Max-Thrust PITTS 12 User guide

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PITTS 12 R/C SPORT-SCALE AIRCRAFT
ASSEMBLY AND INSTRUCTION MANUAL
© Copyright Century UK Limited 2012 www.centuryuk.com

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Warning:
This radio controlled model is not a toy. It re uires skill to fly and is not recommended for use by beginners.
It should not be operated by children without the supervision of a suitably experienced adult.
Max-Thrust reserves the right to modify the specification of this model at any time.
Safety Precautions
1. Do not attempt to repair or modify this aircraft with non-factory parts.
2. Never fly this model over roads, railway lines, near to power lines, airports, do not fly this model in
excessively strong winds, in the rain, or thunderstorms.
3. Do not fly or launch the model towards people.
4. Keep hands and face away from rotating propellers at all times.
5. We strongly recommend that all fixings and fasteners used in the construction of this model are
checked regularly for integrity. Failure to do so could cause a crash, injury to yourself or others around you.
6. We only recommend the use of 2.4GHz radio e uipment with this model .
Disclaimer
1. This radio controlled model is not a toy. Used incorrectly it is capable of inflicting serious injury to
persons or damage to property. The owner/pilot assumes all responsibility for any damage to persons or
property resulting from the use of this product.
2. The manufacturer and distributor decline all responsibility for any liability arising from use of this
product.
3. It is very important that you follow all instructions for assembling and setting up of this model. Failure to
do so could result in a loss of control and possibly a crash.
EPOFLEXY”
“EPOFLEXY” is a very tough and durable material perfect for the manufacture of model aircraft. When using
screwed fixings with “EPOFLEXY” components it is important to tighten the screws sufficiently to provide a
firm fixing.
Excess tightening could result in the foam material becoming compressed, possibly damaging or distorting
the part. Take care to ensure that all screws are tightened sufficiently to provide a firm fixing, but do-not over
tighten. We recommend that all fixings are checked regularly for security and safety purposes.
© Copyright Century UK Limited 2012 www.centuryuk.com

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Contents
1. Fuselage Assem
bly
2. Wings
3. Fin & Rudder
4. Canopy
5. Horizontal Tail-Plane
6. Main Landing Gear
13. Accessory Pack
14. Rigging Wires
15. Rigging Springs
16. Tail Wheel Assembly
17. Wing Spars
7. Adhesive
8. Prop Adaptor
9. Propeller & Spinner
10. Dummy Exhausts
11. Cabane Struts
12. Plastic Parts
© Copyright Century UK Limited 2012 www.centuryuk.com
Overview
Thank-you for purchasing this MAX-THRUST Pitts 12 radio controlled model aircraft. The Pitts 12 offers a
stunning combination of terrific looks and sensational flight performance. Manufactured from
“EPOFLEXY” it is extremely robust, however, in the event of a “less than perfect” arrival, we supply a
range of spares to get you flying again in the shortest time. It is capable of an impressive range of
aerobatic manoeuvres to thrill the expert pilot, but with reduced control throws it provides a solid and
predictable flight performance, perfect for the experienced sports flyer.
We are certain you will enjoy your new model, please take the time to read this manual thoroughly and
understand its contents completely prior to commencing assembly.
Wingspan:
1600mm (63”)
Length: 1490mm (58.7”)
Weight: 4500g
Motor: 5060 390KV Out-Runner Brushless
ESC: 120A ~ 150A (Not Included)
Servos: 4 x 9g 2 x 40g
Battery Re uired: 3700 ~ 6000mAh 22.2v 6S Li-Po (Not Included)
Recommended Battery: Power-Tech 6000mAh 22.2v 33C (Order Code: PT-B-3360006S)
Specification

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© Copyright Century UK Limited 2012 www.centuryuk.com
1. Main Gear
Release the screw holding the main gear
cover to the fuselage.
Remove the cover and insert the pre-bent
undercarriage legs into the moulded recess
in the fuselage.
Secure in place with the 4 x metal retaining
plates and 8 x M3 x 12mm screws, (images 1
& 2)
Replace the cover and the fixing screw,
(image 3).
2. Tail Wheel
Fix the tail wheel assembly in position using the 4
x M2.5 x 25mm screws, (image 4). Place the other
components supplied in the bag with the tail
wheel assembly to one side. These will be fitted at
a later stage.
3. Horizontal Tail
-
Plane
Fix a control horn to the underside of the elevat
or as
shown, (image 5) using 4 x M2 x 25mm screws.
Make certain that the horn is securely fixed in
position with a backing plate in the moulded recess
on the top side of the elevator, (image 6).
Secure the horizontal tail
-
plane to the fuselage
using 2 x M3 x 40mm screws, (image 7). Make
certain that you have the tail-plane the correct
way-up, and that it is positioned s uarely on the
fuselage.

