Hobbico Sturdy Birdy User manual

Sturdy
Birdy
INSTRUCTION BOOK
WARNING! THIS ISNOT A TOY!
Assembly and operation ofthis aircraft must bedone by orunder the direct
supervision ofa responsible adult. If not handled correctly, this model is capable of
inflicting serious bodily harm. It is your responsibility and yours alone to assemble this
model correctly, properly install all R/C components, and to test and operate it in a safe
and responsible manner.
Copyright 1994

TableofContents
Introduction............................................................................................................2
Parts List...............................................................................................................3
AdditionalItem Description................................................................................4
Additional Item List.............................................................................................4
Tools or Supplies Needed.....................................................................................5
Fin/RudderConstruction....................................................................................5
Stabilizer / Elevator Construction ........................................................................7
Wing Assembly ....................................................................................................8
Covering..................................................................................................................9
Installingthe Hinges ............................................................................................9
Attachingthe Control Horns ..............................................................................10
Fuselage Construction........................................................................................10
Final Assembly...................................................................................................16
Balancing.............................................................................................................. 17
GettingReady for Flying ...................................................................................17
Flying.................................................................................................................17
Repairing.............................................................................................................18
INTRODUCTION
Congratulationson yourpurchaseoftheHOBBICO STURDY BIRDY,THE FIRST REAL SUPER TRAINERYou
now owntheBEST FLYINGdurabletraineravailableBy followingthese instructionsas youassemble themodel you
willhavea great flyingplanethatwillnot onlyteach youhow to flybutitwillstickwithyou whileyou learn, no matter
how long itmay take!
The firstthingyou shoulddo afterreadingthisparagraph ischeckthe parts in this kit against the parts list on the next
page to makesure everythingis here
We stronglyrecommend thatyoujoinAMA,The Academy ofModel AeronauticsBeingan AMAmemberentitlesyou
to liabilityinsurance,putsyouintouchwithyourlocalflyingcluband includesa subscriptionto MODEL AVIATION
magazinewhichhas a monthlylistingof all"goings on" inmodel aviation
The insuranceis themost importantadvantageoftheAMAmembershipbecause ifyourmodel hitssomeone or
somethingyou are liablefor anydamageitcauses.
The address for theAMAis.Academy of Model Aeronautics
5151EastMemorialDrive
Muncie,IN47302
[phone]
We also recommend thatyou joinyourlocal flyingclubThere you willfindpeople who can help you learn to flyand
teach youthe safe waysof handling youraircraft.
2

PARTS LIST
Stock#..........Description ................................Qty
ARF1F01......Plastic FuseTube..........................1
ARF1F02......AluminumChannel ......................1
ARF1P01......InstructionBook...........................1
ARF1R05......1/64"Ply Fin Doubler..................1
EM2040 ........Engine Mount(Left & Right).......1
ARF1W02.....Plastic Wing Protector..................1
FWING01L...Molded Foam Wing- Left............1
FWING01R...Molded Foam Wing - Right..........1
L-6U..............Aluminum LandingGear..............1
PLTB009.......24"InnerPushrod........................2
PLTB011 .......24"Outer Tube .............................2
PLTB012.......12"InnerPushrod.........................1
PLTB013....... 12"Outer Tube.............................1
NYLON87 ....CA Hinge Strip .............................1
ARF1A01 .....Stab & Wing Sub-Pack
ARF1R04......Balsa Fin Doubler.........................1
ARF1S01 ......Stab Front .....................................1
ARF1S02 ......Stabilizer.......................................1
ARF1S03 ......Elevator.........................................1
ARF1W01 .....Birch WingJoiner..........................1
ARF1A02 .....Fin & Rudder Sub-Pack
ARF1R01......Fin Front.......................................1
ARF1R02......Shaped Fin....................................1
ARF1R03 ......Rudder .........................................1
ARF1A03 .....Small Wood PartsSub-Pack
ARF1F03 ......Firewall Doubler...........................1
ARF1F04 ......Firewall ........................................1
Stock#..........Description ................................Qty
ARF1F05 ......LandingGear Strips.....................2
ARF1S04 ......1/16" Ply Stab Doubler.................1
DOWEL030..1/4"Dowel....................................4
ARF1M01 ....Hardware Sub-Pack
NUTS001 ......4-40BlindNut..............................6
NUTS002......4-40 Hex Nut................................2
NUTS010......6-32 Hex Nut................................4
NUTS014......8-32 Hex Nut................................2
NYLON03 ....Control Horn.................................2
NYLON17....NylonClevis.................................3
NYLON52 ....5-1/2" NylonTie...........................2
SCRW002 .....2-56 x 5/8"Bolt............................4
SCRW010 .....#4x 5/8" Sheet Metal Screw .......4
SCRW024 .....#2 x 3/8"Sheet Metal Screw........8
SCRW055 .....6-32 x 1-1/2" Bolt.........................2
SCRW052 .....4-40 x 5/8"Bolt............................4
SCRW053 .....8-32 x 1/2"Bolt............................2
SCRW104 .....4-40x 1-1/4" Bolt.........................4
WBNT146.....Pre-bentTailskid...........................1
WIRES16......12" Threaded LinkRod................3
WIRES20......1" Threaded LinkRod..................3
WSHR002.....#4LockWasher............................2
WSHR004.....#6 Flat Washer...............................
WSHR005.....#4 Flat Washer..............................4
WSHR010.....#8 Lock Washer............................2
WSHR011.....#8 Flat Washer..............................1
3

ADDITIONAL ITEMS
NEEDED
Here is a description ofsome ofthe additionalitems
you willneed to assemble yourSTURDY BIRDY.
GLUES
C/A (Cyanoacrylate)glueswillbe used to gluethe
wood parts togetherbecause theyare strong and very
fastcuringDo not use C/A gluesfor anyofthewing
constructionbecause most C/A glueswillattackand
dissolvethefoamwingThey come indifferent
viscositiesThinC/Agluecan be used whengluingparts
witha good tightjointWhenusingthistypeofC/A,
assemble theparts firstand thenadd theglueItwill
penetratethejointand cureina coupleof seconds Thick
C/A gluehas a longercuringtimethatgivesyou more
timeto get theparts assembledaccuratelybefore the
gluecures and thethickerconsistencyhelpsfillpoor
fittingjointsC/A Acceleratorspraycanbe veryhandy
for speeding upthecuringprocess ofthethickC/As.
Epoxy is a twopart adhesive thathas to be mixed
before itwillcureWe willuse epoxy gluefor thewing
assembly since ittakesa littlelongerto cureand does
not attackfoam Epoxiescome inseveral differenttypes
withmanydifferentcuringtimesWe recommend Great
Planes Pro 30MinuteEpoxy (#GPMR6047).
ENGINE
The STURDYBIRDYis designed to fly witha
standard 20 size2-cycleengineThe OS20 FP is a
great,inexpensiveenginethatprovidesplentyofpower.
Thiscombinationisidealfortheaverage beginner.A
25- 30sizeenginecan be used if youwouldlike
snappierperformanceespeciallyat higherelevations
wheretheairis thinnerWe recommend thatyoudo not
use an enginelarger thana 30as theadditionalweight
makestheplanemore difficultto flyat slow speeds The
Great Planesadjustableenginemountprovidedwiththe
STURDY BIRDY willfitmost .20-.30engines.
RADIO
The STURDYBIRDYrequires3 channelsto flybut
there are not many3 channelradios produced anymore
Thereforeyouwillmore thanlikelyenduppurchasinga
4channelradio with3 or4 servos whichusuallycosts
less thanthethreechannelradios anywayYour next
planemayrequirefourchannelssince itwillprobably
haveaileronsThe radio system youpurchaseshould
have standardsizeservos sotheywillfitintothe
fuselagechannelMinior microservos willalso work
buttheywillrequiresome modificationsto fitproperly.
Large servos willnot work in the STURDY BIRDY.
FUEL TANK
The STURDY BIRDY was designed to hold a square
tankWe recommend a Great Planes 6 oz. tank
(#GPMQ4102).
COVERING
Althoughnotabsolutelynecessary, the "tail
feathers"andthewingshouldboth be covered witha
"low heat"typeiron-oncoveringTop FliteEconokote
is perfectforyourSTURDY BIRDY. The covering
willnotonlymakeyourplanelook nicer,butitwill
also add strength and make itlast longer.
HERE ISA HANDY LIST OF THE
ADDITIONAL ITEMS YOU WILL NEED.
1.20- .302-Stroke Engine
13-4ChannelRadiowithStandard Servos
2or3 9x4or 9x6Propellers
22-1/2" Wheels (Great Planes#GPMQ4223)
16 oz Tank (Great Planes #GPMQ4102)
1box #64RubberBands(Hobbico#HCAQ2020)
1/2oz.Thin CA (Great Planes #GPMR6001)
1/2oz.Thick CA- (Great Planes #GPMR6013)
130Mm. Epoxy (Great Planes #GPMR6047)
1rollLow Heat Iron-on Covering
(Top EliteEconokote)
11/4"Foam Rubber(Hobbico#HCAQ 1000)
112"MediumFuelTubing
(Great Planes #GPMQ4131)
TOOLSNEEDED FOR ASSEMBLY
Hand orElectricDrill
DrillBits(3/32",1/8":3/16":5/32",7/32")
SandingBlock or T-Bar Sander
SealingIron
Razor Saw
HobbyKnife
Pliers
Screwdrivers
T-Pins
Hammer
Waxed Paper
NylonReinforced StrappingTape
4

