Skymaster ARF PLUS 1/8 F-16 Instructions Manual 

We wish you had a nice flight.  

ARF PLUS F-16 Designer & Test Flight Pilot : Anton Lin

Sincerely your

Skymaster RC Jet Models

http://www.skymasterjet.com/

F-16 Outline

Chapter 1....................... Introduction

Chapter 2....................... Parts count

Chapter 3....................... Rudder

Chapter 4....................... Fuselage

Chapter 5....................... Engine

Chapter 6....................... Wing

Chapter 7....................... Radio setup

Chapter 8....................... Balance and final assembly

Chapter 9....................... Flying

Appendix....................... Gear doors

Introduction

Skymaster presents the 1/8 scale F-16 Viper. We hope you enjoy this scale rendition of one of the world’s most popular modern jet fighter bombers. With over 4000 F-16 being produced to date, there are thousands of color schemes to choose from, and many excellent books and references available from plastic model vendors, and on the Internet.

The Skymaster F-16 is a fully molded composite model utilizing some of the latest techniques to create a very lightweight and highly prefabricated almost ready to fly jet. You will enjoy the “live Kevlar hinging” with precision gap sealing on the flaperons that saves time and is also very aerodynamically clean.

You should read this entire manual before starting to build the aircraft so that you can familiarize yourself with any parts and tools that you will need to complete the airplane.

This model jet is not a toy and takes attention to detail during building, and experience flying radio control airplanes to safely fly it. If you do not have learned the skills necessary to build the aircraft please seek help.

To be able to be successful in flying the F-16 you should be able to at least fly a fast (100 mph) radio controlled airplane with complete confidence. In any case you should get the help of an experienced Jet modeler if possible.

Chapter 2

Parts

Carefully unpack your kit and inspect it for damage. Please notify your dealer immediately if you find shipping damage. If you can take digital photos of the damage it would be helpful for Skymaster and your dealer. Make sure that before you throw away any packing you confirm you have all your parts, as some are small and can get lost in the packing material.

You F-16 kit should contain

Fuselage....................... 1

Nose cone....................... 1

Top Hatch....................... 1

Tail cone....................... 1

Ventral fins....................... 2

Left wing....................... 1

Right wing....................... 1

Wing carbon spar....................... 2

Left stab....................... 1

Right stab....................... 1

Vertical stab and rudder....................... 1

Front vertical stab carbon spar....................... 1

Rear vertical stab carbon spar....................... 1

Left main gear door....................... 1

Right main gear door....................... 1

Nose gear door....................... 1

Wood accessory pack....................... 1

Hardware accessory pack....................... 1

Chapter 2

Parts you will need to complete this chapter

1 X vertical stabilizer and rudder assembly 1 X Rear vertical stabilizer spar 1 X Front vertical stab spar. 1 X 10-32 x ¾” rudder hold down bolt. 4 X servo screws 1 X JR 3421 servo or equivalent, masking tape, 5 min epoxy, control horn, control rod with clevises.

1. The servo blocks are mounted in reverse of normal so that you can remove the servo later. It is important that the servo blocks are centered on the servo and the mounting blocks stick out equally on both sides of the servo. Screw servo to mounts as shown, using servo screws and servo mounting blocks. Using a file or Dremel tool cut a relief grove for the servo-mounting tab.
   
   
2. The reason we mount the blocks to the servo first is so that when we glue in the servo mounts into the vertical stab base it doesn’t deform the skin of the vertical stab. Make sure that the servo with the mounts attached slides into the vertical stab without deforming the skin. If it does distort the skin of the stab, sand the block down until it no longer deforms the skin of the stab.
   
   
3. Using 5-minute epoxy glue in the servo mounts take care not to get too much epoxy on the servo. You can put some car wax or grease on the servo sides before gluing in the mounts this will make it easier if you get some glue on the servo by accident. Let the servo mount set. For the first few min check alignment of the servo to make sure it dose not slip. Alternatively if your in a rush we have used Gel CA glue in place of epoxy, but you must be very careful to not to get it on the servo and your placement of glue must be accurate.
   
   
4. Put a few strips of masking tape on the stab approximately where the servo sits. Now measure the foreword and rear bottoms of the servo and transfer the measurements to the tape, and draw a line that represents the bottom of the servo. Remove the servo and place it on the alignment marks so that it is in the same position as it was mounted in the vertical stab. Now mark where the servo arm hits the skin and the center of the servo shaft. Using a Dremel tool cut a small slot over the center of the slot cut out marking. Make sure that you aligned the servo as you will have it mounted in the fin, and you are cutting the slot on the right side of the rudder. Mount the servo back in the vertical stab and cut the rest of the slot carefully making sure your alignment is correct.
   
