Blackbird RC RG Instructions

The Blackbird RC rocket glider kit

The Blackbird RC Rocket glider kit is designed after the outstanding reconnaisance aircraft flown from the 1960’s through the 1990’s.  It’s a nice large model(about 14% bigger than the old Hobbylab kit) but lighter.  It comes with  white BMS tubing for the body and engine nacelles and 6MM Depron wing and tail surfaces.   The body tubes are pre-slotted for the wing and tail surfaces, the elevons are pre-hinged and spar slots are pre-grooved.  Rail button holes are pre-punched and the kit comes with rail buttons. You will need two 8-11 gram type servos, a receiver, and a small 500mah single cell lipo battery and 2 18″-20″ servo extensions.  You will need a transmitter with delta or elevon mixing.   Foam safe CA+ is the only correct glue to use for all construction on this model.  Any other adhesive will add weight in the wrong place, and reduce flight performance.  Please refer to the General instructions for all kits tab above, then read these instructions completely before starting assembly.  For E-6 composite single use and reloadable motors(first trim flights) or composite 24mm E-20/E-30/E-26 single use motors with ejection charge removed and forward end plugged with tape.  Wingspan  21.5″, length 39.5″(about 1/32 scale) weight 11.25 oz rtf.  High quality cut vinyl decals available Here

CG location for rocket flight:  3/8″ back from the the front of the nacelle tubes.

Unpacking your kit:

The kits are packed to protect them in shipping, but the contents are fragile so unpack carefully.  Carefully cut the tape holding the tubes in the box, then unwrap/lightly cut the plastic wrap to free the tubes, the spar may be packed in the tubes and the baggie with the little parts and nose cone will be in the tubes as well.  Carefully cut the tape holding the cardboard wing protector in the box and carefully remove it, don’t pull hard or bend it.  Then carefully cut the tape holding the cardboard top piece to the bottom.  There may be some sticky tape holding the cardboard to the bottom cardboard piece, carefully peel it being sure not to bend anything.  Once the top cardboard is free you can see the foam wing/tail parts, there are little fragile pieces in here, so unwrap carefully.  It may be best to use an exacto to lightly cut the plastic wrap and carefully remove it without cutting into the foam.  Make sure everything is free before you remove the pieces to avoid breaking anything.  Kits contain one or two scrap pieces for repairs if you damage anything in construction or flight, just cut and patch in a spare piece of the foam if needed using foam safe CA+.  The tubes may look a bit smudged or have some gray marks, this is due to the aluminum angle I use for cutting the slots, if it bothers you you can use a soft eraser to remove it, but since it will be painted black, it won’t really matter.

Welcome to the world of rocket boosted radio control gliders.  This is not a model for a novice RC pilot, but anyone who is comfortable with RC flying of an aileron controlled medium speed model should be fine.  Read through the instructions, look at the photos and be sure you understand the step before commiting to cutting or glue.

Identify all pieces, the kit should contain:

1  wing  taped together

2 vertical stabilizers

2 or 4 narrow foam motor centering strips.

2 forward wing curved sections

1 rear body tube with holes for rail buttons

1 front body tube without holes.

1 nacelle tube(will be split and used for the right and left nacelles.

2 control horn​s w/pushrods

Velcro(for battery and rx/bec attachment)

3M blenderm tape

1 coupler

Nose cone

2 intake cone lower plates

2 intake cone upper plates

2 Intake cone paper wraps

3 foam cockpit pieces.

motor tube

long and short carbon spars.

2 rail buttons/t-nuts and screws

Lead weight

Assembly:

1. Look at all parts and understand what pieces go where.
2. Unfold the main wing and glue the taped joints.  The forward joint is taped only on half of the cut so that it can fold to fit into the box.
3. Glue in the two spars into the premade slots on the bottom of the wing and then tape over with blenderm tape.
4. You may use 320 grit sandpaper and a sanding block to round the edges of the foam before further assembly.  Round all edges of the wing at this time except for the flat part where the intake cones will be mounted and the forward part that goes crossway through the body tube which will butt against the nose/curved portions of the front of the wing. Go slowly and take your time.  Round the leading and trailing edges of the vertical stabilizers at this time as well.
5. