N-Tech Jets F9F Panther User manual

F9F Panther
Assembly Manual
Scale: Approximately 1/6.33
Wingspan: 1829mm - 72in
Length: 1800mm - 70.85in
Flying Weight: 8-9.5kg - 18-21 lb
Fan Size: 120mm - 4.72”
Power System: 12S Li-PO
Functions: A/E/T/R/F/G
Optional Brakes (Sold Separately)
High Performance Electric Jet
Step up from foam and micro jets! Experience high
performance electric jet performance with a model
that is big, forgiving and fast. The Panther has ex-
ceptional qualities in flight, is stable on approach,
and is not pitch sensitive with extended flaps. At
speeds of over 120mph, the Panther is fast and
fun with a performance envelope almost any ex-
perienced R/C pilot will enjoy. Good looking and
great flying, the N-Tech Jets Panther is a stunning
aircraft to own and fly.
Features:
*Wood Wing and Stabilizer Construction
*Molded Fuselage with Wood Structure
(ABS Skins with Plywood and Carbon structure)
*Factory Covered Flying Surfaces
*Painted Fuselage
*Complete Hardware Pack
*Removable Wings
*Functional Nose Gear Doors
*Basic Molded Cockpit
*Ducting Optimized for Electric Power
The N-Tech Jets Panther is a high performance ARF Jet designed for R/C pilots with advanced building
and flying skills. With this in mind, we have provided this guide with the information an experienced mod-
eler will need. If you are a new R/C pilot you will require the help of an experienced modeler in building
and flying this aircraft. If you feel this is beyond your capability, please return the unused, new product to
your retailer because once the project is started the user accepts all responsibility in the proper assembly
and use of this product. N-Tech Jets and its affiliates are not responsible for the mis-assembly and/or
mis-use the results thereof.
Assembly video can be found at our youtube channel: www.youtube.com/ntechjets
For experienced modelers we expect you will have little trouble building and flying the Panther. Please
read through this manual to help you establish the correct building sequence. The Panther is a great fly-
ing aircraft and we’re certain, properly outfitted and setup, you’ll enjoy flying it!
Thank you for choosing N-Tech Jets!

Page 2 N-Tech Jets F-9F Panther Assembly Guide
Recommended Equipment:
Using appropriate equipment is important to your suc-
cess with this model. The equipment we recommend
has been tested and flown in this product. You can use
different brands, but the specifications must be simi-
lar.
Radio:
*We recommend an 8-10 channel radio for conve-
nience although technically the Panther only has 6
functions: Ailerons, Rudder, Elevator, Flaps, Throttle,
and Retracts.
*Qty 7 Airtronics 94851 Digital Metal Gear Servos
*Qty 1 Airtronics 94722 Digital Standard Servo
*Qty 2 750mm Extensions (for tail servos)
*Qty 4 500mm Extensions (from wing joint to receiv-
er)
*Qty 2 300mm Extensions (from Ail servos to wing
joint)
*Qty 1 100mm Extension (from steering servo to re-
ceiver)
*If your radio is only 6-8 channel, you’ll need QTY
3 Y-harnesses for the Aileron and Flaps and Steering/
rudder servos.
*Servo Lead retainers (Heat shrink, molded clips,
whatever is your preference
*Receiver Battery: We recommend either a 5 cell Ni-
MH pack of 1600 or more mAh rating, or a Li-FE
6.6v receiver battery with 1600mAh or more rating.
*Check your radio manufacturer’s recommendations.
Power System:
*120mm Fan (Jet Hangar Hobbies E-Turbax fan with
13-15 pounds of thrust)
*12S Motor (Neu Motor for the E-Turbax fan)
*Castle 160HV (Some systems may be suitable with a
140HV esc, check your mfr’s specifications)
*12S 5000 to 6500mAh Li-PO packs, minimum 40C
rating (The airplane is setup for using two separate 6S
packs sometimes called Saddle Packs)
-6mm Gold Connectors (Castle 6.5mm connectors for
example)
-Mounting Screws for the Fan Unit (different fans may
have different requirements, we used #4 x 3/4 Dubro
Socket Head Wood Screws for mounting the E-Turbax
Fan)
Other Items:
*The fuselage can be broken down into two parts, so
we installed air-line connectors at the fuselage break.
3 Air Line Disconnects will be required. Robart, Jet
Hangar Hobbies, or other similar air-line connectors
will work.
*Glues: We used Wood Glue, Epoxy, and C/A (in-
stant glue)
*Thread-lock, (blue or semi-permanent, do NOT use
“red” or permanent thread lock)
*Tape: Gaffer’s Tape or bi-directional Packing Tape
will work. This is to assemble the rear air-tube and
seal off the air between duct joints and around the
motor wires where they exit the exhaust air duct.
*Basic tools (file, wire cutter, pliers, hobby knife,
various metric hex-drivers, small drill bits, drill, etc)
*Paint to detail the cockpit (Optional)
*Small amount of fiberglass cloth (3/4 to 1 oz)
Wing Assembly
Aluminum Tube Wing Joiner
The wing is attached to the fuselage with an alumi-
num tube. One end of the tube must go into the fuse-
lage far enough to engage the clamp inside. The other
end is glued into the wing with epoxy. The clamp is
accessed through a small hole on the top of the fuse-
lage. Use a hex-tool to tighten the clamp. Loosen the
clamp to remove the wing half.
A Note About Assembly. Each N-Tech Jet is custom
made by hand. In that these are hand-made products,
there may be variations from what is shown in our
manual. Thus, it is important that you trial fit each
part before gluing, cutting, etc.
Let’s Get Started!

