scrap balsa stock to make "support" for
it. With the fuselage open at this time, it's easy to
see if the tank will sit level—adjust as needed. In this
6
way, when the fuselage is done, your tank can be inserted from the wing opening into the nose and
removed, if needed, with assurance that it is
mounted
two required holes for the fuel tank (one for fuel feed
and filling and the other for the pressure tap and
overflow). Remove the tank.
12. Drill and tap the holes necessary In the motor mount
to attach your engine (we like to use 4-40 Allen-head
bolts for this purpose). Attach the motor mount to
the firewall and the engine to the mount. By viewing
from the front, determine the location of the throttle
tube housing exit hole. This should be lined-up with
the carb's throttle arm. Drill a 3/16" dia. hole through
the firewall for this tube. Rough-up the outer surface
of the outer throttle tube housing and glue it in place
in the firewall—about 3/16" of it should protrude out
from the face of the firewall, the rest of it runs into
the radio compartment. Be sure your tank still fits
nicely.
13. The servos shown on the plans are of average configuration, however yours may be different; taller,
wider, etc... The Elder will accept almost any radio
system, there is plenty of room. Lay the fuselage
frame over the side view of the plans and take one of
the servos that you plan to use and lay it in place,
about where they are shown on the plans.
Remember that these servos will be mounted on the
1/8" ply servo tray. Observe if your servos will fit. Cut,
fit and glue the 1/4" x 1/2" balsa servo tray bearers in
place between the two uprights in the radio (servo)
compartment—note that their outer edges are flush
with the rest of the fuselage frame
14. You can now sheet the bottom of the fuselage from
the nose (between the two landing gear formers)
back to the last bottom 1/4" x 1/2" cross brace—don't
sheet any further back. Note this sheet is applied
cross grain. Use your sanding block to clean the
edges flush with the frame sides. Sand the landing
gear mounts and sheeting to a smooth curve when
viewed from the side.
15. Use the 3/32" x 4" x 24" balsa sheet provided to now
make the primary fuselage sides. Be economical
here, you will need the rest of this sheeting later. Lay
the fuselage frame on the sheet with the forward
edge of it lined-up with the leading edge of the wing.
Use a pencil to trace the fuselage side outline onto
the sheeting. Cut out the fuselage side and glue it in
place, repeat the process for the other side. Use your
sanding block to again true-up edges and generally
tidy the fuselage.
16. Stand the fuselage on its nose, firewall flat to the
work surface. Locate and glue in place the two side
F-4 formers to the firewall sides, flush with its front
correctly.
Now use
a 3/16
"drill
bit to
drill
the
face.
17.
Locate and glue in place the two side formers, F-5.
Glue balsa former F-7 to ply former F-8 (see plans).
Glue the F-7/F-8 former in place at the top of the
fuselage where the leading edge of the wing will be.
18. Locate and accurately pin in place the wing center
section to the top of the fuselage—take your time
and locate it as accurately as possible. Use a 1/4"
dia. drill to drill through F-7, F-8, the leading edge
and dihedral brace of the center section—back up
the dihedral brace with a piece of scrap wood to
avoid splintering as the drill bit passes through it.
Remove the center section and set aside for now.
Once again stand the fuselage on it's nose, flat on
the work surface and glue the top F-3 former in place
on top of the firewall and flush with it's front face.
19. Measure, cut and glue in place the top 1/4" sq. balsa
cowl longeron from F-7 through F-3 and out past the
firewall as shown on the plans to pick-up F-2. Cut, fit
and glue the two side 1/4" sq. balsa cowl longerons
to the slots in the F-4's. Now fit in place cowl former
F-2, don't glue yet. Observe how this former is fitting
in place, make sure that it is parallel with the firewall
and that when viewed from the side it is also parallel
with the firewall. Once satisfied, glue it to the three
1/4 " sq. balsa longeron ends. Now glue the two F-1
cowl pieces to the front face of F-2, leaving a 3/32"
"shelf" for mounting the cowling sheet.
