Top Flite Wristcrat - Manual (Page 2)

IMPORTANT NOTE:
TOP FLITE MODELS, INC. certainly recommends the
Wristocrat as a first R/C aircraft. However, if you are a
beginner to the sport of R/C flying, we would urge y o u t o
seek and use experienced assistance in constructing
and flying this airplane. Again, if you are new to this hob-
by, consider this:
Flying this or any other radio-control led model aircraft is
a PRIVILEGE and not a RIGHT and this privilege begins
with the utmost safety considerations to others and
yourself as well. An R/C model airplane in inexperienced
hands has the potential of doing serious personal or pro-
perty damage. These safety considerations start at the
building board by following instructions, seeking com-
petent help when you are confused and avoiding short-
cuts. These considerations have to be carried over to the
flying field where safety must come first and limitations
cannot be exceeded. We urge you to:
D 1. Send for and obtain your AMA (Academy of Model
Aeronautics) membership which will provide in-
surance for your R/C activities — DO NOT RELY ON
HOMEOWNERS INSURANCE.
D 2. Join an AMA sanctioned R/C flying club in your
area where you can obtain competent, profes-
sional instruction in trimming and learning how to
fly this model.
Check with your favorite local hobby shop for the
required AMA forms or the address where they can
be obtained.
WARNING!!!
A radio controlled model is not a "toy." Care and
caution must be taken in properly building the
model, as well as in the installation and use of the
radio control device. It is important to follow all
directions as to the construction of this kit as well
as installation and use of the engine and radio
gear. The advice and assistance of a well ex-
perienced builder and pilot is highly recommend-
ed. Don't take chances! Improper building, opera-
tion, or flying of this model could result in serious
bodily injury to others, yourself, or property
damage.
PRE-CONSTRUCTION NOTES:
The Wristocrat, like other Top Flite kits employs the use
of die-cut wood to ease the task of construction, parts fit
and identification. The dies used for this kit have been
rigorously checked for absolute accuracy and should
provide you with excellent fit. Die-cut parts should be
carefully removed from their sheets by first lightly san-
ding the back of each sheet of parts and then carefully
removing each part. Use a light garnet paper for the san-
ding and keep a sharp hobby knife with an X-acto #11
blade or equivalent handy for assistance in removing
any parts that might not have been completely cut-
through on the dies. Parts which oppose one another
and must be precisely uniform—such as fuselage sides,
ribs, etc...— should be carefully "matched" after their
removal from the parts sheets. Matching is the process
of holding the opposing pieces together with either pins,
tape or spot gluing and lightly sanding the edges of the
parts until they are identical. A sanding block with light
garnet paper is most useful for this and other phases of
construction.
Your building surface should be at least large enough to
accommodate the wing panels. This surface should be
as absolutely flat as possible and yet be able to accept
pins easily. We have found that a product such as
Celotex fiber board works quite well for this purpose.
Another good surface can be found in most well-stocked
hardware stores, this is a 2' x 4' fiber board ceiling tile —
these are quite inexpensive and can be used for several
airplanes before needing replacement.
As with most R/C kits that are constructed from wood, a
selection of tools—most of which can be found in the
average workshop—are a must to do the job correctly:
• Hobby knife and sharp #11 blades
• Single-edge razor blades
• T-pins
• Sanding blocks in assorted sizes
• Sandpaper in various grits
• Hand-held hobby saw, such as an X-acto
• Dremel tool or power drill and assorted drill bits
• Straight-edge, preferably metal, at least 36" long
• 90 degree triangle
• Soldering iron, flux (silver) and solder
• Carbide cut-off wheel for wire cutting
• Small power jig-saw, such as a Moto-Saw
• Razor plane
• Tapes such as masking and cellophane
Our Wristocrats' were constructed using a variety of com-
mon hobby adhesives including 5-minute epoxy and
Cyanoacrylates. Since all of us have our own construc-
tion techniques and favorite adhesives, stick with the
ones that you are familar with and prefer. However, in
certain areas there will be callouts for certain types of
adhesives and we urge you to try not to substitute since
doing so could possibly cause problems structurally
later on.
The last thing we should touch on before we begin ac-
tual construction is the sequence in which the Wristocrat
is assembled. The sequence given to you in this booklet
has been proven to be the most straight-forward and pro-
vides the finished components in the order that you will
need them to progress to the next assembly phase. Try to
stick with the building order presented here to avoid
mistakes.
Spread the plans out on your work surface, cover them
with a clear plastic material, such as the backing from a
roll of Monokite or plastic food wrap an commence con-
struction.
FLAP OPTION
This is the point that you must make up your mind about
the installation of flaps or whether you are going to use
your Wristocrat as a purely 2-channel sailplane. If you
want the flaps then you should take the time to study the
plans to see how we've accomplished this mechanism
2