Top Flite Models RC-33 Elder 40 User manual

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INTRODUCTION
TOP FLITEMODELS, INC.is
proud tointroducethe new Elder
40.This design isa directresult
of popular demand afterthe
great littleElder20 was introduc-
ed. Modelers loved the design,
stilldo, but wanted something
"larger" and "whileyou'reat it,
give itailerons." So,here itisand
does itever flynice'.
The Elder40 was designed and
sized expresslyfor.40engines
and thisincludes the popular.40-
.45and .49engines. The design
turnsingreat performancewith
the four-strokepower plants and
there is plenty of power margin
leftover forthe aerobatic-
minded pilot.However, the real
"kick" of this design, like its smaller brother, isthe
realistic,slow-speed flightsthat allow you to actually
see the airplane instead of justa blur.
The design lends itselfto all kinds of detailing, if you're
so inclined. Forthe beginner, nothing fancyisneeded;
go out and flyit. The Elder 40 makes a remarkably good
trainingaircraftwithgentleand totallyhonest flying
characteristics.A big bonus here is that your trainer is
justnot going to look like everyone else'shigh-wing,
trike-gear,slab-sided beginner's airplane. Intermsof
strength, theEIder40 is a lightly-loaded design that does
nottendto build-up inertiawithexcessflightspeed. This
means that fairlyrough handling does not necessarily
mean destruction.Whilenothing is "crash-proof",the
Elder 40 is a rugged aircraftthat willkeep coming back
formore.
While we touched on power earlier, a littlemore should
besaid.Thisdesignsimplydoesnotneedalotofexcess
power to flythe way itwas intended to. Our experience
has shown usthat normal 2-cycle.40's work great as
wellas the 4-cycleengine sizes mentioned earlier. With
awingarea ofjustunder800sq. in.,the Elder40 gets its
tail upquicklyand isairborne injusta fewfeet.Flying
thedesign with4-cycle engines is anabsolute delight.
Give ita tryinyourElder 40. Note that the motor mount
wehave provided in thekit may not fitsome 4-cycle
engines and itmay benecessaryto visityour local retail
hobby shop to get the rightone foryour engine.
IMPORTANTNOTE:
TOP FLITE MODELS, INC. would certainlyrecommend
the Elder 40 as a firstR/C powered aircraft.However, if
you are a beginner to the sport of R/C flying,we would
urgeyoutoseekanduseexperiencedassistanceincon-
structingand flyingthisairplane. Again, if you are new
to thishobby, consider this:
Flyingthisoranyother radio-controlled model aircraftis
aPRIVILEGEand not a RIGHTand thisprivilegebegins
withthe utmost safetyconsiderationsto others and
yourselfaswell.AnR/Cmodel airplane ininexperienced
hands hasthe potential ofdoing serious personal orpro-
perty damage. These safetyconsiderationsstartat the
building board by followinginstructions,seeking com-
petent help when you are confusedand avoiding short-
cuts.These considerations haveto becarried overtothe
flyingfieldwheresafetymust come firstand limitations
TOPFLITEMODELS INC.
1901NORTH NARRAGANSETT AVENUE • CHICAGO,ILLINOIS60639

cannot beexceeded. We urge you to:
1.Send forand obtain your AMA(Academy of Model
Aeronautics)membership whichwillprovide in-
surance foryour R/C activities— DONOT RELYON
HOMEOWNERSINSURANCE.
2.Join an AMAsanctionedR/C flyingclub inyourarea
where youcan obtain competent, professionalin-
structionintrimmingand learning how to flythis
model.
Check withyour favorite local hobbyshop for the re-
quired AMAformsor theaddress wheretheycan beob-
tained.
WARNING!!!
Aradio controlledmodel isnot a "toy." Care and
cautionmust be takeninproperlybuildingthe
model, as wellas in theinstallationand use of the
radio controldevice.Itis importantto followall
directionsas tothe constructionof thiskit as well
as installationand use of theengine and radio
gear.The adviceand assistanceof a wellex-
perienced builder and pilot is highlyrecommend-
ed. Don't takechances!Improper building, opera-
tion,or flyingof thismodel could resultin serious
bodily injuryto others, yourself, orproperty
damage.
PRE-CONSTRUCTION NOTES
The Elder40, like otherTop Flite kitsemploys the useof
die-cut wood toease the task ofconstruction,partsfit
and identification.The diesused forthiskithave been
rigorouslycheckedforabsoluteaccuracyand should
provideyou withexcellentfit.Die-cut partsshould be
carefullyremoved fromtheirsheetsby firstlightlysan-
ding the back of each sheet of parts and then carefully
removing each part. Use a lightgarnet paperforthesan-
ding and keep a sharp hobby knifewithan X-acto#11
blade, or equivalent,handy forassistancein removing
any partsthat might not havecompletelycut-throughby
the dies. Parts whichoppose one another and must be
preciselyuniform—suchas fuselagesides, ribs,etc.—
should becarefully"matched"aftertheirremoval from
thepart sheets. Matchingis theprocessofholding the
opposing pieces togetherwitheitherpins, tape or spot
gluing and lightlysanding the edges oftheparts until
they are identical.A sanding block withlight garnet
paper is most useful forthisand otherphases of con-
struction.
Your building surfaceshould beat least large enough to
accommodate thewingpanels. Thissurfaceshould be
as absolutelyflatas possible and yet beable toaccept
pins easily.We have foundthata productsuch as
Celotexfiberboard worksquitewellforthispurpose.
Anothergoodsurfacecanbefoundinmostwell-stocked
hardwarestores—a2'x4'fiberboard ceilingtile.These
are quiteinexpensiveand can be used forseveral
airplanesbeforeneeding replacement.
Aswithmost R/C kitsthatare constructedfrom wood, a
selectionof tools—mostof whichcan befound in the
average workshop—area must to do thejobcorrectly:
Hobby knifeand sharp #11 blades
Single-edge razor blades
T-pins
Sanding blocks in assorted sizes
Sandpaper in various grits
Hand-held hobby saw, such as an X-acto
Dremel tool or power drilland assorteddrill bits
Straight-edge,preferably metal, at least 36" long
90" triangle
Soldering iron, flux(silver)and solder
Carbide cut-offwheelforwirecutting
Small powerjig-saw,such as a Moto-Saw
Razorplane
Tapes, such as masking and cellophane
Our Elderswere constructedusing a varietyof common
hobby adhesives including5-minute epoxy,Cyano-
acrylates,aliphaticresin (such as Titebond) and 1-hour
epoxy.Sinceallof us haveourown constructiontechni-
quesand favoriteadhesives,stickwiththeonesthatyou
are familiarwithand prefer.However, incertainareas
therewillbecalloutsforcertaintypesofadhesives,and
we urge you to trynot to substitutesincedoing so could
possibly cause problems structurally.
The last thingwe should touchon beforewe begin ac-
tualconstructionis thesequence in whichthe Elderis
assembled. The sequence given to you in thisbooklet
hasbeenproventobethemoststraight-forwardandpro-
videsthe finishedcomponents intheorder thatyou will
need them to progress to thenext assembly phase. Try
to stickwiththebuilding order presented here to avoid
mistakes.
Spread theplans out on your work surface,cover them
witha clear plasticmaterial,such as the backing froma
roll of Monokote or plasticwrap and commence con-
struction.
WING ASSEMBLY
Wing constructionforthe Elderconsistsof building
threeseparate pieces; thetwowingpanels and the
centersection.These willbejoinedin the Final
Assemblysectionof thismanual. You willneed the
centersection,withitstopunsheeted, duringthe
Fuselage Assemblysection.Inthissequence, becer-
tainthatyou areworkingon a flatworksurface.Careful-
ly jointhetwowingplan sheets, 3 of 4 and 4 of4, at the
centersectionand securewithtape.Thisprovidesthe
fullwingplanon whichtowork.Thewingisbuiltdirectly
overtheplans, so cover them withMonokote backing or
clearfoodwrap.
1.Startwiththecentersectionfirst.Locatethe die-cut
sheets containingpartsW-11 (2, ply), W-12 (2,ply),
W-13,twooftheW-1A'sandW-1B(4,balsa).Remove
thesepartsfromtheirsheetsand cleanupanyrough
edges beforeassembly.
