THUNDER TIGER MD500 User manual

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Hughes 500 MD Scale Fiberglass Fuselage (TTR3834)
Distributed in NorthAmerica by Ace Hobby Distributors,Inc.• 2055 Main Street,Irvine,CA 92614
Telephone:[phone] • www.acehobby.com • E-mail:[e-mail]
Fuselage Length (less rotor):56" (1425mm)
FueslageWidth (less rotor):23.5"(595mm)
Full EquippedWeight:13~13.5 lbs (5900~6100g)
Specifications:
Warranty
This kit is guaranteed to be free from defects in material and workmanship at the date of purchase. It
does not cover any damage caused by use or modification. The warranty does not extend beyond the
product itself and is limited only to the original cost of the kit. By the act of building this user-assembled
kit,the user accepts all resulting in liability for damage caused by the final product. If the buyer is not
prepared to accept this liability,it can be returned new and unused to the place of purchase for a refund.
Notice: Adult Supervision Required
This is not a toy. Assembly and flying of this product requires adult supervision.
Read through this book completely and become familiar with the assembly and flight of this MD-500.
Inspect all parts for completeness and damage. If you encounter any problems,call us for help.
JK6001

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INTRODUCTION
PRE-ASSEMBLY NOTES
Congratulations on the purchase of one of our finest scale heli fuselage to date. This famous Hughes MD
500 (Military Defender),used as an antitank,multi-mission helicopter.Flown extensively during theVietnamWar
Era performing multiple missions under extreme conditions.
The venerable MD 500 has been replicated to exhibits this attack helicopters' sleek details.The light fuselage
comes factory pre-painted with all necessary hardware.It is very easy to assemble and only takes you few hours
of enjoyable installation to put this scale body on your helicopter.
This replica MD is just like a real thing,hovering this MD that will definitely make you stand out on the flying
field.
Before beginning the assembly read the instructions thoroughly to give an understanding of the
sequence of steps and a general awareness of the recommended assembly procedures.
By following these instructions carefully and referring to the corresponding pictures,the assembly of
your model will be both enjoyable and rewarding. The result will be a well built,easy to assemble scale
model,which you will be proud to display.
This MD-500 is designed for intermediate to advanced pilots,and this manual assumes a basic
knowledge of R/C model construction.
Before your assembly
1. Before you start to assemble this fuselage on your helicopter, we suggest you to first fine tune your
helicopter in the air.
2. Double-check all screws,then secure and Loctite all the loose screws.
3. The instruction manual is written for Raptor, if user should choose to install it on other branded
helicopters, then we would suggest to study thoroughly first the manual to see how it is installed on a
Raptor.
Before you begin,check the entire contents of your kit against the parts list and photos to make sure
that no parts are missing or damaged. This will also help you to become familiar with each component of
your model. If you find that any of the parts are either missing or damaged,(Customers in NorthAmerica)
please contactAce Hobby Distributors,Inc.,Customer Service immediately for replacements.
Please read the entire manual before beginning construction.
Neither your dealer nor Ace Hobby Distributors, Inc., can accept kits for return if construction has begun.
Trial fit each part before gluing it in place. Make sure you are using the correct part and that it fits
well before assembling. No amount of glue can make up for a poor-fitting part.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Introduction.................................................2
RecommendedTools & Materials............. 3
ItemYou May Need.................................... 3
Parts Drawings............................................ 4-5
Parts Check List.......................................... 6
Assembly...................................................... 7
Test Flight.....................................................14
MEMO...........................................................15

