Top flite Elder biplane rc-37 User manual

Biplane

RC-37 INSTRUCTION MANUAL

INTRODUCTION

The ElderBiplane isthe third

design based on the popular

Elder-series of models. This

design is a direct result of popular

demand and itsurely is the

largest model of the three. Your

ElderBiplane packs a huge wing

areaof 1492square inches, that's

10.3squarefeetofliftingsurface!

This means that when the model

is built withinthe expected

weight range of

7-1/2-8-1/2

pounds,

the resulting wingloading range

would be

11.6

13.1

ounces per

square foot!Italso means that if

you wentwiththeheaviestengine

available and wentcrazy inthe

detailing and finishingaspects ofthismodel and manag-

ed to get the weight up to 10pounds, thewingloading

would stillonly be15.4ounces per square foot!

Allof the above allowsyour ElderBiplane to bepowered

bya very widerange of engines. This design has been

tested quitesuccessfullyusing2-stroke enginesassmall

as .45and on up to.75's.For4-stroke work, we suggest

engine sizes of .60to .90indisplacement. Like its smaller

counterparts, the real "kick" of thisdesign is its extreme-

lyrealistic flightcharacteristics.Slow fly-bysare breath-

taking withoutthe fearof losing aileron authority.Land-

ingsandtake-offsareabsolutelyeffortless.Intheairyour

ElderBiplane is fullycapable of some of the most realistic

aerobatics you've ever seen! You can expect beautiful

loops, stallturns and snap rolls, all at speeds that actual-

ly allow you to watchthe airplane instead of a "blur".

Your ElderBiplane is a rugged design that willoperate

very nicelyout ofdirt, grass orpaved flying fields. The uni-

que, shock-absorbing landing gear, proto-typicalof the

Eldersera, really works to smooth out even the bumpiest

of fields.Withitsthickairfoilsectionand generous wing

area, your ElderBiplane willnot tend tobuild-up ex-

cessive airspeed. This characteristickeeps the relative

inertia low and means that crash damage is kept to a

minimum.

Like otherEIders, theElderBiplane lends itselftoall kinds

of detailing, if you're so inclined. For the beginner,

nothing fancyis needed; justflyitand enjoy. For the

builder withan imagination, the ElderBiplane can be

detailed tosuch adegreethatotherpilotsatyourfieldwill

swearthe airplane is a scale model! Inthe COVERING &

FINISHING section of these instructionsthere are some

ideas fordetailing that might beof interest, please take

the time to read them.

TOP FLITEMODELS INC.

2635S.WABASH AVENUE • CHICAGO, ILLINOIS 60616

Earlier we touched on engine recommendations. Your

ElderBiplane kit containsa high-qualityfillednylon motor

mount thatwillwork withsome of the engine suggestions

or thisdesign, but not all. If the engine choiceforyour

ElderBiplane willnot workwiththismount, itmight be

necessary to visityour local retailhobby shop to obtain

the correct motor mount foryour engine.

IMPORTANT NOTE:

TOP FLITE MODELS, INC. Would certainlyrecommend

the ElderBiplane as a firstR/C powered aircraft.

However, if you are a beginner tothe sport of R/C flying,

we would urge you toseek and use experienced

assistancein constructingand flyingthisairplane.

Again,ifyou are new tothishobby, considerthis:

Flying thisoranyotherradio-controlledmodel aircraft

PRIVILEGE and not a RIGHT and thisprivilegebegins

withtheutmostsafetyconsiderationstoothers and

yourselfas well.AnR/C model airplaneininexperienced

hands has thepotentialof doing serious personal or pro-

perty damage. These safetyconsiderationsstartat the

building board by followinginstructions,seeking com-

petenthelp whenyou are confusedand avoiding short-

cuts.Theseconsiderationshavetobecarriedovertothe

flyingfieldwheresafetymust come firstand limitations

cannot beexceeded. We urge you to:

1.Send forand obtain yourAMA(Academy of Model

Aeronautics)membership whichwillprovide in-

suranceforyourR/Cactivities— DONOT RELY

HOMEOWNERS INSURANCE.

2.Join an AMAsanctionedR/C flyingclub inyourarea

whereyou can obtaincompetent,professionalin-

structionintrimming and learning how to flythis

model.

Check withyour favoritelocalhobby shop forthe re-

quired AMAforms orthe address where they can beob-

tained.

WARNING!!!

Aradio controlledmodel is not a "toy." Care and

cautionmust betakeninproperly building the

model, as wellas in theinstallationand use of the

radio controldevice. Itis importanttofollowall

directionsas tothe constructionof thiskitas well

as installationand use of the engine and radio

gear. The adviceand assistanceof a wellex-

perienced builder and pilot is highly recommend-

ed. Don't takechances! Improper building, opera-

tion, or flyingof thismodel could result in serious

bodily injury to others, yourself,or property

damage.

PRE-CONSTRUCTION NOTES

The ElderBiplane, like other Top Flitekits employs the

use of die-cutwood toease the task of construction,

parts fitand identification.The dies used forthiskit

havebeenrigorously checked for absolute accuracy

and should provide you withexcellentfit.Die-cut parts

should becarefullyremoved fromtheirsheets by first

lightlysanding the back of each sheet of parts and then

carefullyremoving each part. Use a lightgarnet paper

forthe sanding and keep a sharp hobby knifewithan

X-acto#11 blade, orequivalent,handy forassistancein

removing any partsthatmight not have completelycut-

through bythe dies. Parts whichoppose one another

andmustbepreciselyuniform—suchasfuselagesides,

ribs, etc.—shouldbecarefully"matched"aftertheir

removal fromthe part sheets. Matchingis the process of

holding the opposing pieces togetherwitheitherpins,

tape or spot gluingand lightlysanding theedges of the

partsuntiltheyare identical.A sanding block withlight

garnet paper is most usefulforthisand other phases of

construction.

Your building surfaceshould beat least large enough to

accommodatethewingpanels.Thissurfaceshouldbe

asabsolutelyflatas possibleand yetbeable to accept

pins easily.We have foundthata productsuch as

Celotexfiberboard worksquitewellforthispurpose.

Anothergoodsurfacecanbefoundinmostwell-stocked

hardwarestores-a2'x4'fiberboardceilingtile.These

are quiteinexpensiveand can beused forseveral

airplanes beforeneedingreplacement.

Aswithmost R/C kitsthatare constructedfromwood, a

selectionof tools - mostof whichcan befoundin the

average workshop - area must todo thejobcorrectly:

•Hobby knifeand sharp #11 blades

•Single-edgerazor blades

•T-pins

•Sanding blocksin assortedsizes

•Sandpaper in variousgrits

•Hand-held hobby saw,suchas an X-acto

•Dremel toolor power drilland assorteddrillbits

•Straight-edge,preferablymetal, at least 36"long

•90"triangle

•Solderingiron, flux(silver) and solder

• Carbide cut-offwheelforwirecutting

•Small powerjig-saw,such as a Moto-Saw

•Razor plane

•Tapes, suchas masking and cellophane

Our Elderswere constructedusinga varietyof

common hobby adhesives including5-minuteepoxy,

cyano-acrylates,and 1-hour epoxy. Since allof us have

our own constructiontechniquesand favorite

adhesives, stickwiththeones you are familiarwithand

prefer.However,incertainareastherewillbecalloutsfor

certaintypesof adhesives, and weurge you totrynot to

substitutesincedoing so could possibly cause

problems structurally.

The last thingweshould touchon beforewebegin

actualconstructionis the sequence in whichtheElderis

assembled. The sequence given toyou inthisbooklet

hasproventobethemoststraight-forwardand provides

the finishedcomponentsinthe order inwhichyou will

need them toprogress tothenextassemblyphase. Try

to stickwiththe buildingorder presentedhere toavoid

mistakes.

Spread the plansout on your worksurface,coverthem

witha clearplasticmaterial, suchas thebackingfrom

aroll of MonoKote®or plasticwrapand commence

construction.

UPPERWINGASSEMBLY

WingconstructionforyourElderBiplane consistsof

buildingthreeseparatepiecesforeachwing;the two

panels and thecentersection.Note thattheupperwing

panels willbe joinedtotheupper centersectionin the

followingsequence,without thetop, inboard ends

sheeted. Thissheetingwillbedone in theFINAL

ASSEMBLYsectionofthemanual. Inthisand other

buildingsequences,becertainthatyouareworkingon a

flat worksurface.Carefullyjointheplans fortheTOP

LEFT WING and theTOP RIGHT WING, Plan Sheets 5

and 6,at thecenterline provided and accuratelysecure

withtape.Thisprovidesthefullwingplan on whichto

work.The wingwillbe builtdirectlyovertheplans, so

coverthemwithMonoKotebackingor clearfoodwrap.

1.Start withthecentersectionfirst.Locate thedie-cut

sheetscontainingpartsW-11 (2, ply),W-12 (2,ply).

W-13(1,balsa),4W-1A'sand4W-1B's.Removethese

parts fromtheirsheets and clean upany rough

edges beforeassembly

2.Using theplans as a guide; measure, cut and butt-

glue

the

1/4"

1-1/2"

lowerleadingedge,

3/32"

balsa

sheet and the3/32"x 1"trailingedge thatmakes up

the bottomof thecentersection.Note grain

directionofthesepieces.Measure, cutand gluein

place the 3/8" x 1/2" upper leading edge. Glue one of

theW-11 plydihedralbracesin place againstthe

inside surfaceof theleadingedge—besurethatit's

centered.GluetheouterW-1Ahalf-ribsin place

againsttherear faceof thedihedralbrace, lined-up

withtheedges ofthebottomsheetingat rightangles

toyourworksurface.Now gluethetworemaining

W-1A'sinplace, using the"tick"mark locationson

theplan.

3.Asshown, the main dihedral brace systemis a

compositemade by laminatingthetwoW-12's (ply)

to each side of W-13, whichresultsina 1/4" thick

part—dothisnow. Gluethecompleteddihedral

bracein placetothebottomsheetingand upagainst

the rear edges of thefourW-IA's.Be sure thispart is

centered.

4.From your kit box, locate a piece of 1/4" x 1/2" spar

stockand cuttwo5"lengths.Glue one of these

piecesin thetoprearslotsin theW-1A'sand against

thetopforwardfaceof thecenterdihedralbrace.

Glue theotheron thebottom sheetingagainst the

bottom rear faceofthe dihedralbrace.

5.Now gluethefourW-1Brear half-ribsinplace behind

the maindihedralbrace. Glue theremainingW-11

(ply) dihedralbracein place on thebottomsheeting

and against therearedges ofthefourW-1B's. Locate

the 1/4" x 3/8" trailingedge materialin yourkitbox

and cuta 5" length.Thisis now gluedin place

againsttherear faceofthe rear W-11 brace and to

the bottomsheeting.

