3D Hobby Shop 53" EBT Assembly Manual

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3DHobbyShop.com

EBT Assembly Manual

Thank you for purchasing this 3DHobbyShop ARF RC aircraft. If you have any issues, questions,

concerns or problems during assembly, please contact our tech department at:

[email protected] or 1-830-990-6978 10am-5pm Central M-F

SAFETY in Assembly

During assembly of this aircraft, you will be asked to use sharp knives and hobby adhesives. Please

follow all safety procedures recommended by the manufacturers of the products you use, and always

follow these important guidelines:

ALWAYS protect your eyes when working with adhesives, knives, or tools, especially power tools. Safety

glasses are the best way to protect your eyes.

ALWAYS protect your body, especially your hands and fingers when using adhesives, knives, or tools,

especially power tools. Do not cut toward exposed skin with hobby knives. Do not place hobby knives on

tables or benches where they can roll off or be knocked off.

ALWAYS have a first-aid kit handy when working with adhesives, knives, or tools, especially power tools.

ALWAYS keep hobby equipment and supplies out of the reach of children.

SAFETY in Flying

ALWAYS fly your aircraft in a safe area, away from spectators.

ALWAYS fly your aircraft in a safe manner, within your control.

NEVER fly too close to yourself.

ALWAYS wear eye protection while operating your model aircraft.

ALWAYS keep your hands and body clear of propellers.

ALWAYS observe lipoly battery safety procedures.

REQUIRED ITEMS

Thin CA Glue (Super Glue, hobby grade)

12-30 Minute Epoxy Glue (NOT 5-minute Epoxy)

Hobby Knife

Small Phillips Screwdriver

Set Metric Allen Wrenches or Hex-Drivers

Small Pliers

Wire Cutters

Rubbing alcohol

Paper towels

Masking tape

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Assembly Instructions

UNPACK

Unpack your airplane and examine the components. Check for damage of any kind.

WRINKLES

Your EBT was packed in plastic at the factory without any wrinkles in the covering. You may notice some

wrinkles now; more likely, you will notice a few in a day or two or the first time you take the plane out to

the flying field. These wrinkles are the result of wood shrinkage and/or expansion. Balsa wood changes

size and shape slightly as it is exposed to varying humidity in the air. This is a natural property of balsa

wood. As your airplane adjusts to the weather in your part of the world, wrinkles may appear and

disappear.

Wrinkles may be removed with the gentle application of heat to the covering material on your airplane.

The best tool to use is a heat gun. Apply the heat gently: the covering material will shrink as you apply

the heat, and this will remove the wrinkles. BE CAREFUL! Too much heat applied too quickly can

damage the covering, either by causing it to pull away from the wood at seams and corners or even by

melting it. The covering will shrink at low temperature with patient application of heat. Wrinkles do not

affect flight performance, so it is not necessary to remove them.

WORK AREA

Model airplanes are built with many small, lightweight parts. For this reason, you will need an organized,

well-lit work area. If you work over carpet, and you drop a small fastener, it will likely disappear forever.

Hobby glues can damage furniture, so it is wise to cover the table you are working on to protect its finish.

Your EBT includes hardware packaged in clear plastic bags. We recommend keeping a bowl with a tight

lid on your work table, and keeping all of the hardware in the tightly closed bowl during construction. This

helps prevent loss of important parts.

TERMS

Use this illustration to familiarize yourself with the names of parts of an airplane.

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SKILL LEVEL

The EBT is a basic trainer aircraft with aerobatic capability. It is appropriate as a first airplane for a

student pilot who is working with an experienced instructor. We recommend using caution if you are

attempting to teach yourself how to fly. Teaching yourself to fly is VERY DIFFICULT to do. The use of a

quality flight simulator program will help greatly. We recommend spending many hours on a flight

simulator before attempting your first solo flight, and the very best way to learn is with an instructor.

Finding an Instructor

The best way to find an instructor pilot is to join the AMA (Academy of Model Aeronautics), the national

organization of RC flying clubs. AMA membership includes insurance coverage and a subscription to the

AMA modeling magazine. Please contact the AMA for details at http://www.modelaircraft.org/ or 1-800-I-

FLY-AMA (1-800-435-9262). The AMA can put you in contact with clubs in your area. We highly

recommend joining the AMA.

