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Assembly Manual / Airframe – 104” AJ Slick Designed by Andrew Jesky

Thank you for purchasing this 3DHobbyShop ARF RC ai rcraft. If you have any issues, questions, concern s or problems during assembly, please contact our tech d epartment at: Info@3DHobbyShop.com or 1-830-990-6978 10am-4pm Central M-Th SAFETY in Assembly During assembly of this aircraft, you will be asked to use sharp knives and hobby adhesives. Please follow all safety procedures recommended by the manufacturers of the products you use, and always follow these important guidelines: ALWAYS protect your eyes when working with adhesives, knives, or tools, especially power tools. Safety glasses are the best way to protect your eyes. ALWAYS protect your body, especially your hands and fingers when using adhesives, knives, or tools, especially power tools. Do not cut toward exposed skin with hobby knives. Do not place hobby knives on tables or benches where they can roll off or be knocked off. ALWAYS have a first-aid kit handy when working with adhesives, knives, or tools, especially power tools. ALWAYS keep hobby equipment and supplies out of the reach of children. IMPORTANT NOTE – We strive to provide the absolute best-quality ARF aircraft on the planet. However, the ultimate success or failure of this aircraft is dependent upon proper assembly by you. If you have questions about an assembly step, please contact us, or read the assembly thread for your airplane on RCGroups.com before proceeding. It is always better to slow down and be sure of your assembly than to rush through it and make a mistake which can cause a crash. SAFETY in Flying SAFETY NOTICE: This is NOT a toy! It is a very high-performance RC airplane capable of high speeds and extreme maneuvers. It should only be operated by a competent pilot in a safe area with proper supervision. ONLY fly your aircraft in a safe, open area, away from spectators and vehicles–and where it is legal to fly. NEVER fly near overhead power or utility lines. If your airplane ever becomes stuck in a line or a tree DO NOT attempt to retrieve it yourself. Contact the authorities for assistance in retrieving your aircraft. Power lines are DANGEROUS and falls from ladders and trees CAN KILL! Never fly too close to yourself or spectators. Spinning propellers are DANGEROUS! Never run your motor inside a house or building with the propeller attached – Remove the prop for safety. Always fly within your control. Always follow manufacturer’s instructions for your radio system. Always obtain proper insurance before flying – contact the AMA at www.modelaircraft.org

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REQUIRED ITEMS Hobby Knife Small Phillips Screwdriver Set Metric Allen Wrenches Scissors Small Pliers Wire Cutters Adjustable wrench Masking tape Drill and drill bits Threadlocker (Blue Loctite) Polyurethane and/or 30min epoxy glue Rubbing alcohol Optional – Heat gun and covering iron Dremel tool Assembly Instructions – Read completely before star ting assembly! UNPACK Unpack your airplane and examine the components. Check for damage of any kind. If you have damage, please contact 3DHobbyShop to discuss. WRINKLES Your airplane was packed in plastic at the factory without any wrinkles in the covering. You may notice some wrinkles now; more likely, you will notice a few in a day or two or the first time you take the plane out to the flying field. These wrinkles are the result of wood shrinkage and/or expansion. Balsa wood changes size and shape slightly as it is exposed to varying humidity in the air. This is a natural property of balsa wood. As your airplane adjusts to the weather in your part of the world, wrinkles may appear and disappear. Wrinkles may be removed with the gentle application of heat to the covering material on your airplane. The best tools to use are a heat gun and covering iron. Apply the heat gently: the covering material will shrink as you apply the heat, and this will remove the wrinkles. BE CAREFUL! Too much heat applied too quickly can damage the covering, either by causing it to pull away from the wood at seams and corners or even by melting it. The covering will shrink at low temperature with patient application of heat. Wrinkles in the covering DO NOT affect flight performance. If you must shrink on a color-seam, use the iron and go slowly and carefully to avoid any pulling or lifting at the seam. Remove the canopy before attempting to use heat on your covering! The canopy is made of thermo-activated plastic and WILL deform with the application of heat. Do not apply heat to the canopy. PAINT If you need to clean your airplane, we recommend using a damp towel. The paint used on the canopy and cowl is not safe for all cleaners. In particular, DO NOT use alcohol on these parts, it will remove the paint.

Let’s get started!

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Using a soldering iron or hobby knife, remove cover ing from forward fuselage areas.

Next remove covering for the horizontal stabilizer bolts and front stab carbon tube.

Covering Removal (Fuselage)

Anti-Rotation Pin

Anti-Rotation Pin Aileron Servo

Extensions

Wing Bolt

Wing Tube (Factory Cut)

Wing Safety Pin

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Remove tail wheel assembly set screws one at a time and re-torque using blue loctite.

Install tail wheel assembly using 3x-4-40 bolts and washers. Use blue loctite on the bolts.

Tail Wheel

3/32 Allen Wrench/Driver

1.5mm Allen Wrench/Driver

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Contents of landing gear hardware bag.