CAP STRIPSAND

3/32"x 1"TRAILING

EDGENOTSHOWN

TOPWING CENTERSECTION

6.Internally,thecentersectionis done and all that

remains is theadditionof thetop

33/32"

balsa

sheeting—notegrain. From thesheetingstock

provided,cut,fitand gluethesheetingin place.

When dry, removethecentersectionfromyourwork

surface.Useyoursandingblock tosmoothit'souter

W-1A and W-1B sidesformatingtothe outerwing

panels. The top, bottomand leading edge can now

also besanded toshape. Set thisassemblyaside

for

now.

7.Inthisstepwe want to prepare each of the required

components—thetop and bottomspars,the3/8" x

1/2"frontL.E.and therear 1/4" x 3/8" T.E.—withthe

proper dihedralangle at theirinboard ends. The

cross-sectionof thewingthatis shown on theplans

is ideal forthispurpose. Simplylay, forinstance,the

bottom1/4" x 1/2" balsa spar in placeoverthis

drawing.Note thattheoutboardend is cutat 90

degs.; but thattheinboard end must becutat an

angle toachievetherequired3/4" per panel dihedral

angle. Make twoof thesebottomspars.Now repeat

this processwiththe topspars,theleading edges

and thetrailingedges (notethatthelengthof the

leading edges is developedfromthetopviewof the

wingplan). The inboard edges of the

1/4"

1-1/2"

lower leading edges shouldbefirstcutat 90degs.

and thenslightlychamferedtomatch the needed

dihedral angle.

8.Startconstructionbyfirst

pinning

the

1/4"

1-1/2"

lower leading edges in place, directlyovertheplans.

Note thattheinboard edges of thesetwoparts

terminateat theout edges ofthetwooutboard

W-1A's.Now pin the3/32" x 1" bottomtrailingedge

plankingin place. Glue the1/4" x 3/8" trailingedges

inplaceon thetop, rear of the

3/32"

trailingedge

bottom sheet.From yourkitbox locate two28"

lengthsofthetapered

1-1/2"wide

trailingstock.Note

on theplans thattheinboard ends of thetapered

trailingedges have been scallopedtoblend into the

centersections,usingtheplans as a guide, do this

now. Glue thetaperedtrailingedges in place—pin

securely.From the

3/32"

1/4"

36" stockprovided,

cut,fitand glue each of thebottomcapstripsin

place—pinto secure. Using the3/32"sheet balsa

provided, measure, cutand glue the inboard bottom

wingsheetingin place—notegraindirection.

Locate thetworequiredW-6 wingtips,cleantheir

edgesand glue in place.The bottom1/4"x 1/2" spars

(angled ends inboard) are now glued inplace tothe

bottom wingsheet and capstrips.Now glueall

required W-2A,W-2B, W-3 and W-4 ribs in place,

making sure theyare verticalto the work

surface—DONOT glue W-3P's inplace yet.

9.From your kit box locatethedie-cutsheet

containingthe four"lightply" W-3P wingribs. Both

the upper and lowerwingsuse twoof thesespecial

ribs forattachmentof theinterplanestruts.Note

that each of these ribs have indentionson them for

location and placementof thenylon mini horns,

used forattachment of the interplane struts.On the

upper wing,the location of these horns is shown on

the lowerleftsideof plan sheet #5. Routeor cut a

slot betweenthe twolowersetsof frontand rear

indentionsto allowthebase of themini horn tofit.

Aslong as you'redoing thisnow, go ahead and cut

the slotsrequiredfortheseribsforthebottom

wing—theseare thetop frontand rear set of

indentions.Oncetheribs have been properly

slotted,placethetworequiredforthebottomwing

back in yourkitbox forlaterassembly.The two

appropriateW-3P ribsforthetop wingare ready for

installation.First,cut,fitandglueinplacethe3/32" x

1/4"lengthsof capstripstockshown on the plans as

fittingdirectlybeneath each of the mini

horn

locations. Glue W-3P'sin place.

10.Locate and remove14W-5 rearangled ribsfrom their

die-cutsheets.Note on theplans thattheforward

ends of theseribsare chamferedtofitagainstthe

W-3 rib sheetsand thattheirplacementdoes not

interferewiththeplacementof thetop spar slots.

Alsonote thattheinnermostW-5 rib must be

trimmed slightlyso as not to interferewiththe

placement ofthemain dihedralbrace.GlueW-5'sin

place. Glue allof thewingtipbraces(W-7, W-8, W-9,

W-10, and W-15) in placeon theW-6 wingtips.Note

that W-7, W-9 and W-10 need tohave theirinboard

ends chamferedwitha sanding block to fitflushto

the outerfaceof W-3.

11.

Fromyourhardwood partsbag, locatethefour1/2" x

5/8""

1-1/2"

cabanesupportblocks.These are now

epoxiedin placeas shownon theplans, againstthe

inboard facesofW-2A and W-2B and to the bottom

3/32"bottomcenterwingsheeting—wesuggest

the

useof a 1-3 hour-typeepoxyforthisstep.

12.Now take thecentersectionwhichwasassembled

earlierand fitit to one of thewingpanels. Tiltit until

thetwoarmsoftheW-11 ply dihedralbracesfitflush

to thefrontand rear bottom sheetingand thecenter

brace assemblyis correctlypositionedagainst

the bottomspar. Check thisfittobesureall

componentsfitnicely.Trim as needed toget proper

fit.Prop and/orpin thiscenter sectionin this

positionas youwilluse it as a guide forthe

remaining wingpanel parts.Remember not to glue

anything to the center section yet; it's only in place

for spacing purposes.

13.Glue the front3/8" x 1/2" leading edge inplaceon top

of the lower

1/4"

1-1/2"

leadingedge and againstthe

frontof each fulland halfrib (angledend inboard to

fitagainsttiltedcentersection).Gluethetop 1/4" x

1/2" spar in place (angled end inboard). Cut, fitand

glue the 3/32"x V leadingand trailingedgeplanking

inplace—pinor tape tohold. Remove thecenter

sectionfromthewingpanel and repeat the above

steps on theremaining panel.

14.Cut, fitand glue alltop 3/32"x 1/4" capstripsin place

on allofthe ribs and halfribs.

15Remove the wingpanels fromthe work surface.

Inspect them forany dried globs of glue, remove

these witha #11X-actoknife.Tape or hold the two2.

wingpanels togetherwiththebottomsof each

facingtheother—aligncarefully.Use yoursanding

block to now shape theforwardwingtipsidentically

witheachotherand the curvesshownon theplans.

Withtheexceptionof theinboardends, use your

sandingblock to carefully'match'thewingpanels,

leadingedges, tipsand trailingedges. Separatethe

panelsand use a sanding block withlightpaper over

allofthepanel's surfacestosmooththem forlater

covering.

16.Firmly pin and/orweightthe centersectionover your

protectedworksurfaceand epoxytheleftand right

wingpanels in placetoit, withthetipsofeach panel

supported offtheworksurfaceby 3/4"toimpartthe

correctdihedral.Do not use so much adhesivethatit

dripsor runs but enoughtoadequatelycoat the

partsrequired.Usinga 1-3hour typeepoxywillgive

you plentyoftimetopositionall of the components.3.

Allowthe structureto cure.

Remove the wingfromyour work surfaceand

inspect yourwork.Doany touch-upsanding or filling

as needed. The upper wingis now completewiththe

exceptionof the upper panel sheetingoverthe

hardwood blocks.

Using theplans as a guide; measure, cutand butt-

gluethe

1/4"

1-1/2"

lowerleadingedge,

3/32"

balsa

sheetand the3/32"x 1" trailingedgethatmake up

thebottom ofthecentersection.Note graindirec-

tionof thesepieces.Measure,cutand gluein place

the 3/8" x 1/2"upper leadingedge. Glueone of the

W-11 plydihedralbracesin placeagainsttheinside

surfaceof theleadingedge—besurethatit's

centered.GluethetwoouterW-1A'sinplaceagainst

therear faceofthedihedralbrace, lined-upwiththe

edges of thebottomsheetingat rightanglestoyour

worksurface.Now gluetwoW-1A'sin placejustin-

board oftheouterones—note"tick"marks on

plans. The tworemainingW-1A'sare now gluedin

place,at thecenterofthestructure,spaced 1/4"

apart to allowlater dowel insertion.

Asshown,the main dihedral brace systemis a com-

positemade by laminatingthetwoW-12's(ply)to

each sideof the W-13, whichresultsin a 1/4" thick

part—dothisnow. Gluethecompletedcomposite

dihedralbracein placetothebottomsheetingand

up againsttherear edges ofthe sixW-1A's.Besure

this part iscentered.

LOWER WING ASSEMBLY

The lowerwingfortheElderBiplane isalmost identical in

constuctiontothatof theupperwing,justbuilt.Part

numbers and woodsizesare alsothesame. However,

thereare some differences,primarilyin thecentersec-

tionstructureand in part counts.Carefullyjointheplans

forthe BOTTOM LEFT WING and the BOTTOM RIGHT

WING, Plan Sheets 3 and 4, at the centerlines provided

and accuratelysecurewithtape.Thisprovidesthefull

wingplan on whichtowork.The lower wing,likethetop,

willbe builtdirectlyovertheplans, so coverthemwitha

MonoKote backingor clearfoodwrap.

1.Startwiththe centersectionfirst.Locatethedie-cut

sheetscontainingpartsW-11 (2, ply), W-12 (2,ply),

W-13(1, balsa),6W-1A'sand 4W-1B's.Removethese

parts fromtheirsheetsand clean up any rough

edges

beforeassembly.

4.From your kit box, locatea pieceof 1/4" x 1/2" spar

stockand cuttwo5" lengths.Glue one of these

piecesin thetoprearslotsin theW-1A'sand against

thetopforwardfaceofthecenterdihedralbrace.

Glue theotheron thebottomsheetingagainst

the

bottom rear faceof thedihedral brace.

5.Now gluethe fourW-1B rear half-ribsin placebehind

themain dihedralbrace. Glue the remainingW-11

(ply)dihedralbracein placeon the bottomsheeting

and againstthe rearedges ofthefourW-1B's.Locate

the 1/4"x 3/8"trailingedge materialin yourkitbox

and cuta 5" length. Thisis now glued in place

againsttherear faceof the rear W-11 brace and

the bottomsheeting.

BOTTOM WING CENTER SECTION

6.Inthisstep you are going toassemble the 5" length

ofshaped hardwoodtrailingedge stockand the

aileron torquetubesand wirestothewingcenter

section.Alsolocateand removefromtheirdie-cut

sheets,partsW-14 and W-14B (due to thedie-cutpro-

cess,youhave been providedwithtwosetsof these

parts,you willneed onlyone set). Pleaserefertothe

detaildrawingprovidedtounderstandtherelation-

ship of these parts.