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© Copyright Century UK Limited 2012 www.centuryuk.com
Horizontal Tail
-
Plane (continued)
Make certain the elevator servo is centred and
connect the plastic elevator clevis to its control
horn, (image 8). Minor adjustment to obtain
perfect neutral positions of the control surfaces
can be achieved by rotating the plastic link on the
threaded portion of the control push-rod. Make
certain the plastic link is securely “snapped”
closed when connected to the contr
ol horn.
4. Vertical Fin & Rudder
Fix two control horns to the rudder using 2 x
M2 x 30mm screws, (image 9). For maximum
security the screws go from both sides as
shown in image 10.
Push the vertical fin assembly into the moulded
recess in the fuselage tail. Secure in position from
the fuselage underside using 1 x M3 x 75mm & 1
x M3 x 60mm screw, (image 11). The longer
screw is used in the forward hole.
Centre the rudder se
rvo and connect the 2 x
plastic rudder clevises to their control horns,
(image 12).
Make certain the plastic links are securely
“snapped” closed when connected to the control
horns.

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Vertical Fin & Rudder (continued)
Connect the two 80mm long Z
-
bend control rods
to the pre-drilled holes in the base of the rudder,
(image 13).
Connect the other end of the control rods to the
control horn on the steerable tail-wheel, (image
14).
Note: It may be necessary to induce a slight bend
in the rod to enable the connection. Straighten
the rods once they are connected.
© Copyright Century UK Limited 2012 www.centuryuk.com
5. Plastic Wing Supports
Install the four plastic wing strut supports to the
fuselage using the supplied adhesive, (image 15
& 16). The supports must be fitted the correct
way up and will only follow the contour of the
fuselage if installed correctly.
IMPORTANT!
The plastic wing strut supports are fixed to the
fuselage and wings with the supplied adhesive.
Please apply the adhesive sparingly in a thin film
to both surfaces to achieve the best possible
bond.
The adhesive will re uire at least 24 hours curing
time before it reaches maximum strength.
Do not attempt to fly this model until the
adhesive is fully cured.

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© Copyright Century UK Limited 2012 www.centuryuk.com
Plastic Wing Supports (continued)
Install the plastic wing supports in the
lower
wing
panels using the adhesive supplied, (image 17).
Please be aware that these parts are handed and
must be installed correctly.
Note: Port is the left hand side viewed from the
rear of the model.
Lower Wing
Upper Wing
Install the plastic wing supports in the
upper
wing
panels using the adhesive supplied, (images 18 &
19). Please be aware that these parts are handed
and must be installed correctly.
Note: Starboard is the right hand side viewed from
the rear of the model.
6. Wing Assembly
Fit the remaining four control horns to the ailerons
using 16 x M2 x 15mm screws, (image 20).
Remember to use the plastic backing plates and
make certain they are securely fixed, (image 21).
Centre the servos, connect the control linkages to
the aileron servos and control horns, (image 22).
Make certain the plastic links are securely
“snapped” closed when connected to the control
horns.

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Wing Assembly (continued)
Insert a wing spar half way into one of the lower
wing panels, (image 23). Then carefully slide the
remaining lower wing panel onto the exposed spar
until the roots of the panels meet, (image 24).
Ensure that the control leads from the aileron
servos do not get trapped.
Insert a wing spar half way into one of the upper
wing panels, (image 25). Then carefully slide the
remaining upper wing panel onto the exposed spar
until the roots of the panels meet.
The upper wing panels are secured together with
two M3 screws, (image 26). The 35mm long
screw is used for the fixing nearest the leading
edge of the wing, with the 30mm screw used
closest to the trailing edge.
Fit the lower wing assembly to the fuselage
using the four M4 x 70mm screws, (image 27).
Be careful not to trap any control leads in the
wing seat area.
© Copyright Century UK Limited 2012 www.centuryuk.com
Fit the four upper wing supports to the
fuselage with the M2 x 10mm screws as
shown, (image 28). The screws for the front
supports enter the pre drilled holes from the
front of the fuselage, the screws for the rear
supports enter from the rear of the fuselage.

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Wing Assembly (continued)
Attach
the cabane struts to the lower wing
panels using the four M3 x 20mm screws, (image
29). The servo control leads pass through the
wings as shown. Do not over tighten the screws
as this will distort the cabane mount.
Carefully place the upper wing on the cabane
and fuselage struts. Secure the top wing in
position using four M3 x 20mm screws, (image
30).
Secure the upper wing to the fuselage struts
using four M2 x 10mm screws, (image 31).
7. Final Assembly
© Copyright Century UK Limited 2012 www.centuryuk.com
Connect the top wing servo control leads to
the extension leads routed around the
cabane struts, (image32).
Connect the other ends of the extension
leads to the female connectors located in the
lower wing assembly, (image 33).
There is sufficient space around the servos to
“lose” any excess cable, enabling a neat and
tidy installation, (image 34).

