3D Hobby Shop 60 inch Yak 55M User manual

Assembly Manual / Airframe – 60” Yak 55M
Thank you for purchasing this 3DHobbyShop ARF RC aircraft. If you have any issues,
uestions, concerns or problems during assembly, please contact our tech department at:
[email protected] or 717-814-5316 10am-4pm Eastern Monday thru Thursday.
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 e uipment and supplies out of the reach of children.
SAFETY in Flying
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 manufacturers instructions for your radio system.
•Always preform a pre-flight check of your aircraft to be certain of the aircraft's
airworthiness.
1

•Always obtain proper insurance before flying. Always fly model aircraft in accordance
with the Academy of Model Aeronautics (AMA) Safety Code. Visit the AMA's website
at www.modelaircraft.org for more information.
Limits of esponsibility
3D Hobby Shop provides high-quality aircraft and components to it's
customers and end users. These aircraft and components are assembled
by the end user to produce a flying model. It is beyond 3D Hobby Shop's
control to monitor the end user's completed aircraft. Therefore 3D Hobby
Shop in no way accepts or assumes responsibility or liability for damages
resulting from the end user assembled product. The end user assumes all
responsibility and liability in use of 3D Hobby Shop aircraft and
components and agreeing to hold harmless 3D Hobby Shop it's
distributors and dealers.
equired Items
Hobby Knife
Small Phillips Screwdriver
Set Metric Allen Wrenches
Scissors
Small Pliers
Wire Cutters
Adjustable wrench
Masking tape
Drill and drill bits
Threadlocker (Blue Loctite)
Optional:
Heat gun and covering iron
Dremel tool
Assembly Instructions – ead 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. Contact info listed above.
2

W INKLES :
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 tools to use are a heat gun and covering iron. 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 uickly 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. If you must shrink on a color-seam, use the iron and go slowly and carefully to
avoid any pulling or lifting at the seam.
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.
PAINT:
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.
HA DWA E:
Hardware included in the kit is organized in separate bags for each group. Example, landing gear
hardware is in one bag while elevator hardware is in another, etc.
Let’s get started!
3

Landing Gear
Install the wheels onto the axles and secure with the wheel collars, as shown. Use blue Loctite on
wheel collar set screws.
Slide one wheel/axle assembly into a wheel pant, and install the wheel assembly on the landing gear
leg. Tighten the locknut as shown to secure the assembly onto the gear leg. Repeat for other side.
4

Attach the gear to the fuselage with short 3mm screws, use loctite.
5

Install gear cover plate as shown, with clear tape, thick CA or epoxy glue.
6

Fuselage
Remove covering over horizontal stabilizer slot on both sides of fuselage as shown. Remove covering
over elevator servo opening on LEFT side of the fuselage as shown.
Remove covering over wing spar tube hole and wing pin holes in fuselage as shown.
7

Remove a s uare of covering on bottom of fuselage behind wing as shown. This is to allow cooling air
to exit fuselage.
Now is a good time to go over all joints of the motor box with this CA.
8

Horizontal Stabilizer
Install the horizontal stabilizer in the fuselage, but do not glue at this time. Next, install the wing tube
in the fuselage and sight from the back and notice if the horizontal stabilizer and wing tube are parallel
to each other. If not, sand or shim the stabilizer opening until both are parallel.
Center the horizontal stabilizer, measuring each side until even.
9

Measure the distance of leading edge of stabilizer to wing tube. Adjust until even. Be certain all four
measurements are even before glueing.
When stabilizer is centered and aligned, drip Thin CA glue onto the stab-to-fuselage joint top and
bottom. NOTE: We do not remove any covering form the horizontal stabilizer. This keeps the stabilizer
strong, and thin CA makes an excellent joint to covering material. If your stab joint is not tight enough
for thin CA glue, or if you have to trim the opening to align the stab, you can use medium CA glue to
fill the gap.
10