Start by glueing W-14A to the frontfaceof the

taperedhardwoodtrailingedge piece.Make sure

W-14Ais centeredand thatthebottomedge of the

partcoincideswiththebottomsurface of thetrailing

edge piece.Asshown,thetrailingedge must be

notcheda littletoallowrearmovementofthethread-

ed linkagearms. Do thisnow witheithera rat-tailfile

or a Moto-Tooland router bit. Note thatthereis a

right and a left ailerondriveassembly.Hold one of

theseassemblies(itmakes nodifferencewhichone)

inplacetothetrailingedge/W-14Aassemblyin it's

properlocation.Applygluetotherear faceonlyof

one ofthetaperedW-14B's(taperedend outboard)

and glueit in positiontothefrontfaceofthetrailing

edge, thusprovidinga "nest"fortheailerondrive

assembly.Repeatthisprocessfortheoppositeside.

Remove theailerondriveassembliesand use a

sandingblocktotrue-upeachsideofthetrailing

edge assembly(top and bottom)and eachend. In-

sertthetwoailerondriveassembliesintotheirap-

propriate"nests"and holdthisentireassemblyto

thetrailingedge of the wingcentersection.Note

thatyounow must slightlynotchthecenter

section's1/4" x 3/8" trailingedge toallowforward

movement of thethreadedlinkagearms—dothis

now. Removethetwoailerondriveasembliesand

usesandpapertorough-upthesurfaceofeachofthe

assemblies'brasstubes.Mixa smallamount of1-3

hour epoxyand carefullyglue only the torque rod

tubes into theirappropriatelocations—DONOT

GET GLUE ON THE WIRETORQUEROD ARMS.

Carefullywipeoffany excessglue. Thiscompleted

assemblycan now be carefullyglueddirectlytothe

trailing edge of the centersectionand allowedto

dry.

7.The centersection,fromabout the centerof W-13,

back tothetrailingedge can now be sheetedwith

3/32"balsa—notegraindirection.Attheleadingedge

of the centersection,cut, fitand gluein placea

pieceof3/32"x 1" leading edge sheeting.For now,

thiscompletesthecentersection.Youwilladd the

last pieceoftopsheetingafterthe forwardwing

hold-downdowelis installed.

8.Inthisstepwewanttoprepareeachof therequired

components—thetopand bottomspars,the3/8" x

1/2" frontL.E. and therear 1/4" x 3/8" T.E.—withthe

proper dihedralangleat theirinboardends.The

cross-sectionofthewingthatis shownon theplans

isidealforthispurpose.Simplylay,forinstance,the

bottom

1/4"

1/2"

balsaspar in place

over

this

draw-

ing. Note thattheoutboardend iscutat90degs.;but

that theinboard end must be cutat an angleto

achievetherequired3/4"per paneldihedralangle.

Make twoofthesebottomspars.Now repeatthis

processwiththetopspars,theleadingedgesand

the trailing edges(notethatthe lengthoftheleading

edges is developedfromthetopviewofthewing

plan). The inboard

edges

the

1/4"

1-1/2"

lower

leadingedgesshouldbe firstcutat 90 degs. and

thenslightlychamferedtomatch the needed

dihedralangle.

Start

constructionby first

pinning

the

1/4"

1-1/2"

lower leading edges in place, directlyovertheplans.

Note thatthe inboard edges of thesetwopartster-

minate at the outer edgesof the twooutboard

W-1A'sin thecentersection.Now pin the3/32" x 1"

bottom trailingedge plankingin place. Glue the1/4"

x3/8" trailingedges in place on thetop, rear of the

3/32"trailingedge sheet.From the 3/32"x 1/4" x 36"

stock provided, cut,fitand glueeach of thebottom

capstripsin place—pintosecure.Using the3/32"

sheet balsa provided,measure, cutand glue thein-

board bottom wingsheetingin place—notegrain

direction.Locate thetworemaining W-6 wingtips,

clean theiredges and gluein place. The bottom1/4"

x1/2" spars(angled ends inboard) are now glued in

place tothebottom wingsheet and capstrips.Now

glueallrequiredW-2A,W-2B,W-3,W-3PandW-4ribs

inplace, making sure they are verticalto the work

surface.

10.

Locate and remove the remainingtwelveW-5 rear

angled ribs fromtheirdie-cutsheets.Note on the

plans thatthe forwardends of theseribsare

chamfered to fitagainst theW-3 rib sides and that

their placement does not interferewiththe place-

ment of the top spar slots. Alsonote that the inner-

most W-5 rib must be trimmedslightlyso as not to in-

terferewiththe placement of themain dihedral

brace. Glue W-5's inplace. Glue all of the wingtip

braces (W-7, W-8, W-9, W-10, and W-15) in place on

the W-6 wingtips.NotethatW-7, W-9 and W-10 need

tohave theirinboardends chamferedwitha sanding

block to fitflushtothe outer faceof W-3.

11.Now takethe centersectionwhichwasasembled

earlierand fitit toone ofthewingpanels. Tiltit until

thetwoarms of theW-11 plydihedralbracesfitflush

to the frontand rear bottomsheetingand thecenter

brace assemblyis correctlypositioned againstthe

bottomspar. Check thisfitto besure all com-

ponents fitnicely.Trim ifneeded to get proper fit.

Prop and/orpin thiscentersectionin thispositionas

you willuse it as a guide forthe remainingwing

panel parts.Remember not toglueanythingto the

centersectionyet;it'sonly in placeforspacing pur-

poses.

12.Glue the front3/8" x 1/2"" leading edge inplace on top

of the lower

1/4"

1-1/2"

leadingedge and against

the

frontof each fulland halfrib (angled end inboard

fitagainsttiltedcentersection).Gluethetop 1/4" x

1/2" sparin place(angledend inboard). Cut, fitand

glue the3/32"x 1 "leadingand trailingedge planking

in place—pinor tapetohold. Remove the center

sectionfromthewingpanel and repeattheabove

stepson theremainingpanel.

13.Cut, fitand glueall top3/32" x 1/4" capstrips inplace

on all of the ribs and half ribs.

14.Remove the wingpanels fromthe work surface. In-

spectthem forany dried globs of glue, remove these

witha #11X-actoknife.Tape or hold the twowing

panelstogetherwiththe bottoms of each facingthe

other—aligncarefully.Use your sandingblock to

now shape theforwardwingtipsidenticallywith

eachother and the curvesshownon the plans. With

the exceptionoftheinboard ends, use yoursanding

blocktocarefully"match"the wingpanels, leading

edges, tipsand trailingedges. Separate the panels

and use a sanding block withlight paper over all of

thepanel'ssurfacestosmooththemforlater cover-

ing, afterfinalassembly.The threelower wingcom-

ponents are now complete and should beset aside

for later assembly.

TAIL GROUP

Thetail group ofyourEIder Biplane is builtdirectlyoverthe

plansinaquitestraight-forwardmanner.Notethereare

optionsopen toyouwiththesepartsin termsofshape.

The stab'sgentlecurveswhichterminatein sharp

pointsat thetrailingedge oftheelevatorsgivea certain

"look," whichcan bechangedby roundingtheoutboard

trailing edges oftheelevators.This"softens"thelookof

theseshapes.Thesame thingcan bedone tothefinand

rudder,topand bottom—looksnice.Asshown,you can

alsoscallopthetrailingedges of therudder

and

elevatorstogiveyetanotherdifferentlook.

1. Start withthe stab. Build directlyover the plans

whichhave been coveredwiththeclearbacking

fromMonoKote or foodwrap.Positionthe twoS-1

tips in placeand thecenterS-2 as well;pin. From the

1/4" x 1/2" balsa stockprovided,cut,fitand gluein

place thetwoleadingedges and thetrailingedge.

Using thesame material,cutand gluein placethe

"cap" infrontof S-2, thus completing the stab

outline.

2. Cut,fitcarefullyandgluethe1/4"sq.balsaribs(three

per side) in place.Use shortlengthsof1/4" x 1/2"

stocktomake thefillets—notegraindirection.

From

the

1/4

2-3/4"

balsa stockprovided,measure

and cutthetwoelevators.Notchthemas shownto

acceptthe 1/4 " dia. dowelelevatorjoiner.Withthe

stabstillin positionon the worksurface,pin the

elevatorhalvesin place.Protectthetrailingedgeof

the stabwitha stripofwaxedpaper and epoxythe

doweljoinerin placein thenotches—allowto set

completely.

4. Remove thestab and elevatorsfromthe plans. Build

thefinnextinthesamemannerusingtheR-1 andR-2

die-cutpieceswith1/4" sq. and 1/4" x 1/2" balsa

framesshown.Cut theruddertoshape fromthere-

mainder ofthe

1/4"

2-3/4"

balsa stockused forthe

elevators.Positiontherudderin placetothebackof

the finand glue R-3 in placetotheleadingedge of

the rudder. Remove the parts fromyour building

board.

5.Using the 3/32"x 1/4" balsa provided, cap stripboth

sidesofthefinand stabassembliesasshownon the

plans. Be sure,whencappingtheloweredge of the

fin,toleave a distanceof3/32"fromthebottomto

allow the finto fitintotheslotbetweenthetwotop

S-3caps. GluethetwoS-3 capstotheuppersurface

ofS-2, leavinga 1/4"gap at thecenterlineforthefin.

Test-fitthe finin placeon topofthestab.Withthefin

stillin place,cut,fitandgluetheforward3/32"x 1/4"

cap stripin placeforwardofthe fin.Remove thefin.

6. The elevators,stab, finand rudder are now final-

sanded toshape. Startby usingmaskingtape to

mount theelevatorstothestab. Use a sandingblock

to go over allof the outsidesurfacestocarefully

match them. Lay the stabon a flatworkingsurface,

masking tapedown, and use thesandingblockto

sand it flat.Use thesandingblock totaperthe

elevatorsas shownon one side. Tape the

stab/elevatorhinge line, turnthestabover,remove

the tapefromthisside, and repeattheprocess.The

same method is used forthefinand rudder.Once

complete,use sandpaper to round theleading

edges. Set thesepartsaside forcoveringand

assembly tothe fuselage.

fuselagecan only be ruined in one way; building it crook-

ed. Thiscan be done by not making thefuselageside

framesidenticaland/or mis-sizingthetopand bottom

crossbraces. Anothercommon erroris to make im-

proper joints.The ElderBiplane reliesa great deal on the

strengthof itsframe—takethetimetomake each and

everyjointrequired, fitas preciselyas possible. Also

note thattheuprightsand crossbraces are a mix of both

spruceand balsa. These are notated.