Each axle assembly incorporates two wheel collars. The first is used to prevent the wheel from rubbing on the inner side of the wheel pant, and th e second outer collar to secure wheel.

Main Landing Gear

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Slide cuffs into position on the landing gear. Scre w holes should be on bottom.

Slide wheel/axle assembly into wheel pant as shown.

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Assemble axles/wheels/pants onto main landing gear. NOTE: When properly installed, main gear is swept very slightly forward. Install two 4 -40 screws per pant through gear leg and into pant blind nuts. Use loctite.

When properly assembled, wheel should be roughly ce ntered in pant opening.

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Using a 3/32 allen wrench check and tighten all lan ding gear aluminum angle bracket bolts.

Install the main gear to the fuselage using 4 large st bolts in landing gear hardware bag +washers and lock nuts.

Then secure landing gear cover plate using epoxy.

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Install landing gear cuffs using the supplied short 4mm flanged screws. Again using blue loctite.

The 104” has a long tunnel suitable for canisters o r tuned pipes. We provide the parts for a variety of setups. Vented covers are included for the tunnel which can be installed if desired. If using

stock mufflers, the covering over the tunnel can be left intact if desired.

First, if desired, the entire tunnel can be blocked off with this blockoff plate. Install with epoxy glue and wood screws.

Exhaust tunnel covers

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Photo of included canister and tuned pipe mounts. Silicone tubing can holders to install on these mounts are also included.

Photo of canister/pipe tunnel covers and contents o f fuselage hardware bag, including wood screws for cover installation. For canister exhaust, outlet c over and front two cover plates are used. For

tuned pipes, the three cover plates are used.

Rear cover plate.

Canister outlet cover

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Remove the covering over the vent holes on the cove r plates as shown.

Install the cover plates over the canister/pipe tun nel as shown using wood screws.

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Your kit includes two types of 4-40 ball-links. Th e upper one in the picture is the type that goes in -between the phenolic fiberglass horns on your contr ol surfaces. The bottom type, with the

integral brass pedestal, mounts to a servo arm.

Pushrods on the 104” are assembled in this way, wit h a ball link on each end of a stainless-steel link . Not that the links are threads left hand thread on one end and right hand thread on the other.

Look very carefully to determine left and right bef ore screwing on your links.

Ball links / Pushrods

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Because the links are opposite threaded on each end , you can use the included link wrench in your kit to change the pushrod length after they are install ed on the airplane.

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The control horns on the Slick are the double-pheno lic fiberglass style. The horns for the elevators and

ailerons are identical. The rudder horns are longe r, double-sided.

Elevator and Aileron horns are installed as follows :

With a sanding tool, remove any smooth, shiny surfa ce on the bottom of the horn which will be glued into your control surface. A light sanding is all it takes for the glue to adhere properly.

Phenolic Control Horns

Aileron and Elevator Control Horns. (Identical Parts)

Rudder Control Horn

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Assemble the horns as shown using the ball link, 4- 40 screw, washer, and locknut, before installing.

Locate the control horn location for each control s urface and remove the covering from the double slots on each surface. Trial fit the horn into, yo u may have to remove wood shaving or debris from th e slot

or trim the slot with a hobby knife.

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Remove the covering over the horn location as shown and apply plenty of glue into the slots. The best adhesive for this application is 3M brand DP 460 ep oxy adhesive, available from 3M retailers such

as Aerographix.biz Other acceptable glues incl ude 30 minute hobby epoxy and Gorilla Polyurethane Glue.

Install the horn, quickly cleaning any glue which c omes out around the base plate. Allow to fully cur e.

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The 104” slick offers two locations for rudder serv os. Pull-pull cables are already installed in the Slick for use with the forward location under the canopy bubble. An alternate rear location is provided

at the tail of the airplane. Andrew Jesky gives th is advice for choosing your rudder servo location:

“I prefer the forward rudder servo location. With a DA-100 or DA-120 and in-cowl mufflers, this gives me the

CG I want, which results in zero pitch coupling in knife-edge flight. I do not rear-mount the rudder servos unless I am running canister exhaust.”

View of the contents of the rudder hardware bag.

Rudder system

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Installing rudder and Rudder horn

Remove covering over rudder control horn location a s shown.

Slide horn partway in as shown and apply a generous amount of glue to all surfaces. Slide the rest of the way in and install base plate on opposite side. Clean up any excess glue.

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Install ball links. Align and straighten horn and equalize side-to-side. Allow to fully cure.

Install rudder onto vertical stabilizer and fuselag e, slide rudder hinge wire into rudder from the top and down into the recess slot on top of rudder as shown .

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Install collar onto rudder hinge wire at bottom. T rim wire as needed.

Pull-pull cables are already installed into your fu selage. Complete rear end of pull wires on both si des as shown, using double crimps and looping wire thro ugh crimps as shown.