CONSTRUCTION
FIN/RUDDER
D1.The finis made upofthethree pieces shown above.
Locatethese three pieces and lay them out.
D2.Gluethefrontpart ofthe finto the mainpart using
thinC/A.Assemble thetwopartsandcheckto make
suretheyfitproperlyandthenapplya lineof C/A along
thejoint.Whenthegluehas cured,flipthepieces over
and add a littleglueto theother side.
sothattheouterhingesare approximately1"from the
ends ofthe rudderand themiddlehingeis inthe center.
D4.Draw a linedown themiddleof thetrailingedge of
the finandalso downthemiddleoftheleadingedge of
therudder.A sheet ofwood (or anything)1/8" thicklaid
down nextto thepiece makes iteasy to do this.Transfer
thehingelocatingmarks from the sideto the edges as
shown above.
D5.Use your hobby knifewitha #11 blade to cut the
hingeslots inboth thefinandtherudder. The slots
shouldgo straightintothebalsawithoutcomingout the
side and should be about 3/4"deep.
CAUTION!!!: Youmust useextremecarewhen
cutting hinge slots withan Xacto knife,to avoid
cutting yourself! If the balsa part breaks whileyou
arepushing on the knife,the blade could gointo your
hand before you know it! A goodprecaution is to
wear leather gloves whileperforming thisstep.
D3.Lay therudder inplace against thetrailingedge of
thefinand,usinga hinge(seestep 29,p. 9) as a
template, mark thehingelocations. They are spaced out
5

D6.Trial fitthe finandrudder together usingthe hinges
to check for proper alignment.Do not gluethehingesin
place yet!Sand therudderand/or finsotheymatch each
other at the top.
D7.Remove thehingesfrom therudder
and bevel theleadingedge withyour
sandingblock as shown inthesketch. This
isto allowtherudderto swingeither
direction once thehingesare gluedin.
D8.Add the 1/4"x 1/2"balsa doubler to each side of
the finas showninthephoto above. Use a razor saw to
cut the excess off at the leading and trailingedges.
D9.Check thefitof thefinassemblyintothealuminum
channel.Itwillmost likelybe a littleloose andwe want
anicetightfit.Add a stripof the1/64"plywooddoubler
to ONE side of thefingluingittothebalsadoubler.
Check thefitagainand ifitis stilla littleloose, add a
plywooddoublerto theotherside.Ifyou need to you can
sand theplywoodslightlyto helptheassemblyfit.Also,
youcanhavethecoveringmaterialcontinuedownover
thedoublersifyouneedtheadditionalthickness.
D10.Positionthefinassemblyinthechannelwiththe
trailingedge of thefinevenwiththe endof thechannel
and press itinplace.Markthelocationof thestabilizer
bolt holes on thebottom ofthefinand thenremove the
finfrom the channel.
D11.Wrap a piece ofmaskingtape arounda 7/32"drill
bitabout 1/2"from theend ofthebit.
D12.Drilltwoholes inthebottom of thefinassembly
to makea space for thestabilizerbolts.Be carefulnot to
drillanydeeper thanthemaskingtape or you may punch
throughtheside ofthefin.
6

D13.Use a sandingblock to roundtheedges ofthe
fin/rudderassemblyas shownabove. Givethesides a
quicksandingwithsome finesandpaper to get itready
for the covering.Thiscompletes thebasic assemblyof
thefinandrudder. The hingesandcontrol horn will be
installedaftereverythingis covered.
D16.Mark thehingelocationsusingthesame technique
you used instep #4. There are fivehingesused here. The
outerhingesare approximately1"fromtheedge. The
middlehingeis inthecenterandtheothertwohingesare
centered betweentheouterhingesandthemiddlehinge.
These hingelocationsare notcriticalbutproper
placementmakesiteasier to findtheslots aftertheparts
are covered.Cuttheslotsforthehingesand test fitthe
stabilizerand theelevatortogether to check forproper
alignment between the two parts.
STABILIZER
D14.The stabilizerand elevatorare assembled from
these threemainpieces. Locate these and let'sget started.
D15.Gluethefrontof thestabilizerto theback using
thinC/Ajustasyoudid for the fininstep #2.
D17.Use some thickC/A to gluethe1/16"plywood
doublerinplace on thestabilizer.Thissideisnow the
bottom of thestabilizer.Use a rulerto get thispiece
centeredas close as possible.Use adraftingtriangleor
carpenter'ssquare to drawa lineperpendicularto the
stabilizertrailingedge andthroughthecenterofthe
stabilizerto thepointwheretheleadingedges meet.
D18.Usea pencilanda rubberbandto holdthe
stabilizerinplace as showninthephoto. Sight down the