Join Plan Sheets 1 and 2 at the centerlinesprovided. As

shown, lay yourstraightedge along thetoplongeron to

line-upthetwodrawings.Carefullytapetheplans

together.Now cut-outthe Top Viewsectionand again

using yourstraightedge, placed along the centerlineof

both drawings,carefullytape in place. Since the side

frameswillbebuiltdirectlyovertheplans, coverand pro-

tectthem witheither MonoKote backing or clear food

wrap.

1.Locate and remove both F-5die-cut fuselage

doublers fromtheirsheet. Pin or hold these parts

together,aligningcarefully,and use your sanding

block to"match" theirouteredges exactly.Pin one

of the F-5's directlyover it'slocationon the plan.

Measure, cut and pin inplace the upper 1/4" x 1/2"

balsa sub-longeron whichfitsbetweenthe F-6and

F-11locations and directlybeneath the top spruce

longeron.

2.Note thatthe top 1/4"sq.spruce longeron is actually

threeseparate lengths. There are tworequired gaps

of5/8" each tofittheslottedcabanetrunnionblocks.

Carefullycutthesethreelengthsofspruceand glue

them in place, overtheplan, to thetopsurfaceof the

1/4"x 1/2" sub-longeron. Use crossedpins toac-

curately secure the rear end ofthislongeron toyour

worksurface.Measure, cutand gluethe bottom 1/4"

sq. sprucelongeron in place to the bottomof F-5

(note the angled cutat the bottom, frontend of this

longeron toaccomodatethe wingsaddle). Again

securethe rear end of thislongeron to your work sur-

facewithcrossed pins.

3.Cut, fitand glue in place the six(6)1/4" x 1/2" balsa

uprights,shown fromA-AthroughC-C.

4.Withthe top and bottom spruce longerons securely

andaccuratelypositionedovertheplans,cut,fitand

glueinplacethesix(6)1/4"sq.spruceuprights,star-

tingat the rearmosttailpostand workingforward.

This completesthe firstfuselageside frame.

Remove it fromyourworksurfaceand usea sanding

block to lightlysand each side ofit smooth.

FUSELAGE ASSEMBLY

Before startingconstruction, study the plans, cross sec-

tions and illustrationstofamiliarizeyourselfwithhow

the fuselageis assembled. Note that it reallyisnothing

more than a basic "box" fuselage withsemi-formerson

the top and in the nose area to createthe required round-

ed look.This simple and effectiveway of making a

5.Repositionthe frameontoyourworksurfaceand, as

shown,coverit withprotectivebackingfrom

MonoKote or foodwrap. The second, identical

fuselageframeis now builtdirectlyover the bottom

one. Again,takeyourtimeand carefullybuildthis

second frameexactlylike its mate.

Remove thetwocompletedframesfromyour work

surfaceand againuse yoursandingblocktolightly

sand both sides of the newlycompletedframe.Pin

and tapethetwoframestogetherand use yoursan-

dingblocktomake suretheyareidentical.From

yourkitbox locatethethree

1/4"

3-5/8"

plywood

blocks,

the

two

1/8"

3-3/4"

brass carbanemoun-

ting

tubes

and thetwoslotted

1/4"

5/8"

3-5/8"

cabanetrunnionblocks.Use sandpapertorough-up

the twolengthsof brass tubingand epoxytheminto

the slotsofthecabanetrunnionblocks,being sure

to centerthem. Use at least 1-hour-type epoxy for

thisjob.

Carefullypositionthe twofuselageframes,upside

down, overthetopviewoftheplans. Blockand/orpin

as needed to hold them in placeat rightangles to

your worksurface.Take twoof the

1/4"

3-5/8"

ply blocksand epoxythemin placeinthe cut-outs

provided at the forwardend ofF-5. Epoxythe third

1/4"

3-5/8"

ply block intothe slotsat therear of

F-5,in the wingsaddle. From thehardwoodparts

bag locatethe

1/8"

3-1/8"

ply

F-7.

Touch-up

the

ends of thisparttofitnicelybetweentheF-5's, at the

veryleading edge. Epoxy F-7 in place. Allowthe

epoxyto curebeforeremoving structurefromyour

worksurface.

Withthe structureupright, epoxythe twocabane

trunnionblocks,tubesalready installed,in place in

the gaps providedin the topsprucelongerons.Use a

slower curingepoxy(1-3 hour type) to giveyou the

time to ensure that the structure,thus far,is truly

square. While waitingforthe glue to cure, measure

and cutthe sixrequiredidentical lengthsof 1/4" x

1/2"balsatopand bottomcrossbraces and thethree

also identicallengthsof1/4" sq. sprucetopand bot-

tom crossbraces.Again,allnine of thesecross

braces areofidenticallengthtofitexactlybetween

the fuselageframes.Startingat the top frontof the

fuselage,glueallfiveof thetop 1/4" x 1/2" cross

bracesin place,back toand includingSectionC-C

(the plansshow1/4" sq. materialat thispoint,

disregardand installthe1/4" x 1/2"brace). Behind

SectionC-C, at thelocationof the firstvertical1/4"

spruceupright,glueone ofthe1/4" sq. sprucecross

braces in place.Turnthefuselageoverand glue the

remaining1/4" x 1/2" crossbrace in placeat Section

B-B and the remainingtwo1/4" sq. sprucecross

braces at SectionC-C and at the locationof the first

verticalupright.Useyoursandingblock to lightly go

over allfoursides of thisstructure.

9.Whilewe stillhave relativelygood accessto the in-

side of thefuselage,now isthe timeto drillthe re-

quired 1/4" dia. hole throughF-7 and intothe /owe/-

wing'scentersection.Accuratelypin and/or tape

the centersectionintothe wingsaddle. Use a 1/4"

drill bit and electricdrilltodrilla hole throughF-7,

the leadingedge and theforwardW-11 dihedral

brace. Remove the center sectionand set itaside for

now.

10.

From your kitbox, locatethe

1/4"

3-3/8"

3-3/4"

ply

firewall,the four4-40 blind mountingnutsand the

four4-40 x 7/8" R.H. bolts. You willalso need the

molded fiber-filledmotor mount. Using the plans

and themotormount, you must now carefullymark

the

location ofthe fourmountingholesrequiredfor

the

mount. Using adrilland a 1/8"dia. bit, drillthefour

holes throughthe firewall.Now epoxythe4-40 blind

mountingnutsin placetothebackofthefirewall,in-

to theholesjustdrilled—keepingadhesiveout of

the threads.Locate themotormount to the frontof

the firewalland use theboltstotightenit in place.

Allowthe gluetocureand removethemount. The

firewallis now epoxiedin placetothefrontof the

fuselage—aligncarefullyand allowtocure.

11.

Assemblethefueltankthatyouplantouse. This

designcanuse either10or 12oz. fueltanks.(We've

showna Du-Bro12oz. tank, mountedupright,on the

plans.) Fit yourtankintothe nose ofthefuselage

assembly.Youcansee thatthetankneeds tobe sup-

portedtositlevel.Make up a coupleofsupportsfor

thetank(twolengthsof 1/4" x 1/2" balsa, between

the

twoF-5's workswell)and gluethem in place,

making surethe tanknow restslevel.Inthisway,

whenthefuselageis complete,the tankcan bein-

sertedfromthe lowerwingopening intothenose

and removed,ifneeded, withassurancethatit is in

placecorrectly.Now use a 3/16" dia. drillbittomake

the tworequiredholesthroughthefirewallforthe

fueltubing(welikeand suggesta "twolinesystem";

one fuellineforfuelfeedand fillingand theotherfor

the pressuretapand overflow).Removethetank.

12.

Drilland taptheholesnecessaryin themotormount

to attachyourengine(weliketouse4-40 Allen-head

hardwareforthispurpose). Attachthemotormount

to thefirewalland the engineto themount.By view-

ing fromthe front,determinethelocationof the

throttletubehousingexithole. Thisshouldbe lined-

up withthecarb'sthrottlearm. Drilla 1/16"dia. hole

throughthefirewallforthistube.Rough-uptheouter

surfaceof theouterthrottletubehousingand glueit

in place in thefirewall—about3/16"ofit shouldpro-

trude out fromthefaceofthefirewall,therestof it

runs intotheradio

compartment. Be

sure your

tank

stillfitsin place.

13.The servos shown on the plans are of average or

standard configuration;yoursmay be different

(taller,wider,etc.). The ElderBiplanewillaccept

almostany radio system.Inthisstepyouare going

to determinethe locationofthe 1/4"x 1/2" balsa

servotraybearers. Remember thattheservotrayis

1/8"thickply. Lay one of theservosthatyouplan to

use directlyover theside of thefuselage,at the loca-

tion shown on the plans and mark thelocationof

thesetraybearers. Cut, fitand gluein place the servo

traybearers,one on each side of the fuselage.

14.Using the 1/8"x 3" x 30" balsa sheet provided,the

bottomnose of thefuselage,back to the rear faceof

F-7 is sheeted—notecrossgraindirection,typical

throughout thisstep. Again,hold or tape the lower

wing'scentersectionin placein the F-5 wingsaddle.

The bottom rear of the fuselageis now sheeted from

the

trailingedge of thecentersection,back tothe

point shownon the plans. The topof the fuselageis

now sheeted,as shownon theplansand illustra-

tions.Asshown,do not sheetthetopofthe1/4"ply

firewall,thisisthelocationofthetopF-3 former.Use

yoursandingblocktosmooththefuselagesides

and sheetingjustappliedand toblendthebottom

nose sheetingand landinggearmountingblocks to

the smoothcurveshownon theplans.

15.Using a penciland triangle,hold thefuselagedirect-

ly overthesideviewon theplansand mark theloca-

tionofformersF-6,F-8,F-9, F-11 andF-12directlyon-

tothetop1/8"balsa sheeting.From yourkitbox,

locatethetwo1/8"x 6" x 21" balsasheetsthatare

the fuselagesides.Use a straightedge and an

X-actoknifetotrue-upone ofthelong edgesofeach

of thesesheets.Now lay one of thesheetsdirectly

overthefuselage,aligningitstrued-upedge withthe

top surfaceof the top1/8"sheeting.Note thatthefor-

wardend ofthesheetingterminatesat sectionB-B.

Withthesidesheetingproperlyaligned,pressit to

thefuselagesideat thetubeends ofeachof the

cabane trunnionblock locations.Thisshouldindent

thesheetingwiththe slightlyprotrudingtubing

ends. Removethesheetingand use a 1/8"dia. drillbit

tomake a hole throughthe sheetingat both indenta-

tions.Repositionthesheetingtothe fuselageand

use a pencilto carefullydrawthe bottomand rear

fuselageside outlinesonto the sheeting.Use your

X-actoknifetoremove thedrawnoutline. This

fuselagesideis now gluedin placetothe fuselage

frame.Repeat processfortheoppositeside. Use

your sanding block to true-upalledges and sides.

