GRAUPNER jodel robin dr 400/18 User manual

GRAUPNER GmbH & Co. KG D-73230 KIRCHHEIM/TECK GERMANY
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1
Order No. 9561
9561.M
Instructions
JODEL ROBIN DR 400/180
For glowplug or petrol engines up to 40 cc
and
electric power systems
This model requires a five-function radio control system

GRAUPNER GmbH & Co. KG D-73230 KIRCHHEIM/TECK GERMANY
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Specification
Wingspan approx. 2200 mm
Fuselage length excl. spinner approx. 1640 mm
Wing area approx. 84 dm²
Tailplane area approx. 18.4 dm²
Total surface area approx. 102.4 dm²
All-up weight according to fittings approx. 7800 g
Longitudinal dihedral 0 - 0.5 degrees
Centre of Gravity approx. 130 - 140 mm aft of L.E.
Caution: this model is not a toy!
If you are a beginner to this type of powered model, please ask an experienced
model flyer for help and support. If you attempt to operate the aeroplane without
knowing what you are doing, you could easily injure yourself or somebody else.
Please keep your safety and well-being in mind at all times.
Important: before you start construction
Even if you have already built a large number of RC models please read right through
these instructions and check that all the kit components are actually present. We
have taken great trouble to keep construction as simple as possible, without making
any compromises in the area of safety.
Note regarding the film covering
Minor creases or bubbles may develop in the film covering due to major fluctuations
in weather conditions (temperature, humidity etc.); in rare cases you may even find a
slight warp in a component. These minor faults are in the nature of film-covered built-
up wooden structures, and can easily be corrected using a heat gun, as commonly
used for modelling.
Creases: Blow warm air over the area and rub down with a soft cloth.
Wing warp: Hold the panel twisted gently in the opposite direction to the warp,
and apply warm air to remove the creases from the covering.
Caution! do not heat the film more than is absolutely necessary. If the air or the iron
is too hot, the film may melt and holes may be formed.
This aeroplane is highly pre-fabricated and can be built in a very short time. However,
the work which you have to carry out is important and must be done carefully. The
model will only be strong and fly well if you complete your tasks competently - so
please work slowly and accurately.
When self-tapping screws have to be screwed into wood, apply a little white
glue to prevent them shaking loose: just squirt white glue into the hole before
fitting the screw.

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Notes on building the model
•Before you start building the aircraft it is essential to study the plan and read right
through the instructions. Please bear in mind the dangers inherent in the handling
of tools.
•When preparing wiring, be sure to use cable capable of carrying the currents
which will flow when the model is flying.
•Deploy the receiver aerial as far away as possible from high-current cables (at
least 3 cm).
•Remove all traces of grease from the joint surfaces of components which are to
be glued. A good method is to sand lightly before wiping with a non-greasy liquid
detergent solution. The same applies to surfaces which are to be painted,
otherwise the paint will not adhere permanently. Before gluing any GRP parts,
and GRP fuselages in particular, the joint surfaces must be sanded thoroughly
with fine-grit abrasive paper before de-greasing with a solvent such as acetone.
This is the only method of obtaining durable glued joints involving GRP parts.
Additional essential accessories
Petrol / glowplug engine and accessories
Recommended internal-combustion engines
Engine
Order No.
Capacity
cc
Silencer
Order No.
Propeller
Order No.
OS MAX FS 200 S
2728
32.4 2728.33
Included with
engine
1318.45.25
G 26 petrol engine
1903
26 1903.33 1318.45.25
MVVS 40 petrol engine
2781
39.7 2781.33 55 x 25 cm
2960.55.25
Recommended electric power system
Electric motor
Order No.
Propeller
Order No.
Flight battery
Order No.
Speed controller
Order No.
Battery
link lead
Order No.
COMPACT
740 Z
7780
45 x 25 cm
1328.45.25
LiPo 3/5200
11.1 V / 5.2 Ah
9752.3
COMPACT
CONTROL 90S
7208
2970.R