bottom ofthechanneland linethestabilizerupwiththe
channel(usingthelineyoujust drew)Whenyou are
satisfiedwiththealignmentdrawa linedownboth sides
ofthechannelon thetop ofthestabilizer.
D19.Removethepencilandrubberband andwiththe
stabilizercentered over thelines,drilltwo1/8"holes
throughthestabilizerusingtheholes inthechannelas a
guideThe trailingedge of thestabilizershouldbe
slightlypast theend of thechannel.
D20.Use a sandingblock withsome finesandpaper to
round off theleadingedges, trailingedge andthetipsas
youdidtorthefinandrudderAlso sand thetop and
bottom surfacessmooth This completesthebasic
assemblyof thestabilizerand elevatorThe control horn
and thehingeswillbe installedafterthetailis covered
slots inthewingto make sureitfitsnicelyMixup
about1/2 oz of epoxyandspreaditthroughoutthe
slotinone wingpanelWiththewingpanelupside
down,insertthejoiner inplaceandsqueezeoutallthe
excess epoxy sothatthejoinerisflushwiththebottom
ofthe wing(whichis facingup)Try touseenough
epoxysothattheslotiscompletelyfulland levelwith
thesurfacesof thewing
D23.Lay some waxedpaper downon theworksurface
and mixupanotherounceor soof epoxy Spread the
epoxy throughouttheslot andon theroot (middleend)
oftheother wingpanelSlidethetwowingpanels
together andlinethemupas close as possibleUse
several T-pinsand maskingtape to helpholdthemin
alignmentFlipthewingassemblyover sothatthe
bottom ofthewingsare facingupand make surethatthe
joineris seated properlyintheslot Wipe oft anyexcess
epoxy before itstarts to cureItis importantthatthe
wingsare joinedwithboth panels being accurately
alignedwitheach other.
WING ASSEMBLY
D21.Using a sanding block with some finegrit
sandpaper, (240-320 grit)removethelittlenubsand any
mold lineslefton thewingfromthemoldingprocess.
D22.Testfit the 1/8"plywood dihedral joiner in the
D24.Aftertheepoxy from thelaststep hasfullycured,
place thewingupsidedownon theedge of a tablesothat
only1/2 of thewing(fromone wingtipto the center
joint)is restingon thetableStartingat thewingtipthat
is restingon thetable,laya stripof nylonreinforced
strappingtapedownsothatitcrosses over thecenter
joint directly over the wing joiner Press the tape firmly
onto thewingand downintothefillet(wherethebottom
ofthewingmeets themountingplatform)andthenflip
the wingaroundand continuethestripof tape out to the
8

other wingtip.Apply two more strips oftape between
thisstripand thetrailingedge ofthe wingand thefourth
stripshouldbe added between thefirststripand the
leadingedge of thewingThe photo shows where the
strips shouldbe located. Try to get thistape stuckdown
as tightlyas possible because itadds a tremendous
amountofstrengthto thewingwhenproperlyapplied.
Make sure you do not change the washout(twist)or
dihedralofthewingwhenapplyingthetape stripsIf
youare planningon doingsome aerobatics or combat
withyourSTURDY BIRDY youshouldalso putthree
stripsof tape on the top surface ofthe wing.
INSTALLING THE HINGES
D28.Aftercovering thetailsurfaces, thehingescan be
installedUse yourhobby knifeto findtheslotsyoucut
earlierand make slitsinthecoveringsoyoucan pushthe
hingesintoplace and trialfitthe pieces togetheragain.
D29.Cut thesupplied2"x 9"CA HingeStripinto24
individual3/4"x 1"hingesand bevel thecorners as
shown inthesketch Installthecontrolsurfaces withthe
hinges centered inplace Make sure thesurface operates
smoothly Deflect thesurface allthewayinone
direction,thenapplyseveral drops ofthinCA onto the
center ofeach hingeThe CA willwickthroughoutthe
entirehingejointandintothewood Deflect thesurface
the other directionand gluethe same way. Flex the
surface to loosen it up.
D25.Trim theplasticcentersection protector to size by
usingeitherscissors or yourhobby knifeto cutalongthe
scribe linesUse some coarse gritsandpaperto scratch
uptheinnersurface of theprotector sothegluewill
adhere betterTestfitit on the wing and then use epoxy
to glueitinplace.
COVERING
D26.The tailsurfaces(fin,rudder,stabilizerand
elevator)shouldbe coveredwithone of theiron-on
coveringsto helpprotectthemfrombecomingfuel
soaked andruinedIfyouarealsogoingto coverthe
wing,whichwillhelpitlook nicerlonger(andadd a
smallamountof strength),you can save a littlemoney
by onlybuyingonerollof lowtemperaturecovering
(Top FliteEconokoteisrecommended)andusingitfor
boththewingand thetailsurfacesOtherwiseyou can
useanytypeof coveringforthetailsurfaces,but,
rememberto use a lowheatcoveringforthewingA
fewstripesor yourAMAnumbercan reallyadd to the
looks ofyourSTURDY BIRDY.
D27.Follow theinstructionsthatcome withthe
coveringandcoverthetailsurfacesat thistimeIt is a
good ideato coverthebottomsurfacesfirstto get
familiarwiththecoveringsincethesesurfaceswill
normallynotbe seen Whencoveringthewing,cover
rightoverthetapeandplasticwingprotector, justtry
to use as littleheat as possible.
ATTACHING CONTROL HORNS
D30.Position thenyloncontrolhorn on theleftside of
the rudderabout1"upfrom thebottom withthefour
holes linedupwiththeleadingedge. Use a drop ofThin
C/A to tack gluethehorn inplace.
9