Pull-pull version

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Cross the pull-pull wires once inside the fuselage to form an “X” and complete the front end of the cables also with double crimps. A typical servo in stallation with one 4” double-sided offset arm

and one 1.5” single-sided arm shown. Make cables s nug, but not “banjo-string” tight. Only snug is necessary. Match your servos properly according to the instructions of your radio equipment.

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Install long pushrod from rudder hardware bag and r emove covering over dual rudder push-pull servo locations as shown.

Install servos and arms as shown. NOTE: Depending on the type of servos and arms used, you may need to mount the front ball link to the inside of the rudder servo arm to clear the elevator.

Push-pull version

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The 104” Slick comes with two different sets of sta bs/elevators. One set is for 3D flight and has

counterbalances on the forward edge of the elevator s, the other is for sport/precision flight and has a straight hingeline. Both sets are pre-hinged and g ap sealed for you.

Install your elevator servo into the horizontal sta b of your choice as shown. Yes, this will take some time and you will need a long screwdriver. Be patient.

Parts included in elevator hardware bag.

Horizontal Stabilizers and Elevators

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Remove covering over servo arm slot and horn locati on in each elevator.

Install horn and pushrod as shown earlier.

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Install both carbon stabilizer tubes into fuselage, and slide stabs on all the way. Attach with 4-40 screws and washers as shown. If stabs are to be permanent, use loctite.

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Included engine mounting hardware.

For Desert aircraft twin cylinder engines and 3W, u se the included template to drill the firewall with 1/4” holes.

Engine

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Use the large washers on the back.

DA-120 mounted with longer aluminum standoffs. Not e that a washer or two may be necessary between the standoffs and firewall to get exactly t he cowl-to-spinner spacing you prefer.

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DA-100 and DLE-111 mounted with shorter standoffs.

Glue included backup ring to throttle servo opening as shown.

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Included throttle linkage parts. NOTE: The link l ength included is approximate, it works well on DA-100 and DLE-111, for DA-120 which mounts fart her forward, you may need a longer link

for best geometry.

Installing link.

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NOTE: A choke servo location is supplied on the bo ttom of the engine box AND a separate box-type servo mount is included in the kit to allo w you to mount a choke servo in any

location. However, we use and recommend a simple m anual pull-type choke linkage which extends through the bottom of the cowl. This linka ge is not included, but is easily make from a

short piece of steel wire or an unused section of p ushrod.

Measure and cut cowl for your exhaust if needed.

Most mufflers will require a front cut as well.

Engine Cowl Installation

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Install the bottom half of the cowl using blue loct ite on the 4 cowl screws inside. Note the location of the hole for manual choke linkage.

Install 4-40 screws in top cowl section with loctit e.

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NOTE: There are three servo locations in each wing panel. You can use one servo in the center location, two in the inner and outer locatio ns, or three servos. Be *extremely careful* if

using only one aileron servo, most twin-cylinder en gines 100CC and up produce enough power to blow back or even a flutter a single aileron ser vo. Flutter can destroy your aircraft and is not

covered under any warranty. We recommend two heavy duty metal gear aileron servos per wing, as S-9157 or HS-7955TG.

Contents of aileron hardware bag.

NOTE: Pull Strings are pre-installed in your wing panel s to facilitate pulling servo leads through the wing panel.

Ailerons

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Twin aileron servos installed in wing.

The wings attach using one 6mm nylon bolt and one s pring clip per side.

6mm nylon wing bolt.

Wing Installation

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The first few times you install the wings, the hole s for the spring clips will be tight to the fuselag e side. This is by design, use a small tool to clearance this fit befo re installing the clip. After a few cycles this wi ll settle in at the

proper clearance.

Spring clip installed.

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The canopy hatch is supplied with the floor pre-ins talled. The rear of the hatch is left open so you can easily install a pilot head and cockpit control panel. When you have completed any work

inside the cockpit, use a small amount of CA glue t o install the balsa rear plate onto the canopy hatch. The canopy hatch is held onto the fuselage w ith 3mm nylon thumbscrews. These

thumbscrews require no tools to install or remove. Please inspect these screws frequently for wear and fatigue.

Canopy hatch

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Throws High Rate Ailerons – 35 degrees Elevator – 45 degrees Rudder – Maximum throw available without interference High rate controls typically use 50-75% exponential Throws Mid Rate (if used) Ailerons - 30 degrees Elevators - 30 degrees Rudder - Maximum throw Throws Low Rate Ailerons – 15 degrees Elevator – 20 degrees Ruder – 30 degrees These starting throws are approximate and will need to be tuned to suit the individual pilot.

Center of Gravity

Andrew Jesky’s preferred CG for competition flight is 4.5” back from the leading edge at the wingtip.

The recommended most-rearward CG is 5.5” back from the leading edge at the wingtip.

Note that the Slick will have very little to no pit ch coupling at the forward CG, but will have

some pitch coupling at the rearward CG setting.

3D Hobby Shop wishes you the very best with your new104” AJ Slick!

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FLY LOW!FLY LOW!FLY LOW!FLY LOW!