3D Hobby Shop 48" Vyper Assembly Manual

Brand: 3D Hobby Shop

Model: 48" Vyper

Category: Toys & accessories

Type: Assembly Manual

3 D H O B B Y S H O P . C O M

Assembly Manual

Vyper 48” ARF

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-4pm Central M-F

We highly recommend www.RCGroups.com as a good source for RC tips, tricks, and information.

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.

IMPORTANT NOTE – We strive to provide the absolute best-quality ARF aircraft on the planet. However,

the ultimate success or failure of this aircraft is dependent upon proper assembly by you. If you have

questions about an assembly step, please contact us, or read the assembly thread for your airplane on

RCGroups.com before proceeding. It is always better to slow down and be sure of your assembly than to

rush through it and make a mistake which can cause a crash.

SAFETY in Flying

SAFETY NOTICE: This is NOT a toy! It is a very high-performance RC airplane capable of high speeds

and extreme maneuvers. It should only be operated by a competent pilot in a safe area with proper

supervision.

ONLY fly your aircraft in a safe, open area, away from spectators and vehicles–and where it is legal to fly.

NEVER fly over an unsafe area, such as a road or street.

NEVER fly near overhead power or utility lines. If your airplane ever becomes stuck in a line or a tree DO

NOT attempt to retrieve it yourself. Contact the authorities for assistance in retrieving your aircraft.

Power lines are DANGEROUS and falls from ladders and trees CAN KILL!

Never fly too close to yourself or spectators. Spinning propellers are DANGEROUS!

Never run your motor inside a house or building with the propeller attached – Remove the prop for safety.

Always fly within your control.

Always follow manufacturer’s instructions for your radio system.

Always obtain proper insurance before flying – contact the AMA at www.modelaircraft.org

REQUIRED ITEMS

CA Glue – Thin and Thick

Hobby Knife

Small Phillips Screwdriver

Set Metric Allen Wrenches

Scissors

Small Pliers

Wire Cutters

Masking tape

Optional – Heat gun

Assembly Instructions – Read completely before starting assembly!

UNPACK

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

damage, please contact 3DHobbyShop to discuss.

WRINKLES

Your airplane 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 hobby 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 in the covering DO NOT affect flight performance.

Remove the canopy before attempting to use heat on your covering! The canopy is made of thermo-

activated plastic and WILL deform with the application of heat. Do not apply heat to the canopy.

If you need to clean your airplane, we recommend using a damp towel. The paint used on the canopy

and cowl is not safe for all cleaners. In particular, DO NOT use alcohol on these parts, it will remove the

paint.

ASSEMBLY

Locate the wheels, wheel axles and axle nuts, wheel collars, and wheel pants.

Fit the wheel onto the axle. Install the wheel collar to retain the wheel onto the axle, as shown

Use the axle nut to affix the wheel/axle/pant assembly onto the gear leg, as shown, use included wrench

to hold axle.

Install the landing gear legs into the fuselage with the shorter of the provided 3mm screws as shown.

Remove the covering on both sides of the fuselage as shown, for the wing spar tube, aileron wire access,

wing retaining screw, and anti-rotation pin. Use a sharp hobby knife.

Also remove the covering over the horizontal stabilizer slot as shown, on both sides.

Using a generous amount of thick or medium Ca glue in the slot, install the vertical stabilizer onto the

fuselage as shown:

STOP. Read the following carefully.

Your 48” Super Vyper is recommended for brushless motors approximately 125-145 grams

in weight. If you are using a motor of this weight, then please proceed with the rudder,

rudder horn, and rudder servo installation instructions in order in this manual, and mount

your rudder servo in the rear of the airplane. You may remove and discard the pull-pull

cables if not using them.

IF you are using a lighter motor and a small 3S battery pack, in order to achieve a proper

center-of-gravity position, you may wish to use the alternate “Pull-pull” rudder installation

detailed at the end of this manual.

Remove the covering over the rudder horn slot as shown and glue the rudder horn in with thick CA glue.

Remove the covering over the slot in the bottom of the rudder and trial fit the tailwheel wire as shown.

The front of the tailwheel wire should be located at the front edge of the rudder as shown. When you are

satisfied with the fit of the tailwheel wire, install it into the rudder, epoxy glue is preferred but thin CA is

adequate for paved fields.

Insert the rudder into the fuselage, make sure it swings easily 45 degrees left and right, and glue the

hinges with thin CA. Install the tailwheel bracket as shown using ONE wood screw (the bracket should be

able to swing left and right) and then install the tailwheel and tailwheel collar, tightening the set screw with

a 1.5mm hex wrench.

Slide the horizontal stabilizer into the fuselage cutout and center it side-to-side, measuring with a ruler.