16.

Locate and remove 1/4" die-cutpartsF-3 (1)and F-4

(2). Standthe fuselageon itsnose, firewallflatto

yourworksurface.GluethetwoF-4 formersin place

to each sideof thefirewalland theF-3 formertothe

top ofthefirewalland thetopsofthetwoF-4's. Use

your sanding blocktosmooththeformerstotheface

of the firewall.Locateand removeformersF-6, F-8,

F-9,F-11 and F-12 fromtheirdie-cutsheets.Using

the locationmarks made earlier,glueeach of these

semi-formersin placetothetop ofthefuselage.

Make sure theyare centeredand thattheysitat right

angles tothe fuselagesheeting.(Notethattherewill

be oneextraF-6 former—itwillnot be needed.) From

the stockwoodin your kitbox, locatea lengthof 1/4"

sq. balsa. Measure, cutand fitthe requiredlengthto

fitintoF-12 (at the rear), forwardto and includingthe

F-2location—4-1/2"ahead of sectionA-A.Partially

cut throughand crackthislongeron at theF-9and

F-6formerlocationsto obtain the right outline.Glue

this longeron in place. Cut and fitthetworequired

1/4"sq. balsastiffenersthat fitintothe F-4 formers

and angleback tothesecond1/4"x 1/2"upright(sec-

tionB-B). Note thatthesetwopieces fitonlyintoone

half of thewidthof F-4 and that theyare notched to

fitinside oftheupright(see Top View).

17.

You are now going to sheet the top turtledeck back

from F-6to the rearof the fuselagewiththe1/8"x 3"

x30"balsa sheet provided. We suggest that you

break thisup into fourareas; a leftand a right from

F-6to F-9anda leftand aright fromF-9tothebackof

the fuselage.We also suggest startingat the center

of the top longeron and workingdown. Wettingthe

wood witheitherwateror a littleammonia willmake

the curves required quiteeasy. Alsobe sure to leave

yourself a little"shelf"at theF-6formerforthe for-

wardsheetingand at the F-9formerforthe rear

sheeting.Takeyourtime, trimand sand the sheeting

fora good fitbefore glueing in place. A thicktypeCA

glue is good here as it eliminatesthe need forpins.

18.

Cut, fitand glue in placethetwosidecow/longerons

whichfitintothehalf-notchesleftinthe F-4'sandex-

tend out to the F-2 location. (See illustrationsand

Top and Side viewof the plans.) Locate and remove

formersF-1andF-2fromtheirdie-cutsheet.Observe

how F-2 sits in place when attached to the three 1/4"

sq. piecesextendingout fromthecowl.Viewedfrom

the sideand top, F-2 is parallelwiththefirewall.Use

arulertobesure and trimthe ends of the 1/4" sq.

materialas needed. Once satisfied,glue F-2 in

place. Use yoursanding block to lightlysand the for-

wardfaceof F-2 smooth. PositionF-1in place

against F-2.Note thatdoing thiscreatesan approx-

imate"shelf"of1/8".Thisistolocateandgluethefor-

wardcowlsheetinginplace. Glue F-1toF-2.Last,

gluethe tworequired1/4" sq. balsa pieces thatfit

fromthe bottom, outsidecornersof F-2 down tothe

bottom, outsidecornersof the F-4's. Bevel-cut each

end of these to fitcorrectly.

19.Note the illustrationin the lower left-handcorner of

Plan Sheet 1.This givesthe correctsequence for

finish-sheetingthe fuselagetop and cowl.Again,

wettingthevariousbalsasheetingpieceswithwater

or a littleammonia helps thematerialto readilycon-

form. Take your timetoachieve accurate,gap-free

fitsbefore glueing these pieces inplace. Thick CA

adhesive worksvery wellhere, eliminating the need

forpins. Ifyou'vetakenyour timeand fittedthese

pieces inplacewitha minimum ofgaps, allthatre-

mains is sandingtoshape.

20.

Use your sanding block and coarse paper to now

bevel the inside ends ofthe spruce fuselage

frameworkat the tailpost—seeTop Viewof plans.

Once satisfied,carefullyepoxytheseends together,

providingequal bends toeach side of the fuselage

when viewedfromthe top. Alsoview the structure

fromthe rear making sure everythingis square.

When satisfied,clamp securelyand allow to cure.

Accuratelycutfive(5)pairsoftopand bottom 1/4"sq.

sprucecrossbraces whichwillcorrespond, in loca-

tion, to theexposeduprights.We suggestcutting

these pieces at the same time, takingcare to ensure

that they are of equal length. Withthe tailpostjoint

fullycured, glue crossbraces in place, workingfrom

the frontto the back. Check each cross brace in-

stallationasyou go,making sure the structurestays

square.

21.The complete fuselage, including the exposed

spruce frameworkshould now begiven a complete

sanding. Anygaps, nicksor dings should befilled

and sanded-off.Remove the twoF-10(ply) pushrod

guides fromtheirdie-cutsheets. Use your sanding

block to clean-up theiredges and the slot. Once

satisfied,glue F-10's in placeto the outside of the

verticaluprights, beneath the stabilizerlocation.

The last thingtodo isto make the cut-outsforthe

cockpitlocationsforyour "pilots".Atthispoint, you

can choose to make themodel a one or two"holer."

Withthe exceptionof the cabane strutsand some

otherdetailswhichwillfollow,yourfuselageiscom-

plete.

WIRE PARTS ASSEMBLY

I.LANDING GEAR

The pre-bent frontand rear 1/8"dia.M.W.landing gear

(L/G) formsmust bejoinedtogether at the bottom,

towardsthe wheels. We recommend softcopperwirefor

firmlyand neatlywrappingthetwopiecestogetherprior

to soldering.We wouldhighlyrecommend the use of

HARRIS'SSTAY-CLEANFLUXandtheirsilversolderfor

thisoperation. Althougha solderingiron willwork,with

patience,thesejointscan bequicklyand permanently

made withtheuse of a smallhobby-typegas torch.

1. Locate the positionof therear "cross-axle"wireto

thebottomrearply L/G plateonthefuselagebottom.

Whileholdingthewirein place,slipthetwoformed

metal clipsonto the wire.Use a penciltomark the

hole locationsof theseclipsonto the ply base, then

remove the wireand clips.Drillshallow,small-

diameter "guideholes"fortheclip's#2 x 3/8"

screws.Now attachthe landinggear wiretothe

fuselagewiththe clipsand screws—do not over-

tighten.Repeat thisprocesswiththe forward lan-

ding gear wire.

2. Pull the twowireparts togetheruntiltheytouch.The

twoshortbent 'arms'on theforwardleg shouldline-

up withthe legs of the rear L/G wire.If needed, use

plierstoadjust these arms until they fitneatly and

uniformly.

3. Use softcopperwiretonow neatly wrap the forward

short arms to the rear L/G wireas shownin the il-

lustrationin the plans. Applysome STAY-CLEAN

fluxtothejointand solder. Repeat the processon

the oppositeside. Be neat and trytobe surethatthe

jointis solid withouta lot ofexcesssolder. Oncethe

jointhas been made, cleanwithwaterto remove all

fluxand dry-offwitha paper towel.

4. Asshown, the crossed-axlelanding gear system

derives its abilityto acceptlandingloads and shock

fromthe twoindependent axlelegs. These need to

bejoinedattwo

points,

each

2-1/2"

in fromthewheels.

Thisdistancehasshownverygoodshock-absorbing

abilityforEIderBiplanesweighing7-1/2

to8-1/2

Ibs.Join

these axles

firstmeasuringthe

2-1/2"

distance

re-

quired, wrappingwithsoftwire(about 1/2") and

soldering.Again,clean the solder jointscompletely

withwaterand dry.

5. The wheelscanbe retainedin one of twoways.As

shown,simplysoldering1/8"I.D.washersin place

willdo thejob.A more realisticmethodis tofitthe

axlelegs withlengthsof1/8" I.D.brass tubing,

solderedin place. Withtheaxleholes of thewheels

drilled out tofitover thesepiecesof tubing,the

wheelsareslippedin place.Next,slipawasherover

the tubing,againstthewheel.Now drilla small

diameter hole throughthe end ofthebrass tubing

and inserta smallcotterpin toretainwheel. Note

thatthelengthof theM.W. L/G axleshouldbe

shortened first,using a carbide cut-offwheelon your

Moto-Tool.

II.REARTAILSKID

1. From your kit box, locate the1/16"dia. x 22" length of

M.W.andthe1/16"pre-bentskidsupportwire.Notethe

side and bottomviewof thisassembly,shown on

PlanSheet 2.Use the patternto now bend the 22"

length of M.W. to shape—easilydone withpliers.

Neatly wrapthe rear tipof the skid withsoftcopper

wire, apply fluxand solder.

2. Now tape the main skid wireassembly inplace to the

bottom rear of the fuselage,at the cross brace, just

behind D-D. Use tape tonow locatethepre-bent skid

support tothe bottom, rear fuselagelocationshown.

Usesoftcopperwiretoneatlywrapthesupportwire

to thetailskid,applyfluxand solder. Remove the

completed tailskidassembly fromthefuselage.This

assembly should beattachedtothefuselagejust

prior topaintingor stainingtheexposedspruce

fuselagelongerons, crossbracesand uprights.We

have used and suggest black carpet thread or fishing

line forattachment.

3. Should you wishto make thisskid steerable,we've

provided an illustrationof how we did it. This

assembly is essentiallythesame as the non-

steerable one justmade, exceptthatthe rear part of

theskidisseparateandissleeved ina1/16"I.D.length

of brass tubing. Anarm is bent, at rightangles, at the

topandanotherlengthof1/16"I.D.tubingissolderedin

place. Theend ofthispiece oftubingis flattenedand

drilledwitha hole toaccepta nylon clevis.Now the

rear part of the skidbecomes steerable when a se-

cond threaded pushrod and nylon clevisare attached

to the rudder pushrod. Note that the partsforthis op-

tion are notsupplied withyour kit.

STEERABLE TAIL SKID

(OPTIONAL)

III.INTERPLANE STRUTS

1. YourElderBiplanerequirestheuseoftwointerplane

strutassemblies. The patternfortheirassemblyand

the illustrationshowingthe method of connection

are on Plan Sheet 4, lower right-handcorner.Note

thatwhencomplete,the tworequiredstrut

assemblieswillbe"mirror-images"ofone another,

in otherwordsa leftand a right.The "Z-bends" on

the bottom of the strutassembliesare firstfittedin-

to theholes in themini-horns,fromtheoutboard

ends of thebottomwingand thenrotatedupwards.