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Radio control system
The RC system must feature at least five control functions and ten servos. The
transmitter should also include a servo reverse facility.
We particularly recommend MC-22s to MC-24 computer systems. The model is
designed for standard-sized servos.
We recommend the following receiver power supply: two GRAUPNER 5N-5000
NiMH packs, Order No.98903.5, which should be maintained carefully before and
after each flying session. Please note that batteries of this type do not reach full
capacity until they have been charged and discharged (cycled) several times.
You will need four suppressor filters, Order No. 1040, or a folding ferrite ring, Order
No. 98516.1 and four extension leads, Order No. 3935.18, in order to connect the
two aileron servos and two landing flap servos to the receiver, i.e. these leads are
plugged into the receiver permanently.
The following servo leads are required: one extension lead, Order No. 3935.75, for
each aileron servo, one extension lead, Order No. 3935.32 for each landing flap
servo, and one extension lead, Order No. 3935.75, for each elevator servo.
The receiver and receiver batteries should be packed in soft foam for shock
protection.
The model is suitable for standard-sized servos with an output torque of around 50
Ncm.
Adhesives
Fast-setting epoxy, e.g. UHU plus schnellfest, Order No. 962
Slow-setting epoxy, e.g. UHU plus endfest 300, Order No. 950.43
Wood glue, e.g. UHU Holzleim express, Order No. 958.60
UHU hart, e.g. Order No. 534.35
Cyano-acrylate, e.g. Order No. 5821
Cyano-acrylate, e.g. Order No. 5822
Thread-lock fluid, e.g. Order No. 952
Items required for flying the model (not included)
Fuel to suit engine: petrol / oil mix (see instructions provided with the engine)
Fuel tubing, e.g. Order No. 1325.2
Manual fuelpump, e.g. Order No. 6870
Ignition battery, Order No. 8716.5
An appropriate battery charger and charge leads are required for the electric-
powered version of the aircraft.

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Tools required (not included)
Set of cross-point screwdrivers, pointed-nose pliers, flat-nose pliers, side-cutters,
balsa knife or razor blade, set of twist drills, pencil, felt-tip pen, fine-tip soldering iron.
Assembling the JODEL ROBIN DR 400/180
Wing and undercarriage
Please don’t start assembling the model until you have checked the kit components
and the building instructions, and are familiar with the construction procedure. If you
are not happy with any component, kindly return it to your model shop without delay.
Mark a centreline on all the aileron hinges using a pencil, as shown in the photo.
The hinges can now be inserted in the ailerons as far as the pencil lines, and glued in
place. We recommend thick cyano for this: push the hinges into the slots to a depth
of about 1 mm, apply cyano on both sides, then push them in as far as the marked
lines.
When the glue has set hard, insert the projecting hinges into the slots in the wings to
check alignment; you may need to adjust the slots slightly. Now repeat the above
procedure: push the hinges into the wing to a depth of about 1 mm, apply cyano on
both sides, then push the ailerons into place, leaving a gap about 0.5 mm wide at the
hinge line. Check that the ailerons line up neatly with the wingtips.

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Fit short pieces of heat-shrink sleeve over the landing flap hinges to prevent the jaws
opening.
Use your fingertips to locate the holes for the aileron horns, and melt the covering
film over them using the tip of a hot soldering iron.
Place the threaded socket in the hole, and remove a disc of film the same size as the
base flange. Assemble the threaded socket, the cheesehead screw, the horn lug and
the nut as shown in the photo. Repeat for the second aileron.
Connect the appropriate extension leads to the aileron and flap servos, and fit heat-
shrink sleeves round the connections to prevent them working loose; alternatively a
drop of cyano can be used. Set the servos to centre from the transmitter before fitting
the output levers on the servo output shafts.

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Set the servos to centre by connecting them to the receiving system. The wing-
mounted servos can now be attached to the support blocks using the retaining
screws supplied with them: the first step is to push the rubber grommets into the
servo mounting lugs, followed by the brass tubular spacers, with the flange on the
underside. The spacers are easier to fit if you slip them on a suitable screwdriver first.
Drill 1.5 mm Ø pilot-holes in the support blocks, using the metal spacers as a guide,
then fit the servo retaining screws as shown.
The servo leads can now be pulled through the wing panels using a length of thread:
tie the thread to the servo lead just behind the connector, then pull it through until it
appears at the root rib.

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Insert the horns in the holes in the control surfaces and set them to the correct height
(see photo). The horns can now be glued in the holes. These joints must be strong,
and we recommend the use of thickened 24-hour epoxy for durability.
On the underside of the wing you will find marked points indicating the position of the
flap hinges. Note that the pivot axis of all the hinges must be exactly the same
distance from the wing trailing edge. Temporarily fix the hinges to the wing with one
screw, as shown in the left-hand photo, then set the hinge assembly exactly at right-
angles to the wing trailing edge using an engineer’s square or setsquare before fitting
the remaining two screws to secure the hinge to the wing. Now offer up the landing
flaps to the wings and tape them in place temporarily. Fit the retaining screws to fix
the hinges to the flaps.