D31.Drill two3/32"holes through the rudder using the
control hornas a guide.
roundoff thecorners witha
sandingblock. Test fitthedoubler
intothefrontoftheplastic
fuselagetubeas showninthe
photo. The firewalldoubler
shouldfitintothefuselagewitha
snugbutnot tightfit.The frontof
the fuselageis cutat a slightangle
sothefirewalland thustheengine
willpointdownslightly.Because
ofthisanglethetop andbottom
edges ofthe firewalldoublerare
also cutat a slightangle.Make
sure youinstallthefirewall
doublersoallofitssides match
upnicelywiththesides ofthe
fuselageas shown inthesketch.
D32.Securethehornto therudderwithtwo2-56 x
5/8"machinescrews. The screws shouldthreadinto
thenylon"nutplate"on theoppositesideof therudder.
Althoughnotnecessary,youmayusesome wire
cuttersor an abrasivecutoffwheelto cutthescrews
off evenwiththeplate.
D33.The other control horn should be installedon the
topsurfaceof theelevatorabout1"to therightof the
centerline.Followthesame procedurefor installing
thiscontrolhorn.
FUSELAGE
D35.The 3/8"plywood firewalldoubler is now glued to
the 1/4"plywoodfirewallfront.Use eitherThick C/A or
epoxyand makesurethatthefront of thefirewall
doubler is centeredon theback of thefirewall. Wipe
awayallexcess gluethatsqueezesout.
D36.Draw a verticalandhorizontalcenterlineon the
1/4"plywoodfirewall.Cuttheenginemounttemplate
fromtheback of thisbooklet and tack glueitto the
firewall,alignedwiththecenterlines.Drilla 1/8"bolt
hole at each ofthe marked locations.
D34.Locate the 3/8"plywood firewalldoubler and
10

D37.Cutthe"spreader bar" off each mounthalf.Trim
off anyburrsor flashing,thensnapthemounthalves
together. Boltthemountto thefirewallwithfour4-40 x
1"screws and 4-40 blindnuts.Tighteningthescrews
willdraw theblindnutsintoposition.
D40.Temporarilyinstalltheengineon themountwith
two #4x 1/2"sheet metalscrews. Markthelocation of
thethrottlepushrod.Removetheengineand drill a
3/16" holefor theouterpushrodtube.
D41.Secure theengineto themountwithfour#4 x
1/2"sheet metal screws.
D38.Test fityourengineto themount.Adjustthe
widthoftherailstofittheengine.Tighten themounting
screws securely.Applya coupleof stripsofmasking
tape to therails,positiontheengine,thenmarkthe
engine'smountingholes onto therails(masking tape)
with a pen or pencil.
D39. Removetheengineand drilltherailswhere marked
witha 3/32"drillbit.Try to keep theholes straightand
vertical.You mayuse #4 \ 1/2"sheet metalscrews to
mounttheengine,or taptheholes witha 4-40 tap.
D42.Use a smallpiece ofcoarse sandpaper to scuff up
theinnerfloor of thealuminumchannelinthearea
around the front11/64"bolt hole.
11

D43.Insert one of the8-32 x 1/2"machinescrews into
the hole sothatitsticks outthebottom ofthechannel
and glueitinplace withplentyof thickC/A or epoxy.
This screw willbe covered by thebatterypack
prohibitinga screwdriverfrom beingused to keep it
from turning,soglueit securelybutbe very careful not
to get anyglueon thethreads.
D44.Use some nylonreinforced strappingtape to
securelyhold thebatterypack on thefrontend ofthe
channel.Squarebatterypacksfitverynicelybutmost
flatpackswillalso fit,justtape them flatonto the
channel.The batteryshouldprotrude approximately1/8"
pasttheend of thechannelto keep thefueltank from
rubbingagainstthe end ofthechannel.
D45.The servos are "press fit" intothealuminum
channelandthenheldinplace withnylonstrappingtape.
Standard size servos shouldfitverynicelyand smaller
servos can be heldinplace by usinga piece of wood to
fillthe space between the
servo sides andthe
channel.Large servos
willnot work inthe
STURDY BIRDY. The
servos shouldbe placed as
farforwardinthechannel
as possible and rightnext
to each other,butdo not
overlaptheservo
mountinglugs.thefront
two servos should be
mounted withtheirservo outputshaftstowardstheback
oftheplaneand theback servo shouldhaveitsoutput
shafttowards thefrontoftheplane.The servo wires
shouldbe routed outto thesideoftheservo without
going underanyservos. Wrap twolayersofnylon
strappingtape allthewayaroundeach servo and the
aluminumchannelto hold itinplace. Hook uptheentire
radio system and turniton (see theinstructionsincluded
withyourradio).Adjustthe transmittertrimssothey are
in themiddleoftheirslots. Remove thescrews thathold
the servo hornsinplace andadjustthehorns sothatthey
are perpendicularto theservo. Thiswillbe theirneutral
position.It is a good idea to use singlearm servo horns
rather thantheroundhorns most servos come with.The
sketch shows how to cuta horn foruse here. Replace the
screws that hold thehornsinplace. (See thephoto at
step 49).
D46.Attachthestabilizer/elevator
to theback of thechannelusing
two 4-40 x 5/8"machinescrews,
two #4flatwashers, two4-40 lock
washers, and two4-40 nuts.The
sketch shows how thepieces are
installed.The pre-benttailskidis
held in place by the rear screw.
D47.Press the fin/rudderintothe channelwiththe
back edge of thefinevenwiththeback edge of the
channelas shown inthephoto.
12