20. You are now going to sheet the nose of the fuselage
as follows: Start by sheeting the top of the fuselage
from F-7 out to F-2. Do this in two pieces with the
seam on the centerline of the top 1/4" sq. balsa
longeron. Wetting the top of the sheet
through-out) will help conform it to the formers. Use
thick CA adhesive for this operation; in that way no
pins or tape will be needed. Next, cut and fit a piece
of sheeting that will fit against the edge of the top
sheet, extend down to the centerline of the side 1/4"
sq. balsa cowling longeron and fit between F-1 (on
the top of F-2) and half the thickness of F-4. The next
piece butts up against the edge of the last piece just
installed, down to the bottom of F-1, angling back to
the bottom of F-4. This then leaves only the sides of
the fuselage open at the tank compartment. This
area is done in two pieces also. One from the
(3/32"
balsa
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centerline of F-5 up to the top sheeting and the other
from the centerl ine of F-5 down to the bottom edge of
the fuselage. This completes the sheeting of the
front end of the airplane. If you have taken your time
and fitted these pieces with a minimum amount of
gaps, all that remains is sanding to shape.
21. Use a sanding block to bevel the inside ends of the
spruce fuselage framework at the tailpost—see
plans. Once satisfied, glue these ends accurately
together providing equal bends to each side of the
fuselage. Now accurately cut and glue in place all of
the remaining spruce and balsa cross braces as
shown.
22. Once again, accurately position the wing center section in place on the fuselage. Using the trailing edge
as your mark, finish sheeting the top of the fuselage,
cross grain, back to the point where the fuselage
sides end. Remove the center section from the
fuselage.
23. With the exception of final sanding and rounding as
shown on the plans, the fuselage is now complete.
LANDING GEAR AND TAILSKID ASSEMBLY
Note that the front and rear 1/8" dia. M.W. landing gear
forms are supplied to you pre-bent. Note on the plans
that they must be joined together at the bottom, towards
the wheels. We recommend soft copper wire for first
firmly wrapping the two pieces together followed by
soldering the legs together. We would highly recommend the use of HARRIS'S STAY-CLEAN FLUX and their
silver solder for this operation. Although a soldering iron
will work with patience, these joints can be quickly and
permanently made with the use of a small hobby-type
gas torch.
1. Locate the position of the rear "crossed-axle" wire
to the bottom rear ply L/G plate on the fuselage bottom. While holding the wire in place, slip the two
formed metal clips onto the wire. Using a pencil to
mark the hole locations of these clips onto the ply
base, remove the wire and clips. Drill shallow, small
diameter "guide holes" for the clip's screws. Now
attach the landing gear wire to the fuselage with the
clips and the #2 x 3/8" screws provided—there is no
need to overtighten them. Repeat this process with
the forward landing gear wire.
2. Pull the two components together until they touch.
The two short bent "arms" on the forward leg should
line-up with the legs of the rear L/G wire. If needed,
use pliers to adjust these arms until they neatly fit.
3. Use soft copper wire to now neatly wrap the forward
short arms to the rear L/G wire as shown on the
plans. Apply some STAY-CLEAN flux to the joint and
solder. Repeat the process on the other side. Be neat
and try and be sure that the joint is at once solid
without a lot of excess solder. Once satisfied, completely clean the solder joints of any flux.
4. As shown, the crossed-axle landing gear system
derives its ability to accept landing loads and shock
from the two (2) independent axle legs. These need
to be joined at two points, each 2-1/2" in from the
wheels. This distance has shown very good shock-
absorbing ability for Elders weighing 3-3-1/2 lbs. Join
these axles by first measuring the 2-1/2" distance required, wrapping with soft wire (about 3/8") and
soldering. Again, clean the solder joints completely.
5. The same process is now used to make the rear
tailskid assembly. First bend the 1/16" dia. M.W. provided to the shape shown using pliers. Wrap the tip
of the skid with soft copper wire and solder. Now
tape the main skid wire in place to the bottom'rear of
the fuselage. Locate the pre-bent tailskid support
wire and wrap it in place to the tailskid with soft wire.
Solder it in place to the skid. Remove the assembly
from the fuselage and again, clean the solder joints
completely.
6. Remove the main landing gear from the fuselage.
The landing gear and tailskid are now complete and
can be used as is or painted flat black or aluminum
(we use K&B epoxy paints for this as well as other
painting needs on this airplane). As we did on some
of our prototypes, you may wish to add wood back-
ing to the wires, sand these to airfoil shape and paint
them a wood color—looks great! We used 1/8" x 1/4"
hard balsa with a 1/8" dia. "groove" sanded into one
edge, carefully fitting the piece in place. We glued
the wood to the metal with thick CA adhesive and
sanded the whole affair smooth. Then we used clear,
paintable Monokote to cover the "wooded" parts of
the landing gear to provide a one-piece look and airbrushed wood-colored epoxy paint on the whole
thing.