2.Using theplans as a guide; measure, cut and butt-
glue the 1/4" x 1-1/2" lowerleading edge, 3/32" balsa
sheet and the3/32" x 1" trailingedge thatmakes up
the bottom centersection.Note desired graindirec-
tionof thesepieces. Measure, cutand gluein place
2

the 3/8"x 1/2" upper leading edge. Glue one of the
W-11 ply dihedral braces in place against theinside
surfaceof theleading edge—besure that it's
centered.Gluetheouter W-1A half-ribsin place
against therear faceofthe dihedral brace, lined-up
withtheedges ofthebottom sheetingat rightangles
toyourworksurface.Now gluein place twomore
W-1A's,1" inboard of the twoouter ones.
3Asshown on theplans,thecenterdihedral brace is a
compositemade by laminatingthetwoW-12's (ply)
to each sideof W-13, whichresults in a 1/4"thickpart
—dothisnow. Glue thecompleted composite
dihedralbrace in place to thebottom sheetingand
up againsttherear edges of thefourW-1A's.Besure
thispart is centered.
4Locate twoof your 1/4" x 1/2" pieces of spar stock.
From each, cut one 5"length. Glue one of these
pieces inthe top rear slotsintheW-1A'sand against
thetopforwardfaceofthecenterdihedral brace.
Glue the otheron bottom sheetingagainstthebot-
tom rear faceof the center dihedral brace.
5Now gluethe fourW-1 B rear half-ribsinplace behind
themain dihedralbrace. GluetheremainingW-11
(ply) dihedral brace in place on thebottomsheeting
againstthe rear edges of thefourW-1B's.Locatethe
1/4" x3/8" trailingedge materialand cut a 5"length.
Thisis now glued in place againstthe rearfaceofthe
rear W-11 brace andto the bottom sheeting.
NOTE: Fornow thiscompletes the centersectioncon-
struction.You willfinishit afterit has been used in the
constructionof thefuselage.Set it aside fornow and
build thetwowingpanels. Both panels are built directly
over the plans at thesame time.
3

6.Inthisstepwe wantto prepare each of the required
components—thetopand bottom spars, the3/8"x
1/2" frontLE.and the rear 1/4" x 3/8"T.E. —withthe
proper dihedral angle at theirinboard ends. The
cross-sectionof thewingthat is shown on theplans
isideal forthispurpose. Simply lay, forinstance, the
bottom 1/4"x 1/2" balsa spar inplace overthisdraw-
ing. Note thatthe outboard end is cutat90degs.; but
that theinboard end must becut at an angle to
achievetherequired 3/4"per panel dihedral angle.
Make twoof thesebottom spars. Now repeat this
processwiththe topspars, theleading edges and
the trailingedges (note thatthe length oftheleading
edges is developedfromthetop viewof the wing
plan). The inboard edges of the 1/4" x "I11/2" lower
leading edges should befirstcut at 90 degs. and
thenslightlychamferedto match the needed
dihedral angle.
7.Startconstructionbyfirst pinning the 1/4" x 1-1/2"
lower leading edges in place, directlyovertheplans.
Note thatthe inboard edges of thesetwoparts ter-
minate at the outer edges of the twooutboard
W-1A's.Next, pin the 3/32"x 1" bottom trailingedge
planking inplace. Now gluethe1/4" x 3/8" trailing
edges in place on the top, rear ofthe 3/32"trailing
edge bottom sheet. Now cut,fitand glue each ofthe
3/32" x 1/4"bottom capstripswhichsitbeneath each
of the W-2A's,W-3'sand W-4's—pinthesein place
over theplan to keep them fromshifting.Using the
3/32"sheetbalsaprovided,measure,cutandgluethe
inboard bottom wingsheetingin place—notegrain
direction.Glue theW-6 wingtipsin place. Now glue
and pin thebottom spar inplace (angled end in-
board) on thebottom wingsheet and thecap strips.
Now glue all W-2A,W-3 and W-4 wingribsinplace.
Make sure thattheseare at rightanglestoyourwork
surface—pinand allowto dry.
8.Glue all of theW-5 angled ribs in place. NOTE:Toob-
tainaflushfit,useyoursanding blocktochamferthe
forwardends of the W-5 ribs where theycontact the
W-3 rib sides.
9.Glue all of the wingtipbraces (W-7, W-8, W-9, W-10
and W-15) in place on theW-6 wingtipsheet. Note
that W-7, W-9 and W-10 need tohave theirinboard
ends chamferedwitha sandingblock to fitflush to
the outer face of W-3.
10.Now takethecentersection which wasassembled
earlierand fitittooneofthewingpanels.Tiltituntil
thetwoarmsoftheW-11plydihedralbracesfitflush
to thefrontand rear bottom sheetingand thecenter
brace is correctlypositionedagainstthe bottom
spar. Check thisfitto besure all componentsfit
nicely.Trim as needed to get proper fit.Prop and/or
pinthiscentersectioninthispositionasyouwilluse
it as a guide fortheremainingwingpanel parts.
Remember not to glue anything to the center section
yet; it's only in place for spacing purposes.
11.Gluethefront3/8"x1/2" leading edge inplaceontop
ofthelower1/4"x1-1/2"leadingedgeandagainstthe
front of each fulland half rib (angled end inboard to
fitagainst tiltedcenter section). Glue the top 1/4" x
1/2" spar inplace (angled end inboard). Cut, fitand
glue the3/32" x 1" leading and trailingedge planking
inplace—pinortapetohold.Removethecentersec-
tion fromthewingpanel and repeat the above steps
on theremaining panel.
12.Cut, fitand glue all of the remaining top3/32"x 1/4"
cap stripsin place on all of theribs and half ribs.
13. Remove the wingpanels fromtheworksurface.In-
spect them forany dried globs of glue, remove these
witha #11 X-actoknife.Tape or hold thetwowing
panels togetherwiththebottoms ofeachfacingthe
other—aligncarefully.Use yoursanding block to
now shape theforwardwingtipsidenticallywith
each other and the curvesshown on theplans. With
the exceptionof theinboard ends, use yoursanding
block tocarefully"match"thewingpanels, leading
edges, tipsand trailingedges. Separate thepanels
and use a sanding block withlight paper over allof
thepanels' surfacesto smooth them forcovering
later (afterfinalassembly).
14.Note on theplans, thepoints shownforthe1/4" sq.
spruceflyingwireanchor points. These are fullrib
depth. If it is your intentiontouse theseoptional
wireson your model, cutand gluetheseanchor
points in place at thistime.Set asidethe completed
wingpanels forfinalassemblylater.
TAIL GROUP
The tailgroup of yourElderis built directlyover the plans
in a quitestraight-forwardmanner. Note thereare op-
tionsopen toyou withtheseparts intermsof shape.The
stab'sgentlecurveswhichterminatein sharp points at
thetrailingedge of theelevatorsgive a certain"look,"
whichcan bechanged by rounding the outboard trailing
edges of theelevators.This "softens"the look ofthese
shapes. The same thingcan bedone to thefinand rud-
der, topand bottom—looksnice. Asshown,you can
also scallopthetrailingedges of therudder and
elevatorstogiveyet another differentlook.
1.Startwiththestab. Build itdirectlyover theplans
whichhave been covered withtheclearbacking
fromMonokote or foodwrap.PositionthetwoS-1
tipsin placeand thecenterS-2aswell;pin. Fromthe
1/4" x 1/2" balsa stockprovided, cut,fitand glue in
place the twoleading edges and thetrailingedge.
Using the same material, cut and gluein place the
"cap" infront of S-2,thus completingthe stab
outline.
2.Cut,fitcarefullyand gluethe1/4"sq.balsaribs(three
perside)inplace.Useshortlengthsof1/4"x1/2"stock
to make thefillets—notegraindirection.
3. From the1/4" x 1-3/4" balsa stockprovided, measure
and cut the twoelevators.Notch them as shown to
accept the1/4" dia. dowel elevatorjoiner.Withthe
stab stillin positionon theworksurface,pin the
elevatorhalves in place. Protectthetrailingedge of
thestab witha stripofwaxedpaper and epoxy the
dowel joinerin place inthe notches—allowto set
completely.
4

4.Removethe staband elevatorsfromthe plans. Build
thefinnextinthesamemannerusingtheR-1 and R-2
die-cutpieceswith1/4"sq.and1/4"x1/2"balsaframes
shown. Cut therudder to shape fromtheremainder
ofthe 1/4 " x 1-3/4" balsastock used forthe elevators.