D48.Assemblethetwopushrodsby screwinga 1"
threaded rod intoone endof each innerpushrodandthen
screwing a nylonclevisontoeach threaded rod. The rod
shouldthread intoboth the pushrod and the clevis at
least 1/4".
D49.Attachthetwolongpushrodsto theback two
servos as showninthephoto. Slidetheouterpushrod
tubesovertheinnerpushrodsuntiltheyare about1/2"
from theservo end of theinnerpushrod.
D50.Press thebalsa pushrodholder intothechannel
about6"infrontof thefinandsecure thepushrodsto it
withthenylontiewrap.Itis a good idea to seal thebalsa
pushrodholderwitha lightcoat of epoxy, itwillalso
helpholditinplace.Note: The rudderpushrodgoes to
theleftsideof thefinandtheelevatorpushrod goesto
therightside (as viewedfrom theback).
D51.Cut 2"off the threaded end oftwo ofthe 12"long
linkrods. Use a pairof longnose pliersto bendthe"Z"
in the unthreaded end of the2"pieces.
D52.Installthe linkrods inthe 2nd hole from the outer
end ofeach controlhorn.Withthecontrolsurfaces and
theservo hornsintheirneutralpositionscuttheinner
pushrodsothelinkrod willthreadintotheinnerpushrod
approximately2/3 oftheway. Installthelinkrods into
theinnerpushrodsandadjustsothatthecontrolsurfaces
areat neutralpositions.
D53.Wrap thereceiverinat least 1/4"thickfoam
rubbertoprotect itfrom vibration,hardlandings,etc.
and use tworubberbandsto holdtherubberinplace.
Disconnect therudderand elevatorpushrodsfrom the
servos andslidethepushrodsundertherubberbandson
thetop of thereceiver. Position thereceiver behindthe
servos and reattachtheclevisesto theservo horns. The
switchcan be taped (usingdouble-sidedtape
GPMQ4442) to thefuselagebehindthereceiver soit can
be reached fromtheback ofthefuselage.The receiver
antennashouldexitouttheback ofthefuselagewithout
encounteringanyotherwiresif possible.Use a small
rubberband to hold theantennaon a T-pin inserted in
the top ofthefin.
13

D54.Assembletheshort throttlepushrodbyscrewing
the remaining1"longthreadedrod and nylonclevisinto
one endof the12"longinnerpushrodand snappingthis
assembly onto thethrottleservo horn. D57.Tack glueor hold these inplace for thenextstep.
D55.Attach the plasticfuselagetubeto thechannelby
slidingitoverthechannelassemblyandpushingthe
front8-32 screw throughthemiddleholeinthebottom
ofthetube.Putthealuminumlandinggear inplace on
the 9-32screw and secure thewhole assemblywitha #8
lock washer and an 8-32 hexnut.Inserttheremaining8-
32screw intherear hole fromthebottom and secure it
witha #8 lock washer and an 8-32 hex nutinthe
channel.Itisa good idea to use some medium strength
thread locking cement on these bolts.
D58.Drilla 1/8"diameterhole ineach support using
the attachedlandinggearas a guide.Remove the
supports from thefuselageand enlargetheholes to
5/32".Insert a 4-40 blindnutineach hole and use a
hammer to seat theblindnutinplace.Replacethe
supports intothefuselagewiththeblindnutfacing
upanduse the4-40 x 5/8"machinescrews to hold
everythingtogether.
D56.Slide the two 1/4"plywood landinggear supports
into thefuselage,one on each side ofthealuminum
channel.The frontof thesupportsshouldbe even with
the front ofthe aluminumchannel.
D59.Assembleyourfueltankaccordingto the
manufacturer'sinstructions.Connectthefueltankto
the engineby threadingthefueltubingthroughthe
twoholesinthemiddleof theenginemountand
attaching the pickuplineto the carburetorand the
14