N-Tech Jets F-9F Panther Assembly Guide Page 3
Wing Assembly Continued:
Hinges:
We recommend installation of the hinges with Wood
glue. Oil the moving parts of the hinge liberally. Then
insert wood glue into the holes where the hinges will
be mounted. After aligning and installing the hinges,
wipe off any excess glue and apply a little more oil to
ensure the glue will not setup in the hinge. Use low-
tack masking tape to hold the control surface in place
while the glue dries.
Servo and Linkage Installation:
Install the servos into the servo trays. Install the ser-
vos into the “deeper side” as this will give proper
alignment. Use long servo arms and extend the arm
through the opening in the servo cover plate. Align
the servo and mount so that the servo mount ends do
not extend past the sides of the plate and adjust the
servo position so that the arm is centered in the open-
ing of the plate. Glue the tray to the plate.
The opening in the wing will have to be adjusted to fit
the tray. If you do this tightly, it helps hold the entire
assembly in position.
Soak the frame in the opening of the wing with thin
CA. This will stiffen the part and ensure the servo
mounting screws are held firmly in place.
NOTE: The ailerons openings are position “opposite”
each other whereas the flap servos are installed “to
the same side”. This way, the aileron servos naturally
move in opposite directions and the flap servos natu-
rally move in the same direction.
We routed the flap servo extension out the rear open-
ing in the wing and the aileron servo extension out
the front opening. When installing the wings, this
prevents confusion.
Position the control horns back from the servo arm so
that the linkage does not bind. Flaps use the Z-Bend
rod, Ailerons use the all-thread. Use wood screws to
mount the horns into the hard-plates in the control
surfaces. Mount the by drilling pilot holes and en-
sure they will not pull-out by using wood glue on the
screws.
Wing Tip Tanks:
There is a left and a right. Remove the covering from
the mating surfaces before gluing. Also, look at the
tanks from the front before the glue dries to ensure
they are aligned properly. We used slow-cure epoxy
and masking tape to hold them in place so that we had
time to adjust the alignment if necessary.
Main Gear Installation
Install the strut and wheel on the landing gear first.
1. The strut at the wheel end is slightly offset. The
longer side goes toward the wheel.
2. The wheel is retained with an e-clip and the axle is
held onto the strut with a set screw. Install the e-clip
first, then put the wheel (don’t forget the bushings)
onto the axle (screw heads facing out). Slide the axle
into the strut. Adjust the position to be as tight as pos-
sible while still allowing the wheel to move freely.
Use blue thread-lock to hold the set-screw in place.
3. The Strut is attached to the landing gear with two
set screws. Align the strut so that the wheel is perpen-
dicular to the retract. Make two flat spots on the strut
attachment stud that match the set-screw positions.
Use blue thread-lock on the set-screws to hold them
in place.
Now that the strut is in place, position the gear so that
the wheel fits nicely into the wheel cup. Try to make
the gear be positioned outward as far as possible.
Install air-tubes on the gear and bolt it in place with
the heavy duty wood cap screws provided. It is IM-
PORTANT TO DRILL 3/32” MINIMUM PILOT
HOLES FOR THE MOUNTING SCREWS!

