Tower Hobbies Hellcat EP Rx-R User manual

Brand: Tower Hobbies

Model: Hellcat EP Rx-R

Category: Toys & accessories

Type: User manual

Tower Hobbies Hellcat EP Rx-R is an economical, durable and simple model with considerable surface and scale detail that flies great! This high-wing, three-channel airplane is perfect for beginner and intermediate pilots alike. The Hellcat EP Rx-R comes with a powerful 1000kV outrunner motor, a 30A ESC, and a 10x6 3-blade propeller, giving it plenty of power for aerobatic maneuvers. The lightweight airframe is made from durable EPO foam, which is resistant to crashes and easy to repair.

READ THROUGH THIS MANUAL

BEFORE STARTING CONSTRUCTION.

IT CONTAINS IMPORTANT INSTRUCTIONS

AND WARNINGS CONCERNING THE

ASSEMBLY AND USE OF THIS MODEL.

WEIGHT

28 – 31.6 oz [795 – 895 g]

WING LOADING

14.8 – 16.7 oz/ft

[45 – 51 g/dm

]

RADIO

4-Channel

MOTOR

1000kV outrunner, 30A ESC,

10 x 6 3-blade propeller

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 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:

(OBBY3ERVICESs.!POLLO$R3UITEs#HAMPAIGN),s53!

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5PONRECEIPTOFTHEPACKAGETHE

problem will be evaluated as quickly as possible.

WARRANTY

Entire Contents

TOWA2004

TOWER HOBBIES

#HAMPAIGN)LLINOIS

EXT

WINGSPAN

39 in [990mm]

WING AREA

272 sq in [17.5 dm

]

LENGTH

31.5 in [ 800mm]

airsupport@hobbico.com

INSTRUCTION MANUAL

TABLE OF CONTENTS

––––––––––––––––––

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

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

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

LiPo Battery Charger . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2

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

ORDERING REPLACEMENT PARTS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

CONTENTS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

MAIN ASSEMBLY. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4

FINAL ASSEMBLY. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

Hook Up the Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

Check the Control Throws . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6

Check the C.G.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6

MOTOR SAFETY PRECAUTIONS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

MOTOR/ESC OPERATION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

FLYING. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8

REPAIRS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8

INTRODUCTION

––––––––––––––––––––––––

Thank you for purchasing the Tower Hobbies EP Hellcat. Not

quite as much the “household” name as your Mustangs or Corsairs,

the Hellcat is every bit as impactful when you see it in person—

whether it’s the model or the real thing! But hey, what to say about

this Tower Hobbies Hellcat? There’s not really much to it other

than an economical, durable and simple model with considerable

surface and scale detail and it ﬂ ies great! Get it together, head to

your ﬂ ying site, get it into the air and have fun!

For the latest technical updates or manual corrections to the

Hellcat, visit the Tower Hobbies web site at www.towerhobbies.

com. Open the “Airplanes” link, then select the EP Hellcat ARF.

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.

AMA

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. (800) 435-9262

Fax (765) 741-0057

Or via the Internet at: 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

1. Your EP Hellcat 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

Hellcat, if not assembled and operated correctly, could possibly

cause injury to yourself or spectators and damage to property.

2. You must assemble the Hellcat 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

–––––––––

No extraordinary tools or building supplies are required to

ﬁ nish the EP Hellcat—just a Phillips screwdriver. The Hellcat

is already equipped with servos, ESC and motor, so the only

other components you have to supply are as follows:

■ Minimum 4-channel transmitter and receiver

■ 3S 11.1V 1800mAh ̶ 2200mAh LiPo battery:

Electriﬂ y 2200mAh 30C (GPMP0681)

FlightPower 2100mAh 25C (FPWP4196)

FlightPower 2200mAh 30C (FPWP6198)

Flyzone 2100mAh 20C (FLZA6173)

(See page 6 for more about batteries.)