FINAL ASSEMBLY
1. Locate one of the 1/4" dia. by 3-1/2" dowels. Insert the
dowel into the hole previously drilled in the leading
edge of the wing center section. As shown on the
plans, it extends all the way back to the main wing
dihedral brace with about 1/4" - 3/8" of it extending
out to connect with the F-7/F-8 formers; trim the
length as needed. Now install the center section to
the wing with the forward dowel in place. Liberally
8
apply epoxy around and beneath this dowel. Then
glue in place the two remaining W-1A half ribs into
position on each side of the dowel. Fill the resulting
cavity above the dowel with more epoxy and allow
the structure to cure.
2. The top of the wing center section can now be completely sheeted, cross grain. As with the wing
panels, slightly bevel or chamfer the trailing edge of
this part to allow proper seating of the top sheet.
When dry, use a small sanding block to clean the
edges of the top sheeting flush with the outer surfaces of the W-1A and W-1 B ribs.
3. Carve and sand the short leading edge of the center
section to shape, matching the two wing panels.
4. Once again, accurately pin and/or tape the wing
center section in place to the fuselage. Use the
plans for reference to now drill two 1/8" dia. wing bolt
holes through the top rear of the center section and
through the 1/4 "x1 "x 3" ply former directly beneath
it—note the angle that these two holes are drilled at
to take into account the slope of the top airfoil at that
point. Remove the center section from the fuselage.
Tap the two holes in the ply former with either an 8-32
tap or an 8-32 metal bolt. Once the threads have been
established use a little thin CA adhesive to "coat"
them and then run the tap into the holes once again;
this toughens-up the threads. It may be necessary to
run the tap or bolt through these threads several
times to allow the nylon 8-32 bolts to clear. Use a 3/16"
drill bit to now "clear-out" the two 1/8" holes in the
wing center section for clear passage of the wing
bolts. Now bolt the center section in place on the
fuselage.
5. Locate die cut former F-9 (balsa). As you can see
from the plans this former is trimmed at the bottom
(sanding block) to fit onto the top of the center section's leading edge where it becomes the "shelf" for
the 3/32" x 1/4" fuselage fairing strips. Apply glue to
the bottom of this part and position it accurately in
place on the center section, flat against the rear face
of F-8—don't get glue on F-8. Start making the
fuselage/wing fairing by first cutting to length the
top center 3/32 " x 1/4" balsa strip (the center one when
viewed from the top). Sand its rear bottom edge to
match the contour of the center section's sheeting.
Once satisfied, carefully glue in place to the top of
F-9 and the center section sheeting. Repeat this process to the left and right of this center strip until the
rough fairing is complete. With the center section
still in place, use your sanding block and sandpaper
to now smooth the fuselage/wing joint to a onepiece look. Any small gaps or rough edges can be filled with a filler such as DAP White Vinyl Spackling
compound and sanded smooth again. Remove the
center section from the fuselage.
6. You can now make the cockpit cut-out in the wing
center section. The pattern for this is provided on the
plans and it can either be traced or the pattern itself
cut-out of the plans to serve as a cutting guide. Use a
#11 X-acto knife for this purpose and try to be as neat
as possible.
7. Locate the four remaining 1/4" dia. by 3-1/2" dowels.
These will be used to now make the "king post" that
fits to the wing center section. This is most easily
made by first constructing two separate
"triangular" pieces and then joining the two pieces
at the top. Chamfer the top ends to fit as shown on
the plans and epoxy. The bottom ends of the "king
post" must also be chamfered to sit squarely on the
top surface of the center section, ahead of the
cockpit. Don't attach this structure yet, it will be
assembled to the wing after covering.
8. The two wing panels can now be permanently attached to the wing center section. We recommend
that you use epoxy for this operation. With the
center section flat on your building surface, slide the
two panels in position onto the exposed arms of the
front, center and rear dihedral braces. The fit should
be accurate; the front brace fits against the back
face of the panel's leading edge; the center brace is
in contact with both the top and bottom spars; and
the rear brace is inside of the top and bottom rear
trailing edge sheet strips. The panel's spars, leading
edges and trailing edges should also be cleanly contacting the outside surface of the center section's
sides. Take your time here to ensure that this is the
case before committing to actual attachment.
