Extreme Flight RC EDGE 540T EXP User manual

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EDGE 540T EXP
50 Class Electric ARF
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Greetings and congratulations on your purchase of the Extreme Flight RC 60
inch Edge 540T EXP ARF.Loosely based on our favorite variant of the Edge,
the 2 seat Edge 540T, we have taken numerous liberties with this design to
produce an aircraft that is both unique in appearance and flight ability. The
designation EXP does not belong to a full scale Edge, but stands for
Experimental Progressive. This name was chosen due to the fact that the
Edge 540T EXP incorporates several new forward thinking design and
aerodynamic concepts. Having spent several months in development, flight
testing and refinement, we are very excited about the end result of our quest.
The Edge 540T EXP incorporates carbon fiber and G10 composites into the
structure of the airframe, resulting in a lightweight, yet twist free structure
capable of handling extreme aerodynamic loads. Carbon and G10 are used in
high stress areas such as the landing gear mounting structure and fuselage
longerons to provide enormous strength and durability. A true piece of
carbon fiber art, the landing gear is airfoiled and has just enough "give" to
cushion those not so perfect landings. The removable wing panels are
mounted on a carbon fiber wing tube and are fastened to the fuselage with
nylon thumbscrews. The large canopy (which is retained by a spring loaded
hatch latch) has been moved forward to place the tallest portion of the aircraft
near the center of gravity, resulting in superior knife edge performance.
All control surfaces are pushrod driven with short linkages and use ball links
for slop free actuation with no binding. Optional Side Force Generators are
included and add to the already generous side area, increasing yaw axis
authority and adding stability in all angles of sideslip. Expertly painted
fiberglass cowl and wheel pants and 2 gorgeous high visibility Ultracote color
schemes add the finishing touches and make this an airplane that you will be
proud to show up at the flying field with. The combination of these unique
elements add up to an aircraft that pushes the boundaries of modern
aerobatic flight.
If repairs become necessary, the Ultracote colors used on the Edge 540T EXP
are as follows:
Blue/yellow/silver color scheme: Midnight Blue, Bright Yellow, Silver
Red/white/blue color scheme: True Red, White, Deep Blue, Silver

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Tips for Success:
1. Before starting assembly, take a few minutes to read the entire instruction
manual to familiarize yourself with the assembly process.
2. Please take a few minutes and go over all the seams on the aircraft with a
covering iron on a medium heat setting.
3. Use a fresh bottle of thin CA with a fine glue tip when attaching the CA
hinges. This will ensure that the proper amount of CA wicks into the hinge
and surrounding balsa wood and creates a proper bond between the wood and
hinges. We are big fans of the Mercury line of adhesives as well as the glue
tips provided by them.
4. Apply a couple drops of CA to high stress areas such as anti-rotation pins,
landing gear mounts, servo trays and motor box joints .
5. All of the G10 control horns are the same with the exception of the elevator
horn. Its base has been shortened to fit the depth of the elevator.
6. When applying decals, first clean the area where the decal will be applied
with alcohol. Mist the area lightly with Windex or Rapid Tack before
applying the decal which will allow you to properly position it, then use a
rubber squeegee to push all of the liquid from under the decal. This will
result in very few air pockets trapped under the decal.
7. Take the time to properly balance and trim your aircraft and set up rates
and exponential values. Your flying experience will be greatly enhanced by
doing this.

