Tower Hobbies Ultimate User manual

Brand: Tower Hobbies

Model: Ultimate

Category: Remote controlled toys

Type: User manual

This manual is also suitable for

Ultimate Bipe GP/EP ARF

READ THROUGH THIS MANUAL

BEFORE STARTING CONSTRUCTION.

IT CONTAINS IMPORTANT INSTRUCTIONS

AND WARNINGS CONCERNING THE

ASSEMBLY AND USE OF THIS MODEL.

Tower

Hobbies

guarantees

this kit to be

free from defects

in both material and

workmanship at the

date of purchase. This

warranty does not cover any

component parts damaged by

use or modication. 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 nal

assembly or material used for nal assembly, no

liability shall be assumed nor accepted for any damage

resulting from the use by the user of the nal 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.

WARRANTY

TOWA2050

A subsidiary of Hobbico, Inc.

TOWER HOBBIES

Champaign, Illinois

(217) 398-8970 ext. 5

RADIO

4–5 channel

WINGSPAN

45.5 in [1155 mm]

WEIGHT

6.0 –7.25 lbs. [2720–3290g]

WING AREA

840 sq in [54.2 dm

]

LENGTH

50 in [1270mm]

airsupport@hobbico.com

INSTRUCTION MANUAL

WING LOADING

16 – 20 oz/ft

[49– 61 g/dm

]

POWER

.46 – .55 2-stroke glow,

.72 – .81 4-stroke glow,

RimFire .55 42-60-480,

6S LiPo, 75A ESC

INTRODUCTION

Congratulations and thank you for purchasing the Tower

Hobbies Ultimate bipe. In spite of its aerobatic appearance, the

Ultimate is a cinch to takeoff,  y and land and is unexpectedly

stable. But when you’re ready to lay down some aerobatics

the Ultimate is ready to respond when it’s time to move the

sticks to the corners!

well. But if aggresive aerobatics is your preference a 2-stroke

glow is not the optimum choice. With a 2-stroke the Ultimate

still performs all the expected sport aerobatic maneuvers

such as loops (inside and outside), rolls, point rolls, stalls,

spins, inverted  ight and even knife-edge  ight. Even if the

Ultimate doesn’t have unlimited vertical with a 2-stroke, a

2-stroke is still the lightest setup which you will actually be

able to feel when it’s in the air.

Because of the large propellers it can swing, the Ultimate

becomes a monster with a Rim re .55 and a 6S battery.

Performance when powered by an O.S. .72 is a close second.

For the latest technical updates or manual corrections to the

Utimate ARF visit the Tower Hobbies web site at towerhobbies.

com and visit the page for the Ultimate ARF. If there is new

technical information or changes to this model a “tech notice”

box will appear on the page.

ADDITIONAL ITEMS REQUIRED

Radio/Servos

The Ultimate can be  own with a 4-channel radio, but a

computer radio such as the Tactic TTX650 is recommended

because of the simplicity and  exibility a computer radio offers

in addition to the convenience of multiple model memory:

❍ Tactic TTX650 6-channel programmable radio

(TACJ2650)

❍ Tactic TR625 6-chanel receiver (TACL0625)

❍ Hobbico 2S (6.6V) LiFe receiver pack (HCAM6411)*

❍ On-off receiver switch (TACM2000)*

* If powering your Ultimate with a brushless electric motor,

you may power the receiver and servos from the BEC in

the ESC, so a receiver battery or on/off receiver switch

will be not required.

The Ultimate was designed for mini servos, but regular servos

with minimum torque of 55oz-in [4.0 kg-cm] may be used

simply by enlarging the servo mounts in the wing and fuselage.

Tactic TSX25 mini digital high-speed 2 ball bearing servos

(TACM0225) or Tactic TSX20 mini high-speed 2 ball bearing

servos (TACM0220) are recommended.

The Ultimate may be  own with two or four aileron servos.