Locate or make a couple
of
1-3/4"
high supports for
the wingtips to provide the required dihedral angle.
Now epoxy the panels in place to the center section— don't use so much glue that it runs or drips but
enough to provide a good glue joint. One-hour epoxy
is best for this step. Allow the structure to cure completely.
9. Remove the completed wing from the bench and
take some time to now go over it completely. Check
the joints for gaps, etc. Use more epoxy to now go
over the joints, making sure that every contact point
has adhesive. When you are satisfied, use light
sandpaper to smooth the wing panel/wing center
section joints to match.
10. Locate the two required rear fuselage pushrod exits
(die-cut, ply). Note on the plans where these fit
beneath the stab location—glue in place.
11. A 1/16" x 3/8" x 12 "ply strip is provided for the fuselage
frame "joint caps". These can be drawn with pencil
on the strip of ply and scissors or shears can then be
used to cut them out. These are glued in place to
each of the exposed fuselage upright and cross
brace joint, as shown. Once these are in place, use
sandpaper to lightly smooth their edges.
COVERING & FINISH
Now that al I of the various components of your Elder are
completely assembled and sanded to their final shapes,
you can turn your attention to covering. This is the point
that can separate your model from anyone else's. You
must decide what you want the finished airplane to look
like. We have finished our prototypes in a wide variety of
color schemes representing everything from an R.A.F.
WWI fighter (as shown on the label; in cream Monokote
9
with red, white and blue Roundels and tail treatment) to
a German WWI fighter (all red Monokote with black Iron
Cross's on a white background) to civilian-type versions
(dove gray fuselages, transparent blue wings and tailgroup and chrome Monokote "cowls!") Interestingly, no
matter what color scheme we used, there was always a
group of people at the flying site who would stand there
looking at the Elder, arguing about what real, full-scale
aircraft it represented. Just remember that the Elder is
not a scale model, you're free to cover it in any configura-
tion that strikes your fancy—it will look great!
Before covering, it is suggested that the final finish be
applied to the open spruce fuselage structure. This can
be done several ways. There is a very good product on
the market called Varathane that is sold through most
well-stocked hardware and lumber supply outlets. This
material is essentially clear and will leave the spruce
about its same color, maybe a little darker, and
somewhat shiney. It is resistant to spent fuel and quite
durable in actual use. Epoxy paint, mixed to achieve a
woodish brown color and brushed or sprayed also works
well. Take your time here, use light sandpaper to go over
the framework, smoothing it for the finish of your
choice. When applying the finish, be sure that all of the
exposed wood, except the top, rear stab glueing area,
receives paint. We then used flat black paint (again,
epoxy is great) to paint each of the ply "joint-caps", this
really makes the structure come to life!
Now for the covering itself. Use the directions that are
supplied with each roll of Monokote and cover each of
the various components separately; fuselage, wing,
stab, elevators, fin and rudder. Some of you might have a
problem with the wingtips of the Elder, if this is your first
venture into the use of Monokote or your first R/C
airplane. We tried a method on one of our prototypes that
worked quite well for these tips. First, cover the wing
panels totally, starting with the bottoms first, including
'the wingtips. Then cover the tops of the wing panels out
to and including the last outboard W-2 wing rib, but not
the wingtips themselves. Next, cut an elongated
triangular piece of Monokote to fit over the space bet-
ween the forward W-2 rib and the forward W-9 wingtip
former—keep the edges straight, allow about 1/8"
overlap and iron this piece in place. Move now to the
next exposed triangular area between W-9 and W-10 and
repeat the process. This method will provide a much
easier covering situation for the newcomer and, if done
carefully, gives you a nice looking, wrinkle-free wingtip.
When covering the fuselage be sure that the bottom
covering—the piece that you should apply
first—overlaps into and on the firewall by about 1/4 " at
least. Additional information on how to use Monokote is
now available on video tape. See your dealer or write to
Top Flite.
Assuming that the airplane is now covered, turn your attention to fuel-proofing the engine compartment. We
like to use and highly recommend a liberal coat of
polyester resin. This material should be applied to all ex-
posed wood in the inside of the cowl area and over all of
the Monokote seams that terminate in the cowl itself.
This seals the wood as well as the Monokote seams and
avoids "fuel creep" later on. Be sure to keep the resin out
of the bolt holes in the firewall.