Thetopends, withthethreadedclevises,are thenat-

tachedtothemini-hornsprotrudingfromthebottom

of the topwing.Sincethreadedclevisesare used,

the lengthof these strutsare fullyadjustablefor

each side ofthe wings.

2. From your kitbox, locate fourof the .072dia. x 12"

threadedone-end pushrod wiresand thesingle

pieceof1/16"x 14"M.W. Thesearethepartsrequired

forthe twointerplanestruts.From the14" pieceof

M.W., cuttwo7" lengths. Use a pairofplierstobend

the ends ofeach of thesetwopiecesto theshape

shown on theplans, whichconnectsthetwothread-

edone-endstrutwires.Wrap each end withsoftcop-

per wireand solder.Cut the lengthofeachstrutas

shown on theplansand use plierstomake the

Z-bends at the bottom of each.

Later, whenthemodel isassembled,you'llbe addingthe

nylon clevisesto eachof thestrutends and attaching

these assembliesforadjustment.

IV.FUSELAGE CABANE STRUTS

1. From your kitbox locate the fourpre-bent cabane

strutsand the twopre-bent cabane strutbraces.

Note on the side and top viewsof the fuselageplans

that the fourcabane strutsare meant tobe inserted

into the 1/8" I.D.brass tubes that have been builtinto

the fuselage.Note thatit may benecessary toadjust

the length ofthese wires,at the end that insertsinto

the

tubes.

This length

should

1-3/4"

allow

the left

and right wirestobe fullyinserted. Anyexcess

length should beremoved witha carbide cut-off

wheeland yourMoto-Tool.Trial-fiteach of the four

pieces in place into the fuselage to besure they in-

sert all the way.

2. Carefullycleaneachofthewireswithabitofthinner

to remove any oil or grease.

3. Insert one ofthe cabane strutsinto one of the

fuselage'sforwardcabane tubes. Use tapetosecure

itin place, at rightanglesto the fuselage,as shown

inthe side view.Insertanother cabane strutin the

rear tube location,on the same side, again using

tape tosecure it verticallyto the side viewof the

fuselage.Now hold one of the braces in place to

these twoparts, as shown on the plans. The fitand

relationshipshould bewhatis shown. Once

satisfied,carefullyand neatlywrap the top, forward

leg of the brace to the top, forwardend of the front

strut(abit of tape can beused to hold the bottom,

rear end of the brace in place, whileyou'reworking)

withsoftcopperwire.Applya littlefluxandcarefully

solder thisjoint.

Now carefullyslide the assembly out of the tubes

about 1".Remove the tape fromthe bottom rear

brace/strutjoint. Wrap this jointwithcopper wire

and solder.

Duplicate this procedure on the other side of the

fuselage, being carefulto make an exactopposite of

the firststrut/braceassembly.These twostrut

assemblies can now be set aside forlater installa-

tion.

FINAL ASSEMBLY

1.Locate one of the 1/4"dia. x 36" sprucedowelspro-

videdin yourkit. Cut a 3" length. Mixa little1-hour

typeepoxyand placesome of thisglue intothe slot

createdbythetwoW-1A'sinthe lowerwing'scenter

section.Insertthedowel,throughtheleading edge,

leaving1/4" exposed. Addmore gluetothetopof the

now-inserteddowel.Carefullyinstallthecentersec-

tionin place to thefuselage,engaging the dowel

intothehole in F-7. Center thestructureto the

fuselageand tape in placeand allowtocure.

2.From yourkit,locate fournylonmini-hornsand

four

#2 x 3/8" R.H.W.S. screws.Thesehorns arenow

screwedin placetotheW-3Pribsin thetwolower

wingpanels. Itis easiesttodo thisifyou firstdrilla

3/32"dia. holethrougheachofthehornsand

then

screwthemin place—donot overtighten.

3.Removethe centersectionfromthefuselageonce

thegluehascured.From the3/32"sheetbalsastock,

finishsheetingtherest of thecentersection'stop

surface.Use yoursandingblocktosmooththistop

surfaceand tosmooth the edges flushwiththe outer

W-1A'sand B's.

4.Firmly pin and/or weightthe centersectionover your

protectedworksurfaceand epoxytheleftand right

lowerwingpanels in placetoit.Do not use so much

adhesivethatit dripsor runs but enoughtoade-

quatelycoatthepartsrequired.Prop eachwingtip

11/16"

toachievethe correctdihedraland allowthe

structureto cure.

5.When thewingcanberemoved fromyour work sur-

face,repositionit in placein thefuselagewingsad-

dle. Turnthe wholethingoverand mark thelocation

of the tworequiredrear wingboltholes ontothe

wing'shardwood trailingedge. Withthe wingfirmly

and squarelypinnedand/orweightedon the

fuselage,drilltwo1/8" dia. holes throughthebolt

positionsjustmarked. These twoholesgo all the

way throughthe hardwood trailingedge and theply

wingmountingplatein thefuselage.Remove the

wingfromthe fuselage.Now tapthetwoholes inthe

fuselagemountingplatewithan 8-32 tap.Oncethe

threadshave been established,use a littlethin CA

adhesiveto coat them and then run thetapthrough

thesethreadsagain, severaltimes;thistoughens-up

the threads. Now trythe 8-32 nylonbolts suppliedin

the now-tappedholes.They should worksmoothly,

withoutbinding.Now use a 3/16" dia. bit and your

power drilltoopen up thetwoholes in the trailing

edge of the lowerwing.This allowsclearenceforthe

twonylon winghold-downbolts.Usea razorbladeto

trimthelengthoftheseboltsto3/4".

6.From your kit box, locate thetworemaining lengths

of taperedtrailingedge/aileron stock.Note on the

crosssection,shown at the lowerleftcornerofPlan

Sheet 3, thatthe right and leftaileronsneed tobe

beveled, topand bottom of the hinge line, to

facilitateupand down movement. Firstcarefullycut

theaileronstolength,withabout1/32"clearencebet-

ween the hardwood end of the centersectionand

the aileronat the W-15 location.Use a smallhobby

plane and sanding block to bevel theleading edges

of each aileron, as shown.Next,locate,mark and

drillthe 1/8"dia. hole in the inboard leading edge of

each aileron thatwillengage theexposed torque rod

ends. From the partsbag, locatethe two1/8"O.D. x

7/8" brass tubes. Rough-up theiroutersurfacesand

insert them intothese holes toa depth of about 1".

Now use your MotoTool or X-actoknifeto make a

groove fromtheseholes, inboard tothe ends ofthe

ailerons. These grooveswillhold thetorquerod

arms and allowthe aileronsto fitup tothewing's

trailingedges. Test fiteach aileronforcorrectfitand

make any necessaryadjustments.

7.Use a softpenciltomark the locationof each of the

five(perside) aileron/winghinges. Usea#11 X-acto

blade to carefullyand accuratelyslotthewingand

its correspondingaileronforthenylon hinges.

NOTE: The hinge linemust line up withthetorque

rod arm forfree,non-bindingmovement.

8.Temporarilymount the aileronsin place, hinged,to

the lower wing.Sand theentirestructuretofinal

shape. Removethe aileronsand hingesand set them

aside forfinalattachmentaftercovering.

9.Using the plans and a softpencil, carefullymark the

positionsof each of the fourrequired1/8"holes on

the bottom sheetingof the topwing.These holes are

required to engage and mount the top wingtothe

cabane strutassemblies.

Now bolt the lower wingtothe fuselageand slip the

leftand rightcabanestrutwireassembliesintotheir

tubes—usetapetoretainthesetemporarily.Gently

place the top wingonto thetop of thecabane stubs,

centeringit as closeas possibletothefourpencil

marks justmade. The pencilmarks may not line-up

exactly,justdo yourbest toget thestubs and marks

as closeas possible to one another.

Once the wingis in thisposition,you have some

observationstomake. First,whenviewedfromthe

top, the leading edges ofboth upperandlowerwings

should be parallel. If not, shiftthe topwingslightly

toachievethiscondition.Next,viewthe model from

the fronttodeterminethatthe top wingis centered

(disregardany winglow conditionfornow) and ad-

justas needed to achievethiscondition.

The last observation to make is the relationship

the tops of the wirecabane stubs to the1/2" x 5/8'' x

1-1/2"

hardwoodblocks,justabovethem.Youwant

besurethatthe hole locationswillbeapproximately

thoseshownon the plans and cross sections. If

some bending adjustmentsin one or more of the

cabane strutarms needs to bemade, now isthe

time.

Once all of the fore-going criteria has been met,

uniformlypress the topwingto the wirestub ends

withthe palm of your hand, to impress their loca-

tions intothebalsa sheeting. Remove the upper

wing,turnit overand use your power drilland a 1/8"

dia. bit to drillthe fourholes through the bottom of

the wingpanels and each of the blocks, at right

angles.Re-fitthewingin place to the cabane struts.

Usethedrilland 1/8"bit tomakeadjustmentsneeded

to allowthe wingtoacceptthe stubs. Take another

look at the airframetomake sure everything is sit-

tingsquarely.Once you'resatisfied,remove the top

wingand remove thelowerwingfromthe fuselage.

10.Lay the top wingupside down on your worksurface

and then mount the fuselageand cabane strutsinto

the just-drilledholes. Locate the fourrequired re-

tainingstrapsand eight#2 x 3/8" woodscrews. As

shownon theplans, the balsa sheeting immediately

beneath thesestrapsand screwsmust beremoved.

Dothisnow witha#11 X-actoknife.Using thestraps

as a guide, mark the locationof each of the screw

holes. Drilleight 1/16"dia. "guide holes" forthe

screws.Use a screwdriverto now mount each ofthe

fourstrapsin place—don'tover-tighten.

Withthishardwareinits location established, the

top wingcan now be removed from the cabane

struts.The rest of the 3/32"balsa sheeting can befit-

ted and glued in placeon the top, overthe hardwood

blocks.The wingshould now befinal-sanded

preparatoryto covering.Finally,using the instruc-

tionsin FINAL ASSEMBLY step#2, mount the four

nylon mini-hornsin place tothe W-3P ribs, making

sure the ends oftheseprotrude downwards,toward

the bottom winglocation—seecrosssectionat bot-

tom leftofPlan Sheet 5.

11.A 1/16"x 1/2" x 12"ply stripis provided forthe

fuselageframe"cornercaps". These are shownon

the topand bottom viewsof the fuselageand are cut

tofitovereachexposedspruceframeworkjoint.The

patterndrawingforthesepartsappearsat thefar

right-handsideofPlanSheet2.Usethepatternanda

pair of shears tomake thesecaps. These are now

carefullyglued in placeas shown.Use lightsand-

paper tosmooth,prior topainting.