Page 4 N-Tech Jets F-9F Panther Assembly Guide
Nose Gear and Gear Door Installation
Nose Gear Installation
-The nose strut rotates in the gear. Use the two set
screws to hold it as tightly as possible without bind-
ing. Apply oil to the rotating shaft. Then use blue
thread-lock to hold the set screws in place. Be careful
to NOT get any into the moving parts!
Note the wire spring holds the strut centered.
-Install the horns on the strut, file off any excess
-Install lengths of air line onto the retract before in-
stallation.
-The nose gear is positioned 1 /38” back from the
opening. Just like the main gear, make 3/32” pilot
holes and then use the cap head wood screws to
mount the gear.
-Adjust the beams to fit the horns. They are wider
than the opening between the mounting beams so
some beam material will need to be removed.
-Install wheel on axle with spacers and e-clips
Gear Door Installation
-The gear doors have 2 hinges each. The hinges are
positioned into the blocks in the fuselage. The fuse-
lage and doors will need to be notched to clear the
hinge. Leave a 1/16” gap between the doors when
they are closed.
-Install small “stops” in the center of the geardoor
opening. This is a stopper to give the gear door “mid-
dle” something to rest against when closed. Use 1/4”
square scrap balsa or similar. The stopper is recessed
below the surface of the fuselage, matching the thick-
ness of the door.
-The gear doors are actuated by a wood arm that is
pressed into position by the nose gear. From the arm,
there is a wire form that is connected to horns you
glue onto the gear door. The wire is connected to the
horns with adjustable connectors, thus allowing the
wire length to be adjusted.
-The wood arm actuator is attached to the cen-
ter bulkhead with a metal flat hinge. The hinge is
screwed to the wood arm and glued into a slot in the
bulkhead.
-Once in position, trial fit the movement by manual
pulling the landing gear closed. The wheel hits the
wood arm and should pull the gear doors closed
against the stoppers. Adjust the wire with the adjust-
able connectors until the gear doors close properly
and cut off any excess wire.

N-Tech Jets F-9F Panther Assembly Guide Page 5
Pull-Pull Cable and Final Gear Door Installation
-The pull-pull cable is looped through the landing
gear horns and around the strut. This will allow easy
adjustment once the pull-pull cable is assembled.
-We routed the cable through scrap Pushrod Housing
Tubes. This will keep the cable from getting tangled
in the landing gear. The pushrods should be cut long
enough to clear the center bulkhead.
-The pull-pull cable has the standard threaded rods,
clevises and crimp pins. Loop and crimp to length.
-Once the servo and cable are adjusted and centered
and tightened, center the wheel/strut too and glue
the cable into place.
NOTE: The cable should be tight enough to provide
positive steering control but loose enough so that the
gear can go down into position easily. If the cable is
too tight, the gear will not lock into the down posi-
tion.
Once the door linkage and steering linkage is work-
ing properly, permanently position the horns and
hinges on the door by applying light glass cloth over
the hinges and horns where they are glued to the
doors. Then soak thin CA into the glass cloth.
NOTE: Do NOT allow glue into the hinge. Again,
we recommend oiling the hinges so that glue cannot
get into them and ruin them.
Tail and Servo Installation
Tip: Please follow the order of assembly
and trial fit and check alignment before
gluing.
-The vertical stabilizer is glued to the fuselage. It
is keyed by dowels and by the rear hinge-line spar.
TRIAL FIT the vertical stabilizer. Make sure it is
vertical and perpendicular to the wing. Install with
epoxy glue.
-The horizontal stabilizer must be centered and made
level with the wing. Remove the covering before
gluing into position.
IT IS IMPORTANT FOR YOU TO MAKE ADJUST-
MENTS TO ENSURE PROPER ALIGNMENT.
TIP: Push the stabilizer forward so that there is
a gap at the rear of the opening. This is the space
for the elevator joiner.
TIP: Use slow cure epoxy. First outline the glue
joint with masking tape so that excess epoxy can
be easily removed and will not damage the cover-
ing.
-The elevator and rudder servos are bolted into the
servo opening. We used 750mm extensions and rout-
ed the extensions through the small openings in the
bulkheads.
-The servos are covered with the included plate and
small wood screws.
-The elevator hinges and metal elevator joiner must
be installed at the same time. Glue the metal joiner
into the elevator halves after routing it through the
opening at the rear of the stabilizer with epoxy.
-The horns are positioned into hardwood blocks in
the control surfaces. The rudder horn is installed with
wood screws. We recommend gluing those screws
into the rudder with wood glue. The elevator horn is
held in position with a standard horn backing plate
and 2mm machine screws.
-The pushrods are threaded end type with metal clev-
ises. Some adjustment to the pushrods will be re-
quired for proper alignment.

