X Models Blade XL Operating Manual

On the cover picture the carbon fiber version is shown

& SUPER BLADE

BUILDING INSTRUCTIONS - OPERATING MANUAL

Nuova FULCRO Service

Via Castelleone, 9 - Costa S. Abramo - 26022 Castelverde - CR (ITALY)

Blade XL V.: 4.0 ENG - 01/05/2007

Copyright Nuova FULCRO Service

No parts of this document can be copied neither shared with any media without the author’s per­mission.

Nuova FULCRO Service reserves the right to modify this document according to technical im­provement requirements.

INDEX

INDEX

Blade XL .........................................................................1

Features........................................................................................................ 1

Technical data .............................................................................................. 2

CHAP. 1 PARTS LIST, MATERIALS AND TOOLS LIST..............3

1.1 Warning .......................................................................................3

1.2 Components included in the kit ...................................................3

1.3 Parts needed to complete the kit, but not included ..................... 4

List of parts you will need to complete the model ......................................... 4

More options ................................................................................................. 5

1.4 Tools and materials needed (not included) to complete the kit ... 6

Tools .............................................................................................................6

Materials ....................................................................................................... 6

CHAP. 2 BUILDING INSTRUCTIONS ...........................................7

2.1 Preliminary operations ................................................................7

2.2 Fuselage .....................................................................................7

Balancing weights .........................................................................................7

Battery pack ..................................................................................................8

Servos and ON/OFF switch ..........................................................................9

Positioning battery pack and servos ............................................................. 10

Preparing and mounting servo horns............................................................ 11

2.3 V-tail ............................................................................................12

Finishing tail insertion holes.......................................................................... 12

Finishing fuselage end .................................................................................. 12

Finishing tail panels ...................................................................................... 13

Pushrods....................................................................................................... 14

Electrical connections for wing servos .......................................................... 17

Receiver........................................................................................................ 21

Antenna......................................................................................................... 23

2.4 Wing ............................................................................................24

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Installing bushes for control horns.................................................................24

Electrical connection for the wing servos ......................................................26

Mounting servos inside the wing ...................................................................29

Wing pushrods...............................................................................................30

Servo covers..................................................................................................31

2.5 Tail connection ............................................................................32

Mounting the tail panels.................................................................................32

2.6 Nose ............................................................................................32

2.7 Connecting wing panels and tailplanes to the fuselage ..............33

CHAP. 3 MODEL SETTINGS ........................................................ 35

3.1 Servos settings ............................................................................35

Identifying the control surfaces......................................................................35

Travel values .................................................................................................36

3.2 Model balancing ..........................................................................37

CG .................................................................................................................37

Checking and correcting the CG position ......................................................37

Checking and correcting the lateral balance (both versions).........................37

How to add ballast.........................................................................................38

CHAP. 4 CONNECTIONS DIAGRAMS......................................... 39

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Nuova FULCRO Service

BLADE XL

& SUPER BLADE

Features

Multipurpose glider model designed to offer the best performance in almost all flying conditions,
made for who loves the speed. All moulded fiberglass carbon reinforced wing with carbon spar,
thinned RG15 (7.8%), to offer high performance and a very broad flying speed range; fiberglass
carbon reinforced fuselage suited for slope soaring and towing.

Two different wingspans are available: (XL) 2.5 m or (SUPER) ~ 3.1 m.

Fig.1: Blade XL (& SUPER BLADE).

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X-MODELS - Blade XL & SUPER BLADE

Technical data

Wingspan (XL 2.5 / SUPER 3.1): 2500 / 3080 mm

Length: 1510 mm

Weight - XL 2.5 version (empty / in flight): about 1400 g / 2100 g

Weight - SUPER 3.1 version (empty / in flight): about 1600 g / 2300 g

Profile: RG15 mod. (7%)

Radiocomando: 6 channels

Controls: ailerons, elevator, rudder, flaps.

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Nuova FULCRO Service

CHAP. 1 PARTS LIST, MATERIALS AND TOOLS LIST

1.1 Warning

DO NOT EXPOSE THE MODEL TO HIGH TEMPERATURES. Exposing the model (or its parts) to high temper­atures, over 50

able.

