Specs
Wingspan: 26.75"
Length: 24.75"
Wing Area: 152.5 in2
Center of Gravity: Back of spar
Throw: As large as possible
Dry Weight: 4.82oz, 136g
All Up Weight: 5.48oz, 156.0g
Wing Loading: 5.17 oz/ft2
Wing Cubic Loading: 5.03 oz/ft3
Parts list
(1) sheet Adam's foam board
(3) Hobby King S0361 3.6g Micro Servo
(1) Turnigy Park 250 1680KV
(1) Turnigy Plush 10A ESC
(1) 4+ channel RX
(1) APC 8x3.8 SF Propeller
Turnigy nano-tech 2S 300mAh 45~95C batteries
3/32" thick plywood (for firewall)
Packing tape
(3) Bamboo skewers
(1) 22" spar as wide or thick as foam (3/16" wide CF, or I used a 3/16x1/4 maple stick)
Pushrod wire
Soldering equipment and supplies
Build tools
Plans (sketchup E540 2D3D.skp, PDF E540 2D3D.pdf, PDF tiled E540 2D3D Tiled2.pdf)
Build Procedure
Cut out parts (vertical fuselage, horizontal fuselage, elevator, wings).
Make hinges (re-cut parts if needed), see other article.
Taper trailing edges of ailerons, elevator, and rudder with iron.
Glue horizontal stabilizer/elevator to vertical fuselage (square). Slide in through fuselage slot and slide into position. Glue with a bead between center of top face of horizontal stabilizer and vertical fuselage. Hold square.
Glue wings to each horizontal fuselage piece (line up spar slot, make flat, wipe away excess).
Glue spar to one wing side (even embed, keep wing flat).
Glue wing with spar to vertical fuselage (make square). Tack glue between slots in vertical fuselage (hold square). Add top continuous bead of glue (wipe away/push in/spread out excess, hold square). Add bottom continuous bead (same as top).
Glue other wing to vertical fuselage and spar (same time, make square). Continuous glue spar slot and slots in vertical fuselage (slide wing side into fuselage slots, press spar all the way in and flat, then hold square and wipe away excess). Add top and bottom continuous bead (same as above).
Glue skewers at skid spots (front curve and back by rudder).
Add packing tape each side of fuselage (under and in front of wings) and bottom front of fuselage. This protects the foam and paper as things are attached and removed from the plane.
Slightly chamfer or round all other foam edges not tapered already with an iron.
Set up radio.
Center servos, dry-fit in fuselage, then glue in place. Use single arms for rudder and elevator servos (set pointing up). Use double arm for aileron servo (set parallel to spar).
Make, dry-fit, then glue control horns. I use old credit cards or gift cards. Make sure they align with the hinge line. Make holes loose enough for wire to not bind but tight enough there is no play.
Make and install pushrods. Aileron pushrods are just music wire between aileron and servo. Make slight z-bend in wire to fine tune wire length. Also twist z-bend at servo so the wire end points forward (easier to get on and off servo horns).
The elevator pushrod is a skewer with 2" music wire, ¾" heat shrink, and thin CA at each end. Z-bend one end of each wire and roughen/pinch/kink other end.
Slide z-bend into control horns, slide tubing onto skewer, slide roughened end of wire into tubing (next to skewer) and repeat with other end. Position servo and control surface then shrink the tubing and wick thin CA between wire, shrink tubing, and skewer. Test pushrod (move servo and check that wire does not slide in or out of tubing).
The rudder pushrod is assembled the same as the elevator.
Add Velcro (on packing tape for battery, ESC, and RX) strips along the fuselage allow for CG adjustment.
Make and dry-fit firewall. Mount motor to firewall. Glue firewall in place making sure motor is centered and straight.
Connect all electronics
Final test
Add prop
Go Fly!
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