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RECOMMENDEDTOOLS & MATERIALS
Adhesives:
Instant setting Cyanoacrylate adhesive (thin CA)
Slow setting Cyanoacrylate adhesive (thick CA)
10 Minute Epoxy (fast)
20-30 Minute Epoxy (slow)
Tools:
Model knife, 1/2” MASK tape
Small screwdrivers,medium screwdrivers
Scissors
Long nose pliers and diagonal cutting pliers
Drill and drill bits (1/16",5/64")
150 grid sand paper
Fine felt tip pen and soft lead pencil
Reamer
R/C System:
6 Channel Heli radio
GYRO system
Helicoptor:
Raptor 60~90 Suggested
TTR1115 - Precision FuelerValve
TTR2174 - Built in Glow Plug ExtensionWire
TTR4870 - Paptor 60
TTR4890 - Paptor 90
Adhesives - You will need two types of adhesives for
the MD-500 - Epoxy and Instant (cyanoacrylate)
adhesives. We recommend that you purchase both 5-
minute and 30-minute epoxy to cut down on assembly
time, but you can get by with only 30-minute epoxy if
time is not important.You will also need a small bottle of
both“Thick” and“Thin” instant CA adhesive.
Tools - Model assembly can be much easier if the
proper tools are used. Therefore, we have included in
our checklist to the left,a complete listing of all the tools
we used to assemble our prototype models.As you will
notice, many household tools can be utilized during
construction.
ITEMSYOU MAY NEED

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PARTS DRAWINGS

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PARTS CHECK LIST
Missile Set
Wing (L,1)
Wing (R,1)
Missile Pod (2)
Pod Retainer (L,1)
Pod Retainer (R,1)
Ring(2)
Joiner (2)
Vent (4)
3x25mmWood Screw (2)
3x15mmWood Screw(4)
2x8mmWood Screw(8)
2x5mmWood Screw(12)
Body Retainer
Post (L,2 )
Post (S,2)
Set Screw(L,2)
Set Screw(S,2)
Damper (L,2)
Damper (S.2)
M3 Locknut (2)
Windshield
FrontWindshield (1)
Right FrontWindow (1)
Kit Contents:
Fuselage
Fuselage (1)
Missile Sight (1)
Round Plywood (S,2)
Round Plywood (L,2)
Laser Range Finder (1)
FLIR (infrared) (1)
Tail Boom Foam Retainer (1)
M4Washer (4)
Silicon Grommet (4)
Strut Rubber (4)
2 x5mmWood Screw (10)
PlasticTube (1)
Fiberglass Cloth (1)
Tail Set
Vertical Fin (1)
HorizontalTail (1)
Tip Fin (2)
3x 40 mm Socket Screw (2)
3x18mmWood Screw (2)
3x8mmWood Screw (4)
M3Washer (4)
M3 Locknut (2)
Left FrontWindow (1)
Right RearWindow (1)
Left RearWindow (1)
RightTopWindow (1)
LeftTopWindow (1)
Missile Sight Lens (1)
2x5 mm Machine Screw (16)
M2 Nut (16)
2x5 mmWood Screw (48)
MaskTape (1)
Landing Skid
Brace (2)
Al.Strut (4)
Skid Joiner (R,2)
Skid Joiner (L,2)
End Cap (4)
3x 30 mm Socket Screw (4)
3x3mm Set Screw (4)
2.6x 14mm SelfTapping Screw (8)
2.6x10mm SelfTapping Screw (4)
M3 Locknut (4)
Rear Frame Set
Rear Frame (L,1)
Rear Frame (R,1)
Washer (4)

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Assembly
1. Locate four Round Plywood pieces, glue the same sized
pieces together as shown.
2. Position the OMS (Optical Missile Sight) in place then
epoxy the two doubled round plywood inside the OMS.
Glue one side first then the other.Make sure the OMS can
be rotated.You may install a micro camera or servo making
sure that it can really do a mission at your command.If not,
then you can just epoxy the OMS in place firmly.
3. Locate the Sight Lens, position it in place, then drill 1/16"
(1.5mm) holes at the four corners.Secure the lens in place
with four 2x5mmWood Screws.
4. Note the orientation of the wing tip and trail making sure
it can fit twoWings in the wing mount. Ascertain the two
wings are at same dihedral angles and the trailing/leading
edge of two wings are in line with each other. Adjust it
until you obtain a satisfactory result, then use pencil to
make marks on the wing at both sides as guidelines.
5. Remove the Wing to sand away the paint base on the
guideline you drew, this is the glue area that you could
sand with 150 grid sand paper to enhance the adhesion.
Remove the paint in the wing mount,you may use hobby
knife to scratch the surface in the well.