   
5. Check alignment of the rudder and its hinges. You might have to enlarge the hinge holes to get the rudder to move freely. The proper alignment of the hinge pivot points is shown below. Dry fit until satisfied then glue in with 5 min epoxy or 30 min epoxy, before gluing the hinges in, lightly coat the pivots with thick grease and work them back and forth for a few seconds to work the grease around, take care not to get any on the shaft of the hinge that glues into the vertical stab. Now if you get some epoxy into the hinge line it wont stick!
   
   
6. After cutting the slot in step 4 make sure that the servo turns freely and the arm clears the slot for the full commanded movement of the servo. Center the servo using your radio system or servo-centering device. Take a ruler and mark where the slot for the rudder horn is to be mounted. Take care to make a line that is parallel to the plane of rotation of the servo arm. This will of course make the horn not parallel to the airflow but due to the mechanics of the hinge line the best alignment for the servo linkage and horn, is perpendicular to the axis of the hinge line. The effect of the rudder horn not being aligned with the airflow is minimal and wont affect the flight of the aircraft a noticeable amount. Using a Dremel tool or a hobby saw carefully cut a slot big enough for the rudder horn. Take care not to cut thru to the other side of the rudder. Rough up the horn gluing area using a sander, file or Dremel tool. Use masking tape on either side, and front and back of the slot so that glue does not get on the fin leave about 1/32” clearance to the slot so you can form a fillet with the glue on the side of the slot. Using Hysol, Epoxy, or Gel CA glue in the horn make sure you get glue in the slot and that the horn bottom is touching the skin of the other side of the rudder. Before the glue dry’s make a fillet then remove the tape carefully on the skin of the rudder. If you are using slow drying glue you should use a piece of masking tape to hold the alignment of the horn.
   
   
7. After the horn is dried make sure that it attached solidly to the rudder. Pick out the appropriate sized linkage for the rudder and make sure that it is solid and has little play. If you have excessive play on the horns you can bush them using a 3/32 brass tube from K&S. First cut a small length of brass tube just slightly larger than the thickness of the horn. Drill out the horn hole using a 3/32” drill. Place the bushing into the horn with one side sticking out more than the other very carefully drop some thin ca above the brass tube and let it wick in around the bushing. After using ca accelerator on the bushing use a file to bring the bushing flush with the surface of the horn. 
   
   
8. Insert front and rear spars into the vertical stab then fit into fuselage, use 10/32 X  ¾” bolt to attach the stab from the inside of the rear of the fuselage. Make sure the rudder wire is not pinched between the rudder and the fuselage as you tighten the screw. You should use locking compound on the screw to prevent it from loosening in flight.

Chapter 3 Fuselage

Parts you will need to complete this chapter

1 X fuselage assembly 2 X Rear horizontal stabilizers 2 X wing spars 2 X flaperon servo mounts 4 X servo screws 2 X JR 8611a servos or equivalent, 2 X Robart 560 90 degree main retract units, 1 X Robart 560 110 degree nose gear 5 min epoxy, control horn, control rod with clevises.

1. Center elevator servos using your radio or a servo-centering device, install metal arms on servos while they are on and centered.
   
   
2. Mount both elevator servos with the arms pointing to the top of the fuselage. Use 4/40 cap head screws with washers to mount servos. Do not use the supplied servo rubber grommets and brass bushings to mount the servos. R/C turbojet aircraft have little vibration, and high speed flutter is a larger concern than vibration fatigue.
   
   
3. Test fit the elevator horns for fit on the stab pivot rod. Also test the fit of the stab pivot rod in the aircraft.
   
   
4. Place one small nylon washer on each stab pivot rod.  Insert the stab into the fuselage and place another nylon washer on the inside of the fuselage over the stab pivot.  Fit the stab horn to the stab rod.  Adjust the stab and the horn so that there is no slack between the stab and horn.  Check for free you rotation of the stab.  Evenly tighten both screws on stab horn and repeat on the other side.
   
   
5. Using your radio or servo centering device center both elevator servos.  Next take the control Rod and clevises and adjust them so that the trailing edge of the elevators are 1/16" above the rear parts of the fuselage.
   
   
6. Once you are satisfied with the alignment of your elevators, tighten your jam nuts and install safety clips on clevises.
   
   
7. Using tie wraps and mounts route your servo wires towards the front radio compartment.  Make sure the servo wires will not touch the tailpipe or engine in the back of the aircraft.
   

Main Gear:

8. Take your main gear units and test fit them the main gear mounts in the bottom hatch of the aircraft. Check for clearance on the sides and make sure that the gear set level in the mounts.
   
   
9. Assemble your of wheel and brake assembly by taking the tire and wheel and inserting the brass bushings into the wheel and brake assembly.  Next take the Axel and insert it into the wheel through the brake and into the strut make sure that everything fits together correctly.  You may notice some resistance while turning the wheel some brake drag is normal.
   