Position the rudder inplaceto the back ofthe finand
glue R-3 inplace to the leading edge of the rudder.
Remove theparts fromyour building board.
5.Using the 3/32"x 1/4" balsa provided, cap stripboth
sides of the finand stab assemblies as shown on the
•plans. Besure, when capping the lower edge of the
fin,to leave a distanceof 3/32"fromthebottom to
allowthe fintofitinto theslot between the twotop
S-3caps. GluethetwoS-3 caps totheuppersurface
of S-2, leaving a 1/4"gap at thecenterlineforthe fin.
Test-fitthefininplace ontop of the stab. With thefin
stillin place,cut,fitandgluetheforward3/32"x 1/4"
cap stripinplace forwardof the fin.Remove the fin.
6.The elevators, stab, finand rudder are now final-
sanded to shape. Startby using masking tape to
mount the elevatorsto thestab. Useasandingblock
to go over all of the outsidesurfacestocarefully
match them. Lay thestab on a flatworkingsurface,
masking tape down, and use thesanding block to
sand it flat.Use thesanding block totaperthe
elevatorsas shown on one side. Tape the
stab/elevator hinge line, turnthestab over,remove
the tape fromthisside, and repeat the process. The
same method is used forthe finand rudder. Once
complete, use sandpaper to round the leading
edges. Set theseparts aside for covering and
assembly to the fuselage.
FUSELAGE ASSEMBLY
Before startingconstruction, study the plans and draw-
ings to familiarizeyourselfwithhow the fuselageis
assembled. Note that it really is nothing more than a
basic "box" fuselagewithsemi-formersinthe nosearea
tocreatetherounded cowlingeffect.Thissimpleandef-
fectiveway of making a fuselagecan only beruined in
one way;building it crooked. This can bedone bynot
making thefuselageside framesidenticaland/or mis-
sizing thetop and bottom cross braces. Anothercom-
mon error is to make improper joints.The Elderrelies a
great deal on thestrengthof its frame—makethose
jointsfitcorrectly!Note also that theuprightsand cross
braces are a mix ofboth spruceand balsa. These are
notated.
1.Locate and remove die-cut parts F-5and F-9,two of
each. Securely pin F-5 in place directlyover your
covered fuselageplan. Note thatthebottom aft
sprucelongeron terminatesinthe rear notchin part
F-5.Disregard thecurveof thislongeron fornow.
2.PinF-9inplace directlyovertheplans. Measure and
cut thetop rear sprucelongeron that fitsinplace
from the back of the"tab" on F-9 aftto the tailpost.
(Atool such as an X-actomitrebox and razor saw is
quite good forcuttingspruce.) Glue the top rear
longeron inplace to F-9.
3.Asyou can see fromthe plans and building sket-
ches, thetop 1/4" sq. spruce longeron fitsinplace
fromthefrontedge of the 1/4" x 1" x 3-5/8" ply wing
hold-down former.Eventually,when itis installed,
this ply formerwillbebacked-up with a 333/8" length
of 1/4"x 1/2"balsa. Hold thisformer on edge witha
pieceof1/4"x1/2"behinditandmarkitsforwardloca-
tionon F-9.Cut a length of 1/4"sq. spruce to fitfrom
thismark forwardto the frontfaceof the firewall-
glue inplace to F-9.
4.Cut, fitand glue the four required 1/4"x 1/2" balsa
uprightsfromCross-SectionB-B back to and in-
cludingthe one beneath the"tab" on part F-9—note
that the bottom, rear longeron willneed to beblock-
ed inplace as the bottom, rear curve starts. As
shown on the plans, a 1/4" balsa doubler ismade to
fitinsideofthefuselageframe,atthenose, between
F-5and the top longeron and against the frontofthe
1/4"x1/2"uprightatSectionB-B.Thisdoubleriscutto
fit1/4"behind thetoplongeroninordertoacceptthe
firewall.Glue thisdoubler inplace.
5.Cut,fitandglue in placetherearmost 1/4" sq. spruce
tailpostupright—besure thatthecorrectangle is
also trimmed into itslower end forthe bottom
longeron. Withtheframefirmlysecured to the
building board, bendthebottom longeron uptomeet
therearmost uprightthat was justinstalled.Glue
and securelyblock thislongeron in place.
6.Cut, fitand glue in place all remaining spruce
uprightswhilebending and block-pinningthebot-
tom, rear longeron in place as you go. This com-
pletes the basic fuselageside frame.Now make a
second, identicalframe.Be absolutelysure that
they'reidentical by building thesecond frame
directlyontopofthefirst,carefullycoveringthefirst
frame withMonokote backing or foodwrap.
7.Holdortapethetwocompletedframestogetherand
use your sanding block tomake sure theyare iden-
tical.Separate them and sand theirsides smooth
(both sides) withthe sanding block.
8.Note on the side viewof the plans forthefuselage
thatthereare six1/4"x 1/2"balsa cross-braceloca-
tionsshown (numbered 1 through6).Allof these
cross-braces,withthe exceptionof #3 (directly
beneath the wing'strailingedge) are 3-1/8" long.
Carefullycut all five to length. #3 is 3-5/8" long,cut
thisoneaswell.Carefullypositionthe twofuselage
framesupside down, over the topviewof the plans.
Block or pin as needed to hold them inplace at right
anglestoyourworksurface.(NOTE: Duetotheslight
incidenceangle intheseframes,theywillnot fitflat
to the surface.This is not important at thistime.)
Locate twoof the1/4" x 1" x3-5/8" ply formers.Epoxy
these in placeinthenotches locatedon thebottoms
of theF-5's. Glue bottomcross-braces4, 5 and 6 in
placebetweenthetwofuselageframesand allowto
set. Removetheframefromtheworksurface,turnit
overand installthethreeremaining cross-braces,1,
2and3inplace. Nowepoxytheremaining1/4"x 1"x
3-5/8" ply wing hold-down former inplace on top of
F-9.
5

1/4"SQ. SPRUCELONGERONS
CLEARPLASTIC
SHEET
ALL UPRIGHTS 1/4"SQ. SPRUCE
AFTOF THISLINE
IN THEFIRSTSTEP, THEFUSELAGESIDESAREASSEMBLEDDIRECTLYON
FUSELAGEPLANTO KEEPFRAMEFROMBEINGGLUEDTO PLAN,USE
MONOKOTEBACKINGORCLEARPLASTICFOODWRAPWHENFIRSTSIDE
HASBEEN ASSEMBLED,AGAINUSECLEARPLASTICSHEETTO KEEP
SECONDSIDEFROMADHERINGTO THEFIRSTSIDEFRAME
ALLUPRIGHTS1/4"X 1/2"BALSA
FORWARDOF THISLINE
THE FIRST PHASEOF SHEETINGIS
SHOWNIN STEP 3--(1/8" SHEET, APPLIED
WITHGRAINACROSSTHEFUSELAGE)
STEP2 - JOINBOTH SIDESWITH1/4"X 1/2"BALSA
CROSSPIECESASSHOWNALSOGLUEFIREWALL
(1/4" PLY-3-3/8"X3-5/8")INPLACE
STEP3-ADDTHREE1/4"PLY (1" X3-5/8")CROSSPIECESAS
SHOWN(TWOAREL G MOUNTS,ONEATFUSELAGETOP)THEN
BEVELINNERREARENDSOFFRAMESANDGLUETOGETHER.
CUTREMAININGCROSSPIECESTOSIZE(BEVELENDSFORAN
EXACTFIT)ANDGLUEINPLACE.
1/4" PLY, 1" X 3-5/8"
IN THIS"FIRSTSTEP" SKETCH,
SECONDSIDEHASBEEN MADE
ANDIS SEPARATEDFROM
FIRST SIDEBY PLASTIC
SHEET.
FIREWALL
3
2
1
9.Locate the 1/4"ply firewall.You must now use the
plans to locatethepositionof your motor mount on
the firewall.This mount is installedinverted.Mark
the locationofthe fourmountingholes ontothe
firewall.Use a drilltodrilltheholes throughthe
firewallwitha 1/8"dia. bit. Epoxy thefour4-40 blind
mounting nuts inplace to the back of the firewallin-
to the holes justdrilled—keepingadhesiveout of
the threads.Test mount the motor mount withthe
4-40 x 7/8"boltsprovided. Remove themount and
epoxythefirewalltothefrontofthefuselageframe.
