Mamba. Combat Wing Glider

Transcription

1 Mamba Combat Wing Glider Congratulations for your purchase of the Mamba radio-controlled combat glider! The Mamba is a very fast and agile glider and yet it can stay up in very light winds when built correctly. If you d like the Mamba to perform at its best please follow the instructions. If you still have trouble following the manual, please do not hesitate to contact me with any questions. Note: SlopeWings is not liable for any damage to the airplane (during building or shipping) or any possible damage the airplane may cause. However if there are parts missing in your kit, please contact me and I will send you the part(s) as soon as possible.

2 Tools and Materials Be sure to check that you have all the parts that come in the kit before you begin building: (x2) Wings inside foam beds (x2) Carbon Fiber spar (flat stock) (x2) Balsa wood elevons (x1) Control horns (2/pack) (x2) Nylon clevis and 2-56 threaded steel pushrods (x1) Coroplast vertical fin w/ pre-drilled balsa fin block (x2) Fin holding screws (they should already be in the fin block) (x1) piece of scrap EPP foam Here s a brief list of the radio gear you ll need: (x1) Radio transmitter capable of elevon mixing (laser 4, hitec neon, or a computer radio) (x1) Radio transmitter rechargeable battery (x1) 4.8V AA NiMH/NiCD battery pack, or 6V 2/3AA NiMH/NiCD battery pack (x1) mini/micro receiver compatible with your radio (x2) Standard size servos (hs-311, hs-322, or similar) (x1) Tx/Rx AC overnight wall charger Now to finish the kit, here are the tools/materials you ll need: Glues: Gorilla Glue (White formula highly recommended) and/or GOOP 3M-77 spray adhesive Needle-nose pliers/wire cutters Ruler & Marker (a pen is best) Screwdriver(s) A fresh Olfa Knife (the longer, wider blade is best) & Xacto Tapes: o Fiber/Strapping tape (Bi-directional is best) o Clear packaging tape o Masking tape (1.5 Green 3M tape is best, but 3M Blue Tape works just as well) Ultracote or Econocote plastic covering ( New Stuff is highly recommended, see the Covering section for more details)

3 If this is your first build, please read through the manual and make sure you understand each step before you begin. The build takes roughly 5-10 hours so take breaks between steps. Remember that these are real aircraft and failure to build it correctly means your aircraft may not fly to its full potential (or fly at all). So once again; take your time, and follow the instructions. Happy Building! Part 1: Building Step 1: Prepare the wings for joining by spraying a thick coat of 3M-77 on each wing half. Let the cores sit independently for 5-10min. to allow the adhesive to tack up. Then join the cores together using the beds, or by holding a wing in each hand and join them together manually. When joining the cores by hand, align them at the back of the wing and bring them together carefully, working your way up to the nose. Step 2: When the wing halves are joined you are now ready to glue in the carbon spars. This is probably the hardest step in the entire build, so take your time and go slow.

4 2a. With the bottom of the wing facing you, make 3 marks on the cores themselves. From the Leading Edge of the tip of the wing, measure in towards the root from that point 5 at a 90- degree angle and make a small mark. Do this on both wingtips. Then measure from the nose back at the middle of the wing 6 ¼ and make a mark. Then take each carbon spar and mark the center. 2b. Using the masking tape (I like to use T-pins but tape works too), tape the carbon spar vertically on the wing at the 3 points marked earlier. The center of the carbon spar should align with the mark at the center of the wing, and the ends of the spar should meet each mark at the wingtips. When aligned at these 3 points, it will create a shallow arc across the entire wing. 2c. Draw out the path of the spar by carefully keeping the marker against the carbon spar without moving it, and follow it all the way to the opposite end. Once the path is drawn out, you can take the spar off the wing. You should have the arc perfectly drawn across the wing. 2d. Take a long, fresh Olfa knife, and starting at one wingtip, carefully cut to the depth of the carbon spar (you can make a depth guide with a piece of tape show in the illustration) and follow that line you drew all the way to the other wingtip. Repeat for the top side. 2e. Once the cut is made on both sides, it s time to glue the spars in. Mask off the area around the cut with tape to prevent any excess glue from getting on the cores. Then open the gap from the bottom and squirt a good amount of glue inside the gap (remember that Gorilla Glue will foam up, especially the brown formula. I prefer the white formula since it doesn t