With two servos, the ailerons in the top wing are operated

by pushrods connected directly to the bottom ailerons. With

four servos, each aileron is operated by its own servo. The

advantage of two servos is economy and less weight. The

advantage of four servos is increased response and precision.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

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

ADDITIONAL ITEMS REQUIRED . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

Radio/Servos . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

Glow Engine & Accessories for Glow . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

Brushless Electric Motor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

LiPo Battery Charger . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

ADHESIVES. HARDWARE

AND

OTHER ACCESSORIES. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

KIT INSPECTION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

CONTENTS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

PREPARATIONS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

ASSEMBLE THE WINGS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

Install the Aileron Servos. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

Hook Up the Ailerons. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

ASSEMBLE THE FUSELAGE. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

Install the Horizontal Stabilizer

and Vertical Stabilizer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

Hinge the Elevators and Rudder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

Hook Up the Elevator and Rudder. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

Mount the Motor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

Mount the ESC. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

Mount the Engine. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

Install the Fuel Tank . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

Hook Up the Throttle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19

Mount the Cowl . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

Finish the Radio Installation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22

Mount the Main Landing Gear. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23

Attach the Belly Pan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24

Assemble the Canopy Hatch. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25

Mount the Wings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26

Make the Aileron Pushrods . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30

PREPARE THE MODEL FOR FLIGHT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30

Apply the Decals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30

Set the Control Throws . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30

Check the C.G. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31

Balance the Model Laterally . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31

PREFLIGHT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31

Engine/Motor Safety Precautions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31

Propeller Selection for a Brushless Motor. . . . . . . . . 32

Battery Precautions. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33

Range Check . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34

AMA SAFETY CODE. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34

General . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34

Radio Control. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34

Know Before You Fly . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34

FLYING. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35

Electric-

powered

Glow-

powered

SERVO CHART

Wing

conguration

4 aileron

servos

2 aileron

servos

4 aileron

servos

2 aileron

servos

Total number

of servos

required

6475

The quantity and lengths of servo extensions can get

complicated depending upon whether you want to mix all four

aileron servos electronically, or mix them mechanically with

Y-harnesses, and whether you plan to remove the wings for

transport (then, you’ll want a servo wire connection from the

top aileron servos alongside one of the rear cabane struts that

can be easily connected and disconnected). The instruction

manual illustrates both two aileron servos in the bottom wing

only and four aileron servos in the top and bottom wings, but

for both options all the aileron servos were connected into

one channel with Y-harnesses as listed below.

2 Aileron Servos 4 Aileron Servos

SERVO EXTENSIONS and Y-HARNESS for

CONNECTING AILERON SERVOS INTO ONE CHANNEL

20"[508mm]

Y-harness

(1) TACM2500 (2) TACM2500

—

[130

—

150 mm]

Y-harness

Not Required (1) VNRM1668

Glow Engine & Accessories for Glow

The Ultimate is suited for a .46 – .55 2-stroke or .72 – .81

4-stroke. Because the engine is side-mounted, 2-stroke

engines require a Bisson Pitts-style muf er:

❍ O.S. FS72-a 4-stroke with muf er (OSMG0877)

❍ *O.S. 46AXII 2-stroke with muf er (OSMG0548)

❍ O.S. 55AX ABL 2-stroke with muf er (OSMG0557)

❍ Bisson Pitts-style muf er (BISG4046)

❍ 1/4" [6.4mm] R/C foam rubber (HCAQ1000)

❍ Great Planes Dead Center Hole Locator (GPMR8130)

❍ 3’ [.9m] medium silicone fuel line (GPMQ4131)

❍ Optional: Aluminum fuel line plug (GPMQ4166)

❍ Dubro Fuel Clunk Standard (DUBQ0637)

❍ Suitable propeller for your engine

* With the O.S. .46 AXII an APC 12.5 x 6 (APCQ9905)

was preferred

Brushless Electric Motor

The electric setup for the Ultimate is straightforward: a Great

Planes ElectriFly RimFire .55 on a 6S battery in the 3800mAh

range with a 75A ESC. Propeller selection depends upon your

preference and  ying style, but we preferred the APCX 16 x

8E (full discussion on prop selection on page 32). A Castle

Creations Edge Lite 75 is also recommended and illustrated

in the instruction manual because it is compact, durable,

programmable and features data logging. The discharge

wires from the ESC require lengthening to reach the battery

and order numbers for the wire are provided below.

❍ 42-60-480 RimFire .55 (GPMG4715)

❍ Brushless motor mount for medium motors

(GPMG1255)

❍ M3 x 6 screws for mounting motor to motor mount

(DTXC8650 or HPIC0351)

❍ APC 16 x 8 thin E prop (APCQ4015)

❍ Castle Creations Edge Lite 75 (CSEM1200)

❍ (2) FlightPower 3S 3800 30C (FPWP3383) and Great

Planes Series adapter (GPMM3143)

❍ FlightPower 6S 3800mAh 30C (FPWP3386)

❍ Adhesive-back Velcoro for mounting batteries

(GPMQ4480)

❍ 10 gauge silicone wire to extend discharge wires

from ESC

➊ CSEC0030 3’ black

➋ CSEC0031 3’ red

➌ 3/16" heat shrink tubing (GPMM1056)

➍ T-style Star connector (HCAM4001)

LiPo Battery Charger

To charge a 6S 3800 mAh LiPo at 1C, a charger capable of

at least 95 watts is required (6S x 4.2V/cell = 25.2 V x 3.8 A =

95 Watts). The Triton2 EQ is just enough charger with 100 W

output AC and 120 W output DC (GPMM3156).

