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Verify that you have all the
parts needed. Check the foam and carbon parts. |
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Check the hardware. Contact us for
missing parts or for spare parts. |
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For the airframe assembly you
will need the Atmopod™
airframe kit together with an outrunner brushless motor and a
recommended 10X4.7 slow flyer APC or GWS brand propeller.
The recommended motor is an E-flite Park 370 1080KV. An
Axi 2208/34 will work as well, but you also need to get the
accessory motor mount kit for it. The airframe can be
assembled without the motor and propeller, but proper
alignment of the provided plywood motor mount requires the
presence of these two items. |
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Step 1.
Body leading edge. Mount carbon reinforcement to the
leading edge of the grey foam body with hot melt glue and
packaging tape. This thin carbon rod measures 955 mm
(37.6 in). |
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Glue a few inches of carbon at a time. Apply a bead of
glue to the foam every inch or so. |
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Hold the carbon piece against the foam for a few seconds. |
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Use a sheet of wax paper to protect your work surface. |
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Repeat these steps, advancing a few inches at a time. |
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Next prepare a roll of 2 in (51 mm) packaging tape. |
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Slit a length of tape in half with a hobby knife. |
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Apply short sections of tape to the edge of the foam piece. |
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Fold the tape over to cover the carbon rod at regular
intervals. |
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Step 2. Wing trailing edge. Mount carbon reinforcement to the trailing edge of the
white foam wing with hot melt glue and packaging tape.
This rod measures 650 mm (25.6 in). |
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Glue the carbon rod to the wing trailing edge using the same
procedure as above. |
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Proceed to fix the entire carbon part to the wing. |
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Reiniforce with strip of packaging tape. |
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Step 3.
Wing to Body. Mount the wing on the body and secure with
glue. |
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Fit the wing and the body together. |
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Run glue lines along the four corners of the front joint. |
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Run glue lines along the four corners of the rear joint. |
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Step 4.
Wing leading edge. Mount carbon reinforcement to the leading edge of the
white foam wing with hot melt glue and packaging tape.
This rod measures 955 mm (37.6 in). Start by laying
the carbon rod on the wing so that it bridges the wing foot
notch, with an initial excess length of 5 mm (0.2 in). |
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Let the carbon rod at the leading edge of the wing lie over
the carbon rod at the leading edge of the body. |
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Let the carbon rod bridge the wing foot notch, with a terminal
excess length of 5 mm (0.2 in). |
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Wrap strips of packaging tape over the wing leading edge. |
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Step 5.
Body trailing edge. Mount carbon reinforcement to the trailing edge of the
grey foam body with hot melt glue and packaging tape. This rod measures 650 mm (25.6 in). |
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Brace the foam body against the work surface for ease of
operation. |
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Bridge from one body side to the other. |
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Use care to obtain good adhesion at the inner curve. |
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Apply strips of tape as before. |
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Step 6.
Rear wing cutout. Mount carbon reinforcement to the rear edge
of the propeller cutout in the white foam wing. This rod
measures 355 mm (14.0 in). |
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Ensure good adhesion at the initial curve. |
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Proceed to the other side. |
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Start the terminal curve. |
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Put a bead of glue at the vertex. |
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Finish the terminal curve and apply strips of tape. |
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Step 7.
Rear body cutout. Mount carbon reinforcement to the rear edge
of the propeller cutout in the grey foam body. This rod
measures 355 mm (14.0 in). |
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In the center part, this carbon rod is laid over the previous
one. |
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Finish the terminal curve and apply strips of tape. |
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Step 8.
Motor and propeller. Secure the 10X4.7 slow flyer
propeller to the motor shaft using the prop adapter.
Note that the prop is used in the pusher configuration on the
aircraft, so its front (where the size markings are located)
faces the motor. Install the 1080KV brushless outrunner
motor on the plywood mount with either the screws provided
with the motor or the 4-40 nuts and bolts provided in the
airframe kit. |
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Fit this assembly into the matching recesses at the front of
the propeller well, positioned such that the motor wires lie
along one grey foam edge. |
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Square the prop to the white wing, and tack the plywood mount
to the white foam with a bead of glue on each side. Next
square the prop to the grey body, and tack the plywood mount
to the grey foam with a bead of glue on each side. |
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Check for overall squareness. If needed, touch the
tip of the glue gun to a bead to re-melt it and reposition the
wood mount. |
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When good alignment is
achieved, secure the mount with additional glue lines.
The motor wires now define the top side of the aircraft, as
observed in level flight. |
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The motor wires now define the top side of the aircraft, as
observed in level flight. |
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Step 9.
Front wing an body cutouts. Mount carbon
reinforcement to the front edge of the propeller cutout in the
body and wing. Each of these four rods measures 170 mm
(6.7 in). |
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Start at the lateral end of the cutout. |
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Ensure good adhesion. |
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Move along inward. |
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The medial end of the carbon rod should rest on the plywood
mount and be glued to it. |
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Cover with strips of packaging tape. |
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Step 10.
Foot braces. Mount one carbon foot brace on each of
the four feet. It doesn't matter which side of the foam
sheet you use. Each of these four rods measures 105 mm
(4.1 in). |
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Let the carbon protrude by 6 mm (1/4 in) over the lateral
edge. |
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Step 11.
Elevons. Bevel the leading edge of the white elevons
with 100 grit sandpaper. Note that there is a left and a
right elevon, and they are to be beveled differently. |
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Mount each elevon to the wing so that its beveled edge faces
toward the bottom of the aircraft (the top of the aircraft
being the part where the motor wires are located). |
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Tape the top side first. |
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Fold the elevon up and tape the bottom, beveled side.
Leave a 2 to 3 mm (.08 to .12 in) gap between the elevon and
the wing. |
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Step 12.
Rudder. Bevel the leading edge of the grey rudder
with 100 grit sandpaper. |
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Mount the rudder to the body so that its beveled edge faces to
the right side of the aircraft. |
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Tape the left side first, then fold it leftward, then tape the
right, beveled side. |
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Leave a 2 to 3 mm (.08 to .12 in) gap between the rudder and
the body. |
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The control surfaces are now in place. |
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Step 13.
Foot guards. The eight circular foot guards help
identify the attitude of the aircraft in flight by their
color. The four white ones go on the top part, and the
four grey ones go on the bottom part. Mount them over the four semi-annular foot liners. |
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Deposit beads of glue on a white foot liner. |
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Glue it the a white foot, matching an edge of the liner with
the rear edge of the foot notch. |
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Spread glue on a white foot guard. |
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Glue it to the lined foot, on the top side of the wing, |
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Make sure the notches in the foot and the foot guard line up. |
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Repeat the procedure for the other side of the wing and the
top and bottom of the body. |
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The white foot guards all go on the top side. |
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The grey foot guards all go on the bottom side. |
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Step 14.
Nose guards. Mount the grey nose liner and two grey
nose guards on the body, then the split white nose liner and
nose guards on the wing. |
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Glue the grey nose liner onto the front of the body, then one
grey nose guard on one side of it. |
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Glue the second grey nose guard on the other side. |
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Glue one white half-nose liner onto one side of the front of
the wing. |
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Glue the second white half-nose liner onto the other side. |
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Glue a white half-nose guard over a white half-liner. |
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Proceed to install the other three white half-nose guards. |
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This completes the Atmopod™ airframe
assembly. The propeller guard Tyvek belt and the load
distributing Kevlar string will be installed after the
electronic components. |