1.2 Components included in the kit

COD. QT. Item Remarks

FUSO 1 fuselage fiberglass, carbon reinforced (optional, all carbon fiber)

CONO 1 front cone fiberglass (optional, all carbon fiber)

ADXL 1 right wing-panel fiberglass, carbon reinforced with aileron and flap (optional,

ASXL 1 left wing-panel fiberglass, carbon reinforced with aileron and flap (optional,

°C (example: in a car parked directly in the sun) may deform structures and make it unus-

all carbon fiber)

all carbon fiber)

CODX 1 V left tailplane balsa fiberglass sandwich with carbon spar

COSX 1 V right tailplane balsa fiberglass sandwich with carbon spar

BAIO 1 wing rod steel ~175 / ~ 235 mm - Ø 10 mm

BASE 1 servos mounting frame ply-wood

CARB 2 elevator pushrod carbon tube - length 100 cm - Ø 6 mm - hole Ø 4 mm

TCA4 1 spacer for pushrods carbon tube - length 20 cm - Ø 4 mm - hole Ø 2 mm

AMR2 8 metal pushrod length 30 cm - one tip M2 thread

UNIB 2 Nylon uniball M2 thread

VITE 2 screw length 20 mm - M2 thread

GIUN 2 ball for uniball M2 thread

FOR2 6 clevis M2 thread

DAD2 6 nut M2 thread

MPXF 2 MPX connector female plastic - 6 pin

MPXM 2 MPX connector male plastic - 6 pin

CAVS 1 wing servo cable twisted - three wires, length 2 m

CARS 2 servo hole cover 2 pair supplied to suit 4 holes

BOCC 4 threaded bush brass threaded M3

PERN 4 threaded horn brass threaded M3

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X-MODELS - Blade XL & SUPER BLADE

Decal

If you like, you may stick the decal we supply
with the kit (see figure 2).

Fig.2: Decal “Blade XL”.

1.3 Parts needed to complete the kit, but not included

These are the parts you will need to complete the model (see “List of parts you will need to com-

plete the model”) and some you may need as option.

List of parts you will need to complete the model

To complete the model you will need the following (purchasing separately):

COD. QT. Item Remarks

SERW 4 wing servo HI-TECH HS-125MG

SERV 2 tailplane servo HI-TECH HS-322HD or HI-TECH HS-475HB

RXC6 1 receiver (+ xtal) max. dimensions: 65 x 40 x 22 mm

INTE 1 ON/OFF switch max. dimensions: 35 x 25 x 25 mm

BATT 1 rx battery pack NiCd o NiMH, 4 cells, SC size, from 1700 mAh

UNIM 4 cable with a RX (UNI) plug length: 30 cm

Note: not included in the table are glues and small parts that should obviously be present in every modeler’s house.

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Nuova FULCRO Service

More options

Wings and fuselage made of carbon fiber

On request, wing, tailplanes and fuselage are available completely made of carbon fiber.
The model, made in this way, offers more torsional strength and an exceptional sturdiness.
The fuselage (see figure 3) is painted like the model but with the rear part unpainted (made to
save weight without to reduce the strength).

Fig.3: Carbon fiber fuselage.

Model carrying bag

A special bag (see figure 4) it’s available, made to measure, to safely carry your model around.
Each part (wing panels, tailplanes and fuselage), take place on a separate compartment.

Fig.4: Model carrying bag.

The bag is completely hand made. Other features: quilted and trimmed cloth, lined with internal
protections in polyethylene, velcro-fastening, handles for wing and fuselage.

Towing parachute

Hand made very strong towing parachute (see

figure 5) to help in successful winch towing.

Fig.5: Towing parachute.

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X-MODELS - Blade XL & SUPER BLADE

1.4 Tools and materials needed (not included) to complete the kit

Tools

These tools may help you while assembling the kit:
— electric drill (and various size drill bits);

— modelling knife (or scapel);
— solder + soldering iron;
— hair drier (at least 1000W);
— set of files;
— usual tools like screwdrivers, pliers, etc.;
— vernier callipers (precision 1/20 of mm);
— sandpaper P400;
— Z-Bend pliers.