ADHESIVES. HARDWARE AND

OTHER ACCESSORIES

Other than common hobby tools here is a list of the rest of

the items required:

❍ 30-minute epoxy (GPMR6043)

❍ Epoxy brushes (GPMR8060)

❍ Mixing cups (GPMR8056)

❍ Mixing sticks (GPMR8055)

❍ Threadlocker thread locking cement (GPMR6060)

❍ Thin CA (GPMR6001)

❍ Medium CA (GPMR6007)

❍ CA applicator tips (HCAR3780)

❍ A #50 (.070") drill (for drilling out servo arms for the

pushrod wires)

❍ Optional: 1/5-scale Sport pilot (GPMQ9015)

❍ Optional: Zap Adhesives Formula 560 Canopy Glue

(PAAR3300)

A Robart Super Stand II (ROBP1402) is also indispensable

for working on your Ultimate.

A covering iron with a cover sock may be required for

tightening and re bonding the covering to the model that may

have loosened between the time the plane was manufactured

and the time the model was removed from the box. The 21

Century iron is preferred because of its long cord, contoured

shoe and precisely adjustable temperature range. A trim iron

is also handy for detailed covering tasks.

❍ Coverite 21

Century Sealing Iron (COVR2700)

❍ Coverite 21

Century Cover Sock (COVR2702)

❍ Coverite 21

Century Trim Seal Tool (COVR2750)

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.

Hobbico Product Support

3002 N. Apollo Drive, Suite 1 Ph: (217) 398-8970, ext. 5

Champaign, IL 61822 Fax: (217) 398-7721

E-mail: [email protected]

Order No. Description

REPLACEMENT PARTS LIST

TOWA4050

TOWA4051

TOWA4052

TOWA4053

TOWA4054

TOWA4055

TOWA4056

TOWA4057

TOWA4058

TOWA4059

TOWA4060

TOWA4061

TOWA4062

TOWA4063

TOWA4064

TOWA4065

TOWA4066

TOWA4067

TOWA4068

Fuselage set

Upper wing set

Lower wing set

Tail surface set

Cowl

Landing gear

Wheel pants

Interplane struts

Cabanes

Canopy

Hatch

Belly pan

Thumb screw set

Lower wing bolts (2)

Spinner

Fuel tank

Decals

Tail wheel set

Engine mount set

CONTENTS

1. Cowl

2. Fuselage

3. Canopy Hatch

4. Top Wing

5. Bottom Wing

6. Horizontal Stabilizer

7. Vertical Stabilizer

8. Hardware / Wood Parts

9. Cabane Struts

10. Hardware

11. Wing Struts

12. Wheel Pants

13. Main Landing Gear

14. Canopy

15. Fuel Tank

16. Main Wheels

17. Spinner

18. Pushrods

PREPARATIONS

NOTE: If you’re already familiar with iron-on coverings, you

may  nd that the covering on the Ultimate requires less heat

than other coverings you’ve worked with. Too much heat

causes seams and edges to separate as the covering tightens.

The optimum temperature measured on the surface of a cover

sock on a cover iron is about 280ºF [140ºC] which requires

a dial setting of about 300ºF [150ºC] or “medium” heat on

most covering irons. You can go a little higher if necessary,

but be careful around seams and overlapping edges. If the

covering blisters up and cannot be pressed back down, the

iron may be too hot, or you are leaving it in one location for

too long—try reducing the heat or moving the iron a little

faster. Another option is perforating the blister in a few areas

with a #11 hobby blade.

A covering iron with a cover sock is preferred over a heat

gun. With a covering iron you can apply heat only where

required. With a heat gun you may inadvertently overheat a

seam causing separation.