■ LiPo battery charger

NOTE: If using a battery with a Deans

Ultra Plug

connector,

a Deans Ultra Male-to-SuperTigre ESC adapter (SUPM0040)

will also be required (or the connector on the ESC may simply

be replaced with a Deans Ultra Male connector).

LiPo Battery Charger

Most modelers may already have a suitable LiPo charger, but for

those that do not, the Duratrax Onyx 235 AC/DC Advance Peak

Charger (DTXP4235) is one of the suitable chargers recommended.

The Onyx charger is perfect for 3S batteries used with the Hellcat

and may be powered either by an external DC power source

(such as a 12 battery), or a 110V AC outlet. The Onyx also has

an adjustable charge rate to charge your batteries in as little as a

half-hour or less (depending on the condition of your batteries

and the manufacturer’s speciﬁ ed charge rate). The Onyx can also

charge larger batteries and batteries other than LiPos, so it is a

versatile charger you can grow into. The 235 also has an LCD

digital display screen, so you can see how much capacity it took

to recharge the battery (required for monitoring the condition of

your batteries and calculating how long you can ﬂ y).

NOTE: For use with the Onyx 235, LiPo batteries that come

with a SuperTigre connector (such as the Flyzone batteries

recommended) require a banana plugs-to-SuperTigre charge

lead (SUPM0070). And batteries that come with a Deans Ultra

connector require a Charge Lead with banana plugs/Deans Ultra

Male charge lead (GPMM3148).

KIT INSPECTION

–––––––––––––––––––––––

Before assembly, 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 Ph: (217) 398-8970 ext. 5

3002 N Apollo Drive Suite 1 Fax: (217) 398-7721

Champaign, IL 61822

E-mail: [email protected]

ORDERING REPLACEMENT PARTS

––––

Replacement parts for the Tower Hobbies EP Hellcat are available

using the order numbers in the Replacement Parts List that

follows. The fastest, most economical service can be provided

by your hobby dealer or mail-order company.

To locate a hobby dealer, visit the Hobbico web site at www.

hobbico.com. Choose “Where to Buy” at the bottom of the menu

on the left side of the page. Follow the instructions provided on

the page to locate a U.S., Canadian or International dealer.

Parts may be ordered directly from Hobby Services by calling

(217) 398-0007, or via facsimile at (217) 398-7721, but full retail

prices and shipping and handling charges will apply. Illinois

and Nevada residents will also be charged sales tax. If ordering

via fax, include a Visa

or MasterCard

number and expiration

date for payment.

Mail parts orders Hobby Services

and payments by 3002 N Apollo Drive, Suite 1

personal check to: Champaign IL 61822

Be certain to specify the order number exactly as listed in the

Replacement Parts List. Payment by credit card or personal

check only; no C.O.D.

If additional assistance is required for any reason contact Product

Support by e-mail at [email protected], or by

telephone at (217) 398-8970.

Order No. Description

REPLACEMENT PARTS LIST

Wing

Fuselage

Horizontal Stabilizer

Vertical Stabilizer

Cowl

Canopy/Hatch

Wing Bolt ( 2 pcs. )

Landing Gear

10x6 3 Blade Propeller

Tail Gear

Spinner Hub

Servo

30A Brushless ESC

1000kV Outrunner Motor

TOWA6095

TOWA6096

TOWA6097

TOWA6098

TOWA6099

TOWA6100

TOWA6101

TOWA6102

TOWA6103

GPMQ1888

TOWA6092

TOWM5500

SUPM1030

TOWG2000

–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

CONTENTS

––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

1. Fuselage, Cowl, Canopy Hatch

2. Wing

3. Vertical Stabilizer

4. Horizontal Stabilizer

5. Hardware Bag

6. Main Landing Gear

7. Propeller Hub

8. Propeller

MAIN ASSEMBLY

––––––––––––––––––––––

NOTE: If you haven’t yet ﬁ gured it out yet, the canopy hatch

is held to the fuselage with magnets at the rear and a tab at the

front. To remove the hatch, simply lift up on the aft end of the

hatch to disengage the magnets.