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Items needed for completion
-Masking tape.
-Hobby knife with #11 blades.
-Razor saw.
-Thin and medium CA. We highly recommend Mercury M5T thin and M100XF
medium formulas as well as the Mercury glue tips.
-30 minute epoxy. The new Mercury adhesives Epoxies have worked very well for
us.
-Blue Loctite.
-Electric drill with an assortment of small drill bits.
-Small flat head and Phillips head screw drivers.
-Standard and needle nose pliers.
-Metric balldriver or allen key set.
-Sanding block and sandpaper.
-4 mini metal geared servos. All flight testing was performed with Hitec HS-
5245MGs and we strongly recommend the use of these high quality servos.
-Dubro Super Strength servo arm set.
-Torque 4016T/500 Brushless Outrunner or Hacker A50-14XS v2 Outrunner
motor.
-Airboss Elite 80 Amp ESC.
-5S-6S 3300-5000 mah LiPo battery.
- 16x8 prop for 5S operation, 15x6 for 6S operation.
-63mm Extreme Flight Elite spinner.
-2-24" extensions for the 2 rear servos and 2-6"extensions to go between the receiver
and the aileron servo leads.
-Adhesive backed Velcro and Velcro strap for battery retention.

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Let's begin!
1. Locate the 2 wing panels with ailerons as well as the 2 G10 aileron control horns and
base plates. Remove the covering over the slot for the aileron horn on the bottom of the
aileron with a sharp hobby blade. Make sure you are doing this on the bottom of the
aileron! Insert the horn into the base plate and into the slot in the aileron. Use a fine
tipped felt marker to trace the base plate.
2. Remove the control horn and scuff the portion that will be glued into the aileron with
sandpaper.
3. Use a sharp hobby blade to remove the covering 1/16 of an inch inside the line you
traced around the control horn base.

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4. Mix up a batch of 30 minute epoxy and apply liberally to the slot in the aileron and to
the scuffed portion of the control horn that will insert into the aileron. Install the aileron
horn and base plate onto the aileron and wipe away any excess epoxy with a paper towel
soaked in denatured alcohol.

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5. Remove the covering from the aileron servo location and make sure the hinges are
centered in their slots. Slide the aileron into position making sure the outer tip of the
aileron is flush with the wing tip. Apply a drop of CA at each hinge location on both the
top and bottom side of the wing. Use a fresh bottle of thin CA and a fine glue tip for best
results.

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6. Before installing the aileron servo take a minute and apply some CA to the servo tray
and the anti-rotation pins.
7. Use the screws provided by the servo manufacturer to secure the aileron servo in the
designated location.

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8. Locate the 2 threaded metal pushrods that are the same length and 4 ball links along
with 4-2mm screws, nuts and washers. Thread the ball links onto each end of the pushrods
and secure to the servo arm and control horn using the supplied hardware as shown in the
picture. Use the second longest set of servo arms included with the Dubro Super Strength
servo arm kit for the aileron linkages.
9. Repeat this process for the other wing half. When finished take a few minutes to go over
all the seams in the covering with a sealing iron on a medium heat setting paying special
attention to stripe edges and ends. Clean the wing panels with a soft cloth and put them
away in their wing bags.

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Fuselage assembly
10. First lets assemble the landing gear unit and bolt it to the fuselage. Locate the main
wheels, wheel pants, one piece carbon fiber landing gear, 4-3mm socket head cap bolts with
4 washers, 2 axles, 2 wheel collars, 2 large washers to fit the threaded portion of the axles,
and 2 nylon insert locknuts.
11. Place the wheel onto the axle and secure with a wheel collar. Place the threaded
portion of the axle through the hole in the carbon gear leg. Place a washer on the threaded
portion of the axle and screw the lock nut onto the axle, but do not tighten completely.
There is a slot pre-cut in the wheel pant to allow it to fit over the axle. Slide the wheel pant
into position over the axle and tighten the nut on the axle, taking care to make sure the
wheel pant is positioned properly. Secure the wheel pant with a small wood screw inserted
through the hole in the carbon gear and into the side of the wheel pant. Repeat this process
for the remaining wheel pant. Again this is probably better explained in the following
series of pictures.

