Tower Hobbies Laser 200 Flatty Instruction Manual

INSTRUCTION MANUAL

®

Tower
Hobbies®
guarantees
this kit to be
free from defects
in both material and
workmanship at the

WARRANT Y

date of purchase. This
warranty does not cover any
component parts damaged by
use or modification. In no case
shall Tower Hobbies’ liability exceed
the original cost of the purchased kit.
Further, Tower Hobbies reserves the right to
change or modify this warranty without notice.

In that Tower Hobbies 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 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.

WINGSPAN

33.5 in [850 mm]

RADIO

4 channel

LENGTH

33 in [840 mm]

WING AREA

261 in2 [16.8 dm2]

WEIGHT

5.6 – 6.4 oz [160–180 g]

READ THROUGH THIS MANUAL

BEFORE STARTING CONSTRUCTION.

IT CONTAINS IMPORTANT INSTRUCTIONS

AND WARNINGS CONCERNING THE

ASSEMBLY AND USE OF THIS MODEL.

WING LOADING

3.1– 3.5 oz/ft2 [9–11 g/dm2]

MOTOR

RimFire™ 250,

2S or 3S 350 mAh LiPo,

8A–10 A ESC, 8x3.8 APC Prop

TOWER HOBBIES

Champaign, Illinois

[phone] ext. 5

[e-mail]

®

®

© 2015 Tower Hobbies .

A subsidiary of Hobbico, Inc.

TOWA2005

TABLE OF CONTENTS

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

AMA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

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

REQUIRED FOR COMPLETION. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

Radio Equipment and Accessories . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

Tools and Adhesives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

KIT INSPECTION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

KIT CONTENTS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

ASSEMBLY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

Assemble the Bottom Half . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

Assemble the Top Half. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

INTRODUCTION

Thank you for purchasing the Tower Hobbies Laser 200 ARF.
The Laser bridges the gap between heavier, durable “fl at

foamies” intended for 3D fl ight with a 3S battery and the
feather-weight, delicate types intended for slow, precision
fl ight on 2S. If 3D is your game, the Laser still features the
ingredients of a typical 3S airframe, but has been lightened
and simplifi ed to also fl y well on 2S. So, whichever is your
preference let’s get started!

For the latest technical updates or manual corrections to the
Laser, go to www.towerhobbies.com/products/towa2005.html
and click on the Tech Notes button. 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.

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

Hook up the Ailerons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

Hook up the Elevator and Rudder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

Final Assembly. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

GET THE MODEL READY TO FLY. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

Check the C.G. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

Check the Control Directions. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

Set the Control Throws . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

Identify Your Model . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

Ground Check . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

Flying . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

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

2. You must assemble the Laser 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.
All components must be correctly installed so that the model
operates correctly on the ground and in the air. You must
check the operation of the model and all components before
every fl ight.

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

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

We, as the kit manufacturer, provide you with a top quality,
thoroughly tested kit and instructions, but ultimately the
quality and fl yability of your fi nished model depends on how
you build it; therefore, we cannot in any way guarantee the
performance of your completed model, and no representa­tions are expressed or implied as to the performance or
safety of your completed model.

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

REQUIRED FOR COMPLETION

Radio Equipment and Accessories

1. Your Laser 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

The radio required to fl y your Laser is standard and straight-

forward: A 4-channel radio system is required with a micro
receiver and micro servos. You may have to decide whether

2

you are going to fl y your Laser on a 2S (7.4V) or 3S (11.7V)
battery—of course it can be fl own with both. Powered by a
2S battery the Laser is lighter and will fl y slower, precision
maneuvers better. Powered by a 3S battery the Laser will
fl y 3D maneuvers better. Following is the list of components
the Laser was designed to fi t. Any other gear with similar
specifi cations will be suitable, but slight modifi cations may
be required.

