Building Instructions for the Apex 3D

 

Equipment Needed:

Servos: 3 HS-55 sub micro or similar.

 

Receiver: Any micro or sub micro receiver such as the Hitec Feather, Hitec HFS04-MG, Hitec 555, Hitec Electron, and GWS 4 and 6 channel receiver.

 

Battery Pack:  11.1 v  3s1p lithium batteries capable of at least 8 amps continuous.  Kokam 1500 3s1p is a great all around performer.   Kokam 700 3s1p works great for indoor flight or no wind conditions. Nickel Cadmium and Nickel Metal Hydrides batteries are not recommended.  It will fly the plane but will not give the vertical performance needed for 3D flight.  Also the flight times are significantly reduced with nickel cadmium and nickel metal hydride batteries.  Expect a flight time of at least 15 minutes with a brushless setup and 10 minutes with a brushed setup using lithium batteries.

 

Battery Charger:  A 3 cell lithium battery charger is required.  I’ve had success with the Astroflight 109, Schulze 330, and Great Planes Triton.  Cheaper chargers such as the Hobbico Quick Field Charger Mk2 also works but does not completely charge the battery.

 

Electronic Speed Control (ESC):  Only use an ESC with an adjustable or programmable low voltage cut-off when using lithium batteries.  Lithium batteries will not recharge if drained completely.  Castle Creations has excellent programmable ESCs for both brushless and brushed motors.

 

Brushed Motor Setup:  GWS EPS 350C 6.6:1 “D drive” with 10x4.5 prop will provide unlimited vertical and flight times around 10 minutes.  Do not use a prop bigger than the 10x4.5 or the motor will burn up.  If you decide to move to a brushless setup, the GWS gearbox will work with a Razor, Himax or Hacker motor if you buy an adapter from allerc.com.

 

Brushless Setup:  Razor 350, Razor 400, Hacker B20-18L, and Himax 2015-4100 are all proven performers with the GWS 6.6:1 “D-drive” gearbox.  The verticals are amazing and will hover at ¼ throttle with very little current draw.  Other brushless motor/ gearbox combinations will work.  Go to motocalc.com and download their electric flight prediction program to compare motors and gearboxes.  Motocalc is an awesome program and is free for 30 days.

 

Note:  Many of the item needed to complete the Apex 3D are available at your local hobby shop or can be ordered online through dreamhobbies.com and airwildhobbies.com.

 

Materials Needed:

Glue: Polyurethane adhesive or 15 minute epoxy.  Thin CA (super glue) is needed for gluing the mini plastic clevis to the carbon pushrods.

 

Paint:  Foam safe paint such as Krylon “short cuts” or Testors Spray enamel paint.  Others will work but test first or else the foam will melt.  If all else fails, permanent markers work great.

 

Hinge Tape:  1.5” to 2.0” wide clear heavy duty packing tape or similar.

 

Marking Removal (optional):  Rubbing compound and window cleaner.

 

 

Instructions:

 

1)     Check the contents of the box to insure completeness of the kit.

 

            Description:                                                                                     Quantity:

            Foam wing with rod groove                                                                         1

            Foam Fuselage with rod groove                                                                 1

            Foam Elevator with rod groove                                                                   1

            35”- .125”dia. Carbon Fiber Rod (wing)                                                     1

            29” - .125”dia. Carbon Fiber Rod (fuse)                                                    1

            5" - .125"dia. Carbon Fiber Rod (stab)                                                      1

            40” - .07”dia. Carbon Fiber Rod (pushrod for elevator, 

            rudder, and aileron)                                                                                      1

            1.25” wooden motor mount with rod groove                                              1

            Mini plastic clevis                                                                                          8

            Pink foam plane stand                                                                                  2

       

 

2)     (optional step) Remove the marking on the foam by spraying glass cleaner on the making.  Allow the glass cleaner to remain on the marking for 3 to 5 minutes to loosen the ink and then use the rubbing compound to clean off the marking.  There are other ways of removing the marking, but this process is fairly easy and does not damage or weaken the foam.

 

 

3)     Paint the foam with foam safe paint such as Krylon “short cuts”.  Use low tack to medium adhesion masking tape to mask the plane.

 

4)     Glue the 29”- .125”dia. carbon rod to the wooden motor mount.  Use either 15 minute epoxy or polyurethane glue to glue the rod to the motor mount.

 

NOTE: If polyurethane glue is used, use sparingly.  Polyurethane glue will bubble up during curing and may flow into areas you don’t want it to.

 

5)     Cut an opening  for the motor mount, gearbox and motor.

 

6)     Glue the .125”dia. carbon rods into the fuse, elevator and wing using 15-minute epoxy or polyurethane glue. 