Page 6 N-Tech Jets F-9F Panther Assembly Guide
Fuselage Assembly
Joining the Fuselage:
-The Panther fuselage is two-piece. This allows us
to package it more safely for shipping and gives you
the benefit of taking apart the fuselage for transport
in smaller vehicles. Joining the fuselage is very sim-
ple. There are 3 aluminum tubes. They insert into
the 3 holes in the fuselage. There insert into facto-
ry installed guides. Note that the shorter tube is the
middle tube. Once in place, the fuselage halves are
joined with machine screws, flat washers and lock
washers. The blind nuts for the screws are factory
installed. It is important that the screws be checked
before each flight.
Retract Control System Installation:
-The retract valve can be mounted in several places
in the plane. We’ve opted to install the servo, con-
trol valve, and filler, under the rear fuselage top-
hatch. We mounted the parts on a piece of 3mm ply
and mounted that plywood plate onto the formers.
If you wish, you can install the servo and control
valve in the front half of the fuselage on the former
next to the nosegear.
-The air tank is installed in the formers in the nose
of the fuselage.
Diagram Legend:
Red=Air Supply Lines
Black=Up-Lines
White=Down Lines
Green=Quick Disconnect Locations (physically lo-
cated at the fuselage halves-break. Sold Separately)
Gold Pieces are the supplied T-Connectors.
Air-Line Diagram
-Follow the diagram to connect the retract airlines.
-We installed aftermarket airline-disconnects at the
fuselage break so that if we take apart the fuselage
halves, the airlines easily come apart as well.

N-Tech Jets F-9F Panther Assembly Guide Page 7
Battery Trays and Nose Assembly:
-There are several parts to be installed in the nose.
1. Left and Right Main Battery Trays
2. Middle Optional Battery Tray
3. Nose Wood Support Assembly (which doubles as
a forward receiver battery mount)
4. Plastic Nose Cone
The Nose Wood Support is glued into the forward
bulkheads. Once in place, you can install the nose
cone. There are 4 small screws included. You can
glue it on if you’d like, it just limits the access to
this nose area. If your model requires weight in the
nose, having access to this area is important.
Middle Battery/Receiver Tray. This is a great place
to mount some batteries if needed to achieve proper
balance. If not needed for batteries, it makes a great
place to mount the receiver and receiver battery.
Left and Right Battery Trays. Install these last as they
make accessing the nose gear and other items in the
nose more difficult.
Fan, ESC, and Motor Installation:
-After installation of the motor into the fan unit
you’ve chosen for your Panther, the Fan must be in-
stalled in the fuselage.
-The fan shroud should be positioned tightly into the
factory installed fiberglass inlet. It might be neces-
sary to shim or space the fan mounts to get the prop-
er alignment. The fan is mounted to the rails with
screws and possibly grommets recommended by the
fan maker.
-The plastic exhaust tube should be shaped to fit
tightly around the end of the fan unit and should be
tapered down to the fan maker’s recommended diam-
Do not glue the lower
tray in position until the
fuselage halves are joined