Install the elevator half with the fiberglass joiner rod onto the stabilizer. Makes sure it flexes easily at
least 45 degrees up and 45 degrees down, and has approx 1/32” of gap in the hingeline. Apply thin CA
glue to the hinges, 2 large drops on each.
Place a piece of removable tape on the elevator counterbalance as shown. This will hold the right side
elevator in perfect alignment with the horizontal stab. Install the other side elevator without glue and
look at its alignment. Make sure you can align both elevators, sand the elevator joiner slot in the
elevator if necessary. Make sure you are happy with the alignment of the elevators.
Use medium CA or epoxy to glue the elevator joiner, apply to joiner slot in left elevator half.
11

Immediately place a piece of tape on the left elevator counterbalance to the stabilizer. Apply thin CA to
the elevator hinges and allow everything to dry.
Once the elevator assembly is dry, install the elevator control horn. Be sure to sand the portion
12

installed in the elevator. Note picture for elevator control horn slot location. Open the slot and install
control horn with medium CA.
Install elevator servo and pushrod as shown. The ball links are mounted to the elevator control arm and
servo arm with 2mm bolts, washers and lock nuts. We are using a 1.25” servo arm for the elevator.
13

Rudder Installation
Open the slot for the rudder control horn. Use picture for reference in locating the slot. Rough the
control horn with sand paper where the glue joint will be, so the CA may adhere better. Install the
rudder control horn with medium CA. Center the rudder control horn in the rudder.
14

Install the rudder, take your time to align it, and make sure it swings freely. Apply thin CA to the
rudder hinges.
Tailwheel ssembly
Before installation, use blue Loctite on all set screws.
15

The tiller wire will need to be bent slightly to be inserted in the installed bracket on the bottom of the
rudder.
Attach the tailwheel assembly to the fuselage with two wood screws as shown.
16

Rudder pull-pull linkage
Install rudder servo in fuselage as shown. We are using a 2” double servo arm. Install the servo arm as
close to perpendicular as possible. Then use your radio's subtrim as needed.
The rudder pull-pull cables are assembled as shown in the above diagram.
Assemble end of pull-pull wire as shown, double-looping the wire through the brass crimp sleeve
before crimping. Crimp the brass crimp sleeve tightly with pliers and apply a drop of thin CA to the
crimp. Install the ball links onto the rudder horn using the 2mm bolt (screw), washer and lock nut.
Assemble rudder servo arm with servo connectors as shown. Be sure that the connectors are free to
rotate on the arm, and use medium or thick CA to lock the nuts.
NOTE: the pull-pull cables cross over once inside the fuselage, forming an “X”
17

It is easiest to connect the pull-pull cables to the rudder servo first, then connect to the rudder control
arms. Tape the rudder counterbalance with removable tape. Be sure the rudder servo is centered.
Install the ball links on the rudder control horns.
Assemble the front ends of the pull-pull cables as shown, double looping the wire through the crimp
sleeve. Adjust your pull- pull cables to be snug, with no sag, but not too tight. “Banjo-string-tight” pull-
pull cables only sap the power from your rudder servo and cause poor handling. Just snug is all you
need. Check the cables again after a few flights and retighten if necessary.
18

Power System Installation
The firewall of the Yak is arranged to allow the widest possible selection of motors to fit. Extra space
has been provided for long motors and long prop adaptors. For this reason, if your motor is compact,
you will need to supply spacers to extend the motor forward as shown. Attach the motor using the
included 4mms screws and blind nuts, using Loctite. Mount your ESC to the side of the motor box.
Notice the recommended Tor ue 4016T/500 motor is mounted flush to the firewall. The Hacker A40-
10S will re uire .25” spacers.
19

Cowl Installation
The cowl is mounted onto the fuselage with 4 wood screws. These screws go into the small plywood
s uares on the front inside of the fuselage.
The following procedure is helpful to be sure the wood screws hit the plywood s uares.
First, make small holes into the plywood s uares through the covering, with the cowl and canopy off.
Tape small pieces of paper over these holes, as shown, and mark the hole locations on these pieces of
paper.
20