5 foam up nearly as much and it blends into the foam much easier. Either way, use caution when adding the glue). Once you have a good amount of glue inside, take one of the spars and insert it into the groove until the entire thing is flush with the bottom of the wing. As you insert the spar, squirt in glue so that you get all the gaps filled. Once the bottom spar is in, tape over the spar with plenty of masking tape (When done correctly using Gorilla Glue, the tape will keep the foaming of the glue focused in the center of the wing. Also, when it foams up, it pushes against the tape, and when it hardens, any excess attaches itself to the tape. This allows you to pull up the excess glue along with the tape when it s dry, which leaves you with little to no sanding when finished.). Repeat the process for the top spar. NOTE: Spar should be flush but visible 2f. Once the spars are in the wing and completely flush and taped in, put the entire wing in the beds and use plenty of weight to keep it straight and flat on the work area as it dries. When the glue dries, peel off the making tape, and use the Olfa knife to shave off any excess glue. If necessary you can do a light sanding to smooth any remaining glue (Gorilla Glue only). Step 3: Once the spar installation is complete, you can glue in the balsa fin block. First mask off the area around the cutout with masking tape on both sides, then put a nice large bead of glue on the inside part where the block goes. Spread it all around so that it can hold the fin block securely on all 3 sides. Then place the block inside the groove, and align it so it s flush with the top of the wing and the excess sticks out of the bottom. You can use weights to hold it in place and let the glue completely dry before you continue. Step 4: Now that the fin block is nicely glued in, sand any excess down flush to the masking tape. Peel off the tape when finished.

6 Step 5: Now you re ready to put in the electronics. Use the provided template at the back of the manual as a guide to plan out the locations. Once the locations are mapped out on the wing, cut out the locations using a sharp blade. Step 6: Then with a pair of needle-nose pliers, Pull out small bunches of foam beads inside the perimeter you just cut, so that you can slide the electronics inside the holes. Make them deep enough so that all the electronics, including the wiring, are buried inside the wing at least 1/8 deep. Step 7: Now before you bury the electronics, find the servo attachment with 2 arms on opposing sides (if it doesn t come with that attachment, use the one with the 4 arms). Cut off one of the arms (or 3 arms if it s the 4-armed attachment) so you have only 1 arm. Now attach the arm onto the servos and test your radio equipment. If it works ok, make sure that the trim tabs are centered. The arms on the servos should stand straight up 90* when the servo is rested on the table. If not, pull off the arms and reattach them so they are straight. Step 8: Plug in all your radio gear and turn it all on one more time to make sure everything works. Once everything is working the way it should, go ahead and bury the electronics into the holes you made. The servos are buried first; place them into the hole and make sure the arms have enough room to move freely inside the wing (they should stand straight up) and also be sure that the servo is buried at least 1/8 under the wing s surface. If the servos meet these requirements when buried, go ahead and glue them in (hot-glue is best for gluing in servos, but goop/gorilla glue will work).

7 Step 9: Now bury the receiver and battery. Do not glue them in. Then use your needle-nose pliers to hide the excess wire in whatever room there is left (you may cut the receiver cavity a little bigger if you need more room for the excess). Step FOR 72MHZ RECEIVERS ONLY Step 10: Once all the electronics are snug inside their compartments, draw a swerving path with your marker going from where the receiver is located all the way to the tip of the wing (doesn t matter what tip, just make sure it isn t too close to the Leading Edge to Trailing Edge). This will be for the receiver s antenna. Step 11: Follow the line with your X-acto. You don t need to cut very deep, just enough to bury the receiver s antenna (about 1/8 max depth)