Align itcarefullyand allowto cure.
6

10.Use your sanding block and medium sandpaper to
now go over the frame. Make sure the edges are all
square and clean.
11.Locate and assemble, if needed, the fueltank that
you plan to use. This airplane can use either8,10or
12oz.fueltanks.(WeshowtheDu-Bro12oz.fueltank
mounted upright inthe nose.) Fit your tank into the
nose-ofthefuselageframe.Use short (3")lengthsof
scrap balsa stockto make "support" forit. Withthe
fuselageopen at thistime, it'seasy to see ifthetank
willsit level—adjustas needed. Inthisway,when
the fuselageis done, yourtank can be insertedfrom
the wing opening into thenose and removed, if need-
ed,withassurance that itismounted correctly.Now
usea3/16"drillbittodrillthetworequired holesfor
the fueltank (one forfuelfeed and fillingand the
other forthe pressure tap and overflow).Remove the
tank.
12.Drill and tapthe holes necessary inthe motor mount
to attachyour engine (we like to use 4-40 Allen-head
bolts forthispurpose). Attachthemotor mount to
the firewalland theengine tothemount. Byviewing
fromthefront,determinethelocationof thethrottle
tubehousing exithole. Thisshould be lined-up with
thecarb'sthrottlearm. Drill a3/16"dia. hole through
the firewallforthistube.Rough-up theouter surface
of theouterthrottletube housing and glue it in place
inthefirewall—about3/16"ofit should protrudeout
fromthefaceof the firewall,therest of it runs into
the radio compartment. Besure your tank stillfits
nicely.
13.The servos shown on the plans are of average con-
figuration;however, yoursmay be different(taller,
wider,etc.). The Elderwillacceptalmost any radio
system. Lay thefuselageframeovertheside viewof
the plans and lay one of the servos in place.
Remember thatthese servoswillbemounted on the
1/8"plyservo tray.Observe if yourservoswillfit.Cut,
notch, fitand gluethe 1/4" x 1/2" balsa servo tray
bearers inplace between thetwouprights in the
radio (servo) compartment.Theirouter edges should
beflushwiththe rest ofthefuselageframe.
14.You can now sheet thebottom ofthefuselagefrom
the nose (between thetwolanding gear formers)
backtothe2nd bottom 1/4" x 1/4"crossbrace—don't
sheet any furtherback. Note thissheet is applied
crossgrain. Use yoursanding block to sand the
edges flushwiththeframesides. Sand thelanding
gear mounts and sheeting to a smooth curvewhen
viewedfromtheside.
15.Use the 1/8"x 6" x 21" balsa to now make the primary
fuselagesides. Lay thefuselageframeon the sheet
withthe forwardedge ofitlined up withthe vertical
line atSectionB-B. Use a pencil totracethefuselage
side outlineontothesheeting.Cut out the fuselage
side and glue it in place, repeatingtheprocessfor
the other side. Use your sanding block to again true-
up edges and generallytidythefuselage.
16.Stand the fuselageon itsnose, firewallflatto the
work surface.Locate and gluein place thetwoside
F-4formersto the firewallsides and flushwithits
front face.
17.Locate and glue half-formersF-6and F-7together
(note that the bottoms of theseformersare flush
withone another thus providinga 1/8" shelfaround
the outsideforthe nose sheeting). Now accurately
glue theF-6/7 formerin place across thefuselageat
SectionB-B.
18.Locate and accurately pin inplace the wing center
sectionto thetop of thefuselage—takeyour time
and locate itas accuratelyas possible. Use a 1/4"
dia. bit to drill throughF-6/7, the leading edge and
dihedral brace of thecentersection(backingup the
dihedral brace witha piece ofscrap wood avoids
splinteringasthedrill bit pass through). Remove the
center sectionand set aside fornow. Once again,
stand thefuselageon itsnose, flaton thework sur-
faceandglue the top F-3 former in place on top of the
firewalland flushwithits frontface.
19.Measure, cut and glue inplace thetop 1/4" sq. balsa
cowllongeron, whichfitsfromthenotch in F-6,
throughF-3 and out to theF-2 location.Cut, fitand
gluethetwoside1/4" sq.balsa cowllongeronswhich
fitin the notches provided in theF-4's. Temporarily
installcowlformerF-2 inplace on the three ends of
the cowllongerons. Observehow thisformer is sit-
tinginplace. Viewedfromtheside and top, itshould
beparallelwiththefirewall.Use a rulerto be sure
and trimtheends of thelongerons to achievethis
goal. Once satisfied,glue F-2 in place to the ends of
these longerons. Now cut,fitand glue the1/4" sq.
balsasheetingsupport pieces(2)thatfitfromtherear
faceof theF-4back to the uprightsat SectionB-B.
Note theseare angled and must bebeveled to fit.
NowgluetheforwardcowlformerF-1 in placeto F-2,
leaving a 1/8"shelf"around itsperimeter forthe
cowlsheet. Lastly, gluethetworequired lengths of
1/4" sq. balsa inplacefromthebottom, outsidecor-
ners ofF-1downto thebottom, outsidecornersof
the F-4's. Bevel the ends of these to fitcorrectly.
20.The sheeting sequence diagram illustrates exactly
how and in what sequence thenose and cowlis
covered. Wettingthe 1/8" balsa sheetinghelps itto
conformto therequiredcurves. Take yourtimeto
achieve an accurate, gap-freefitbefore glueing
these piecesin place. CAadhesivesworkverywellin
thisarea, eliminatingtheneed forpins. If you have
taken yourtime and fittedthesepieces in placewith
aminimum of gaps, all that remains is sanding to
shape.
21.Use a sanding blockto bevel theinside ends of the
sprucefuselageframeworkat thetailpost—see
plans. Once satisfied,gluetheseends accurately
togetherprovidingequal bends toeach side ofthe
fuselagewhen viewedfromthetop. Accuratelycut
six(6)pairsof topand bottom 1/4 " sq. sprucecross-
braces whichwillfitfromSection C-C back tothe
tailpost.We suggest cuttingthetopand bottom
braces at the same timeto ensure equal length. Glue
these inplace, workingfromthefrontto theback.
7

SHEETINGSEQUENCE-
FRONT OF FUSELAGE
NOTE THATEACHPIECE OF 1/8"
SHEETBALSAIS APPLIED
"BY THENUMBERS"
OPPOSITESIDE IS
COVEREDIN A
SIMILARMANNER
REDUCEDSIZEDETAILOF
ALL FIVEPIECESBUTT-
JOINEDTOGETHER
Again,accuratelyposition the wingcenter section
assembly in place on thefuselage,itsleading edge
against F-7.Locate thetaperedhardwood center
section'strailingedge and part W-14A. Hold these
twoparts in place against thecenter section'strail-
ingedgeand,withapencil,drawalineacrossthe14"
x1/2" balsa cross-braceto indicate wherethe top,
rear fuselagesheetingbegins. Remove and set-
aside thecentersectionand theother parts fornow.
Finishsheetingthefuselagewithcross-grained1/8"
balsa, fromthe linejustdrawn to where the fuselage
sides end.
Withtheexceptionof finalsanding and rounding as
shown on the plans,the fuselage is now complete.
LANDING GEAR AND TAILSKID ASSEMBLY
The pre-bent frontand rear 1/8" dia. M.W. landing gear
(L/G) formsmust bejoinedtogetherat the bottom,
towardsthewheels.We recommend softcopperwirefor
firmlywrappingthe twopieces together priorto solder-
ing.We wouldhighly recommend theuse of HARRIS'S
STAY-CLEAN FLUXandtheirsilversolderforthisopera-
tion. Althougha soldering iron willwork, withpatience,
these jointscan bequicklyand permanently made with
the use of a small hobby-type gas torch.
1.Locate the position ofthe rear "cross-axle"wireto
the bottom rearply L/G plateon thefuselagebottom.
Whileholding thewirein place, slip thetwoformed
metal clipsonto thewire.Use a pencil to mark the
hole locationsof theseclipsonto theply base, then
remove thewireand clips.Drill shallow,small-
diameter "guide holes" fortheclip'sscrews.Now
attachthe landing gearwiretothefuselagewiththe
clips and the #2 x3/8" screwsprovided—noneed to
overtighten.Repeat this process with the forward
landing gear wire.