❏

1. Use a covering iron with a cover sock to tighten any

loose covering. Wherever the covering is attached to wood,

press down on the iron to thoroughly bond the covering to

the balsa underneath. Where possible, reach inside the model

and support sheeted areas while tightening the covering to

prevent the sheeting from bending inward. If you’ll be using

the top wing aileron servos, also be sure to securely bond

the covering to the structure on the bottom of the top wing

around the aileron hatch openings. (The area of the hatch has

been outlined with a felt-tip pen for illustration in the image.)

❏

2. Before proceeding with assembly, now would be a good

time to make sure all the hinges in the ailerons are secure.

Pull hard on each aileron to check the hinges. Apply thin CA

to any hinges that may not be secure.

Perform the steps 3 through 7 if installing aileron servos

in the top wing.

❏

3. Use a hobby knife (or a 3/8" brass tube sharpened on

the end) to cut a hole in the bottom of the top wing where

shown for the servo wire.

❏

4. Use a straightedge as a guide to cut the covering

approximately 3/16" [5mm] inside the edges of the aileron

hatch openings.

❏

5. Slit the corners of the covering up to the corners of

the hatch opening.

❏

6. Use a trim iron to bond the covering down inside

the openings.

❏

7. Cut the covering from the servo arm openings and

the four screw holes in the corners of the top aileron hatch

covers. Use a trim seal tool to seal the covering around the

edges of the openings.

❏

8. A few paper towels stacked on top of each other cut

into small squares will come in handy for wiping off excess

CA and/or epoxy as you proceed with assembly. For epoxy

clean up later, dampen the squares with denatured alcohol.

❏

9. Glue the wood dowels into the bottom wing.

❏

10. If powering your Ultimate with a glow engine, fuelproof

any areas that may be exposed to raw fuel or oily engine

exhaust such as the openings in the fuselage at the front

and back of the bottom wing, the front of the bottom wing,

inside the belly pan around the wing bolt holes and the back

of the  rewall.

ASSEMBLE THE WINGS

Install the Aileron Servos

Part of installing the aileron servos is deciding how you are

going to connect the servos to your receiver. If you’re using

only the two servos in the bottom wing you can connect them

with a standard Y-connector and guide the male end of the Y

that goes into the receiver out the wing. Or, you may connect

the servos to separate channels in your receiver mixing them

electronically through programming in your transmitter.

But if you’re using four servos there are even more ways to mix

the servos depending on how many channels are available in

your radio. One way would be to connect each aileron servo

to separate channels in the receiver, controlling them with a

programmable mix. The advantage here would be the ability

to independently adjust each servo’s sub trim and end points

for the ultimate in precision and tuning. But then at least a

7-channel receiver would be required and all the additional

servo extensions to connect each one to the receiver.

Another way is with a standard 2-aileron wing mix found

under the “wing type” mix in most transmitters. This mixes

two aileron servos, but then you will have to “Y” the top and

bottom servos on each wing half and will not have the ability

to adjust the sub trims and end points of each servo.

But since all options (other than controlling the servos

separately with four channels) eliminate adjusting the servos

independently with end points and sub trims, we just kept it

simple and “Y’d” the servos in the top wing to each other and

“Y’d” the servos in the bottom wing to each other, then “Y’d”

the “Y’s” together inside the fuselage into a single aileron

channel. The advantage with this option is only one servo

wire coming from the top wing which is simpler and more

aesthetically pleasing.

The following instructions illustrate installing and

hooking up the ailerons in the bottom wing. If installing

servos in the top wing too, simply perform the steps

for all four servos.

❏

1. Trim one of the 5/16" x 9/16" x 3/4" [8 x 15 x 20mm]

servo mount blocks to accommodate the servo wire where

it exits the servo case.

❏

2. Hold two

blocks to the servo

with thin cardstock

between the blocks

and the servo and

under the servo

between the servo

and your workbench

as shown. Drill 1/16"

[1.6mm] holes into

the blocks for the

servo mounting

screws.

❏

3. Make another

aileron servo/mount

block assembly

mirroring the first

and drill the holes

and mount to the

servo.

❏

4. Apply 30-minute epoxy to the bottom of the mount

blocks where they contact the hatch covers. Also wipe a

 lm of epoxy onto the hatch covers where the mount blocks

will land. Wait a few minutes for the epoxy to soak into the

mount blocks, apply more epoxy if needed, then position

the servos on the hatch covers so the servo arms will be

centered in the cutouts. Use weights or clamps to hold the

servo blocks to the hatches until the epoxy hardened.

If installing all four aileron servos, this is what the servos and

hatch covers should look like.