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6. Fit the wing in place again, drill two 5/64"(2mm) holes
through the wing mount to the wing from the inside of the
fuselage. Remove the wing again,apply epoxy at glue area
and secured it with two 3x15mm Wood Screws. Either
wipe off the excess epoxy or use masking tape to tape the
guideline to keep the wing clean after the masking tape
removal.
7. Repeat the same procedure on the other wing,make sure
the two wings are at same dihedral angles.If you see from
the top the trailing/ leading edge should be in line with
each other.
8. Locate the Laser Range Finder, position it right after the
Windshield at the center bottom of fuselage. Drill
1/16"(1.5mm) holes and secure it with six 2x5mm Wood
Screws.
9. Locate the molded marks for landing strut and engine
cooling openings at the bottom of the fuselage. Note these
marks are only for reference of Raptors,shall you install it
on other branded helicopters then you will have to find
out the correct opening position for landing strut before
you drill or trim the fuselage.
Note: For Raptor Owners, it is recommended to offset by
2mm to the center line when you trim the landing skid
opening. This will get more space between the collective
pitch frame and windshield where servo horn and ball link
might contact.
Center Line

10.Locate four Rubber Rings, trim away the flashing and
center portion.Place the Rubber Rings at the four landing
strut openings. It might be necessary to trim the opening
larger to fit the rubber ring with the inserted Aluminum
strut.For the rear strut opening,you may cut the ring for
easier access.
11.Put the scale fuselage aside for a moment and get your
heli prepared. For Raptor owners, please remove the
Landing Skid, Muffler,Tail Fins, Boom Supports and Tail
Rotor Assembly. Locate the new Rear Frames, which are
specially designed for this MD fuselage. Use the new
washers and secure the Rear Frame in place with the
same screws you used previously. Also use the same
screw and locknut to secure the Rear Frame at the tail
boom mounting hole. Use the same Tank Rubber
grommets and install the FuelTank.
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12.Assemble the Landing Skid as shown.Temporarily install
the Brace under the side frame. Adjust the Landing Skid
as shown and make sure it sits on the table firmly. Secure
the Joiner & Skid Pipe with the furnished 3x3mm Set
Screws. Do not over-tighten the setscrews;just make sure
the skid pipe will not rotate. Then secure the Joiner and
theAluminum Strut with 2.6x10mm Self-Tapping Screws.
13.Remove the landing skid assembly from Heli. Remove the
brace from the aluminum strut. Do not remove the strut
and skid pipe as they are already adjusted and secured.
Apply masking tape on the strut that is going to make
contact with the fuselage, since the masking tape will
protect the paint from scratching. Place the brace on the
fuselage and install the strut and skid pipe onto the brace.
You may apply Vaseline on rubber ring to increase the
lubrication for easier installation.

14.Secure the Aluminum Strut and Brace with 2.6x14mm
Socket Screws. Hint: Install the left Aluminum Strut
Assembly and Brace first ( Left side is the side of the
fuselage with Optical Missile Sight). Pull the brace out and
secure the socket screws then push it back and pull the
right side out then install the right aluminum strut
assembly.
15.Before fitting your helicopter into the fuselage, you may
trim all Windows and trails to better fit them into the
fuselage.It might be necessary to trim the FRP fuselage to
match the windows as well.Once you obtain satisfactory
result, proceed to drill 1/16"(1.5mm) openings through
the fiberglass the fuselage and window and secure the
window with 2x5mmWood Screws.After finishing all the
windows, remove all the windows and clean the inside
fuselage entirely. (You can skip the rear side window for
easy operation)
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16.Trial sit on the landing skid assembly. For Raptor owner,
position the Front Windshield in place and check if the
ball links on aileron servo horn contacts the front
windshield when it is in maximum positive pitch. Lower
the Raptor by enlarging the landing strut opening to the
fuselage center liner if the servo horn contacts the
windshield. It might be necessary to try several times
before obtaining a desirable result.
17.If you use Raptor 60 then it is required to trim off the
fuselage tail for about 1"( 2.5cm ). However, it is not
necessary for those using the 80/90 conversion kit, R90
STD Kit or R90 SE Kit since the tail gear case is longer than
the fuselage tail.Install the tail rotor assembly in place and
check if holes on the landing brace matches the side
frame landing skid-mounting holes. If it cannot reach the
holes then trim the tail until it is able to do so.Unthread
the ball link, insert a PlasticTube then thread the ball link
back to pushrod at the original position.