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Final Assembly (continued)
Rigging Wires
Attach a rigging spring to each eyelet on the
top of the cabane strut, (image 35). Attach a
rigging spring to each of the eyelets positioned
on the main gear, (image 36).
Join the springs with two of the 470mm
rigging wires. Repeat the process for the other
side of the model.
Attach a rigging spring to each eyelet on the
bottom of the cabane strut, (image 37).
Attach a rigging spring to each eyelet on the
rear fuselage wing support, (image 38).
Join the springs with two of the 410mm
rigging wires. Repeat the process for the
other side of the model.
Attach rigging springs to each of the eyelets
positioned on the vertical fin and tail-wheel
bracket. Connect the springs using 175mm
length rigging wires above the horizontal
stabiliser and 135mm length rigging wires
below it, (image 39).
Carefully trim the clear canopy to the
moulded line, (image 40). If you wish to fit a
pilot figure to your model do so now. Using
the supplied adhesive attach the clear
canopy to the foam fuselage deck, (image
41). Use the adhesive sparingly and place to
one side to dry thoroughly before attempting
to fit to the model.
© Copyright Century UK Limited 2012 www.centuryuk.com
Note:
We recommend that the open ends of
the springs are “crimped” closed, to avoid the
possibility of one becoming dislodged in-flight.

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Final Assembly (continued)
Motor
Fit the aluminium propeller adaptor to the
motor using the 4 x M3 x10mm cap head
screws, (image 40). It is very important that
these fixings are tightened securely. We
recommend the use of a thread-locking
compound, used very sparingly to ensure it
does not come into contact with the internal
components of the motor.
Install your electronic speed controller, (not
included) in the recess below and behind the
motor. Make the necessary connections to the
motor, (image 43). Fix the ESC in place securely.
The cowling for this model is secured with
magnets; however we suggest for additional
security you add a few small spots of the
supplied adhesive.
Be mindful that you may wish to remove the
cowling at a later date!
Cowling
Propeller
Slide the propeller onto the prop adaptor.
Note: The prop adaptor has a flat or “key”.
The propeller must be rotated on the shaft
until it fits flush as shown, (image 46). Fit the
washer and nut & fix securely, (image 45). Fit
the spinner cone in position and secure with
the screw provided, (image 47).
© Copyright Century UK Limited 2012 www.centuryuk.com

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Final Assembly (continued)
Receiver Installation
Connect the speed controller to the throttle channel of your receiver, (not included). T
his
wire is easily identified; it is the only one that is routed from the front of the model.
Connect the two aileron servo control leads to the supplied “Y” lead, (No.1) and plug into
the aileron output on your receiver. Connect the rudder, (No.4) and elevator servo, (No.2)
servos to the corresponding channel outputs of the receiver.
You must adhere to the receiver manufacturer recommendations regarding positioning
and aerial routing.
We recommend that it should be securely positioned with self-adhesive “Velcro”.
Your flight battery, (not included) needs to be
firmly secured in the battery compartment to
prevent it from moving in flight, (image 48). The
model includes one battery positioning strap,
however the battery will re uire an additional
method of fixing to provide ade uate security.
8. Flight Battery
Because most experienced pilots will have a preferred method of battery retention, this has
not been included with the model. We recommend the use of additional straps combined
with self-adhesive “Velcro”.
9. Control Movements
We make the following recommendations for control surface deflections. Experienced pilots
may wish to increase these movements after initial flight testing.
Ailerons: 10mm deflection each way.
Elevator: 10mm deflection each way.
Rudder: 12mm deflection each way.
10. Centre of Gravity
© Copyright Century UK Limited 2012 www.centuryuk.com
It is vital that you check that the centre of
gravity is correct. Failure to do so could result in
a complete loss of control. We recommend the
balance point of the model, complete with flight
battery, should be 140mm back from the centre
of the leading edge of the top wing, (image 49).

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Check that all c
ontrol surfaces are centred and responding correctly to transmitter inputs.
Adjustments can be made to control surface centres by carefully rotating the plastic control
horns on the threaded portion of the metal control rods. Use the servo reversing function on
your transmitter for any control that is not responding in the correct sense to control inputs.
Make certain that all plastic links are securely “snapped” closed and that all control surface
hinges are secure. Use a small amount of foam glue if any hinges are not firmly attached.
We hope you enjoy many happy and safe flights with your new Max
-
Thrust Pitts 12 model
aircraft.
Check-out other aircraft in the Max-Thrust range at your local model dealer, or by visiting
www.max-thrust.com.
11. Pre
-
Flight Checks
© Copyright Century UK Limited 2012 www.centuryuk.com
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