Going it alone?

If you are unable to find an instructor pilot and are forced to learn to fly by yourself, here are some tips:

1. Purchase a flight simulator program for use on your home computer. This is the single best

preparation for flying. Here are some recommended simulators:

FSOne http://www.fsone.com/

RealFlight http://www.realflight.com/

ReflexXTR http://www.modelrectifier.com/rc-products/flight-simulators.asp

AeroFly Pro http://www.aerofly.com/

2. Purchase and read a good book on the subject, such as The Pilot’s Guide to Mastering RC Flight by

Scott Stoops. Available from 3DHobbyShop or www.RCPilotGuide.com

3. Contact a club and try to arrange to have an experienced pilot fly the maiden flight of your aircraft for

you. An experienced pilot can trim the aircraft for best flight and spot any potential problems, which will

make your first flight much easier.

Remember – Teaching yourself to fly without help is EXTREMELY DIFFICULT. Working with an

instructor pilot is the best way.

RADIO

Your EBT airplane will require a radio with a minimum of 4 channels of control. These 4 channels are

used to control 4 aircraft functions: Throttle, Rudder, Elevator, Ailerons.

THROTTLE – Controls motor speed and power. Add throttle to accelerate and climb, reduce throttle to

decelerate and descend.

RUDDER – Controls YAW. Turns the aircraft right or left in the air and on the ground.

ELEVATOR – Controls PITCH. Points the nose of the airplane UP or DOWN.

AILERON – Controls ROLL. Used to hold the airplane’s wings level to the ground and to bank in turns.

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Use the following illustration to familiarize yourself with ROLL, PITCH, and YAW.

SERVOS

Your EBT will require 4 servos. We recommend ONLY the Hitec HS-65 servo. The cutouts in the

airplane are sized exactly for this servo.

MOTOR

Your EBT requires a brushless outrunner-type electric motor. We recommend the TORQUE 2818T-900

or TORQUE 2814T-820 brushless motors for the EBT. They will fit the holes in the firewall perfectly.

Other motors that can be used include:

Hacker A30-16M

AXI 2814

E-Flite Power 10

…and many other brushless outrunner motors that weigh 100-150 grams.

Some of these motors will fit the firewall holes perfectly, others will need new screw holes in the firewall.

To be certain of a perfect fit and good quality, we highly recommend the TORQUE motors.

SPEED CONTROL

Your EBT requires a brushless electronic speed control (ESC). For the size of motors typically used in

the EBT, ESC’s from 35-45 amps are recommended. Some ESC’s are equipped with an ON-OFF

switch. Usually, this switch shuts down the entire aircraft radio and power system. If your ESC has a

switch, we highly recommend making the small rectangular hole needed to mount it to the fuselage side

of your EBT. DO NOT simply allow the switch to flop around inside the aircraft, it could accidentally

switch off in flight, and that will definitely cause a crash.

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POWER SYSTEM ASSEMBLY AND MOUNTING

Locate the fuselage of your EBT. In the front of the fuselage is the FIREWALL, the flat plate the motor

mounts to. In the firewall are 4 small holes arranged in a square, and large rectangular hole at the

bottom. Look at the firewall from the back, inside the airplane. You will see that behind each of the four

small holes are blind nuts installed from the rear. These nuts accept the 4 screws which you will use to

mount the motor to the airplane.

Your motor probably came without any mount attached to it. You will need to assemble your motor with

its X-shaped mount for mounting to the firewall. The following sequence demonstrates how to assemble

a TORQUE brushless outrunner motor for installation into the EBT; other brushless motors are very

similar.

This is how the motor arrives in the box: First, install the shaft collar, tightening the set screw.

Next, install the X-mount with the four short screws. Then, turn the motor around.

Next, install the prop adaptor with the 4 long screws. The prop washer and nut go on as shown.

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After the motor is assembled, use 4 black 3mm screws to attach it to the firewall as shown below:

Your ESC (electronic speed control) probably will not come with all necessary connectors installed, most

brands do not. You will need to attach the proper connectors for the battery and possibly the motor.