 

7)     Cut and remove the aileron, elevator and rudder at the drawn hinge line and bevel each surface at a 45deg. angle.

a.      Place the foam on a flat cutting surface.

b.      Using a sharp xacto knife, cut the hinge line at a 45 degree angle.

c.      If the instructions are followed correctly, the hinge surface should allow for a +/-45deg. deflection required for 3D flying. 

 

   

 

8)      Hinge the surfaces.  The same techniques are to be used to hinge the ailerons, elevator, and rudder.

 

a.      Tape the two surfaces together at the hinge line with heavy-duty packing tape.

b.      Hinge the beveled side by folding one surface back to the other surface and tape at the hinge line. 

 

 

c.      Do not hinge the rudder until the elevator is glued to the fuselage.

 

9)      Cut the wing and elevator slots on the fuselage.  The slot locations will be marked on the fuselage.  Make sure the slot is the same size as the thickness of the foam. 

 

10) Cut out the servo the opening on the fuselage.  There will be 2 to 3 servo cutouts on the fuse depending on whether you use 1 or two servos for the aileron.  The servo locations will be marked on the fuselage.

3 servos (above) or 4 servos (below)

Note: if using 2 wing servos, do not tape the wing servos into place until the wing is installed into the fuse.

 

11)  Glue or tape the servos into the fuse and wing if using 2 aileron servos.  A good technique for gluing the servos is to wrap clear tape around the body of the servo and glue the taped surface to the foam.  This will allow easy removal of the servos with minimal damage to the foam.

 

Note:  Make sure the servos arms are centered at 0deg. deflection before installation.  Also one servos arm will extend out on either side of the fuselage and the side the servo arm extends, the servo body will be flush with the fuselage.  The aileron servo will be centered with respect to the fuse.

 

12)  Install and glue the wing to the fuse. 

a.      Remove .25” strip of plastic film from the top and bottom surface of the foam where the wing installs into the fuselage.  This will insure adhesion of the foam fuselage to the foam wing and not to the plastic film.

b.      Install and glue the wing. 

c.      Check for squareness.  Make sure the wing is perpendicular the fuselage when looking from the front and make sure the trailing edge of the wing is perpendicular to the fuselage when looking from the top.

 

13) Install and glue the stabilizer to the fuse. 

a.      Remove .25” strip of plastic film from the top and bottom surface of the foam where the wing installs into the fuselage.  This will insure adhesion of the foam fuselage to the foam wing and not to the plastic film.

b.  Remove the portion of the fuselage to allow the elevator to deflect +/-45deg.

c.      Install and glue the stabilizer to the fuselage. 

d.      Check for squareness.  Make sure the stab is perpendicular the fuselage when looking from the front and make sure the trailing edge of the stabilizer is perpendicular to the fuselage when looking from the top.

e.  Hinge the rudder to the fuselage.  Follow the procedure in step 8.

 

14)  Use the arms from servo arms for control horns and pushrod guides.

15)  Install the control horns to the ailerons, rudder, and elevator  and glue with epoxy or polyurethane glue.  The arm should not extend out more than ½”.

16)  Install the pushrods and clevises.

a.      Temporarily tape the surfaces flat (0 deg. Deflection) on all surfaces.

b.      Connect the servos to the receiver and turn on both the receiver and transmitter.

c.      Make sure the servo arms are perpendicular to the fuse or wing (if 2 aileron servos are used).

d.      Install the clevis to both the servo arm and the control horn.

e.      Cut the .07”dia. carbon rod long enough to install the rod into the servo arm clevis and the control horn clevis.

f.        Aileron: install the rod into the servo arm clevis and control horn clevis.  Make sure the horn is not binding to force the control surface from center and glue the rod into the clevis with a drop of CA.

g.      Rudder and Elevator: Slide a servo arm through the carbon rod.  This servo arm will be the pushrod guide.  Install the rod into the servo arm clevis and control horn clevis.  Make sure the horn is not binding to force the control surface from center and glue the rod into the clevis with a drop of CA.  Glue the pushrod guide to the side of the fuse with epoxy.

  

 

 

17)  Install the ESC, battery, receiver, and motor.  Use double sided tape to tape the esc, and receiver into place, Velcro for the batteries and use a single servo screw to fasten the gearbox to the motor mount.

 

 

18)  Slice a 2” slot down the middle of the supplied pink foam to use as a stand.

 

19) Flight settings:

CG: is located at the carbon spar.  A good start is to have the battery covering aileron servo (if using a single aileron servo).  As you get used to the Apex start moving the battery back for better 3D performance.

Control surfaces:  ¾” deflection on all surfaces is a good start.  Use exponential when you add more deflection.

Caution:  Do not fly when it is windy until you get used to the planes flying characteristics.  The rudder is more affective than the ailerons when it’s windy.

 

Have fun!