12.

Usingthelocationsshownon theplans, makethe re-

quiredhinge slotsin thestabilizerand elevatorwith

your#11 X-actoknife.Temporarilyinstallthe

elevatorsin place tothestabilizerwitha coupleof

hinges. Now make thetworequired hingeslotsin

the finand rudder. Astheplans show, a semi-

circularopening, at the lowerleading edge of the

rudder now needs to bemade to allowclearenceof

the dowelelevatorjoinerand fullmovement of the

rudder. Withthe ruddertemporarilyhinged to the fin,

test-fitthe fininto the stab slottobesure thereis no

interferencein the movement of the rudder and

elevatordowel.Disassemble theseparts.

shown on the plans, we have used shortlengths

of scrapinnerthrottlepushrodstocktubingto make

the staband finflyingwirebrace points. These

should benow glued in placein pre-drilledholes.

OPTIONALDECORATIONDETAIL-

1/4"LENGTHSOF 3/32"OR 1/8"DIA.PLASTIC

TUBINGCANBE EPOXIEDINTOEACHJOINT

BETWEENA SPRUCECROSSBRACEAND

UPRIGHT(16 PLACES).LATER,"RIGGING"IS

THREADEDTHROUGHEACHTUBE,DRAWN

TIGHTANDEPOXIEDIN PLACE.

Althoughwe have been instructingyou to sand the

variouscomponents of yourElderBiplane as you were

constructingthem, take the timenow tocarefullyre-

check any structurewhichmay requirefinaltouch-up

sanding or filling.The differencebetween a good cover-

ing job and a great one tends to beabout $2.00worthof

sandpaper and the willingnessto use it.

COVERING & FINISH

Now thatall ofthe variouscomponents of your Elder

Biplane are completelyassembled and sanded totheir

finalshapes, you can turnyour attentionto covering.

This is the pointthatcanseparateyourmodel from

anyone else's.Youmust decidewhatyou wantthe

finishedairplaneto look like.We have finishedour pro-

totypesin a widevarietyof colorschemesrepresenting

everythingfroman R.A.F. WWI fighter(incream

MonoKote withred, whiteand blue Roundelsand tail

treatment) or a German WWI fighter(allred Monokote

withblack Iron Cross'son a whitebackground)to

civilian-typeversions(dovegrayfuselages,transparent

blue wingsand tail-groupand chromeMonokote

'cowls')! Interestingly,nomatterwhatcolorscheme we

used, therewasalwaysa group of people at theflying

site who wouldstand therelooking at the Elder,arguing

about whata real, full-scaleaircraftit represented.Just

remember thatthe Elderis not a scale-model,you'refree

to cover it in any configurationthatstikesyourfancy—it

willlook great!

Before covering,itis suggestedthat the finalfinishbe

applied to the open sprucefuselagestructure.This can

bedone isseveralways.There is averygood producton

the market calledVarathanethat is sold throughmost

well-stockedhardware and lumber supply oulets.This

material is essentailly clearand willleave the spruce

about its same color, maybe a littledarker, and

somewhat shiny. Itis resistenttospent fueland quite

durable in actualuse. Epoxy paint, mixedto achieve a

woodish brown color and brushed or sprayed, also

works well. Take your time here,use lightsandpaper to

go overthe framework,smoothing it forthe finishofyour

choice.When applyingthefinish,besurethatallof the

exposedwood,except thetop,rear stabglueingarea,

receivespaint. We then used flatblack paint(again,

epoxyis great)to painteachofthe ply 'jointcaps'. This

reallymakes thestructurecometolife!

Now forthe coveringitself.Use the directionsthat are

suppliedwitheachrollofMonokoteand covereachof

the variouscomponentsseparately;fuselage,wings,

stab, elevators,finand rudder. Some ofyou might have a

problem withthe wingtipsof the Elder,ifthisis yourfirst

ventureinto the use of Monokoteor yourfirstR/C

airplane.Here'sa method thatworksquitewell,First,

coverthewingpanels totally,startingwiththe bottoms

first,includingthewingtips.Then coverthetopsof the

wingpanels out toand includingthelastoutboardW-3

wingrib, but not the wingtipsthemselves.Next,cutan

elongatedtriangularpiece on Monokotetofitover the

space betweentheforwardW-3 riband theforwardW-7

wingtipformer—keepedges straight,allowabout 1/8"

overlapand iron this piece in place. Move now tothe

nextexposedtriangulararea betweenW-7 and W-8 and

repeat the process.Thismethod willprovidea much

easiercoveringsituationforthenewcomerand, ifdone

carefully,givesyouanicelooking,wrinkle-freewingtip.

When coveringthefuselagebe surethatthebottom

covering—thepiecethat you should apply

first—overlapsinto and on the firewallby about 1/4"at

least.

Assumingthat the airplaneis now covered, turnyour at-

tentiontofuel-proofingthe engine compartment. We

like touse and highly recommend a liberal coat of

polyesterresin.This material should beapplied toall/ex-

posed wood in theinside of the cowlarea and over all of

theMonokote seams thatterminatein the cowlitself.

This seals the wood as wellas the Monokote seams and

avoids"fuelcreep" later on. Besure to keep the resin out

of the bolt holes in the firewall.

Use your X-actoknifeto now clear-outall of the hinge

slotsin the ailerons, wingand tailgroup. Dothesame

thingforthe winghold-down bolt holes, the cockpit, the

landing gear screwholes, etc.

Mount the lower wing to the fuselagewiththe nylon

bolts. Place the stab in positionon the top rear of the

fuselageand sight down the frontof the model to

observe if the stab issittingflatin relationship to the

wing,withoutany tilt.Once satisfied,hold the stab firm-

ly in place in the positionthat it is meant tobe;square

withthe fuselageand aligned correctlywiththe wing

when viewedfromthe top—makesure that it is exactly

where you want it.Use a sharp penciland, whileholding

the stab in place, tracethe outline of the frameworkthat

is incontactwiththe bottom ofthe stab onto the stab

itself.Remove the stabfromthe fuselage.Use your

X-actoknifetonow lightlycut-outthe frameoutline from

the bottom of the stab'sMonokote to expose the

wood—thiswillbeyour glueing surfaceThe stab can

now bemounted to the fuselage; we used a 'thick'CA

adhesive for this.

Next, prepare the finformounting to the stab bymaking

sure that all covering isremoved fromthe bottom of it,

leaving exposed wood. Besurethatthecoveringon the

top of the stab is well-adheredto the centerS-3's

because you willberemoving some of it, at the center, to

accommodate the fin.Use your X-actoknifeto remove

the coveringfromthe finslotlocation, exposingthe

wood. Beforeglueingthe finto the stab, use a pin to

make lots of smalI holes in the exposed wood of both the

stab and finbottom,theseneed not bedeep. Use a

slowerdryingadhesive (Titebond, 1-hour epoxy, etc) to

now gluethe fininplace on the stab. Use a length of light

tape over the topof the finand on each tipof the stab to

hold the finin place, at rightangles, and allow todry.

Check periodicallywhilethisstructureisdryingto be

sure thatthe finhas not shiftedand is in place at right

angles to the stab and on thecenterlineof the fuselage;

wewanteverything"square". Whenthisstructureisdry,

remove the tape. Thread a lengthof20# fishingline (us-

edforriggingthru-out, ifdesired) throughthe hole at the

top of the finand glue each oftheline holes at each tipof

the stab—carefullyapplied "thick"CA adhesivewill

work well.The finshould now bequiteimmobile on the

stab.

Use 1-hour epoxy to now glue the hinges required into

the trailingedges ofthe wings,stabilizerand rudder.

Next, mounttheelevatorstotheirhingesfollowedbythe

rudderand ailerons.A littleacetoneorCAdebonderona

clean paper towelcan beused toclean-offany glue that

has

oozed out of the hinge slots.

Mount the landing gear assembly to the fusefage with

the screwsand clipsprovided. Mount the clips securely

butdo not over-tighten.

Now installthemotor mount to the firewall.Use one or

twowashersbehind the top twomotor mount boltsto

give about 2 to3 degrees of down-thrust.Mount your

engine tothe motor mount. Cut twolengthsof fueltub-

ing withsharp angles at one end. Insert theangled ends

through thefirewalland use a pair oflong-nosed pliers

to reach intothe fuselageand pullthemalmost through

the tankcompartment.Trimthe ends of the tubingand

connectthem tothe appropriatetubeson your tank.

Now pullthe tubesback throughthefirewallwhilemov-

ing the tank into the fuselage.Trimthe tubingto length

and make the connectionsto your engine and pressure

tap.

The two

1-1/8"

2-3/4"

windscreensare now

trimmed

shape using the patternsprovided on Plan Sheet 1.We

suggest that you then press theseto thesurfaceto

createa slightindention and use an X-actoknifeto

createa "slot"intowhichthey can beinserted. A small

amount of CA glue willhold themnicely.Ifyou'reusing

pilot busts,theseshould beassembled, trimmedto fitin

thecockpitopenings and painted. They can then be

epoxiedin place.

Atthis point you might beconsideringdetailingthe

model witha few"goodies". We have used a fewitems

that were"off-theshelf"in most well-stockedhobby

shops. WilliamsBros. makes some nice

2-1/2"

scale

machine gun kitswhichwouldwork well withthis

model. These are available in WWI vintage, both British

and German. To mount these, you wouldonly have to

epoxy a coupleof dowelsinto the bottom of the gun(s)

and glue directlyto the top of the fuselage, ahead of the

forwardcockpitlocation. Asshown on the plans, we

also used WilliamsBros, vintage-stylewheels.The true

spoked wheels, shown on the model depicted on your

label, wereobtained fromour local hobby shop. Supply

of these type of wheels varies greatly.

On a coupleofour prototypeswedetailedthe cockpits

withveneerinstrumentpanels, vintageinstruments,

and black tubingwhichweslitand mounted around the

cockpitopenings. DetailingyourElderBiplane is a lot of

funand makes your model an individual.

Withthe exceptionof any additionaldetailing,painting,

etc.that youmightwanttodo, yourmodel is now essen-

tiallyfinished, needing only the installation ofthe radio.

RADIO INSTALLATION

The method of installingyourradiointheElderBiplane is

shownon the plans. Note thatwe have provided you with

1/8"

2-7/8"

4-7/8"

ply

servo

tray.

Use

a penciland

straightedge tolay-out thepositionsofyour servoson

thistray.Note thatwe show therudder and elevator

servosattherear, mounted side-by-sidewiththethrottle

servojustahead, mounted sideways.Drilla 1/4"dia.hole

intoeach oftheservopencilmarksand usea Dremel saw

orjigsawtoremovetheservocut-outsrequired(3).Test-fit

theservos intothetrayand thetray intothefuselage—it

ismeanttorestatopthetwo1/4"x 1/2" balsabearersthat

were built into thefuselageframeearlier.Note thatthe

tray can be slidforeand afta littletoprovidesome C.G.

change, if needed, laterwhen it is permanentlyglued in

place.