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The aileron and landing flap pushrods are assembled as shown in the following
sequence of photos.
Set the servo and each control surface to neutral, then adjust the length of the
pushrods and apply a drop of UHU thread-lock fluid to prevent them shifting.
The next step is to locate the undercarriage channel in the wings using your
fingertips. Remove the film over the channels using the tip of a hot soldering iron.
Insert the undercarriage leg in the channel prior to marking the position of the two
saddle clamps and the wheel fairing support block.

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Drill pilot-holes in the wings to suit the retaining screws, then screw the clamps and
the wheel fairing support block to the wing.
You will need to file away the inside of the two fairings to provide clearance for the
wire undercarriage units. Note that the convex side of the wheel fairings must face
outwards. Loosen the grubscrew in the end face of each spring strut, slip the wheel
axle through the cross-hole, and tighten the grubscrew firmly to clamp the axle. The
wheels can now be attached to the axles using collets and grubscrews. Apply UHU
thread-lock fluid to the grubscrews to prevent them working loose.
The wheels and wheel fairings must be aligned exactly parallel with the fuselage
centreline.
The final stage on the wing is to install the landing searchlight.
Fit the two LEDs in the white plastic holder as shown in the following photographs,
and secure them with a little UHU Kraftkleber.

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Trim the outside edges of the plastic holder so that it fits in the recess in the wing.
Route the diode leads to the root rib using a length of thread, and run them out of the
access hole in the centre. The plastic holder can now be glued in the wing using UHU
Kraftkleber adhesive. Fix the glazing to the wing using clear adhesive tape.
Use your fingertips to locate the holes for the wing retainer screws in the wing root
area, and remove the covering film over them using the tip of a hot soldering iron.
Fuselage, tailplane, fin and noseleg
There are two options here: either the fin can be glued permanently to the fuselage,
or the tail assembly can be left detachable for ease of transport. In both cases the
tailplane panels are attached to the fin using an aluminium joiner tube and eight
socket-head screws

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The covering film has to be removed from the mating surfaces of the fuselage and fin
before the latter can be glued in place, as shown in the photos.
Offer up the fin to the fuselage using the 12 Ø x 200 mm aluminium locating tube to
check alignment.
The fin can now be glued to the fuselage. Align the edges accurately before taping
the parts together as shown.
Attach the rudder to the fin using the hinges supplied; the technique is exactly as
described for the ailerons.
Glue the dummy light unit in the recess in the rudder.

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Glue the two horns in the rudder as shown in the following picture, and connect the
pull-cables to the plastic horn lugs. Please take particular care over crimping the
cables, to avoid any possibility of the rudder linkage coming adrift in flight.
The rudder servo should be installed in the servo plate at the front of the fuselage.
Connect the pull-cables to the double-ended servo output lever using threaded
couplers, nuts and clevises, as shown in the photo. Adjust the system so that the
rudder is exactly at centre when the servo is at neutral.
Fix the fairing support block to the noseleg using an M4 socket-head cap screw and
nut, as shown in the picture. Loosen the grubscrew in the end face of the spring strut,
slip the wheel axle through the cross-hole, and tighten the grubscrew firmly to clamp
the axle.

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Fix the noseleg in the brackets by tightening the screw in the collet.
Install the nosewheel steering cables as shown in the photographs.
As with the other control systems, it is important to check that the nosewheel is
exactly at the “straight ahead” position when the steering servo is at centre. Later the
nosewheel steering servo and the rudder servo can be connected to the same
receiver socket using a Y-lead; alternatively they can be linked using a mixer.
Attach the wheel fairing to the support block using four self-tapping screws, as shown
in the photos.
The nosewheel can now be fitted on the axle and secured using two collets, as
described for the main undercarriage units.
Attach the elevators to the tailplane panels by installing the hinges, as described for
the ailerons and rudder, and fit the horns as described for the ailerons.

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Insert the horns in the holes in the elevators and set them to the correct length before
gluing them in place permanently; we recommend thickened 24-hour epoxy for
maximum strength. Don’t forget to remove the covering film over the area of the horn
base flanges.
The two tailplane panels are joined using the 12 Ø x 330 mm aluminium tube
supplied, and are fixed to the fuselage using four M3 x 16 socket-head cap screws
on each side.
Each elevator pushrod is assembled from a length of threaded rod and two M3
clevises and nuts, as described for the ailerons and landing flaps. The length of the
two pushrods must be set in such a way that both elevators are exactly at centre
when the servos are at neutral. Remember to attach the appropriate extension leads
to the elevator servo leads before installing the servos by screwing them in the
openings in the fuselage sides.