❏

5. Connect the bottom aileron servos to your receiver

(with or without a Y-harness; whichever is your preference)

with a battery and turn on your transmitter to power up the

system so you can operate the servos.

❏

6. Fit servo arms on the servos positioned so the arms

will be angled forward approximately as shown—it’s more

important to have the arms on each servo angled the same

than it is to have any precise angle. The arms just need to

be angled forward so the pushrods will be approximately

perpendicular with the servo arms when connected to the

control horn on the aileron.

❏

7. Cut the unused arms from the servo arm and enlarge the

holes in the servo arm with a #50 (.070") drill for the pushrod

wires. Fasten the arms to the servos with the screws that

came with the servos.

❏

8. Cut the covering from one of the servo wire holes in

the top of the bottom wing. Use the string in the wing to pull

one side of the 20" [508mm] Y-harness through the hole and

out one of the aileron hatch openings.

❏

9. Connect the Y-harness to the servo and mount the

hatch/servo to the wing with M2.3 x 8 washer-head screws.

❏

10. Pull the other end of the Y-harness through the other

side of the wing and mount the other hatch.

Hook Up the Ailerons

Refer to this image while mounting the aileron servos

and hooking up the ailerons.

Do the left wing  rst…

❏

1. Thread a clevis about  fteen full turns onto a 4-3/4"

[120mm] aileron pushrod. Make a second assembly the

same way.

1/16" [1.5 mm]

Servo Arm

90º Connector

❏

2. Bend and cut the pushrods to the correct length,

then connect the aileron servos to the ailerons using the

hardware shown. Drill 1/16" [1.6mm] holes into the ailerons

for the M2 x 12 screws. After installing the screws, remove

the screws, add a few drops of thin CA to the holes, allow to

harden, then reinstall the screws. Adjust the clevises on the

pushrods so the ailerons will be centered when the servos

are centered.

M2 x 10

For Bottom Ailerons Only

Small Control Horn

Centered Behind

Mounting Plate

❏

3. If not installing aileron servos in the top wing, mount

a small control horn to the top surface of the bottom ailerons

in the location illustrated in the image above and in the

illustration on the bottom of the column to the left.

ASSEMBLE THE FUSELAGE

Install the Horizontal Stabilizer

and Vertical Stabilizer

❏

1. If you haven’t already done so, remove the masking tape

holding the elevators to the horizontal stabilizer. Any residual

glue from the masking tape can be removed with naptha

(lighter  uid) and a small paper towel square. If necessary,

use your covering iron to tighten the covering.

❏

2. Test- t the elevator joiner wire to the elevators. If the

elevators do not align with each other (as in the image), use

pliers to “tweak” the joiner to get the elevators aligned.

❏

3. Temporarily bolt the bottom wing to the fuselage with the

two included nylon wing bolts. Slide the horizontal stabilizer

into position and view the model from behind. Check the

alignment between the stab and the wing. If necessary,

remove the stab and lightly sand the slot to align the stab

with the wing.

❏

4. Perform a trial-run of  nal stab alignment before doing

it with glue;

A. Center the stab laterally taking measurements from both

sides of the fuselage.

B. Once the stab is centered, insert pins into the trailing

edge tightly against both sides of the fuselage to lock the

trailing edge into place.

A = A'

C. Insert a pin into the fuselage centered over the stringer at

the front of the hatch opening. Use an inelastic string around

the pin with a line drawn on a strip of masking tape to check

rotational stab alignment. Slide the tape along the string and

rotate the stab until both tips align with the line on the tape.

❏

5. Remove one of the pins from the trailing edge and slide

out the stab. Install the elevator joiner wire into the stab slot

in the fuselage, making certain to keep the correct orientation

so the elevators will align when re tted to the joiner.

❏

6. Add a liberal amount of 30-minute epoxy to the top and

bottom of the exposed balsa in the middle of the stab. Be

certain not to forget to install the elevator joiner wire

into the stab slot as instructed in the previous step! Slide

the stab into place removing excess epoxy as you proceed.

Reinsert the pin to align the trailing edge and make sure the

stab is properly aligned as previously described with the string

and tape. Make sure you’ve cleaned up all residual epoxy

and do not disturb the model until the epoxy has hardened.

❏

7. Test- t the vertical stabilizer ( n) into position. Make

any adjustments necessary for a good  t and to make sure

the  n is vertical, then permanently glue it into place with

30-minute epoxy. Use T-pins or clamps as necessary to close

any gaps between the  n and the  llet blocks. Any pinholes

from T-pins can be reduced later with a covering iron.