Page 8 N-Tech Jets F-9F Panther Assembly Guide
eter at the exit of the fuselage. Assemble the exhaust
tube with the included tape. Gaffer’s tape and bi-di-
rectional strapping tape will also work for assembly
of the exhaust tube. The E-Turbax recommendation
for the exhaust tube is 3.75in (95mm) diameter at the
fuselage exit. The plastic exhaust tube should extend
1/4 inch past where it exits the fuselage. The remain-
ing should be removed.
-The wires are routed out of the plastic tube and to
the speed control.
-The exit holes for the motor wires as well as the joint
between the exhaust tube and the fan shroud should
be sealed with tape.
Fan, ESC, and Motor Installation Continued:
The canopy is factory assembled with a quick release
latch and pins to hold it in place. We suggest slightly
opening the holes in the former where the pins enter.
This will allow an easier installation.
Canopy and Cockpit Installation:
The cockpit assembly will need to be fit to the can-
opy. You will need to trim the edges and notch the
front of the cockpit to fit over the canopy wood cross
piece.
DO NOT GLUE THE COCKPIT INTO THE CAN-
OPY. It is installed separately and remains loose.
NOTE: There are some scribe lines on the bottom of
the cockpit. They are NOT to be followed, they help
the factory with assembly but are not a reference for
final fit.
The cockpit will also have to be notched to clear the
rear former and to clear the quick release latch.

N-Tech Jets F-9F Panther Assembly Guide Page 9
The instrument panel will need to be trimmed to fit
the aircraft and to clear the canopy cross piece.
Canopy and Cockpit Installation Continued: C.G., Control Throws, Pre-Flight Check
Balancing your Panther:
It is critical that the Panther be balanced properly.
The CG is located at the front hatch bulkhead.
This location is marked on the fuselage
When picked up by the bulkhead, the Panther
should hang level, or slightly nose down. CG
must be performed with all flight batteries, motor
batteries, equipment, etc installed and the landing
gear down.
Setting the Control Throws:
The Panther is a high-speed heavy scale jet. As
such, it is important that the control throws be set
correctly. Excessive control throws will result in
an un-flyable aircraft.
We recommend the first flight be set to these
throws. If you have triple rates, use these as the
medium throw and then have high set 5-10%
higher and low set to 10% lower.
Ailerons: 15mm each direction
Elevator: 15mm each direction
Rudder: 30mm each direction
Flap: 10 degrees takeoff, 45 degrees landing
1st Flight Pre-Flight Check List:
-Servo head screws tight
-Clevises have fuel line or retainers installed
-Batteries securely fastened
-Check control throws
-Check range (motor on and motor off)
-Tighten all screws
-Check wing rod retainer clamps.
-Test cycle retractable landing gear several times.
-Taxi test for gear alignment and tracking.
-Check the hinges are securely glued in place
-Check all pushrods and horns are secure
-Double check control movement direction.
-Double check EDF motor rotation direction.
-Double check motor batteries are fully charged
before flight.
-Set Timer so that you can land with power. First
flight should be no longer than 4 minutes.

Page 10 N-Tech Jets F-9F Panther Assembly Guide
The N-Tech F-9F Panther is not a toy. It is a high per-
formance, high speed radio controlled miniature air-
craft and as such requires building and flying skill.
It is up to the user to assemble and operate the Panther
in a safe and responsible manner according to the Ra-
dio Control Model guidelines in his or her country.
N-Tech Jets and their dealers are not responsible for
the successful or safe use of this product. By using
this product, the user assumes all responsibility.
For information about the legal and safe operation of
radio controlled aircraft as well as the related safety
and legal guidelines for use, please reference the ap-
propriate association:
Australia: Model Aircraft Association of Australia
www.maaa.asn.au
Canada: Model Aeronautics Association of Canada
www.maac.ca
Great Britain: British Model flying Association
www.bmfa.org
United States: Academy of Model Aeronautics
www.modelaircraft.org
Hong Kong, China
Copyright 2011,
All Rights Reserved
For Service and Information, please contact N-Tech Jets or your local N-Tech Jets Dealer.
[email protected]
For information about the Panther as well as video about its assembly,
please visit the N-Tech Jets youtube channel
www.youtube.com/ntechjets