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Screw the aero-tow mechanism into the captive nut located just aft of the canopy.
Apply UHU thread-lock fluid to the unit and the nut to prevent them working loose.
Mount the tow-release servo in the vertical servo plate using the retaining screws
supplied in the servo accessory pack.
Connect the pushrod and set it to the correct length. We recommend that you
operate the aero-tow release mechanism using a momentary switch mounted in the
stick top. Set the servo travel carefully to avoid stalling the servo.
Installing the fueltank and engine
Assembling and installing the fueltank
Cut a piece of fuel tubing and push it onto the fueltank clunk pick-up. Push the free end
of the fuel tubing onto one of the tubes in the fueltank stopper, and check that the pick-
up will be able to move freely inside the tank without binding or jamming when the
stopper is in place. Use a heat-gun or match to heat the other two plastic tubes gently,
so that they can be curved: one should face down (later used to fill the tank); the
second faces up (serves later as overflow when the tank is filled). Extend each tube
with a piece of fuel tubing so that they extend to the top and bottom of the tank
respectively.

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Now push the tank stopper, complete with pick-up and pre-formed tubes, into the
throat of the fueltank, and tighten the cross-point screw to clamp the stopper in place. It
is essential to tighten the screw to the point where the tank is completely sealed. You
can check this by holding the tank under water and blowing hard into the fuel tubes:
any air bubbles indicate a leak which must be eliminated.
Connect a further length of fuel tubing to each stub tube projecting from the fueltank
stopper.
Mark the individual fuel lines so that you can identify which is the fuel feed (to the
engine), which is the overflow, and which is the filler line.
The tank support should now be glued in the fuselage, as shown in the photo.
Ensure that the support rests against the firewall, and is located centrally. Allow the
glued joint to set hard before installing the fueltank on it.

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Fit the fueltank in the tank compartment working from the wing saddle, passing the
three fuel lines through the hole in the firewall. Glue a piece of scrap wood behind the
tank to prevent it shifting in flight.
Be sure to use the correct grade of fuel tubing, as different types are required for
petrol engines and glow engines.
The fuel tube connected to the clunk should be connected to the engine’s
carburettor, while the overflow should run down and out of the model. The fuel filler
line can later be routed out of the model through a hole in the cowl; it should be
sealed with a plug once the fueltank is full.
Installing the engine
Four holes have to be drilled in the firewall to accept the rubber damping elements;
the hole positions are specific to the engine you intend to fit.
We recommend that you remove the tailplane or tail assembly before installing the
power plant.
Position the engine on the arms of the engine mount in such a way that the distance
between the rear face of the mount and the front of the prop driver is around 150 mm.
You will find two reference lines marked on the firewall: one vertical, one horizontal.
The point where these two lines cross indicates the centreline of the engine. Mark the
position of the engine mount screw-holes on the firewall, and drill holes at the marked
points to accept the captive nuts. Ensure that the engine can be attached to the
firewall in such a way that the silencer is positioned on the fuselage centreline;
this will require that the cylinder head be angled down by around 45°. Fix the
engine mount to the firewall using the screws supplied with the unit, and apply UHU
thread-lock fluid to prevent the screws working loose.
If you intend to install an MVVS 40, it should be attached to the firewall using the
engine mount, Order No. 2781.300.

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Glue the throttle servo mount to the inside of the fuselage aft of the firewall, as shown
in the photo; the exact position is dictated by the throttle linkage.
Adjust the throttle pushrod so that the carburettor is half-open when the servo is at
the centre position. The servo travel must now be adjusted so that the engine stops
when the throttle stick and trim are at the “full back” position.
The throttle servo bay is covered by the cowl when it is installed.
The carburettor is actuated by a pull-cable as shown in the photos.
The next step is to cut or file out openings in the cowl to clear the silencer exhaust
pipe, sparkplug, etc.; the position and extent of the openings vary according to the
engine you are using. Position the cowl on the fuselage in such a way that there is
about 2 mm clearance all round between the front face of the cowl and the rear face

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of the spinner backplate. Fix the cowl to the fuselage using four pan-head self-
tapping screws, as shown in the photos.
Installing the electric motor
The electric motor is attached to the firewall using the bulkhead, screws, nuts,
aluminium spacers and pieces of aluminium tube shown in the photograph.
As with the petrol / glow engine, the distance between the firewall and the spinner
backplate should be around 150 mm. Cut four pieces of aluminium tubing to the
length required; all four must be exactly the same length.
The motor is mounted on four spacer columns, as shown in the photo. Cut off the
four hex-head screws flush with the nuts.
Mark the position of the screw-holes on the firewall to suit the electric motor you are
using, and install the motor and bulkhead as shown in the photo.