2.Pull the twocomponents togetheruntilthey touch.
The twoshort bent "arms" on theforwardleg should
line-up withthelegs of therear L/G wire.If needed,
use plierstoadjust thesearms until theyfitneatly.
3.Usesoftcopperwiretoneatlywraptheforwardshort
8

OPTIONAL DECORATION DETAIL-
1/4"LENGTHS OF 3/32" OR 1/8"DIA. PLASTIC
TUBINGCANBE EPOXIEDINTO EACH JOINT
BETWEENA SPRUCECROSSBRACEAND
UPRIGHT(16 PLACES).LATER,"RIGGING"IS
THREADEDTHROUGHEACHTUBE, DRAWN
TIGHTANDEPOXIEDIN PLACE.
armstotherearL/Gwireasshownontheplans.App-
ly some STAY-CLEAN fluxto thejointand solder.
Repeattheprocessontheotherside. Beneatandtry
to besure that thejointis solid withouta lot of ex-
cess solder. Once satisfied,completely clean the
solder jointsof any flux.
4.As shown, the crossed-axle landing gearsystem
derives its ability to accept landing loads and shock
fromthe two(2)independent axlelegs. These need
to bejoined at twopoints, each 2-1/2" in fromthe
wheels. This distancehas shown verygood shock-
absorbing abilityforElder'sweighing4 to 6 lbs. Join
these axles by firstmeasuring the 2-1/2" distance re-
quired, wrapping withsoftwire(about 1/2" ) and
soldering. Again, clean the solderjoints completely.
FRONT ANDREAR
STRUTS AREBOUND
TOGETHERWITHFINE
COPPERWIRE,THEN
SOLDERED
THOROUGHLY.
9
FOR PERMANENCE.
RETAINWHEELSON
AXLEWITHWASHERS.
SOLDEREDIN PLACE.
ALTERNATEMETHOD
IS TO USE WHEEL
COLLARS.*
BINDAXLESECTIONSOF LANDING
GEARTOGETHERWITHTHINCOPPERWIRE,
THENSOLDERPER DIMENSIONSSHOWN.

5.The same process is now used to make the rear
tailskidassembly. First bend the1/16"dia. M.W. pro-
vided to theshape shown using pliers.Wrap thetip
of theskidwith softcopper wireand solder. Now
tapethemain skid wireinplace tothebottom rear of
the fuselage.Locate the pre-bent tailskidsupport
wireand wrapitinplacetothetailskidwithsoftwire.
Solder itinplace to the skid. Remove the assembly
fromthe fuselage and again, clean thesolder joints
completely.
6.Remove the main landing gear from the fuselage.
The landing gear and tailskidare now completeand
can beused as is or painted flatblack or aluminum
(we use epoxy paintsforthisas wellas other pain-
tingneedson thisairplane). Aswedid on someofour
prototypes,you may wishtoadd wood backing to
thewires.Sand thesetoairfoilshapeand paintthem
awood color—looksgreat!We used 1/8" x 1/4" hard
balsa witha 1/8" dia. "groove" sanded into one edge,
carefullyfittingthe piece in place. We glued the
wood to themetal withthickCA adhesive and sand-
ed the wholeaffairsmooth. Then we used clear,
paintable Monokote to cover the"wooded" parts of
thelanding gear toprovide a one-piece look and air-
brushed wood-colored epoxy paint on the whole
thing.
FINAL ASSEMBLY
1.Locate one of the 1/4" dia. x 36" dowels provided in
yourkitand cuta3"length, thisto be used forthe for-
wardwinghold-down. Insert thisdowel intothewing
center-section, leaving 1/4"-3/8"of it exposedinfront
ofthe leading edge to engage theF-6/F-7 former
assembly withthe previouslydrilledhole. Now in-
stallthecentersectionin placeon thefuselagewith
thedowel engaging the hole inF-6/F-7, again being
surethatit is squarelyinplace. Liberallyapplyepoxy
around and beneath thisdowel, inthewingcenter
sectionarea. Next,position and gluein place the
tworemaining W-1A half ribs into positionon each
side ofthedowel.Fill theresultingcavityabove the
dowel withmore epoxyand allowthe structure to
cure.
2.Removethecentersectionfromthefuselage.Carve
and sand theshort leading edge sectionto shape,
matching the twoleading edges of the wingpanels.
3.The twowingpanels can now bepermanently at-
tached to thewingcentersection.We recommend
thatyou use epoxy forthisoperation. Withthe
centersectionflaton your building surface, slidethe
twopanels in positionontothe exposed arms of the
front,centerand rear dihedralbraces. The fitshould
be accurate;thefrontbrace fitsagainsttheback
faceofthepanel'sleading edge, the centerbrace is
incontactwithboth the top and bottom spars and
therear brace is inside of thetop and bottom rear
trailingedge sheet strips.The panel's spars, leading
edges and trailing edges should also becleanlycon-
tactingtheoutsidesurfaceofthecentersection's
sides. Take timehere to ensure that thisisthe case
beforecommittingto actual attachment. Locate or
make a couple of 3/4" high supportsforthewingtips
to provide the required dihedral angle. Now epoxy
the panels inplace tothecenter section—don'tuse
so much glue that itruns or dripsbut enough to pro-
videa good gluejoint.One-hourepoxyisbest forthis
step. Allowthe structuretocure completely.
4.Asshown on the plans, a forwardand rear "cockpit"
formerwasmadefrom3/32"sheet,placedin-between
the twoinboard W-1 B's, full-depthto thesetworibs.
Besurethat the forwardcockpitformerisfarenough
back to allow insertion of your aileronservo.
5.The twoinboard panel rib bays (between W-2B and
W-1B)andthecentersectioncannowbecompletely
sheeted, cross-grain,as shown. We have foundthat
itis helpful,when glueingthissheetingin place, to
"share" the widthof thecenter section'soutboard
W-1Aand B ribswithboth thewingpanel and center
section'ssheeting edges, thusprovidinga glueing
surfaceforboth. When dry, use sandpaper to
smooth thewood and tomatchthe sheeting withthe
leading edges.
6.Inthis step you are going to assemble the hardwood
trailingedge and aileron torque tubesand wiresto
the wingcentersection—pleasereferto thedetail
drawingprovided to understand thepartsrelation-
ship. Glue thetwoW-14B's inplace to theforward
faceof thehardwood trailingedge, theiroutboard
ends flushwiththe outboardends ofthe trailing
edge. Note that there is a right and left ailerondrive
assembly. Asshown, thetrailingedge must be
grooved a littleto allow aftmovement of the thread-
ed linkage arms. Dothisnow witheithera rat-tailfile
or a Moto-tooland router bit. Now glue W-14A in
place, thus providinga "nest" foreach ofthetorque
rod assemblies. Asshown, knock-offthecornersof
W-14A toallow torque rod movement. Rough-up the
brass sleeves on each ofthe torquerod assemblies
and carefullygluethem inplacewithone-hourepoxy
—do not get adhesive on the torque rod arms.
SHORTBENTLEGFITSHOLE
ANDTUBEINROOTENDOF
SHAPEDAILERON(SEE
WING
THISLEG OF
AILERONTORQUE
RODCONNECTSTO
SERVOLINKAGE
SHAPEDHARDWOODWING
MOUNT(NOTECLEARANCE
SLOTS"X")TOALLOWFORE
ANDAFTMOVEMENTOF
AILERONTORQUERODARM
1/4"X 3/8'; T.E. (NOTE CLEARANCE
SLOTS FOR AILERONTORQUE
RODMOVEMENT)
DETAIL OF WINGCENTER SECTION
AT TRAILINGEDGE
(ASSEEN FROMBELOW)
10

Now position the trailingedge/torquerod assembly
against thetrailing edge of the wing'scenter section
—lightlyuse a sanding block to "true-up" thisjoint
as needed. While holding thisassembly inplace,
move each threaded linkage arm forwardto dent the
balsa on the bottom of the center section. Remove
the trailingedge assembly and use a fileor Mote-
tool to groove the wing'scenter section at the two
dents justmade to allow forwardmovement of the
linkage arms. Once satisfiedwiththe movement of
these arms, the hardwood trailingedge assembly
can be epoxied to the trailingedge of the wing.
Again, becarefulto avoid adhesive gettinginto the
area of the linkage arms; you want them to move
freely.