Refer to the following diagram for assistance (NOTE: see back cover for a color version of this diagram):

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NOTE: The male and female power connectors are attached to the battery and ESC with solder. If you

are unable to solder, we recommend finding an experienced person to solder these connections for you,

as these are critical connections. After soldering, these connections must be insulated, preferably with

heat-shrink tubing.

NOTE: The female power connector is soldered to the battery. The male power connectors (the one with

metal contacts sticking out) is soldered to the ESC. This helps to prevent shorting of the battery when it

is not in use.

NOTE: Be sure that the RED (+) wire of your battery connects through the power connectors to the RED

(+) wire of your ESC. Black should likewise connect to black.

NOTE: The ESC to radio connection plugs into the “Throttle” channel of your receiver. On most systems,

this not only provides control for the ESC, but also provides power to the radio system. This plug must be

connected to the receiver correctly. On some receivers, it can be plugged-in upside down. If so, the

system will not operate, and will appear dead. Please consult your radio instructions if you need

assistance in hooking up your radio connections.

After the proper connectors needed to attach to the battery and motor are installed on your ESC, connect

your ESC to your motor. Feed the ESC into the fuselage through the rectangular hole below your motor

in the firewall. Draw the ESC and its wires into the fuselage, and route them up, through the battery tray,

into the top of the fuselage, as shown below:

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Use velcro to attach the ESC to the inside of the fuselage as shown below: Be sure to use velcro. Do not

glue the ESC inside the fuselage. This will become important later.

The landing gear is assembled next. Please study the following diagram to see how the landing gear is

assembled.

NOTE: The Fiberglass Wheel Pants are optional. They do make the EBT look nicer, with their

aerodynamic appearance, but because a student pilot’s first several landings tend to be rough, we

recommend doing your first several flights without the wheel pants. The following assembly sequence

shows landing gear assembly without wheel pants. Pant installation will be explained afterwards.

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Begin the landing gear assembly by locating the axles and axle nuts, which are packed in the same bag

as the velcro strips. Use the axle nuts to attach the axles to the aluminum landing gear legs as shown.

NOTE: DO NOT OVER-TIGHTEN THE NUT! BE CAREFUL!

Slide the wheel onto the axle as shown. Slide retaining collar onto axle and tighten with 1.5mm allen

wrench or hex driver.

Use your hobby knife to open up the two holes for the landing gear in the bottom of the airplane as

shown, and attach the landing gear to the airplane with 2 3mm black screws. NOTE: The required nuts

are already installed inside the airplane.

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Later, to install the wheel pants, remove the axle nut and remove the axle with wheel and retainer. Slide

the axle with wheel and retainer inside the wheel pant as shown, and then attach the pant-axle-wheel

assembly back onto the landing gear with the nut.

NOTE: The landing gear supplied with the EBT is lightweight, and is suitable for pavement, smooth

ground, and mown grass. If you fly from very rough surfaces, your wheels will wear out quickly.

Replacements are available from 3DHobbyShop. Larger, bouncier wheels, which do weight slightly more,

are also available from 3DHobbyShop.

NOTE: Your EBT’s aluminum landing gear legs are very strong and lightweight. They will spring back

from most bad landings. However, a very hard hit may bend your landing gear legs. If this happens,

remove the gear legs from the airplane, bend them back into shape, and then re-install them onto the

airplane.

NOTE: Your EBT can use a wide variety of propellers. The landing gear legs, as supplied, are tall

enough for props up to 12 inches in diameter. If you wish to use a larger prop, remove the legs from the

airplane and bend to them to make them taller and less wide – this is easy to do – then re-install them

onto the airplane. These legs may be bent to fit up to 14 inch propellers.

Turn the fuselage over so that it is sitting on the landing gear. Locate the holes shown in the following

pictures. You will need to use your hobby knife to remove the covering as shown. These holes are

mounts for the wing-retaining dowels.