Hinge the Elevators and Rudder

❏

1. Add a small drop of medium CA to the end of one of the

hinges. Insert the hinge halfway into one of the hinge slots in

one of the elevators—do not use any CA accelerator! This

will be just enough CA to keep the hinge from shifting while

joining the control surfaces to the stab and  n.

❏

2. Tack-glue the rest of the hinges into the hinge slots in

both elevators.

❏

3. After the CA has hardened and all the hinges are in

place, test- t the elevators to the stab and joiner. Make sure

the surfaces move easily and smoothly.

❏

4. Remove the elevators. Add epoxy into the holes in the

elevators for the joiner wires. Rejoin the elevators to the stab

and joiner wire and wipe away excess epoxy.

❏

5. Use a thin applicator tip to apply 6 drops of thin CA

to the top and bottom of each hinge waiting a few seconds

between drops for the hinges to absorb the CA. Excess CA

that doesn’t wick into the hinges can be absorbed with the

edge of a small paper towel square.

❏

6. Test  t the tail gear. Same as was done with the elevator,

tack-glue the hinges into the rudder, then test- t the rudder

to the  n. Make any adjustments necessary for a good  t,

then remove the rudder and tail gear.

❏

7. Using care not to get any epoxy into the hinge points

around the tail gear wire, insert the hinges into the fuselage

with 30-minute epoxy. Add epoxy into the hole in the rudder

for the “arm” part of the tail gear wire, then  t the rudder to

the assembly.

❏

8. Permanently attach the rudder to the  n and fusealge

by gluing the hinges with thin CA.

❏

9. After the CA on all the hinges has hardened, pull hard

on all the control surfaces to make sure they are secure and

all the hinges are thoroughly glued into place.

Hook Up the Elevator and Rudder

❏

1. Thread a clevis onto two 26" [660mm] pushrods and

connect them to two large control horns. Mount the horns

to the elevator and rudder with M2 x 12 machine screws and

backing plates as shown.

❏

2. Place the elevator and rudder servos in the servo tray

(enlarge the tray as necessary to accommodate your servos).

Install servo arms that will be perpendicular to the pushrods

as shown and cut off the unused arms.

❏

3. With the surfaces centered, mark, bend and cut the

pushrods and connect them to the servos. You can bend

and cut the pushrods while they are in the fuselage, but it

will be easier to cut and bend them out of the fuselage (but

then the clevises will have to be temporarily removed so the

pushrods can be reinserted from the front of the guide tubes).

❏

4. Drill 1/16" [1.6mm] holes through the servo tray and

mount the servos to the servo tray with the screws included

with the servos.

❏

5. You can temporarily connect the servos to the receiver

and operate the servos and adjust the length of the pushrods

now, or later when performing  nal radio setup.

Mount the Motor

If using a glow engine skip to Mount the Engine on page 16.

❏

1. Mount the motor to an Electri y Brushless Motor Mount

for Medium Motors (not included), but do not use the M3

x 10 screws that came with the motor because they are

too long and may protrude into the motor and contact the

copper windings. Use M3 x 6 screws instead (DTXC8650

or HPIC0351).

❏

2. Cut the brushless motor mount template from the

back of the instruction manual (or from the card that came

with the brushless motor mount) and tape it to the  rewall

aligning the cross marks. Use a pin to mark the mounting

screw holes into the  rewall.

❏

3. Remove the template from the  rewall. Drill 1/16" [1.6mm]

pilot holes through the  rewall at the marks. Enlarge the holes

with a 13/64" (or 7/32") drill.

❏

4. Use an M4 x 12 SHCS (socket-head cap screw) with a

stack of washers and a 3mm Allen wrench to draw the M4

blind nuts into the back of the  rewall.

❏

5. Mount the brushless motor mount to the  rewall with

four M4 x 12 SHCS and M4 washers; it’s a little easier to  rst

loosely fasten the mount with the bottom two screws, then

the top two screws before tightening them all down.

❏

6. If necessary, ream or drill the back plate of the spinner

to  t on the prop shaft, then  t the back plate. Adjust the

mount so the back plate will be 4-3/4" [120mm] from the

 rewall, then use a 3/32" Allen wrench to tentatively tighten

the screws on both sides of the mount to temporarily lock

the halves together.

Mount the ESC

❏

1. You may copy the battery and ESC installation shown in

the manual, or do it another way if you have a different ESC.