Locate the carbon wing-spar tube. Slide it into the fuselage and slide the wings on as shown. Measure

as shown with a tape measure or yardstick to ensure that the stabilizer is straight. Both sides should

measure exactly the same.

Take your time to get your horizontal stabilizer where you want it. A small misalignment in the stab will

not affect flight performance, but it may bother you, so don’t rush this process.

Apply thin CA glue to the joint of the horizontal stabilizer and fuselage. Allow the thin Ca to wick into the

joint. NOTE: It is not necessary to remove any covering on the stabilizer.

Locate the elevator half that has the joiner rod attached.

Slide the elevator onto the stabilizer, inserting the elevator joiner rod through the fuselage cutout as

shown – DO NOT GLUE THE HINGES YET. Make sure the elevator can flex up 45 degrees and down

45 degrees easily. You can easily make a tool to measure 45 degrees by folding a piece of paper as

shown:

Use this tool to measure 45 degrees of throw on your elevator as shown.

Once you are satisfied that your elevator can move easily 45 degrees up and 45 degrees down, put two

drops of thin CA glue on each hinge to glue the elevator permanently to the stab. Next place a small

piece of tape on the elevator and stab as shown to hold the elevator perfectly straight and level to the

stab.

Now install the other side elevator without glue. Make sure that the elevator is straight and level to the

stab like the first elevator. If not, if the elevator shows a slight twist, you can take a little time and sand or

trim the slot that the elevator joiner rod fits into to correct this. A slight twist in the elevators will not affect

flight performance, but it may bother you, so this is the right time to correct it if necessary.

Once you are satisfied with the alignment of the elevator, remove it and put thick CA glue in the joiner slot

as shown. Re-install it onto the stab and joiner rod, and put two drops of thin CA glue on each hinge.

Take THIN CA glue and go over the motor box assembly, applying a small amount of glue to all the

seams. This is the highest-stress area of the airframe, and we want to make it as strong as possible.

Your airplane includes a pre-drilled firewall with pre-installed blind nuts that fit Omega, Torque, Hacker,

and other popular brands of brushless motors. If your brand of motor uses a different bolt pattern, use

your hobby knife to carefully remove the blind nuts and plywood circle spacers from the back of the

firewall, and then re-drill the firewall for your motor.

Assemble brushless outrunner motor as shown for mounting in front of the firewall surface. The prop

adaptor should be on the OPPOSITE side of the motor from the mount.

Install motor with the longer 3mm screws as shown. Please note that the motor is installed IN FRONT of

the firewall.

NOTE: Your kit contains 4 plastic motor mount spacers. They may be used to space the motor away

from the firewall as needed for cowl clearance. Short motors, such as the Omega 103g1030KV, Hacker

A30-16M, or Torque 2818-T900 require the spacers. Longer motors, such as the Omega 130g870KV,

Torque 2814-T820 do not require the spacers.

Install speed control to fuselage with short velcro strip or zip ties.

The cowl is mounted onto the fuselage with 4 wood screws. These screws go into the small plywood

squares on the front inside of the fuselage. The following procedure is helpful to be sure the wood

screws hit the plywood squares:

Install the canopy hatch (if the canopy hatch is not installed when you fit the cowl, it may be

impossible to fit the canopy hatch after the cowl is installed!).

Tape small strips of paper over the plywood cowl-mounting tabs as shown below. Install the cowl and

align. Use the small pieces of paper as guides to make holes in the cowl and install the wood screws.

Remove the cowl and screws and soak the plywood mounting tabs in thin CA glue. This will strengthen

the mounting tabs.

If you are flying your super Vyper on less than 500W (typical for 3S power systems) you can use a Hitec

HS-65 or similar servo to actuate the rudder. If you are flying on a 4S system, we recommend using a

slightly larger servo, such as the Hitec HS-85MG for the rudder. The rudder servo location in the rear of

the airplane is on the bottom of the fuselage as shown. It is cut for an HS-65 but you can quickly open it

up with a hobby knife to fit an HS-85MG.

Assemble the pushrod connectors onto your servo arms as shown. The nuts should not be tightened all

the way, the connectors need to be able to easily rotate on the arm, so they should be tighten just to a

snug fit. Lock the nuts onto the connector thread with a drop of thick CA glue.

The pushrods for the 48” Vyper are assembled as shown. The ball link is screwed onto the threaded end

of the pushrod 4-5 turns and the ball link is attached to the control horn with a 2mm screw, washer, and

nut, tightened to fully tight. Use a drop of thick CA to lock the nut in place. The longest pushrod is for the

rudder, next longest for the elevator, and the identical shortest ones are for the ailerons.