ventlineto the pressure tap on the muffler.Make the
fuellineslongenoughso thatthereis a 1"gap
betweenthefueltankandtheback of thefirewall.
Also makesurethatthefuellinesare notkinked.
D60.Slidethewholeengineassemblyintoplace inthe
frontof thefuselagewiththe12" throttlepushrodtube
protrudingthroughtheholeinthefirewall.Cuttheouter
pushrodsoitstarts about1/2"from the1"threadedrod
and extendsabout1/4"past thefrontof thefirewall.
Removetheengineassemblyfrom thefuselage and glue
thepushrodtubeinposition.
D61.Re-installtheengineassemblyintothefuselage
andpushthefour1/4"x 3-1/2" dowelsintoplace in
thefoursets of holes.The dowelsshouldbe a nice
tightfit.Iftheyare too tightyoucanenlargetheholes
slightlywithyouhobbyknife,andiftheyare too loose
youcanusea dropof glueto holdtheminplace.Do
notuseverymuchglueon thefrontdowelssinceyou
willneedto removethedowelsto get thefueltankout
of thefuselage.Securetheengineassemblyto the
fuselagewithfour#62 or #64 rubberbandsas shown
inthenextphoto.NOTE: Thereare eight#2 x 3/8"
sheet metalscrewsprovidedifyouwouldratherscrew
thefirewallinplaceinsteadof usingtherubberbands
to holditon.Tests haveshownthattherubberbands
workextremelywelland help eliminatedamage to the
frontendincrashes.
D62.Cuttheinnerpushrodtolength,thencutand
installthe remaining12"threaded link rodto hook up
the throttlecontrol.Make sure you can achieve both full
throttleand idlewithoutbindingof anykind.Itis also
niceifyou can shuttheengineoff at low throttleandfull
downthrottletrim.Bendthelinkrod ifnecessary to
makethispossible. The entireengine/fueltankassembly
canbe removed at anytimeby simplyremovingthe
rubberbands,thethrottleclevisfrom theservo hornand
thetwofrontdowels. This makesadjustmentsand
checkingofthefuelsystemquickandeasy.
D63.Each wheelaxleis made upusinga 6-32 x 1-1/2"
machinescrew, two6-32 hexnuts,and two#6 washers.
The sketchabove shows how these partsarea assembled.
It is a very goodidea to use some mediumstrength
threadlockingcementbetweenthescrew andthehex
nuts.Also make sure thatthe wheelcan turnfreely.
FINALASSEMBLY
D64.Withthefinpositionedcorrectly, applya few
drops of thinC/A aroundthebase to holditinplace.
This typeofgluingmethod willkeepthefin/rudderin
place unlesstheplaneis crashed prettyhard,inwhich
case thefinwillcome out ofthechannel,usually
without breaking.
D65.Turntheradiosystemon andadjustallof the
trimson thetransmittersothattheyare inthemiddle
oftheirslots.
D66.Check the following: The sketch helps explain it.
A. The ruddermoves to therightwhentheright
transmitterstickis moved to the right(looking at
the planefrom therear).
B.The elevator moves upwhentheright
transmitterstick is moved down (back).
15