❏

1. Fit the horizontal and vertical stabilizer (stab and ﬁ n)

together, then ﬁ t them to the fuselage while keying the tail gear

into the rudder.

❏

2. Fasten the stab and ﬁ n assembly to the fuselage with the

M3 x 40 screw.

❏

3. Connect the pushrods to the horns as shown.

❏

4. Insert one, then the other main landing gear wires into

the wing – the wire struts are positioned inboard of the wheels.

❏

5. Guide the aileron servo wire through the hole in the bot-

tom of the wing.

❏

6. Bolt the wing to the fuselage with the M6 x 50mm nylon

wing bolt—don’t over tighten the bolt—just enough to securely

“snug” the wing up to the fuselage.

❏

7. Apply the rougher, “hook” side of the included hook-and-

loop material to the fuselage ﬂ oor and the softer, “loop” side to

the battery.

FINAL ASSEMBLY

––––––––––––––––––––––

Hook Up the Controls

❏

1. Connect the servo and ESC wires to the appropriate channels

in your receiver.

❏

2. Use the included double-sided foam mounting strip to

mount the receiver in the fuselage out of the way where it will

not interfere with installation and removal of the battery.

❏

3. Without the propeller yet mounted, temporarily place the

battery in the fuselage, turn on your transmitter and connect the

battery to the ESC to power the system up so you can check the

controls.

❏

4. Make sure all the controls respond in the correct direction

according to your inputs and that all the control surfaces are

centered—if necessary, use the servo reversing in your transmitter

and adjust the pushrods in the screw-lock connectors to center

the controls. Whether or not you adjusted any pushrods, double-

check that the screw in all the screw-lock connectors are

tight and secure.

Check the Control Throws

LESS control throw

control

throw

MORE control throw

LESS

control

throw

Raise the aft end of the fuselage so the wings and stab are level (or

nearly level). Measure the control surface throws and if necessary,

use the programming in your transmitter or change the location

of the pushrods in the servo arms or in the horns on the control

surfaces to get the recommended throws. Note that the throws

are measured at the widest part (front-to-back) of each surface:

If your radio does not have dual rates, we recommend setting the

throws halfway between the high and low rates.

THESE ARE THE RECOMMENDED CONTROL SURFACE THROWS:

ELEVATORRUDDERAILERONS

7/16" [11mm]

13°

UP DOWN

3/4" [19mm]

19°

RIGHT LEFT

1/2" [13mm]

17°

UP DOWN

1/4" [6mm]

7°

UP DOWN

1/2" [13mm]

13°

RIGHT LEFT

3/8" [10mm]

12°

7/16" [11mm]

13°

3/4" [19mm]

19°

1/2" [13mm]

17°

1/4" [6mm]

7°

1/2" [13mm]

13°

3/8" [10mm]

12°

UP DOWN

HIGH RATE LOW RATE

Check the C.G.

The C.G. (center of gravity) has a great effect on the way the

Hellcat ﬂ ies. If the C.G. is not correct the Hellcat could be too

stable (reacting too slowly to control inputs) or too instable

(reacting too quickly to control inputs) possibly causing a crash.

The Hellcat is designed to ﬂ y with either an 1800mAh or

2100mAh 3S (11.7V) battery, but it could use a little help in

the C.G. department and will beneﬁ t from the slightly heavier

2100mAh battery. The Hellcat should balance pretty much on

the recommended C.G. location with a 3S 2100mAh battery

positioned as far forward as it will go. It will still balance within

the recommended range with an 1800mAh battery all the way

forward, but to get it balanced directly on the recommended

point approximately .75 oz. [21g] may be required in the nose.

After checking the C.G., should you decide to stick an ounce

or so of ballast in the nose it is acceptable to do so directly to

the inside of the cowl. Eventually though the adhesive on the

double-sided foam tape on the back of most lead strips will

let go, so once you’ve ﬁ nalized the amount of weight, attach

it more securely with a few drops of CA.