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Locate the two round, hardwood dowel pieces in your kit. Slide them into the fuselage through the holes

until an equal amount is sticking out both sides of the fuselage. Mix up a small amount of 12-30 minute

epoxy glue and apply the glue to the dowel-to-fuselage joint from the inside of the fuselage. A Q-tip type

cotton swab works well for this, or a small disposable brush.

Using your hobby knife, remove the covering over the slot in the tail-end of the fuselage (on both sides)

as shown:

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Using your hobby knife, also remove the covering over the pushrod-tube outlet in the top of the fuselage

as shown:

Remove the elevator from the horizontal stabilizer and slide the elevator into the slot as shown. Then,

slide the horizontal stabilizer in, as shown. Make sure both are right-side-up.

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Slide the elevator back into the horizontal stabilizer as shown:

Align the horizontal stabilizer with the fuselage as shown:

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When the stabilizer is fully aligned, use your hobby knife as show to VERY lightly cut through the covering

on the bottom of the stabilizer where the stabilizer meets the fuselage, on both sides.

NOTE: DO NOT CUT INTO THE WOOD! CUT ONLY THE COVERING.

Slide the stabilizer out of the fuselage enough to peel away the covering you just cut, as shown (you will

need to complete the cut at the front and back to remove this piece.)

Mix some 12-30 minute epoxy, apply it to the bare-wood area, and slide the horizontal stabilizer back into

position in the fuselage.

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Allow the epoxy to cure.

After the epoxy has cured, we will glue the hinges in place. All of the hinges on your EBT are glued the

same way. First, flex the elevator up and down to insure that it moves freely 45 degrees up and 45

degrees down, Consult the following diagram:

Apply two large drops of thin, hobby-grade CA glue (super glue) to each hinge as shown. We use only

THIN CA glue so that the glue will wick along the hinge material, into the slots and saturate the wood

around the hinge. If any glue runs out of the slot onto the surface of your airplane, wipe it up quickly with

paper towel. If you do get any drips of CA on your airplane, “CA Glue Remover” is available from most

hobby dealers if you wish to remove the glue residue from the covering.

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Use your hobby knife to remove the covering over the pushrod tube outlet on the bottom of the right side

of the fuselage, just in front of the horizontal stabilizer, as shown:

Take the vertical stabilizer, remove the rudder from the stabilizer, and glue the vertical stabilizer into the

slot on top of the fuselage with 12-30 minute epoxy, as shown:

Take the rudder, and cut the tip off of the lowest hinge, as shown.

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Slide the rudder into the vertical stabilizer and rear of the fuselage as shown, and check to make sure the

rudder swings freely 45 degrees in each direction. Glue the hinges with thin CA glue.

Locate the tailwheel pieces as shown: Wire, Wheel, Retainer, and Bracket.

Slide the wheel onto the wire as shown, and fasten with the retainer. Tighten the retainer set-screw with

a 1.5mm metric allen wrench or hex driver.

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Slide the metal bracket onto the wire, and then push the wire into the bottom of the rudder as shown.

Use two screws to attach the bracket to the bottom of the fuselage as shown. Place a drop of thin CA

glue onto the spot where the wire is pushed into the rudder.

Place tape over the wire and around rudder as shown.

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Locate the two long, wire pushrods. Locate the screw-threaded end of the pushrods. Screw the nylon

links onto the pushrods are show. Screw at least 6-7 complete revolutions with the link onto the rod.

The longer of the two rods is for rudder control. Slide the un-threaded end of the rod into the rudder

pushrod tube through the pushrod tube opening on the top of the fuselage (the one you opened with your

hobby knife by removing the covering over it). The rod should slide smoothly in the tube with little

resistance. If there is resistance, lubricate the rod with cooking oil or household oil. The rod will protrude

into the servo compartment as shown:

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Bend the rod slightly a few inches from the end as shown, and remove a small rectangle of covering from

the rudder in the place shown:

Take one of the nylon control horns. The horns are made with small holes for the links to attach to.

These holes are too small for the links to easily go into, they will usually need to be opened up with your

hobby knife or a small drill bit.

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3D Hobby Shop 53" EBT Assembly Manual

3D Hobby Shop 53" EBT Assembly Manual

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