C.The throttleis closed almost alltheway when
the lefttransmitterstickis down (back) and is
open completelywhenthe stick is up(forward).
TRANSMITTER
STICKMOVEMENTS CONTROL SURFACE
MOVEMENTS
ELEVATOR MOVES UP
RUDDER MOVES RIGHT
CARBURETOR WIDE OPEN
D67.Check to make sure thatthetailcontrol surfaces
are ina neutral(straight)positionand theservo arms are
perpendicularto thealuminumchannelwhenthe
transmittersticksat neutral.Alsocheckthecontrol
throwson thetailsurface.You shouldbe able to move
therudder3/4"both directionsand theelevatorshould
move 1/2" bothdirections.Thisshouldgiveyoua plane
that is fairlyresponsive butnot too radical.
D68.Installthesecond nylontiewraparoundthe
aluminumchannelandthepushrodsrightinfrontof
thetailsurfaces.Thiswillhelpkeep the control
surfacesfromfluttering.
BALANCING
D69.Withthewingrubberbanded to thefuselage,the
fueltankempty,andeverythingelse initsplace,liftthe
model by placingone fingertipon thebottom of each
wingat theapproximatelocationof each end of thewing
joinerwhichis3"back fromtheleadingedge. The
STURDY BIRDYshouldhangjustslightlynose down
or level.Iftheplanehangswiththenose pointingup
thenyouwillneed to add some weightto thenose of the
plane.There are several waysyoucan add thisweight
includingstuffinglead weightaroundthe fueltankor
usingone of theheavyprop nutsavailable.Under no
circumstance should you try tofly the plane ifit does
not balance correctly!
GETTING READY FOR FLYING
D70.Use at least fourrubberbands to hold the
engine/firewallinplace and use eight#64rubberbands
to hold thewingin place.
D71.We recommend thatyouuse a nylonpropeller for
yourfirstflightssinceitwillnot break as easilyas wood.
Sand theedges oftheprop before youuse it.The edges
of nylonprops are verysharpandshouldbe dulled
beforeuse.Ifa prop is damaged inany way itshould be
discarded and a new prop used initsplace.
D72.Be sure to conduct a range test on yourradio
systembefore every flyingsession.The instruction
manualthatcamewithyourradio shouldexplainhow
to properlydo this.
D73.If you are usinga newengineinyourplane,break
it inon thegroundaccordingto themanufacturer's
instructionsbefore attemptingto flytheplane.
D74.Nevertry to start theengineby flippingit over
withyourfinger.Alwaysuse eitheran electricstarter or
a"Chicken Stick".
D75.Alwaysadjusttheneedlevalveon theenginefrom
the back oftheplane.Never reach over a rotating
prop! Treat these engines withtheutmostrespect, they
are not toys!
D76.Aftereach flight,check thepropeller,enginebolts,
controlsurfaces,controllinkages,hingesandrubber
bandsfor damageor looseness andcorrect ifnecessary.
Anounceof preventionhere willkeep youhappily
flyinglonger.
FLYING
The STURDY BIRDY isa verystableflying
airplanewitha uniqueself-recoveringsystemdesigned
intoit.Thismakesitone of theeasiest-flyingplanes
available.However,itis highlyrecommendedthatyou
consultan experiencedpilotto helptrimouttheplane
andhelpyouwithyourfirstflights.The most
importantthingto rememberwhenlearningto flyis
thatyouneed to be ableto relateto thecontrolinputs
as ifyouweresittingintheplane.Ifyoudon't,itwill
seem liketherudderisworkingbackwardswhenthe
planeisflyingtowardsyou.Itmayalsoseem a little
strangethatyoupullthestickdown(back)inorderto
make theplanego up,butthisishow itworksinreal
planes.Itisa good ideato keepfacingthesame
directionthatthemodel is flying.
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The STURDY BIRDY should be handlaunchedinto
the wind for yourfirstflights.Havea helperholdthe
planefirmlybehindthelandinggear withthewings
levelwhileyoucheckthecontrols.Advancethethrottle
to fullthrottleandyourhelpershouldthentakea few
runningsteps andlettheplaneflyoutofhishandwitha
slight push(beingcarefulto keep thewingslevel). A
strongthrowis not necessary. Be prepared to makeany
initialcontrolsto keep the plane climbing slightlyand
flyingstraight.
Your control inputsshouldbe verygentleuntilthe
planehas climbedhighenoughto be outof dangerof
hittinganygroundbased objects(especiallythe
ground).Once youhavereacheda safe altitude,trim
theplaneforstraightandlevelflightwiththeengine
runningabouthalfthrottle.Ifyouget disorientedor
theplanedoes notseem to be doingwhatyouthinkit
should,justreleasethecontrolsticksandtheplane
willrightitself.Ifyousee thattheplaneis headingfor
danger whichyoucan notprevent,reduce thethrottle
to idleandpulltheelevatorstickback (upelevator)to
reduce theimpactspeed.
Whentheplanebanksintoa turnitis normalfor the
nose to drop down sobe prepared to putina littleup
elevator to keep itflyinglevel.
Once you are familiarwithhow the STURDY
BIRDY handlesunderpower, pullthethrottleback to
near idleandslow theplanedown.Be sure to do thisat a
safe altitude!Feed inupelevatorto try to keep the plane
flyingat thesamealtitude.If theplanestalls(fallsoff to
one side abruptly)justrelease thecontrol sticks,advance
the throttleto at least 1/2and gently pullinsome up
elevator. Try to determinetheslowestspeed theplane
willflyat and rememberthatyouneed to stay above that
speed whenlandingand takingoffto avoida stall.
If you findtheplanegettingtoo highand itis hard to
determine whatitis doing,reducethethrottleto idleand
bepatient.The STURDY BIRDY willlose altitude
fairlyquicklyand you can resume control.
Whenpreparingto landitis a good idea to make
several practice passes from a safe altitudeandgradually
get lower untilyou feelcomfortablewithyourapproach.
Then on one of yournextpasses, justdecrease the
throttleand theplanewilllandby itself.Landingis
reallynotverytrickyifyoujustconcentrateon guiding
theplanewiththerudderwhereyouwantitto go andlet
itsettleto theground.Of course ithelpsto flyat a field
thatis bigenoughsoyoudon'thaveto worry about
where youneed to land.
The STURDY BIRDY also handlesvery nicelyon
the grounddespitethefact thatitis a taildragger without
asteerable tailwheel.Whentaxiingingrass, hold inup
elevatoruntiltheplaneis movingprettywellto help
keep itfrom nosingover. Tosteer themodel whenitis
movingslow, throwinfullrudderand use burstsof
throttleto move theplane around.
REPAIRING
The STURDY BIRDY is very tough,butthere may
becrashes hard enoughto break parts of theplane.
The fuselage shouldnot be repaired. It is inexpensive
and veryeasy and quickto replace.Due to thenatureof
plasticsitis very hardto properlymendifcracked or
broken andshouldbe replaced for safety'ssake.
The foam wingwillreallytakea beatingand
survive. Smalldentsanddingscan be removed by
patchingor re-heatingthecoveringmaterial.A broken
wingcanbe quicklyrepairedwithepoxy,butcheckthe
nylontape andreplaceitifneeded.Ifthewingsget
bentyoucanstraightenthemby bendingthemthe
oppositedirectionandaddinga couplemorestripsof
strappingtape.Itisimportantthatthewingsare keptin
theiroriginalconfigurationwiththemolded-inwashout
(wingtwist).ThisgivestheSTURDY BIRDYit's
exceptional recovery characteristics.
The tailsurfaces can be repaired withC/A glues,or
newsurfacescan be cutfrom 1/4"balsa availablefrom
yourlocal hobby shop.
If dirtgets intothecarburetoror ontotheengineit
shouldbe cleanedoff before ithas a chance to get inside
theengineand cause damage.
17

Pilots Log
Use this to record your flights, it's funto look back on!
Date Flight Time Conditions Comments
18

Date
Flight Time Conditions Comments
Engine Mount Template for 20-48Adjustable Mount
19

WITH AILERONS
1.Locate the two15/32" x 3/8x 26-1/2" SubTrailingEdgepieces (Sub
T.E.). Trial fitthe Sub T.E. againstthetrailingedge ofeach winghalf.
The Sub T.E. should beoriented as shown in thesketch withthe90
degree corners along thebottom of thewing.Epoxy the Sub T.E. to
the trailingedge of each wing half . Pins ortapecanbeused tohelphold
the Sub T.E.in place whilethe glue cures.