7.Once again, accurately pin and/or tape the wingin
place tothe fuselage.Use theplans forreferenceto
now drilltwo1/8" dia. wingbolt holesthrough thetop
rear of the centersectionand throughthe1/4" ply
formerdirectlybeneath it—notetheanglethatthese
twoholes are drilledat to take into accountthe slope
of the top airfoilat thatpoint. Remove thewingfrom
thefuselage.Tapthetwoholes intheply formerwith
either an 8-32 tap or an 8-32 metal bolt. Once the
threadshave been establisheduse a littlethin CA
adhesiveto"coat"themandthenrunthetapintothe
holes once again; thistoughens-upthethreads. It
may benecessary to run thetap or bolt through
thesethreadsseveral timesto allow thenylon 8-32
bolts to clear. Use a 3/16"drillbit to now "clear-out"
thetwo1/8" holes in thewingcentersectionforclear
passage of the wingbolts. Now bolt the wingin
place on the fuselage.
8. Locate die-cutformerF-8(balsa). Asyou can see
fromtheplans, thisformeris trimmedat thebottom
(sanding block) to fitonto the top of the centersec-
tion'sleading edge whereitbecomes the "shelf"for
the 3/32" x 1/4" fuselagefairingstrips.Applyglue to
the bottom ofthispart and position it accuratelyin
placeon thecentersection,flatagainsttherearface
of F-7—don'tget glue on F-7.Startmaking the
fuselage/wingfairingby firstcuttingto length the
topcenter3/32"x1/4"balsastrip,thecenteronewhen
viewedfromthetop. Sand itsrear bottom edge to
match thecountourofthecentersection'ssheeting.
Once satisfied,carefullyglue inplace tothetopof
F-8and the centersectionsheeting. Repeat thispro-
cessto theleftand right ofthiscenterstripuntilthe
rough fairingis complete.Withthe center section
stillinplace, use your sanding block and sandpaper
to now smooth thefuselage/wingjointto a one-
piece look. Anysmall gapsor rough edgescan befill-
ed witha fillersuchas DAP WhiteVinylSpackling
compound and sanded smooth again. Remove the
wingfromthefuselage.
9.Now makethecockpitcut-outinthe wing centersec-
tion.The pattern,provided on theplans, can either
be tracedor thepattern itselfcut-outof the plans to
serveas a cuttingguide. Use a #11 X-actoknifefor
thispurpose and tryto be as neat as possible.
10.Note the aileron detaildrawingdirectlybeneath the
leftwingpanel plan. The ailerons willneed their
leading edges sanded inthismanner to facilitate
non-binding movement (do thisnow). Next locate
and drillthe 1/8"dia. hole inthe inboard leading edge
of each aileron thatwillengage the exposed torque
rod ends. These holes are now sleeved withthe two
lengths of 1/8"O.D. brass tubinginyour partsbag.
These should beroughed-up and epoxied carefully
intotheholes inthe ailerons.Now usea Moto-toolto
make a groove fromtheseholes inboard tothe
aileron ends. These grooves willhold thetorquerod
arms and allowthe aileronsto fitup to the wing's
trailingedge.
Using a #11 X-actoblade, carefullylocateand cut
each of the nylon hinge slotsin both theaileron and
wingtrailingedge—5hingesperaileron.Trial-fitthe
ailerons to thewingpanels and torquerod arms. Do
any trimmingnecessary to facilitatefree,non-
binding movement. Withtheailerons temporarily
hinged tothewing,use your sanding block tonow
sand theentireassembly to finalshape. Remove
aileronsand hinges, set aside forcovering.
11. Cut four 4 1/2" lengths of 1/4" dia. dowel (twofrom
eachofthetwo36" lengthsprovided).These are now
used to make the"king post" thatfitsto the wing
center section.This assembly is most easilymade
by firstconstructingtwoseparatetriangularpieces
and then joiningthetwopieces at thetop. Chamfer
the topends to fitas shownon theplans and epoxy.
The bottom ends must also be chamferedto sit
squarelyon thetop surfaceofthecentersection,
justahead ofthecockpit.Donot attachthefinished
structureyet,it willbeassembled to the wingafter
covering.
12. Locate the tworequired rear fuselagepushrod exits
(die-cut ply). Clean theiredgeswithasandingblock.
Note theirlocationon the plans—directlybeneath
the stab. Glue in place.
13.A 1/16"x1/2"x12"plystripis provided forthefuselage
frame"jointcaps". The drawingon the fuselage
plan depictshow theseare to be cutusing scissors
or shears. These are now carefullyglued in place to
each of the exposedfuselageupright and cross
brace jointsas shown on theplans. Once theseare
inplace, use sandpaper tolightlysmooth their
edges.
14. Use a #11 X-acto blade to now make the hinge slots
(six total)intheelevatorsand stab—notetheirloca-
tionontheplans.Temporarily installtheelevatorsin
place. Nowcutthetworequiredhingeslotsin thefin
and rudder. Noteon theplans thatyouwillnow have
to clear-outa semi-circularopening at theleading
edge of therudder to allowit movement around the
elevatorjoiner.Thisallowstherudder to fitin place
against thefinwhen hinged. Once satisfiedthatall
movement is freeand non-binding, disassemble
these parts and set aside forcovering.
15. Asshown on theplans, we used short lengths ofin-
ner throttlepushrod tubingto make thestaband fin
flyingwirebrace points. These should now be glued
11

inplace inpre-drilled holes.
16.Althoughwe have been instructingyou to sand the
variouscomponents of your Elderas you were con-
structingthem, take the timeto now re-check
everythingthatmayrequirefinaltouch-upand/orfill-
ing.Thedifferencebetweenagoodcoveringjoband
agreat one tends tobe about $2.00 worthof sand-
paperandthe willingness to useit.
COVERING & FINISH
Now that all of the variouscomponents of yourElderare
completely assembled and sanded totheirfinalshapes,
you can turn your attentionto covering. This is the point
that can separate your model fromanyone else's. You
must decide whatyou wantthe finishedairplaneto look
like.Wehavefinishedourprototypesinawidevarietyof
color schemes representing everythingfroman R.A.F.
WWIfighter(increamMonokotewithred,whiteandblue
Roundels and tailtreatment) or a German WWI fighter
(allred Monokote withblack Iron Cross's on a white
background) to civilian-typeversions (dove gray
fuselages, transparentblue wingsand tail-groupand
chrome Monokote "cowls")!Interestingly,nomatter
whatcolorschemewe used, there wasalwaysagroupof
people at the flyingsite who wouldstand there looking
attheElder,arguing about what real, full-scaleaircraftit
represented. Just remember that the Elderis not a scale
model, you'refreeto cover itinany configurationthat
strikes your fancy—itwilllook great!
Before covering, itis suggested that the final finish be
applied to the open sprucefuselagestructure.This can
bedone several ways. There is a very good product on
the market called Varathane that is sold through most
well-stockedhardware and lumber supply outlets.This
material isessentially clear and willleave the spruce
about its same color, maybe a littledarker, and
somewhat shiny. Itis resistant to spent fueland quite
durable inactual use. Epoxy paint, mixed to achieve a
woodish brown color and brushed or sprayed, also
workswell.Take yourtimehere, use light sandpaper to
goovertheframework,smoothingitforthefinishofyour
choice. When applying thefinish,be sure that all of the
exposed wood, except thetop, rear stab glueing area,
receives paint. We then used flatblack paint (again,
epoxy isgreat) to paint each of the ply "joint-caps." This
really makes the structurecome to life!
Now forthe coveringitself.Use thedirections that are
supplied witheach roll of Monokote and cover each of
the various components separately; fuselage, wings,
stab,elevators,finand rudder.Someofyoumighthavea
problem withthe wingtipsoftheElder,ifthisis yourfirst
ventureinto the use of Monokote or your firstR/C
airplane. Here's a method thatworksquite well.First,
cover thewing panels totally,starting withthe bottoms
first,including the wingtips.Then cover the tops of the
wingpanels out to and including the last outboard W-3
wing rib, but not thewingtipsthemselves. Next,cut an
elongated triangular piece of Monokote to fitover the
spacebetween theforwardW-3 ribandtheforwardW-7
wingtipformer—keepthe edges straight,allow about
1/8"overlapand iron thispiece inplace. Movenowtothe
next exposed triangulararea between W-7and W-8and
repeat theprocess. This method willprovide a much
easiercoveringsituationforthenewcomerand, ifdone
carefully,givesyouanicelooking,wrinkle-freewingtip.