Install your elevator servo into the side of the fuselage as shown. We recommend inserting the elevator

control horn WITHOUT GLUE for a test fit. Install the pushrods as shown, the rudder pushrod will need to

be bent slightly to align with the servo arm correctly.

With the elevator horn installed without glue, turn on your radio, increase your elevator servo endpoint

adjustment to maximum throw, and check to be sure you have at least 45 degrees of elevator throw. If

you do not have at least 45 degrees of elevator throw, you may need to install a longer elevator servo

arm or trim the elevator horn as shown to make it slightly shorter, increasing the throw. Once you are

satisfied with your elevator throw, install the elevator horn permanently using thick CA glue.

Assemble the ailerons onto the wings, flex them up and down to check for free motion, and drip thin CA

glue onto each hinge. Allow to dry.

Remove the covering over the aileron servo openings and aileron control horn slots as shown. Mount

servo as shown.

Install aileron control horn into slot with medium or thick CA glue and assemble aileron pushrod onto

servo arm, exactly as you assembled the elevator control system. Be sure the 2mm nut on the control

horn is locked in place with CA glue. Because the aileron uses a short pushrod, it may be necessary to

put a slight bend in the pushrod to avoid any binding of the pushrod connector.

Remove the covering over one of the open bays in the bottom of the fuselage for battery/motor cooling.

Mount the receiver as shown or to the balsa piece marked “Rx” and glue into fuselage.

Mount the lipo battery to the battery tray using the included Velcro strip and Velcro “seatbelt” strap as

shown.

Plug your servos and ESC into your receiver, attach your battery and test your radio system. Check for

correct motor running direction now, before your prop is installed. Never run your motor inside a

building with the prop installed. Check for correct servo direction, reverse as necessary. Center all

control surfaces and tighten pushrod adjusters securely.

When trimming your CG, keep in mind that a “neutral” CG (one with which you can roll the airplane

inverted and the airplane neither climbs nor dives) is good for 3D aerobatics, but a more forward CG (one

with which you must hold some “down” elevator to keep the airplane flying straight while inverted) is often

better for precision flight and is much easier to land gracefully.

When you experiment with CG location, move the CG only small amounts, 1/8 inch or so, at a time. A

small change in CG can have a large affect on flight characteristics.

CG location:

110-125mm back from the leading edge of the wing, at the junction where the wing meets

the fuselage.

110mm is a sport/pattern flying CG, 125mm is a 3D flying CG.

Control Throws and Exponential

Low/Precision Rates (in degrees and inches) and Corresponding Exponential

Aileron 15 degrees .75” 30% Expo

Elevator 13 degrees 1.25” 30% Expo

Rudder 45 degrees 3.5” 75% Expo

High/3D Rates (in degrees and inches) and Corresponding Exponential

Aileron 28 degrees 1.25” 75% Expo

Elevator 45 degrees 3” 85% Expo

Rudder 45 degrees 3.5” 75% Expo

The above throw measurements were taken at the aft edge of the ailerons and

elevator, and from the bottom aft edge of the rudder. Keep in mind that even the low throws

mentioned here are relatively aggressive, so be sure to also program the matching

exponential listed to help soften the model’s feel around center stick.

Install your propeller.

NOTE: Small brushless motors typically have aluminum prop adaptors with aluminum screws threads.

These threads are easily stripped or broken. DO NOT apply too much torque when tightening your

prop. A wrench is not necessary, it applies too much torque. We prefer a nut-driver.

Be sure to check the motor manufacturer’s recommendations for help in selecting a prop. Test your

power system in a safe manner on the ground before ever attempting to fly your aircraft. Range check

your radio system according to manufacturer’s instructions.

Make your first flight with the controls set on low rates. During the trimming phase, we recommend

landing with some throttle, not attempting to “dead stick” the airplane. This may mean you need to time

your flights and keep them a bit shorter than usual. After your first flights, check all control connections

and motor and prop mounts for tightness.

If using rudder pull-pull cables, check your rudder pull-pull cables for tightness at the beginning of each

flying session. Pull-pull cables tend to loosen a bit over time, and loose pull-pull cables (cables that flop,

or have sag, or that allow you to move the rudder with your hand without the servo arm moving) are a

major contributor to poor aerobatic performance.

Periodically inspect the battery tray area in your aircraft. This plane does excellent high-speed tumbling

maneuvers, and this type of maneuver puts tremendous stress on the battery tray area. Occasionally

adding a bit of CA glue to the battery tray joints will help your aircraft last through hundreds and hundreds

of flights.

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3D Hobby Shop 48" Vyper Assembly Manual

Brand: 3D Hobby Shop

Model: 48" Vyper

Category: Toys & accessories

Type: Assembly Manual

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3D Hobby Shop 48" Vyper Assembly Manual

3D Hobby Shop 48" Vyper Assembly Manual

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