   
10. Insert your struts into the main gear retracts loosely tighten them we will use this to align and adjust the main gear mounting.  Manually retract the landing gear to the half up position. The scissors link should face forward
    
    
11. Place the main gear unit strut assembly into the aircraft and the main gear mount. While holding the main gear in the mounts swing the gear in and out of the aircraft checking for clearance.  Once you're satisfied with the proper clearance mark one of the holes with a pen.
    
    
12. Using a three 32nd inch bit drill both marked holes.  Using a 632 socket head screws attach both main gear assemblies to the fuselage using the single drilled holes. Finally adjust the main gear assemblies to fit and clear all bulkheads and fuselage parts.  Drill all remaining holes for the main gear mounts and install screws and tighten.
    
    
13. Attach airlines to the up air nipple and the down air nipple.  You should use the same color on all gear up air circuits, and the same color on all down air circuits.  Make sure that the airlines are long enough to reach the area behind and below the engine compartment where you will be installing the air T fitting. After attaching both up and down air circuits to the T fitting run a single up line and a single down line to the cockpit area.

Nose Gear

14. Take your nose gear units and test fit them the nose gear mounts in the bottom hatch of the aircraft. Check for clearance on the sides and make sure that the gear set level in the mounts.
    
15. Assemble your of wheel assembly by taking the tire and wheel and inserting the brass bushings into the wheel assembly.  Next take the Axel and insert it into the wheel through the brake and into the strut make sure that everything fits together correctly.
    
16. Insert your struts into the nose gear retract loosely tighten them we will use this to align and adjust the nose gear mounting.  Manually retract the landing gear to the half up position. The fork side of the nose strut should face to the left if you are looking at the nose of the airplane. The scissors link should face forward.
    
17. Place the nose gear unit strut assembly into the aircraft and the main gear mount. While holding the main gear in the mounts swing the gear in and out of the aircraft checking for clearance.  Once you're satisfied with the proper clearance mark one of the holes with a pen.
    
18. Using a three 32nd inch bit drill both marked holes.  Using a 632 socket head screws attach the nose gear assembly to the fuselage using the single drilled holes. Finally adjust the nose gear assembly to fit and clear all bulkheads and fuselage parts.  Drill all remaining holes for the main gear mounts and install screws and tighten.
    
19. Attach airlines to the up air nipple and the down air nipple.  You should use the same color on all gear up air circuits, and the same color on all down air circuits.  Make sure that the airlines are long enough to reach the cockpit area.

Fuel system.

1. Assembly of the two main tanks.
   
2. First take the parts out of the fuel tank bag and see if you have all the parts.
   Two main tanks, Two 5/32” copper tubes, length of fuel tube, klunk, rubber stopper, front and rear stopper plates, and one machine screw.
3. 　
4. Assemble the tank by first fitting the tubes into the rubber stopper as shown.
   
5. Fit the front and rear stopper plates, and thread the machine screw through the front plate into the rear plate for a loose fit.
   
6. Fit the stopper into the hole drilled into the tank. It should be a close fit, it is too tight use a step drill and just make the hole big enough for the stopper to fit into, be very careful the fit needs to be tight to seal correctly. Do not tighten yet.
   
7. Fit the fuel line and the klunk. Adjust the length of the fuel line so that the klunk just touches the bottom of the tank as shown. Safety wire the fuel line by wrapping the wire around the tube once then twisting the wire to tighten it. Caution the ends of the safety wire is very sharp, all cuttings should be carefully caught and disposed of.
   
8. Bend the vent tube as shown. Make sure it reaches the top of the tank.
   
9. Place the stopper into the tank and tighten. Make sure the tank stopper is tight and pressure test the tank for leaks using 3 to 5 psi and holding the tank under water to check for bubbles.

Turbine Installation for middle mounted turbine.

You will need 1 of your turbines standard engine mount, tailpipe and, 4 X 6-32 hex head wood screws.

1. Start by removing the aircraft tailcone if it is mounted, then slide the tailpipe in from the rear of the aircraft. The mounting tabs should be able to rest on the tailpipe mounting rails. Do not screw in the tailpipe at this time.

2. First remove the top hatch. Fit the your turbines mount on the engine rails. You may need to trim a little wood off of the rails to get the mount to fit correctly.

3. After the turbine in its mount will set level on the engine rails move the turbine, and the tailpipe back and forth to adjust the end of the large outer exhaust to be 15 mm from the bell mouth of the tailpipe. Check the alignment of the turbine by looking up the end of both tail pipes to see if your turbine is centered in the front of the tailpipe. Once satisfied with the alignment, drill a 3/32 ” hole through the engine mount mounting holes. Screw in one 6-32 Hex wood screw then check for alignment. Do this for the remaining screws.

4. Follow your Turbines manufacturer recommendations for installing your accessory’s. Here are some sample locations for the accessories for different turbine installations.

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