❏

1. With the battery disconnected, mount the propeller to the

motor with the included collet adapter hub—for now the propeller

hub needs to be only ﬁ nger tight (in case the cowl requires removal

for adding ballast to the nose later).

❏

2. If you haven’t done so already, install the battery—as

previously suggested, start with the battery positioned as far

forward as it will go.

Recommended

Starting C.G.

2-5/8" [67mm]

Back From Wing LE

at Fuselage Sides

Forward Limit:

2 - 1/4 " [ 5 7 m m ]

Aft Limit:

3" [76mm]

2-5/8" [67mm] 2-5/8" [67mm]

❏

3. The C.G. is to be marked on the top of the wing so that

you can see where to position your ﬁ ngers for lifting the model

for balancing, or better yet, so that you can actually feel the

marks. You could use a ﬁ ne-point, felt-tip pen, or something

inconspicuous or removable such as pins inserted directly into

the foam that can be removed later. Whatever method you use,

mark the C.G. on the top of the wing where indicated.

NOTE: The Hellcat may be ﬂ own with the C.G. up to 3/8”

[10mm] ahead or 3/8” [10mm] behind the recommended

balance point. With the Hellcat balanced at the front of the range

it will be more stable, but less maneuverable and heavier due

to the ballast that may be required. With the Hellcat balanced

at the rear of the range the Hellcat will be more maneuverable,

but less stable and quicker to react to your control inputs.

❏

4. Lift the model upside-down with your ﬁ ngertips on the

recommended C.G. location you marked.

❏

5. If necessary, shift the battery forward or aft or add stick-on

lead ballast where required to get the model to balance.

❏

6. Once the C.G. has been set, tighten the propeller hub using

a small screwdriver as a torque bar.

MOTOR SAFETY PRECAUTIONS

–––––––

Failure to follow these safety precautions may result in severe

injury to yourself and others.

■ Seek the assistance of an experienced pilot if new to electric

motors.

■ Wear safety glasses whenever in the proximity of a spinning

propeller.

■ Do not operate the motor in an area of loose gravel or sand;

the propeller may throw such material in your face or eyes.

■ Keep spectators as well as your own face and body out of

the plane of rotation of the propeller.

■ Keep all loose clothing, long hair or any other loose objects

such as pencils or screwdrivers that may fall out pockets

away from the propeller.

MOTOR/ESC OPERATION

–––––––––––––

Turning on the transmitter and operating the motor are intuitive

for most pilots who already have experience with electric motors,

but for those who may have little or no experience with electric

motors here are operating instructions for the ESC and motor

included with your Hellcat:

When ready to run up the motor, ﬁ rst turn on the transmitter and

make sure the throttle stick is all the way down. Then connect

the battery to the ESC. The ESC will send a single, short pulse

to the motor, causing it to beep once (“beep”). To operate the

motor advance the throttle stick, hold it there momentarily, and

listen for another single beep (“beep”). Then return the throttle

stick all the way down.The motor will sound two more quick

beeps (“beep beep”). The next time the throttle stick is advanced,

the propeller will turn. You are now ready to ﬂ y.

If the transmitter is not turned on before the battery and ESC

are connected (so the receiver is not receiving a signal), the

motor will beep rapidly (“beep beep beep beep…”) until either

the battery is disconnected or the transmitter is turned on. Then,

the ESC will resume its normal arming sequence.

If, when the battery is connected to the ESC, the throttle stick

is not all the way down the motor will beep steadily (“beep,”

“beep,” “beep…”) until either the battery is disconnected or the

throttle stick is returned to the off position. This time the ESC

will resume its normal arming sequence.

FLYING

–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

The Hellcat doesn’t exhibit any particular characteristics that you

need to be made aware of ahead of time, other than it is a slightly

“draggy” airframe that will beneﬁ t from a few clicks of throttle

while dragging it in for a landing—just let the Hellcat settle and

it will touch down smoothly. Then, cut the throttle.