When coveringthe fuselagebe sure thatthe bottom
covering—thepiece thatyoushould apply
first—overlapsinto and on the firewallby about 1/4" at
least.
Assumingthattheairplane is nowcovered, turnyourat-
tentionto fuel-proofingthe engine compartment. We
like touse and highly recommend a liberal coat of
polyester resin. Coat inside the cowl and fuel tank areas and over all of
theMonokote seams thatterminateinthecowlitself.
Thissealsthewood as wellas the Monokoteseams and
avoids"fuelcreep" lateron. Besuretokeepthe resin out
of the bolt holes inthefirewall.
Useyour X-acto knife to nowclear-out allof the hinge
slotsintheailerons, wingand tailgroup. Dothe same
thingforthewinghold-down bolt holes, the cockpit,the
landing gear screwholes, etc.
Mount the wing to the fuselagewiththenylon bolts.
Placethe stab in positionon thetop rearofthefuselage
and sight down the frontof the model to observe ifthe
stab issittingflatinrelationshiptothewing,withoutany
tilt.Once satisfied,hold the stab firmlyinplace in the
position thatit ismeant to be;square withthefuselage
and aligned correctlywiththewingwhen viewedfrom
the top—makesure that itis exactlywhere you want it.
Use a sharp pencil and, whileholding the stab in place,
tracethe outline of theframeworkthat is incontactwith
the bottom of thestab onto thestab itself.Remove the
stab fromthe fuselage.Use your X-actoknifeto now
lightlycut-out theframeoutlinefromthe bottom of the
stab's Monokote to expose thewood—thiswillbeyour
glueing surface.The stab can now bemounted to the
fuselage;we used a "thick"CA adhesive forthis.
Next,preparethe finformounting tothestab bymaking
sure that all coveringis removed fromthe bottom of it,
leaving exposed wood. Besure that thecoveringon the
top of the stab is well-adhered to the centerS-3's
becauseyou willberemovingsomeof it, at thecenter,to
accommodate the fin.Use your X-actoknifetoremove
the coveringfromthe finslot location, exposing the
wood. Before glueing the finto the stab, use a pin to
make lotsofsmall holes intheexposed wood of both the
stab and finbottom, these need not bedeep. Use a
slower dryingadhesive (Titebond, 1-hour epoxy, etc.) to
nowgluethefinin placeonthestab. Usea length oflight
tape overthe topof thefinand on each tipof the stab to
hold thefininplace, at right angles, and allowtodry.
Check periodically whilethisstructureisdryingto be
sure that the finhas not shiftedand isin place at right
angles to the stab and on the centerlineof the fuselage;
we want everything "square." When this structureis dry,
removethe tape. Thread a length of 20#fishingline (us-
ed forriggingthru-out,ifdesired) through theholeatthe
top of the finand glue each end of the line into the holes
at each tipof thestab—carefullyapplied "thick"CA
12

adhesive willwork well.The finshould now bequite im-
mobile on the stab.
Use 1-hour epoxy to now glue the hinges required into
thetrailingedges of thewings,stabilizer and rudder.
Next,mounttheelevatorstotheirhingesfollowedbythe
rudderand ailerons. A littleacetoneorCAdebonderon a
cleanpapertowelcan beusedtoclean-offanygluethat
has oozed out of thehinge slots.
Mount the landing gear assembly to the fuselage with
the screwsand clipsprovided. Mount the clips securely
butdo not over-tighten.
Now install the motor mount to the firewall.Use one or
twowashersbehind the top twomotor mount bolts to
giveabout 2 to 3 degrees of down-thrust.Mount your
engine to the motor mount; we suggest 4-40 Allen-head
bolts into pre-tapped holes. Cut twolengths of fueltub-
ingwithsharp angles at one end. Insert theangled ends
intotheirholes inthefirewalland use a pairoflong-nose
pliers toreach into the fuselageand pull them almost
through the tank compartment. Trim theends of the tub-
ing and connectthem to theappropriatetubes on your
tank. Now pull thetubes backthroughthefirewallwhile
moving the tank into the fuselage.Trim the tubingto
length and make the connections to your engine and
pressure tap.
The triangular-shaped"flying-wirepost" that isshown
sittinginfrontofthecockpitcan now beglued(epoxy) in
place by firstpositioning iton thetop of the wingto
determineitsfinalposition.Oncesatisfied,pressonthe
topof it, indenting thecoveringslightly.Remove the
covering material withinthese indentations, exposing
wood and glue thepost inplace. Ifyou have decided to
add the optional flyingwires(20#-test fishingline), drill
small holes (1/32"dia.) intothetopsofthespruceupright
posts that you installedduring wingconstruction.We
used very small cotterpins fortheflyingwireanchor
points, these can now beepoxied into the holes. Before
adding the flyingwires,apply any decoration or mark-
ings to the wings,then add these wires.
Asshown on plans, the exposed frameworkof the aft
fuselage isshown withbracing wiresand tubes ineach
jointcorner fortheirattachment. If you have decided on
thisas an option, now is the timeto add them.
The 1-3/8" x 2-3/4" windscreen is now trimmed to shape us-
ing theoutline provided on yourplans and glued inplace
justahead of the cockpit opening. Position thebottom
edgeof the windscreeninplaceon thewingcentersec-
tionandpressdowntoleaveanindention. UseanX-acto
knifeto cutthrough the indention and wood beneath it.
Thewindscreencannowbeinsertedintothis"slot"and
held inplacewithasmallamount of adhesive. Ifyou are
using a "pilot," he should now beepoxiedin place inthe
cockpit(assuming that he's all painted and ready to fly).
Atthispoint you might wellbe considering detailing
your Elderwitha few"goodies." We have used a few
items thatwere "off-the-shelf"inmost well-stocked
hobby shops. WilliamsBros. makes some nice 2-1/2"
scale machine guns, WW I type,both German and
British.We used oneoftheirVicker'sgunsonthe model
shown on your boxlabel.Simply glue a couple of dowels
into the bottom of the gun and itcan then beglued right
into the center sectionof the wing,beneath the "king
post." As shown on the plans, we also used a Williams
Bros. "vintage" pilot (the one withtheleather flyingcap
&goggles) as wellas theirwheels. On a couple of the
prototypeswe detailedthe cockpitswithinstruments
fromLouProctor and a genuine hardwood, stained in-
strument panel (veneer). Allkinds of neat looking flying
wireclips and littlemetal parts can be easilymade from
light aluminum. Detailing the Elder isupto you. Nomat-
ter what you choose, it'll look great.
Withthe possible exceptionof additional finaldetailing
such as outlinedabove, your Elderis now essentially
finished, needingonly the installation of the radio.
RADIO INSTALLATION
The method of installingyour radio intheEIder is shown
ontheplans.Notethatwehaveprovidedyouwitha1/8"x
2-7/8"x4-7/8"plyservotray. Use a penciland straightedge
tolay-out thepositionsof your servos on thistray.Note
thatwe show therudder and elevator servos at the rear,
side-by-sidewiththethrottleservojustahead,mounted
sideways.Drilla1/4"dia.holeintoeachoftheservopen-
cilmarks and use a Dremel saw or a jig-sawto remove
theservo cut-out'srequired(3).Test-fittheservos into
thetrayandthetrayintothefuselage—itismeanttorest
atopthetwo1/4" x 1/2" balsa bearersthatwerebuilt into
thefuselageframeearlier.Notethatthetraycan beslid
foreandaftalittleto providesomeC.G. change, if need-
ed, later when itis permanently glued inplace.
The receiver and batterypack are meant to beinstalled
forwardofthe servotray,as shown. These components
should beinstalledusing foam rubber. The receiver
antenna on our prototypeswassimply routed out
through the fuselage,internally,and tied-offat the tail
postoftherearfuselageframework.Theswitchharness
maybeattacheddirectlytothefuselageside,awayfrom
engineexhaust.
Next,make therudder and elevatorpushrods using the
remaininglengthsofthe1/4"dia.dowel provided.These
willbecut to about 22"lengths. Locate thetwo12"
threadedonone-end,wirepushrodssuppliedinyourkit.