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12. Secure the landing gear to the fuselage by inserting 4 of the 3mm bolts into a washer,
through the carbon fiber gear and into the pre-installed blind nuts in the fuselage. Make
sure to use a drop of blue Loctite on each screw to prevent them from backing out.
13. Next lets mount the horizontal stab. In preparation to do this we need to remove the
piece of balsa at the rear of the stab slot. The factory leaves this piece intact so that the
rear of the fuselage will remain true during the covering process and during transit. This
is a simple process using a hobby razor saw. First place a couple strips of masking tape on
the fuselage to give you a guide to cut by and to prevent the Ultracote covering from
tearing.

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14. Use a razor saw to carefully make the cut, then sand smooth.

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15. Locate the horizontal stabilizer/elevator assembly. Turn it upside down on your
building table and remove the covering over the right slot on the bottom of the elevator
where the elevator control horn will be installed. The elevator horn is the one with the
shortest shank that is glued into the surface. Insert the horn into the base plate and into
the slot. Trace around the base plate with a fine tipped marker. Remove the horn and use
a sharp hobby knife to remove the covering 1/16" inside the line you traced. Scuff the
portion of the control horn that will insert into the elevator with sandpaper. Secure the
control horn with epoxy just as you did with the aileron horns.

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16. Slide the elevator onto the hinges in the stabilizer and secure with thin CA. Again a
fresh bottle of CA and a fine glue tip work best here
17. Insert the stabilizer into its slot and the carbon fiber wing tube into the fiberglass
sleeve. Use a ruler to insure that the stabilizer is centered in its slot and compare the
stabilizer to the wing tube to make sure it is properly aligned. Sand or shim the slot if
necessary to ensure proper alignment. Secure the stabilizer with CA.

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18. Remove the covering over the slot in the lower right side of the rudder where the
rudder control horn will be installed as shown in the picture. Use caution and only remove
the covering from the lower portion so as to not penetrate the covering over the open
framework. Scuff the portion of the control horn that will glue into the surface and secure
the rudder control horn and base plate with epoxy.
19. Using the same process as with the ailerons and elevator, slide the rudder onto the
hinges and secure to the vertical stabilizer with thin CA.

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20. Locate the carbon fiber tailwheel assembly in the hardware package. Secure the
tailwheel bracket to the bottom rear of the fuselage with the provided wood screws. Make
sure the pivot point of the assembly is over the hinge line of the rudder for best results.
Secure the tiller using the provided screw, but do not over tighten as the tiller should be
able to move on the screw as the rudder is deflected.
21. Place the tailwheel wire in the proper position, aligned with the rudder and lock into
place with the 2 set screws.

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22. Use the hardware provided with the servos to install the rudder and elevator servos in
their respective location in the rear of the aircraft. From the pilot's perspective the rudder
servo mounts on the right side of the fuselage and the elevator servo mounts on the left side.
The elevator servo should have the output shaft toward the front of the aircraft while the
rudder servo output shaft should be toward the rear of the aircraft.
23. The rudder and elevator servo linkages assemble and are installed just like the aileron
linkages. For maximum control surface travel we highly recommend using the Dubro
Super Strength servo arms.

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24. Mount the Torque motor using the supplied 3mm black socket head cap bolts which
are threaded into the blind nuts which are pre-installed in the motor mount plate. Be sure
to put a drop of blue Loctite onto each bolt to prevent them from backing out. Be sure to
add some CA to all motor box joints!

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25. For quick, easy and accurate mounting of the cowl we recommend the following
method. Tear 4 short pieces of masking tape from a roll. Place each piece of tape on the
side of the fuselage so that each piece corresponds with one of the 4 cowl mounting tabs.
Use a fine tipped marker to mark the location of the center of each mounting tab. Roll the
tape back and slide the cowl into position. Install an Extreme Flight 63mm spinner onto
the motor shaft for reference and once satisfied with the cowl position roll the tape back
into place and secure the cowl. Use a 1/16" drill bit to drill a hole at the location of the dot
on each piece of tape. Remove the tape and secure the cowl with 4 of the included small
wood screws that have large heads. Very simple!