Note: other tools may help you too...

Materials

To complete the model, You need the following materials:
— super-glue (CA, cyano, like Green ZAP);

— “5 minute” epoxy;
— hot glue;
— approx. 200 grams lead;
— heat shrink sleeve (diameters: 3 mm e 6 mm);
— double adhesive tape, thin;
— velcro.

Note: other materials such as paints, brushes, pencils, etc. are not mentioned.

WARNING! PAY ATTENTION TO THE SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS FOR THE USE OF ANY KIND OF GLUE OR
TOOLS.

If you should need we may supply all you need to complete your model:

Nuova Fulcro Service S.r.l.

Via Castelleone, 9 - Costa S. Abramo - 26022 Castelverde - CR (ITALY).

Tel.: [phone] - Fax: [phone]

e-mail: [e-mail]

www.xmodels.it

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Nuova FULCRO Service

CHAP. 2 BUILDING INSTRUCTIONS

In order to achieve a correct assembling of the model, we suggest to follow carefully the instructions.

2.1 Preliminary operations

Kit components control

Have a look at the components (see “PARTS LIST, MATERIALS AND TOOLS LIST” at page 3)
in order to easily identify them.
It is strongly suggested to trial fit all the parts “dry” before gluing them.

2.2 Fuselage

Inside the fuselage, the following components will be arranged:
— balancing weights;

— battery pack;
— V-tail pushrods;
— V-tail servos and ON/OFF switch;
— electrical connections for the wing servos;
— RX receiver.

Balancing weights

• Using some double adhesive tape, fasten
about 80 ~ 100 g of weights in the position
shown in figure 6; the weights have to form
a layer with no more than 10 mm of thick­ness (see figure 7).

Fig.6: Balancing weights position.

The layer will be used as a base for the battery
pack (see figure 7); the rest of the weights will
be added afterwards (during the model balanc­ing) directly into the nose.

max 150 mm

Fig.7: Max. thickness of the balancing weights.

max 10 mm

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X-MODELS - Blade XL & SUPER BLADE

Battery pack

• Cover the weights of epoxy (or hot glue) in order to form a uniform layer;

• cut a strip of velcro (8 x 4 cm);

• separate the velcro soft strip from the rough one;

• position the flat surface of the rough strip directly on the base in fuselage, in the position
shown in figure 8, leaving a gap of (at least) 85 mm from the ballast tube;

85 mm

Fig.8: Rough strip of velcro in position.

• join four NC size cells in a battery pack ar­ranged as shown in figure 9;

Note: the connector must be chosen according to the
ON/OFF switch used.

• wrap the battery pack with some heath
shrink sleeve;

Fig.9: Battery pack.

• uniformly cover of epoxy (or hot glue) one
side of the battery pack;

• position the flat surface of the soft strip di­rectly on the glued side of the battery pack

(see figure 10);

• wait until the glue is dry;

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Fig.10: Soft strip of velcro in position.

Nuova FULCRO Service

Servos and ON/OFF switch

• Try to insert the servos mounting frame “BASE” in the fuselage as shown in figure 11 without
forcing too much and WITHOUT GLUING IT.

Fig.11: Position of the servos mounting frame.

If the frame doesn’t fit:

• on a flat surface, using some tape, fasten a
sheet of sandpaper (P400);

• using the sandpaper, finish the edges of the
mounting frame (see figure 12);

• try to insert the frame once again (always
WITHOUT GLUING IT) until it doesn’t fit cor­rectly;

• remove the frame;

Fig.12: Smooth the edges of the mounting frame.

• try to mount the two servos “SERV” on the
frame as shown in figure 13 without forcing.

If the servos doesn’t fit

• using a file, adjust the housing and try again.

Once having inserted servos:

• using a pencil, mark the position of the ser­vos fixing holes;

Fig.13: Position of the servos.

• using a calliper, take the dimensions of the switch;

• using a pencil, draw the shape of the ON/OFF switch lever movement (seen from top) and the
position of the holes for the fastening screws;

• remove the two servos;

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