Cut 5"offof each of thesepushrods; leavingtwo7"
threaded one-end pieces. Save the5"piecesand, as
shownontheplans, attachthenon-threaded endsofthe
7" pieces totheends ofeach dowelwithepoxyand
tightly-wrappedthread. Now attachthetworemaining
5"wirelengthstotheoppositeendsofthedowels. From
theinside of the fuselage,slipthepushrods in place
throughthe rear of the frameand out thepushrod exit
guides. Some small amount of bending ofthesecontrol
wiresmay beneeded to provide free,unbinding move-
ment. Avoidhard or abrupt bends.
Locatethetwonylon horns provided fortheelevatorand
rudder. Mark the locationsoftheseon therudder and
elevatoranddrillthetworequired holesforeach. Mount
thehorns. Thread twoclevisesonto each end ofeach
pushrodandattachtheclevisestothenylonhorns.Now
testthemovementandactionoftherudderandelevator
by moving the pushrods by hand.Itisessentialthat the
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movement be smooth, non-binding but not sloppy.Once
you are satisfied,make therequired "Z"-bends at the
servo-endof thepushrods and make theconnectionto
the rudder and elevatoroutputarms.
Adjustthewholesystemforneutraland test the move-
ment of the surfaceswhen actuatedbyyour radio. The
plans show therecommended movement oftherudder
and elevator and thiscan beadjustedby movingthe
clevisesin orout on thehorns; "in" wouldbe more move-
ment or throwand "out" wouldbe less.
Make the connectionfromthethrottleservo to the
engine by screwingat least 1/4 "ofone of the 6".thread-
ed one-end pushrods (three provided) into one end of the
inner plastic tube provided. Asshown on the plans, trim
the length of thiswiretosuityourengine'srequirements
and giveit a "Z"-bend to attachto the servooutputarm.
Attheengine-end of thispushrod, threadat least 1/4" of
the 1" threaded studinto the inner pushrod tube and
completetheconnectionwithoneoftheclevisesprovid-
ed. Asbefore,testthemovement of the throttlepushrod
byradio to ensure freemovement.
The aileron servo is now installedin thewingcentersec-
tion. Asshown on theplans, you need to make a cut-out
inthebottom of thecentersection,justahead ofthe
cockpitarea, to fityourservo. Use the lengthof 1/4 "x33/8"
basswood provided to make two servo mounting rails-
about 1 -1/4" long. Clear away theMonokote ahead and
behind theservo cut-outand glue theserailsin place.
Mount your aileron servo withwood screws.Again,as
shownon theplans, theconnectionbetween theservo
and the aileron torquerods is made by using thetwore-
maining 6"threaded one-end pushrods. Thread the
nylon torquerod fittingsin placeon theexposed arms,
thread the clevisesontothepushrods and connect them
to thenylonfittings.Make therequired"Z"-bends to
engage theservo'soutputarm and attach.Now adjust
the clevisesforneutralaileron withtheradio on and the
servo plugged in to thereceiver.Test theaileronsfor
free, non-binding movement.
Everyone tends to set-up thesurface throws of a model
to suit theirparticularstyleof flying.Thisisfineas long
as you have a place tostart.We recommend that you
start withthesurfacethrowsthatwe indicatebelow and
then adjust to suit.These movements are based on our
prototypewhichweighed 5-1/4lbs. witha Saito .45and
average-weightradio gear;
RUDDER: 5/8"per side,1-1/4"total
ELEVATOR: 1/2" up and down, 1"total
AILERONS: 5/16"up,1/4"down
CAUTION: Afteradjustmentof your servos, besure to
reinstalltheretainingscrewsthathold theoutputarms
inplace on your servos.
PRE-FLIGHT INSTRUCTIONS
This sectionassumes thatyour Elderis completely
done,covered, paintedas needed,etc.Wearenowgoing
toestablishthecorrectC.G. (CenterofGravity).Start by
completelyassembling theairplane.Note on the plans
that themark shown fortheC.G. point is directlyoverthe
spars and directlybeneath the top mating point of the
"king-post." Slip a length of stringunder the kingpost
and Iifftheairplane offyour bench. The airplane, ideally,
should hang suspended eitherlevelor slightlynose-
down. Thiswouldmean thattheC.G. is whereit should
beto provide you witha stableflyingairplane.If,while
hanging suspended the nose ortailhangs quitelow then
you have to do some equipment shiftingto get itbalanc-
ed.
Forinstance, if the tail hangs low, then you know that
some oftheequipment has tobe moved forward.
Remember, thisbalance is alwaysachievedwithout fuel
inthetank—that'sburn-offweightand cannotbe
counted.The easiest component to move is thebattery
pack. Depending on thepack'sconfiguration,it can be
installed beneath thefueltank.If youstillneed more
weightforward,slidethe servotrayall thewayforward
as faras it willgo. If more weightis needed (highly
unlikely)then you willhave to add lead weightin the
nose, beneath thetank.If youhave toadd lead, don't
worry,theElderwillstillflyquitewell.
Iftheairplaneis nose-heavy, thentrymoving the servo
trayback as faras it willgo, etc... Once theairplane
hangs suspended as it should, you willhave to now glue
theservotraypermanentlyinplaceagainstthe1/4"x1/2"
balsa bearers that itrestson.
Prior to flyingthismodel, get in thehabit ofmaking a
completecheck of theairframe.Istheprop tight?.Bat-
teriesin boththeairplaneand transmitterfullycharged?
Engine boltstight?Allcomponentsfirmlyattachedto
eachother?Fuel linesclear?Wheelsrolleasily?Makea
radio systemcheckas well—upis up,downis down,
throttlemoves freelyand theaileronsmove inthe right
direction—let'sfly!
FLYING INSTRUCTIONS
Once again, if thisis your firstR/C aircraftDONOT AT-
TEMPT TO FLYITYOURSELF. Go to your local hobby
shop and get informationabout any local flyingclubsin
your area. Itis withinsuch groups that knowledgeable,
experienced individualscan befoundto assistyou.
Assumingthat theradio system(airborne and transmit-
ter)are fullycharged and that your engine is completely
broken-in and reliable, let'shead fortheflyingfield.Fill
the tank and turntheradio systemon. Withtheengine
running at idle, point theairplane directlyinto thewind
and advance the throttlesmoothly.Withmost "tail-
draggers" a small amount of rightrudder willbeneeded
tokeep theairplane on a straightheading. Witha little
experienceyou willbe ableto keepthetake-offrollquite
straight.Asthespeed picks-up,the tailwillliftand in a
short time the plane willbe airborne. Keep itheaded
straightintothe windinashallowclimb; don't"horse" it
upwithexcesselevator.
Once sufficientaltitudeis reached,trysometurnstoget
used to the handling characteristics.Withthethrows
thatwe calledout earlier,the ailerons should bepositive
but not jumpy.Once you have theairplane trimmed out
for straightand level, trythe throttle,at altitudeand get
14

used to the slow-speedcharacteristics.Atlower
speeds, the rudder is quite effective.Like most aircraft
that have flat-bottomairfoils,the Elderwillnaturally
want to climbat fullpower and settleat low throttle.A
point somewhere in-between these twothrottlesettings
willprovide the"cruise" speed. Thissettingwillvary
withengine size, weightand windconditions.
Withflyingtimeexperienceyou willfindthat theElderis
quite aerobatic and funto fly;loops fromlevel flight,left
and rightsnap rolls, leftand right spins, military-type
rolls and inverted flight,withpractice. Touch and go's
are super withthisdesign.
Landings can beas slow and predictable as you'dlike,
justmaintain your heading into thewindall the way
through touch-downand roll-outto a stop. We have
foundthat theEldersteerswellon the ground with
deflectedrudder and short burstsof power.
We sincerelyhope that thishas been a good projectfor
you and thatthetimespent on thebuilding board will be
rewarded withmany, many enjoyableflights.
INDEX
INTRODUCTION ............................ 1
PRE-CONSTRUCTION NOTES ................. 2
WING ASSEMBLY ........................... 2
TAILGROUP................................4
FUSELAGEASSEMBLY.......................5
LANDINGGEARANDTAILSKIDASSEMBLY.....8
FINAL ASSEMBLY ........................... 10
COVERINGANDFINISH...................... 12
RADIO INSTALLATION ....................... 13
PRE-FLIGHT................................14
FLYING .................................... 14
15