8 Step 12: Now find the receiver s antenna. Then very carefully, use the opposite end of your marker to lightly push the antenna into the groove. Make sure your marker has a smooth tip to it or else it will pull out foam (sharpies work best due to the smooth molded tips). Do not apply too much tension or the antenna will snap (For 2.4 receivers, keep antennas away from the carbon spars, do this by orientating the antennas towards the front of the plane in opposite directions) Step 13: Perform one more radio check just to be sure everything works. If everything still works fine, make small foam covers out of the scrap foam in the kit. They should fit over the electronics and remain flush with the wing. Make sure you cut a small hole over the channel labeled Bt. on your receiver. Then lead the battery plug out the hole. This will allow you to plug the battery directly into the receiver to turn it on (this is unless you ve already installed a switch/charge jack into the wing). Step 14: Once the electronics hatches are covered, use a small piece of tape to cover the battery hole to prevent any adhesive from going into it. Then spray a light coat of 3M-77 adhesive over the electronics. Let it tack up for 5-10 minutes. Step 15: Once the 3M stats to tack up, use the fiber/strapping tape and tape over the entire nose of the plane so the electronics are covered. Be careful not to leave any wrinkles.

9 Step 16: Now that the electronics are taped over, it s time to tape up the wing. Spray the 3M adhesive over the entire top of the wing and let it tack. Once it s tacky, take the fiber/strapping tape and lay one strip so that it lines up with the Trailing Edge. Make sure there are no wrinkles when you lay down the strips. The strip of tape should then naturally make a line going all the way to the opposite wingtip. Cut off the excess when it reaches the wingtip and fold it back over the bottom. Repeat with the other side. Step 17: Now lay another strip so that it lines up with the Leading Edge. Start with the nose of the plane and lay the strip down until you reach the end of the wingtip. Cut off the excess like Step 14 and repeat with the other side. Step 18: Repeat Steps on the bottom. Fold the excess back over the top and once again try not to make any wrinkles. Step 19: Now it s time for the elevons. Before we cover them, take some sandpaper and sand a 45* bevel in the elevon where it attaches to the TE. This will allow it to move freely when it is hinged. Make sure you sand it so you have a left and a right elevon (wider end is at the wingtips)

10 Part 2: Covering Now that the wing is taped over, you can start covering it. Ultracote/Econokote covering is the standard covering material; it comes in many colors and is easy to work with. However the other widely accepted option is New Stuff, a type of laminating film normally used for documents and digital graphics. It irons on just like any other covering, however it has no stretch or shrink. This makes an extremely sturdy and durable wing, however there is usually a weight penalty. It comes in a range of thicknesses, 5mil being the most common for the Mamba. New Stuff also irons on clear, meaning you can put your color underneath the film as well as on top of it. This opens up many options to color your wing. You can paint the foam directly, add covering underneath, or on top of the New Stuff. You can purchase New Stuff covering by the foot on AloftHobbies.com. Remember: When choosing a color scheme that the general rule is pick a light color on top and a dark color on the bottom. This makes it easier to tell which side is which when the plane is flying. Step 20: Before you begin, lay the roll of covering on the table, and then lay the wing on top. Plan out how much covering you need and cut out the individual pieces, making sure you have enough excess to wrap around the wing. Important: MAKE SURE THAT YOU MAKE 2 LEFT WINGS AND 2 RIGHT WINGS. One side of the covering has a thin plastic sheet covering it and the other side is glossy. The side with the plastic is the side where the adhesive is located and the glossy side is the side that you iron on. Make sure you take this into account when you plan out your wing halves. Step 21: Now that the covering is cut, spray a coat of 3M-77 adhesive on the bottom of the wing, and let it tack up for 5-10 minutes. Plug in your iron and set it to approx. 200 degrees to start. While the adhesive is tacking, practice ironing on some scrap foam with some scrap covering. The temperature on the iron should be just enough to get the adhesive to stick. If it melts, reduce the temperature, if it doesn t stick, increase it. Follow the Ultracote/Econokote instructions for reference. Step 22: Pick a wing half and find the piece of covering that matches that wing half. Be sure to pull off the thin plastic sheet before you begin ironing. Step 23: Lay the covering onto the wing, making sure there s at least ½ of excess on all sides. Once the covering is laid on the wing properly and once you ve got the iron temperature set, go ahead and start ironing it on. Start in the middle of the wing and work your way out, making sure that no wrinkles form. Be gentle and take your time. Step 24: Now that the covering is ironed on the wing, stretch it lightly and fold the excess over to the top of the wing on all sides and iron it down. Repeat with the other wing half.