The receiver and battery pack are meant to beinstalled

forwardoftheservotray,as shown. These components

should be installedusingfoamrubber. The receiver

antennaonourprototypeswassimplyrouted outthrough

thefuselage,internally,and tied-offatthetailpostofthe

rearfuselageframework.Theswitchharnessmaybeat-

tacheddirectlytothefuselageside,awayfromengineex-

haust.

Next,maketherudderandelevatorpushrodsusingthere-

maining lengthsoftheVA"dia. dowelprovided.Thesewill

becuttoabout22" lengths.Locatethetwo12",threaded

on one-end, wirepushrods suppliedinyourkit.Cut5"off

eachofthesepushrods;leavingtwo7",threadedone-end

pieces.Savethe5"piecesand,asshownontheplans,at-

tachthe non-threadedendsofthe7" piecestotheendsof

eachdowelwithepoxyandtightly-wrappedthread.Now

attachthetworemaining5"wirelengthstotheopposite

ends of thedowels.From theinsideofthefuselage,slip

the pushrods in place throughtherear of theframeand

out thepushrod exitguides. Some small amount of ben-

dingofthesecontrolwiresmaybeneededtoprovidefree,

unbinding movement. Avoidhard or abrupt bends.

Locate the twonylon horns provided forthe elevatorand

rudder. Mark the locations of these on therudder and

elevator and drillthe tworequird holes foreach. Mount

the horns. Thread twoclevisesontoeach end of each

pushrods and attachthe clevisestothenylon horns.

Now testthe movement and actionofthe rudder and

elevator by movingthe pushrods by hand. Itis essential

that the movement besmooth, non-binding but not slop-

py. Once you are satisfied,make the required"Z"-bends

atthe servo-end of the pushrods and make the connec-

tion to the rudder and elevatoroutputarms.

Adjustthe whole systemforneutral and testthe move-

ment of the surfacewhen actuatedby your radio. The

plans show the recommended movement of the rudder

andelevator and thiscan beadjustedby movingthe

clevises inorout on the horns; "in" wouldbemore move-

ment or throw and "out" wouldbe less.

Make the connection fromthe throttleservo to the

engine by screwingat least 1/4"ofoneofthe6",threaded

one-end pushrods(threeprovided) into one end of the in-

ner plastictube provided. Asshownon the plans, trim

the length of thiswireto suit your engine's requirements

and giveita 'Z'-bend to attachthe servo output arm. At

the engine-end of thispushrod, thread at least 1/4" of the

1"threaded stud into the inner pushrod tube and com-

plete the connectionwithone of the clevisesprovided.

before, testthe movement of the throttle-pushrod by

radio toensure freemovement.

The aileron servo is now installed inthe wing centersec-

tion. Asshown on the plans, you need to make a cut-out

inthe top of the centersectionof the lower wingto fit

yourservo. Usethe lengthof 1/4"x 3/8"basswood provid-

make the twoservo

mounting

rails—about

1-1/4"

long. Clear away the Monokote ahead and behind the

servo cut-outand glue these railsinplace. Mount your

aileronservo withwood screws.Again, as shown on the

plans, the connectionbetweenthe servoand the aileron

torque rods is made by using the tworemaining 6"

threaded one-end pushrods. Thread the nylon torque rod

fittingsin place on the exposedarms, thread the

clevisesonto the pushrods and connectthem to the

nylon fittings.Make the required 'Z'-bends to engage the

servo'soutput arm and attach.Now adjust the clevises

forneutralaileron withthe radio on and the servo plugg-

edinto the receiver. Test the ailerons forfree, non-

binding movement.

Everyone tends to set-upthe surfacethrowsof a model

to suit theirparticular styleof flying.This is fineas long

as you have a place to start.We recommend that you

start withthe surfacethrowsthat we indicate below and

then adjust to suit.These movements are based on our

prototypewhichweighed 7-1/2 to 8-1/2 pounds with

average-weight radio gear;

RUDDER: 1"per side, 2" total

ELEVATOR:

7/8"

upanddown,

1-3/4"

total

AILERONS:

3/8"

up,

3/8"

down,

3/4"

total

CAUTION: Afteradjustmentof your servos, besure to

reinstall the retainingscrewsthat hold the output arms

inplace inyour servos.

PRE-FLIGHT INSTRUCTIONS

ThissectionassumestheyourEIder Biplaneiscompletley

done,covered,paintedasneeded,etc.Wearenowgoing

to establishthe correctC.G. (Center of Gravity).Start

by completelyassembling the airplane withall compo-

nents in place.

Note on the fuselagePlan Sheet #1 thatthe C.G. is

shownat a positionof

5-1/4"

behind the leading edge of

thetop wing. Use a coupleof sliversofmaskingtapeto

now mark thispositonon each wingtipofthetop wing.

Using a helper,suspendthemodel offthe groundwith

fingersdirectlyat the marked positions.The airplane

should hang eitherlevelor slightlynose-down.This

wouldmeanthattheC.G. iswhereit shouldbetoprovide

you witha stableflyingairplane.If,whilesuspended at

the correctC.G. points, themodel exhibitsnose-down

or tail-downcharacteristicsthen you have some rebal-

ancingto do.

Ifthetailis hanginglow, thenyouknow thatsome ofthe

equipmenthas tobe moved forward.Remember, this

balancepointis alwaysachievedwithout fuelin the

tank—that'sburn-offweightand cannotbecounted.

The easiestcomponenttomove also tendstobethe

heaviest;thebatterypack. Dependingonthepack'scon-

figuration,it canbe placedbeneaththefueltank.Ifyou

stillneedmoreweightforward,theservotraymighthave

tobemoved forwarda little.Ifeven more weightis need-

ed (highlyunlikely)thenyou might considera larger air-

borne batterypack or adding lead weightin or around

thenose area, beneaththetank.If you do have toadd

leadtoachievebalance,don'tworry,theElderBiplanecan

carrya lotofweightand stilldelivergreatflyingperfor-

mance. Inall ofthis,don't attemptto flythe model ina

tail-heavycondition!

Ifyourmodel is nose-heavy, then trymoving thebattery

packto a positionthatachievesbalance. We have found

thatit isfairlyunlikelytheyourElderBiplanewillturnout

nose-heavy.RememberthatiftheC.G. isa littleaheadof

the point shown on the plans, the model willstillfly

nicely.

We highly recommend the use of short lengths of fuel

tubingovereachnylonclevistoretainthemintheclosed

position.Thisalso includes the four clevises used on

the interplanestruts.

Prior to flyingthismodel, get in the habit of making a

completecheckofthe airframe.Isthe propellernut fully

tightened? Batteriesin both the airplaneand transmit-

terfullycharged? Engine boltstight?Allcomponents

firmlyattachedto each other?Fuel lines clear?Wheels

roll easilywithno binding? And alwaysmake it a routine

to performa radio systemcheck—upis up, downis

down, throttlemoves freelyand the ailerons move inthe

right directions—let'sfly!

FLYING

Once again, ifthisis your firstR/C aircraftDONOT AT-

TEMPT TO FLY ITYOURSELF. Go toyour local hobby

shop and obtain informationabout any local flying

clubs in your area. Itis withinsuch groups that

knowledgeable, experienced individuals can be found

to assistyou.

Assumingthatthe radiosystem(airborneand transmit-

ter) are fullychargedand thatyourengineis completely

broken-in and reliable,let'shead forthe flyingfield.

Fuel the tank and turnthe radio systemon. Atthis point

we alwayssuggesta radio range check,per theequip-

ment manufacturer'sdirections.Withthe enginewarm-

ed up and runningat idle, point the airplane directlyinto

the windand advancethethrottlesmoothly.Aswith

most "tail-draggers", theElderBiplane willrequirea small

amount ofrightrudderto keep theinitialtake-offrollon a

straightheading. Witha littleexperienceyou willbeable

to keep themodel quitestraightduringtake-off.Since

the ElderBiplaneneeds so littleflyingspeed, the tailwill

come up almostimmediatelyand shortlythereafterit

willbe flying.Keep it headed straightintothe windin a

shallowclimb;don't"horse"it up withexcesselevator.

Once sufficientaltitudeis reached,trysome turnstoget

used tothe handling characteristics.Withthethrows

that we'vesuggested,the aileronsshould bepositive

but not jumpy.Once you have the airplanetrimmedout

to suit you, trythe throttle,at altitudeand get thefeelfor

the slow-speedcharacteristics.Atlowerspeeds, the

rudder is quiteeffective.Like most aircraftthatuse flat-

bottom airfoils,the ElderBiplanewillnaturallywantto

climbat higherthrottlesettingsand settleat low throt-

tle. A pointsomewhere in-betweenthesetwothrottle

settingswillprovidethe "cruise"speed. Thissetting

willvary withthe engine size, flyingweight and wind

conditions.

Withflyingtimeexperienceyou willfindthat the Elder

Biplane is quiteaerobaticand a greatdeal of funtofly;

loops fromlevelflightJeftandrightsnaprollsandspins,

biplane-typerolls and even invertedflight,withpractice.

Touch and go's are super withthisdesign.

Landings can beas slow and predictableas you'd like,

justremember tomaintainyour heading intothe wind

and enough power tocompensatefordrag.We'vefound

thatthe ElderBiplane steersquitesatisfactorilyon the

ground withdeflectedrudder and short burstsofpower.

Ifyou'veoptedforthe steerabletailskid,justhold a bit of

up elevatortokeep the taildown and steerit like you

wouldany otherdesign.

We at Top Flite Models, Inc. and Hal Parenti, sincerely

hope thatthishas been a rewardingprojectforyou and

that the timespentat thebuildingboard willbereward-

ed withmany, many enjoyablehours spent at the flying

fieldwithyour ElderBiplane!

INDEX

INTRODUCTION

................................

PRE-CONSTRUCTION NOTES

....................2

UPPERWINGASSEMBLY

........................3

LOWERWING ASSEMBLY........................5

TAILGROUP

...................................7

FUSELAGEASSEMBLY

..........................8

WIRE

PARTS

ASSEMBLY

........................

I.LANDINGGEAR

.......................12

II.

TAILSKID

.............................13

III.INTERPLANESTRUTS ..................14

IV. FUSELAGECABANESTRUTS

............

FINALASSEMBLY.............................14

COVERING&FINISH

...........................16

RADIOINSTALLATION

..........................

PRE-FLIGHT

..................................

FLYING

......................................18

150029

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