However you mount the ESC, plan and test- t the battery

and ESC before cutting wires or performing any other steps

that cannot be undone. Here, the ESC has been temporarily

mounted to make sure it all  ts and to determine the wire

length. Now, we know the ESC will  t inside the cowl, but

the discharge wires from the ESC to the battery will have to

be lengthened.

❏

2. Prepare your ESC as required to work with your setup.

For the Edge Lite 75 we extended the discharge wires an

additional 8-1/2" [215mm] and soldered the female 4mm

bullet connectors to the motor wires.

❏

3. Mount the ESC, connect the ESC to the motor and

guide the discharge wires through the fuselage where they

can connect to the battery.

❏

4. Attach a strip of the softer, “loop” side of adhesive-

back Velcro (not included) to the bottom of the battery and

strips of the rougher, “hook” side to the battery tray. Make

a battery strap (like one of the straps shown on page 18)

from the included Velcro strips and mount the battery to

the battery tray.

❏

5. If the motor mount bolts protrude from the back of the

 rewall, cut two 3" [80mm] pieces from the included 1/4" x

¼" x 8" [6 x 6 x 200mm] balsa stick. Glue the sticks to the

back of the  rewall to prevent the bolts from puncturing the

front of the battery in the event of a crash.

❏

6. Install the battery tray making sure the front of the tray

keys into the short balsa sticks right behind the  rewall to

hold the front of the tray down. Fasten the battery tray with

one of the  nger-turn ¼-20 nylon bolts included. Make sure

the discharge wires from the ESC can reach the discharge

wires from the battery.

CAUTION: If powering the receiver and servos through

the BEC in the ESC, whenever operating the radio in the

workshop, be certain to do so without the propeller

mounted. Do not operate the radio with the propeller

installed until you are outdoors when checking the motor

or  ying the plane. If powering the servos and ESC with a

separate receiver battery, the radio may be safely operated

without concern for the propeller turning if the motor battery

is not connected to the ESC.

Skip ahead to Mount the Cowl on page 20.

Mount the Engine

The process for mounting a 4-stroke and a 2-stroke are the

same, but most of the instructions show a 4-stroke. Where

necessary or helpful, photos and notes for installing a 2-stroke

are also provided.

❏

1. Mount a  at stick or the back plate of your spinner to

the engine. Hold one of the engine mounts to the engine

sliding it along the engine until the distance between the

back of the engine mount and the back of the spinner will

be 4-3/4" [120mm].

❏

2. Holding the mount to the engine, mark one of the holes

in the engine onto the engine mount – a Great Planes Dead-

Center Hole Locator is indispensable for this.

You can fasten the engine to the mount with the included M3

x 25 cap screws and M3 nuts, or drill and tap M3 threads

into the mount so no nuts will be required.

❏

3. If using nuts, drill a 1/8" [3.2mm] hole through the mark

made in the previous step. If you are going to tap 3mm

threads, drill a 2.4mm (or 3/32") hole through the mark – in

either case, use a drill press if you have access to one to

ensure the hole is perpendicular to the surface of the mount.

If you don’t have a drill press, do your best to hold the drill

vertically so the hole will be perpendicular.

❏

4. If tapping threads, use a 3mm tap to thread the hole – if

care is used you can chuck the tap in a hand drill to make

the procedure easier and faster.

❏

5. Fasten the engine mount to the engine with an M3 x 25

cap screw, an M3 lock washer and  at washer and an M3

nut (if you didn’t tap threads). Mark the location of the other

engine mount bolt hole onto the mount.

❏

6. Remove the mount from the engine. Drill the 2

hole

in the mount and fasten the mount back onto the engine.

❏

7. Position the other mount half on the other side of the

engine and mark and drill the holes the same way, then fasten

the mount to the engine.

❏

8. If using an O.S. FS .72 or .46AX, cut the appropriate

Engine Mount Template from the back of the instruction

manual. If using a different engine, place your engine over

the templates to see if one of them happens to match the

mount hole spacing for the engine mounts on your engine.

❏

9. If neither template matches the spacing of the mount on

your engine, you can make your own template out of one of

the existing ones. Measure the distance between the holes

of the mount halves.

❏

10. Mark “crossmarks” on the vertical lines above and

below the centerline half the distance of the measurement

you came up with in the previous step.

❏

11. Tape the template to the  rewall with the crossmarks

on the template aligned with the crossmarks on the  rewall.

Push a pin into the  rewall through the marks in the template

that align with the mounting holes in the engine mounts.