Use your X-acto knife to now clear-out all of the hinge
slots in the tail group. Do the same thing for the wing
hold-down bolt holes, the cockpit, the landing gear
screw holes, etc.
Mount the wing to the fuselage with the nylon bolts.
Place the stab in position on the top rear of the fuselage
and sight down the front of the model to observe if the
stab is sitting flat in relationship to the wing, without any
tilt. Once satisfied, hold the stab firmly in place in the
position that it is meant to be; square with the fuselage
and aligned correctly with the wing when viewed from
the top—make sure that it is exactly where you want it.
Use a sharp pencil and, while holding the stab in place,
trace the outline of the framework that is in contact with
the bottom of the stab onto the stab itself. Remove the
stab from the fuselage. Use your X-acto knife to now
lightly cut-out the frame outline from the bottom of the
stab's Monokote to expose the wood—this will be your
glueing surface. The stab can now be mounted to the
fuselage; we used a "thick" CA adhesive for this.
Next, prepare the fin for mounting to the stab by making
sure that all covering is removed from the bottom of it,
leaving exposed wood. Hold the fin in place on the stab
in the position that it is supposed to be; dead-centerwith
the fuselage centerline. Use the same pencil and mark
the fin's location on the top of the stab. Remove the fin
and use your X-acto knife to remove the covering from
the previously marked location, exposing the wood.
Before glueing the fin to the stab, use a pin to make lots
of small holes in the exposed wood of both the stab and
fin bottom, these need not be deep. Use a slower drying
adhesive (Titebond, 1-hour epoxy, etc.) to now glue the
fin in place on the stab. Use a length of light tape over the
top of the fin and on each tip of the stab to hold the fin in
place, at right angles, and allow to dry. Check periodically while this structure is drying to be sure that the fin has
not shifted and is in place at right angles to the stab and
on the centerline of the fuselage; we want everything
"square." When this structure is dry, remove the tape.
Thread a length of 20# fishing line (used for rigging thruout, if desired) through the hole at the top of the fin and
glue each end of the line into the holes at each tip of the
stab—carefully applied "thick" CA adhesive will work
well. The fin should now be quite immobile on the stab.
Use 1-hour epoxy to now glue the four hinges required into the trailing edge of the stab and the two hinges required into the fin. Next, mount the elevators to their
hinges followed by the rudder, again using 1-hour epoxy.
A little acetone or CA debonder on a clean paper towel
can be used to clean-off any glue that has oozed out of
the hinge slots.
Mount the landing gear assembly to the fuselage with
the screws and clips provided. Mount the clips securely
but do not over-tighten.
Install the motor mount to the firewall and your engine to
the motor mount. We would suggest that you mount your
engine using 4-40 Alien-head bolts into pre-tapped holes
in the motor mount. Cut a couple of 10"-12" lengths of
10
medium fuel tubing. Use a razor blade to cut a sharp
angle on one end of each of these lengths. Insert these
angled ends into the holes you drilled earlier in the
firewall. Use a pair of pliers, long-nosed, to reach in from
the wing opening and pull the tubing ends through the
tank compartment, out into open view, without pulling
them all the way through the firewall. Trim the ends
square and attach them to the correct tank tubes. Now
pull the tubes back out from the firewall while moving
the tank into the fuselage. Trim the tubing to length and
attach the ends to the engine and pressure tap.
The triangular-shaped "flying-wire post" that is shown
sitting in front of the cockpit can now be glued (epoxy) in
place by first positioning it on the top of the wing to
determine it's final position. Once satisfied, press on
the top of it, indenting the covering slightly. Remove the
covering material in these indentations, exposing wood
and glue the post in place. If you have decided to add the
optional flying wires (20#-test fishing line), drill small
holes
(1/32"
dia.)
into
the tops of the spruce upright posts
that you installed during wing construction. We used
very small cotter pins for the flying wire anchor points,
these can now be epoxied into the holes. Before adding
the flying wires, apply any decoration or markings to the
wings that you have decided upon, then add these wires.
As shown on plans, the exposed framework of the aft
fuselage is shown with bracing wires and tubes in each
joint corner for their attachment, if you have decided on
this as an option, now is the time to add them.
The 1" x 1-3/4" windscreen is now trimmed to shape using
the outline provided on your plans and glued in place
just ahead of the cockpit opening. Position the bottom
edge of the windscreen in place on the wing center sec-
tion and press down to leave an indention. Use an X-acto
knife to cut through the indention and wood beneath it.