11 Step 25: When the bottom is finished, repeat Steps on the top of the wing. Step 26: The elevons are done the same way as the wings; so first lay them on top of the roll, and trace around them. Then cut out around the perimeter you just drew and peel off the plastic sheet. You don t need the 3M spray for the elevons, so go ahead and lay the covering on the elevons, starting with the bottom (the beveled side is the bottom). Tack the covering down in the middle with the iron and work the covering out to the tips. Stretch and fold any excess over the top and iron it down. Repeat this for the top of the elevon Step 27: Repeat Step 25 for the remaining elevon. Step 28: Now that the wing and the elevons are covered, you may now hinge the elevons onto the wing. Take a piece of clear packaging tape and place it on the top of the elevon where it butts up to the Trailing Edge. Make sure there is enough excess so it can be attached to the wing. Step 29: Now tape the elevon to the Trailing Edge, making sure the beveled side faces down. It helps to have the wing flat on the table, and hold the elevon at a downward angle. Then butt it up and place the excess tape onto the Trailing Edge so the elevon is now attached to the wing. It should be able to have a decent amount of movement, but if the hinge is too tight, pull it off and try again.

12 Step 30: Now take out the control horns and attach them to the elevon so it looks the same as the picture after Step 30. Step 31: Take the control arms and measure the distance from the servo arm hole to the control horn hole, and cut the control arm to match that distance (not including the length of the nylon clevis). And at the opposite end of the clevis, make two small 90* bends, so the result is what s known as a Z bend. Now push the z-bend through the highest hole in the control horn until it reaches the second bend, and then attach the clevis into the highest hole in the servo arm. If needed, bend the wire up slightly so it doesn t bump into the wing when the control arms moves.

13 Step 32: Find the 2 pre-drilled holes that were in the fin block, and puncture through the covering with a screwdriver to expose them. Careful not to damage the fin block. Then screw the fin onto the block from the bottom up. Tighten it down so it had little to no wobble. Also if needed, coat the insides of the holes in the fin with glue so it s even stronger.

14 YOU RE NOW FINISHED BUILDING THE MAMBA!!!! Part 3: Preparation Now that you ve finished building the Mamba, you need to get it ready for its first flight. The first thing to check is the CG, or Center of Gravity. The Center of Gravity is basically where the balance point is on the plane, which is measured as the distance from the nose to the CG. The CG is the most important factor on how a plane performs, too far forward (or nose-heavy) means the plane s controls will fell mushy and it won t respond the way you want it to or be as fast as it could be. When the CG is too far back (or tail-heavy) the plane becomes hard to control and very squirrely, or sometimes it doesn t fly at all. Finding the best CG allows the plane to fly at its best, so take your time when balancing the plane. The Mamba s CG is at approximately 6 5/8 from the nose, so in order to balance it properly, measure this distance from nose to back and mark it with a marker. Then balance the plane at that mark on your finger. If it wants to tilt back it s tail-heavy. If this is the case (it usually is), use small fishing weights and bury them in the nose and tape over it. When balanced properly, the wing will want to either fall forward a bit, or balance perfectly on your finger. Next you need to set the control throws. The throw is basically the measurement of how much the elevon moves from its center position. Flying wing designs like the Mamba don t need a lot of throw to turn because of the lack of a tail. The elevator throws are the most important, because it s very sensitive; usually you can just eyeball the throw for the first flight and adjust as needed. If you look at the elevon from the side, when you pull back on the control the elevon should raise up approx. ½ (the plane and radio turned on). It should also have the same amount of throw when the stick is pushed forward. If you have a computer radio, read the manual to your radio for adjusting the throws. If however your radio doesn t have an ATV or Dual Rate function, you can adjust the throw mechanically. If you have too much throw, pull out the clevis and put it in one hole further down. If you have too little throw, take off the control rod, pull out the z-bend, and put it back in one hole down on the control horn. Adjust this until you get the ½ of elevator travel. The Mamba requires at least 8-12mph of wind to fly well. Happy Flying!!!!! Need more help? Contact me: themadscientist16@gmail.com

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