❏

12. Remove the template from the  rewall. Drill 1/16"

[1.6mm] pilot holes through the  rewall at the pinpoints.

Enlarge the holes with a 13/64" (or 7/32") drill.

❏

13. Use an M4 x 20 SHCS (socket-head cap screw) with

a stack of washers and a 3mm Allen wrench to draw the M4

blind nuts into the back of the  rewall. Note: If the top of

the engine mount box interferes with the top two blind nuts,

grind one edge of the blind nuts so they will  t.

❏

14. Mount the engine mount to the  rewall with four M4

x 20 SHCS and M4 washers and threadlocker. (For the O.S.

.72, the engine mounts had to be temporarily removed from

the engine to insert two of the SHCS in the mount.)

Install the Fuel Tank

❏

1. Remove the stopper from the fuel tank and shake out

the aluminum tubes and the silicone fuel line.

❏

2. Assemble the stopper assembly with the pickup line as

shown—the aluminum tubes can easily be cut to length by

rolling them on your workbench under a hobby knife blade.

Option: Insert the third aluminum tube through the stopper

and attach another pickup line and clunk (not included) for

a fueling/defueling line so you won’t have to detach the fuel

line from the engine to fuel and as you will with a single-line.

❏

3. Insert the stopper into the tank with the vent line at the

top of the tank. Write TOP on top of the tank (or just insert

the stopper with the vent at the side of the tank with the

molded-in logo and capacity).

❏

4. Cut a 2" x 5-1/2" [50 x 140mm] sheet of ¼" [6.4mm] RC

foam rubber. Make two fuel tank straps from 8" [200mm]

strips of Velcro overlapping 5" [130mm]. Fasten the fuel tank

to the fuel tank tray and connect approximately 8" of fuel

line to each line coming out of the tank.

❏

5. Install the fuel tank tray into the fuselage guiding the fuel

lines out the hole in the  rewall—make sure the front of the

tray keys into the short balsa sticks right behind the  rewall

to hold the front of the tray down. Position the tray as far

forward as possible without causing the lines to kink against

the engine, then secure the tray with one of the  nger-turn

¼-20 nylon bolts included.

Hook Up the Throttle

❏

1. Plan your throttle setup. Determine where to locate the

throttle pushrod and the throttle servo (depending on the

location of the carburetor arm on the engine and locations

available for the throttle servo). The carburetor arm on both

the O.S. engines shown is above the fuel tank tray, so it’s

easiest to position the pushrod and servo above the tray

as well. The throttle servo may be installed in the servo tray

next to the elevator and rudder servos, but make sure the

servo won’t interfere with the wing bolt. If the throttle servo

will not  t in the servo tray, perhaps the servo arm on the

elevator or rudder servo could be  ip- opped allowing that

servo to be relocated to make room for the throttle servo.

Or, the throttle servo could be mounted on either side of the

engine mounting box inside the cowl.

❏

2. Being certain to avoid the fuel tank, drill a 1/8" [3.2mm]

hole through the  rewall in-line with the carburetor arm for

the throttle guide tube – a 1/8" [3.2mm] brass tube sharpened

on the end makes this an easy job. Otherwise, the engine

will have to be removed from the  rewall and the hole drilled

with a regular 1/8" [3.2mm] drill.

Thread-on retainer

(USE THREALOCKER!)

Screw-lock

M3 set screw

❏

3. Cut the throttle guide tube and the throttle pushrod to

the correct length, then mount and connect the throttle servo

to the carburetor arm using the screw-lock assembly. Glue

one or two of the guide tube braces into position where

necessary to brace the throttle pushrod guide tube. Note:

The screw-lock assembly is a little tricky; do not over tighten

the thread-on retainer or else the screw-lock will not pivot in

the servo arm causing the throttle pushrod to bind. Because

of this, threadlocker must be used on the thread-on retainer

so it does not come off.

❏

4. While we’re still working “under the hood,” mount the

muf er and connect the fuel line to the carb and the vent

line to the pressure tap off the muf er (the dangling fuel line

in the photo will be for fueling/defueling).

Mount the Cowl

Disregard the landing gear and wings that appear in following

images. Your landing gear and wings should not yet be

mounted.

❏

1. Glue the ½" x ½" x 1" [13 x 13 x 25mm] hardwood

cowl mount blocks to front of the fuselage even with the

fuselage sides.

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Tower Hobbies Ultimate User manual

Brand: Tower Hobbies

Model: Ultimate

Category: Remote controlled toys

Type: User manual

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