The windscreen can now be inserted into this "slot" and
held in place with a small amount of adhesive. If you are
using a "pilot,"he should now be epoxied in place in the
cockpit (assuming that he's all painted and ready to fly).
At this point you might well be considering detailing
your Elder with a few "goodies." We have used a few
items that were "off-the-shelf" in most well-stocked
hobby shops. Williams Bros. makes some nice 2-1/2"
scale machine guns, WW I type, both German and
British. We used one of their Vicker's guns on the model
shown on your box label. Simply glue a couple of dowels
into the bottom of the gun and it can then be glued right
into the center section of the wing, beneath the "king
post." As shown on the plans, we also used a Williams
Bros. "vintage" pilot (the one with the leather flying cap
& goggles) as well as their wheels. On a couple of the
prototypes we detailed the cockpits with instruments
from Lou Proctor and a genuine hardwood, stained instrument panel (veneer). All kinds of neat looking flying
wire clips and little metal parts can be easily made from
light aluminum. Detailing the Elder is up to you; any way
you choose, it'll look great.
With the possible exception of additional final detailing
such as outlined above, your Elder is now essentially
finished, needing only the installation of the radio.
RADIO INSTALLATION
The method of installing your radio in the Elder is shown
on the plans. Note that we have provided you with a 1/8" x
2-7/8" x 4-7/8"
ply servo tray.
Use
a pencil and straight edge
to lay-out the positions of your servos on this tray. Note
that we are showing the rudder and elevator servos at
the rear, side-by-side with the throttle servo just ahead,
mounted sideways. Drill a 1/4" dia. hole into each of the
servo pencil marks and use a Dremel saw or a jig-saw to
remove the servo cut-out's (3) required. Test-fit the servos into the tray and the tray into the fuselage—it is
meant to rest atop the two 1/4" x 1/2" balsa bearers that
were built into the fuselage frame earlier. Note that the
tray can be slid fore and aft a little to provide some C.G.
(Center of Gravity) change, if needed. Later, it will be permanently glued in place.
The receiver and battery pack are meant to be installed
forward of the servo tray, as shown. These components
should be installed using foam rubber. The receiver
antenna on our prototypes was simply routed out
through the fuselage, internally, and tied-off at the tail
post of the rear fuselage framework. The switch harness
may be attached directly to the fuselage side, away from
engine exhaust.
Next make the rudder and elevator pushrods. You have
been provided with a 36" length of 1/4" dia. dowel. Cut
this in half to make two 18" pushrods. As shown on the
plans, attach the non-threaded end of the 6" (threaded
one-end) control wires to the ends of each dowel with
epoxy and tightly wrapped thread. From the inside of the
fuselage, slip the pushrods in place through the
fuselage and out the ply pushrod guides at the rear of the
fuselage. Some small amount of bending of the control
wires will be needed to provide free, unbinding move-
ment. Make sure while doing this that the bends you put
into the wires are as minimal as possible—avoid any
hard bends.
Locate the two nylon horns provided for the elevator and
rudder. Mark the locations and drill the two holes in each
of these surfaces for their mounting. Mount the horns in
place. Thread the clevises onto the threaded end of each
of the pushrods and attach the clevises to the horns.
Now test the movement and action of the rudder and
elevator while moving the pushrods by hand. It is essential that the movement be smooth, non-binding and easy
—not sloppy. Use 1/16" dia. M.W., epoxied and wrapped
as before at the other end of each pushrod to make the
connection to the servos. A simple "Z "-bend is all that is
needed for the servo connection.
Adjust the whole system for neutral and test the movement of the surfaces when actuated by your radio. The
plans show the recommended movement of the rudder
and elevator and this can be adjusted by moving the
clevises in or out on the horns. In would be more movement or throw and out would be less.
Make the connection from the throttle servo to the
engine by screwing at least 1/4" of the 1" threaded stud
into one end of the inner plastic tube provided. Thread a
clevis onto the stud and connect to the throttle servo.
Again, test the operation of this connection to be sure
11
that is is free and non-binding.
Since the pushrods are exposed, you may wish to give
them a coat of the same material that you used for the
fuselage framework to protect them from spent fuel.