Flying “normally,” the Hellcat consumes approximately 250mAh/

minute which should provide approximately 6-1/2 to 7 minutes of

motor run time on a 2100mAh battery—of course, the run time

you can expect depends on many factors such as the condition

of your batteries, your ﬂ ying style and even the wind conditions

(ﬂ ying on windy days seems to use more power than ﬂ ying on

calm days).

To ﬁ nd out for yourself how long you can ﬂ y, set your timer to

a conservative 5 minutes. Fly until the timer sounds, then land.

Use a charger with a digital display to ﬁ nd out how much capacity

it took to recharge the battery (indicating how much capacity

was used). To avoid over discharging your LiPos, likely causing

reduced performance, the target is to use 80% of your battery’s

capacity, so multiply your battery’s capacity by .8 to ﬁ nd out how

much you have available. Compare the capacity used to 80% of

your battery’s capacity and adjust your ﬂ ight time accordingly.

FOR EXAMPLE: If using the recommended 2100mAh battery,

your target capacity available is 1680mAh (2100mAh x .8). If you

ﬂ y for ﬁ ve minutes and it takes 1200mAh to recharge your battery,

you still had 480mAh to go, so adjust your timer to increase your

ﬂ ight time accordingly until you reach your 1680mAh target.

(You could also divide 1200mAh by ﬁ ve minutes to ﬁ gure a

current consumption rate of 240mAh/minute. Divide 1680mAh

by 240mAh/minute to conclude that you can ﬂ y for 7 minutes.)

It’s also a great idea to use a LiPo battery checker (HCAP0275)

to check the battery before each ﬂ ight (to make sure you haven’t

inadvertently grabbed a discharged battery) and to check the

battery after ﬂ ight to make sure you haven’t over discharged

your battery by ﬂ ying too long. A safe, conservative, minimum

voltage is 3.65V – 3.7V per cell right after a ﬂ ight.

REPAIRS

–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

Parts damaged beyond repair can be purchased separately. The

full replacement part list is printed in the front of the manual on

page 3. Often though, parts can be repaired and you can get your

Hellcat back into the air with a little glue and ingenuity.

The Hellcat is made from injection-molded EPO (expanded

polyoleﬁ n) foam which can be glued with just about anything.

Most people use regular CA. With CA no clamping is required,

but some prefer softer, more ﬂ exible adhesives such as white

glue or canopy glue. These kinds of glues will require clamps

or tape to hold the parts together while the glue dries.

One ﬁ nal note about ﬂ ying your model. Have a goal or ﬂ ight plan

in mind for every ﬂ ight. This can be learning a new maneuver(s),

improving a maneuver(s) you already know, or learning how

the model behaves in certain conditions (such as on high or low

rates). This is not necessarily to improve your skills (though it is

never a bad idea!), but more importantly so you do not surprise

yourself by impulsively attempting a maneuver and suddenly

ﬁ nding that you’ve run out of time, altitude or airspeed. Every

maneuver should be deliberate, not impulsive. For example, if

you’re going to do a loop, check your altitude, mind the wind

direction (anticipating rudder corrections that will be required to

maintain heading), remember to throttle back at the top, and make

certain you are on the desired rates (high/low rates). A ﬂ ight plan

greatly reduces the chances of crashing your model just because

of poor planning and impulsive moves. Remember to think.

Have a ball! But always stay in control and ﬂ y in a safe manner.

GOOD LUCK AND GREAT FLYING!

This model belongs to:

Name

Address

City, State, Zip

Phone Number

AMA Number

Tower Hobbies Hellcat EP Rx-R User manual

Brand: Tower Hobbies

Model: Hellcat EP Rx-R

Category: Toys & accessories

Type: User manual

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Tower Hobbies Hellcat EP Rx-R User manual

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