❍ RimFire 250 Outrunner motor (GPMG4502)
❍ Futaba R6004FF micro receiver (FUTL7624)

❍ (3) Futaba S3154 digital micro servos (FUTM0654)

OR

❍ (3) Futaba S3114 micro servos (FUTM0414)

Suitable batteries:

❍ FlightPower 2S 350mAh LiPo (FPWP2032)

and/or

❍ FlightPower 3S 350mAh LiPo (FPWP2033)

❍ FlightPower 10A brushless ESC (FPWM0210)*

-and- Deans® micro connector (WSDM3007)

OR

❍ Great Planes Silver Series 12A Brushless ESC

(GPMM1810)

❍ LiPo battery charger (GPMM3155)
❍ Charge Lead (GPMM3149)
❍ APC 8 x 3.8 propeller (APCQ5000)

It is also recommended that you stock up on spare propeller
saver O-rings (GPMG1405)

*The FlightPower ESC comes with a JST battery connector

while the FP batteries come with a Deans Micro connector,
so the battery connector on the ESC must be converted to
Deans to fi t the battery (WSDM3007). If a fl ight-ready ESC

that doesn’t require soldering connectors is preferred, the
Great Planes SS-12 Brushless ESC is suitable (GPMM1810).

Tools and Adhesives

Other than ordinary hobby tools, the only other tool required to
assemble your Laser 200 is a light or medium-duty soldering
iron for heating the shrink tubing for joining the carbon fi ber
pushrods to the metal Z-bend pushrod ends. Otherwise, foam­safe CA is used for assembly. Both Thick and Thin CA are
useful, but if you had to use only one kind Thick is preferred.
Additionally, some types of CA accelerator perform better
than other types on fl at foam. Great Planes Aerosol CA is
recommended:

❍ Thick, foam-safe CA (HOTR1050)
❍ Thin, foam-safe CA (HOTR1040)
❍ CA applicator tips (HCAR3780)
❍ Dubro Double-Sided Servo Tape (DUBQ3551)
❍ Great Planes Pro CA Foam-Safe Aerosol Activator

(GPMR6034)

KIT INSPECTION

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

Great Planes Product Support

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

E-mail: [e-mail]

KIT CONTENTS

3

ASSEMBLY

Assemble the Bottom Half

CA GLUING TIPS

Assembling lightweight, foam models with CA can
occasionally prove to be frustrating, so here are a few
suggestions to help you end up with a well-fi nished model
free of excess glue, fi ngerprints and smudges:

A. Most important, be certain to use foam-safe CA and
CA accelerators. Some accelerators attack foam more than
others. We have found that Great Planes Pro CA Activator
in Aerosol form (GPMP6034) may be used with 3mm “fl at
foam” without any problem.

B. Even foam-safe CA — used in excess — can generate
enough heat while curing to melt or deform foam, so use
CA and activator sparingly.

1. Split one of the larger plastic bags that came with the

❏

kit down one edge and unfold it over your workbench. Initial
assembly will be done over this sheet to keep from gluing
parts to your workbench.

C. CA Applicator Tips (HCAR3780) are highly recommended
and virtually required for use with thin CA. Trim the base
of the tip before pressing it onto the bottle to prevent the
tip from splitting. Simply cut off the end of the tip each
time it becomes clogged until it’s too short, then replace
it with another.

D. Small paper towel squares cut from two or three paper
towel sheets stacked on top of each other come in handy
for wiping residual CA off your model as you proceed.

E . Use care when wiping excess CA off the model—you
get only one or two chances before the CA will smear the
colored ink printed on the surface. Using CA sparingly will
minimize the necessity for wiping the airframe.

2. Glue the aft end of the fuselage to the wing/front end

❏

of the fuselage — it usually works best to apply medium CA
to one of the pieces, join them together right-side up over
the plastic sheet, hold tightly, wipe off excess CA and lightly
spray with accelerator.

4

3. Flip the assembly over. Using care not to lay it back down

❏

over any uncured CA on the plastic sheet, wipe any excess
CA off the bottom.

5. Glue the bottom fuselage half to the wing/horizontal

❏

fuselage section. As you proceed, use a small builder’s square
to make certain the fuselage side is perpendicular.

4. Glue the left and right side doublers to the bottom

❏

fuselage half — the left side is the one with the “Y” groove and
the right side has just a single slot — little glue is required, but
you do want to apply it evenly and get it all the way to the edges.

6. Use medium-grit sandpaper to round both ends of all

❏

the 1mm carbon fi ber braces — you don’t need to sand them
to a sharp point — just take off the rough edges.

5