PRE-FLIGHT INSTRUCTIONS
This section assumes that your Elder is completely
done, covered, painted as needed, etc. We are now going
to establish the correct C.G. (Center of Gravity). Start by
completely assembling the airplane. Note on the plans
that the mark shown for the C.G. point is directly over the
spars and directly beneath the top mating point of the
"king-post". Slip a length of string under the kingpost
and lift the airplane off your bench. The airplane, ideally,
should hang suspended either level or slightly nose-
down. This would mean that the C.G. is where it should
be to provide you with a stable flying airplane.
If the tail hangs low, some of the equipment has to be
moved forward. Remember, this balance is always
achieved without fuel in the tank—that's burn-off
weight and cannot be counted. The easiest component
to move is the battery pack. Depending on the pack's
configuration, it can be installed beneath the fuel tank. If
you still need more weight forward, slide the servo tray
all the way forward as far as it will go. If more weight is
needed (highly unlikely) then you will have to add lead
weight in the nose, beneath the tank. If you have to add
lead, don't worry, the Elder will still fly quite well.
If the airplane is nose-heavy, then try moving the servo
tray back as far as it will go, etc... Once the airplane
hangs suspended as it should, you will have to now glue
the servo tray permanently in place against the 1/4"x1/2"
balsa bearers that it rests on.
Prior to flying, get in the habit of making a complete
check of the airframe. Is the prop tight?. Batteries in
both the airplane and transmitter fully charged? Engine
bolts tight? All components firmly attached to each
other? Fuel lines clear? Wheels roll easily? Make a radio
system check as well—up is up, down is down and the
throttle moves in the right direction. You're ready to fly!
FLYING INSTRUCTIONS
Once again, if this is your first R/C aircraft DO NOT ATTEMPT TO FLY IT YOURSELF. Go to your local hobby
shop and get information about any local flying clubs in
your area. It is within such groups that knowledgeable,
experienced individuals can be found to assist you.
Assuming that the radio system (airborne and transmitter) are fully charged and that your engine is completely
broken-in and reliable, let's fly! Fill the tank and turn the
radio system on. With the engine running at idle, point
the Elder directly into the wind and advance the throttle
slowly. With most "tail-draggers" a small amount of
right rudder will be needed to keep the airplane on a
straight heading. With a little experience you will be able
to keep the take-off roll quite straight. As the speed
picks-up, the tail will lift and in a short time the airplane
will lift-off. Keep the plane headed straight with the nose
in a shallow climb—do not "horse" it up with excess up
elevator, that is the beginning of a "snap roll" and at low
altitude this can quickly become a crash!
Once sufficient altitude is reached (75'-100'), try some
turns to get used to the handling characteristics. Non-
aileron equipped models react a little slower in theturns
and these turns tend to the "skidding" type. If all of the
homework was correctly done on the ground, your Elder
should be flying quite nicely. While at altitude, try the
throttle and get used to the slow-speed characteristics
of the airplane before setting-up your landing. Use the
transmitter trims to correct for any unwanted climbing,
diving or turning tendencies from straight and level
flight at cruise speeds. Like most aircraft that have flatbottom airfoils, the Elder will naturally want to climb at
full power and settle at low throttle. A point somewhere
in between these two throttle settings will provide the
"cruise" speed. This setting will vary according to a.) the
engine size and b.) the finished weight of your model.
With some flying time experience you will find that the
Elder is quite aerobatic; loops from level flight, left and
right snap rolls, left and right spins with almost instant
recovery. Inverted flight is possible with practice.
Landings can be as slow and predictable as you'd like,
just maintain your heading into the wind all the way
through touch-down and roll-out to a stop. We have
found that the Elder steers quite well on the ground with
deflected rudder and short bursts of power—be sure
you're holding full-up elevator while you are doing this.
We sincerely hope that this has been a good project for
you and that the hours on the building board will be
rewarded with many, many enjoyable flights.
INDEX
INTRODUCTION
PRE-CONSTRUCTION
WING
ASSEMBLY
............................
NOTES
.................
...........................
1
2
2
TAILGROUP................................ 4
FUSELAGEASSEMBLY.
......................
5
LANDINGGEARANDTAILSKIDASSEMBLY ..... 8
FINALASSEMBLY
COVERINGANDFINISH
RADIO INSTALLATION .......................
PRE-FLIGHT................................
FLYING ....................................
...........................
......................
8
9
11
12
12
12
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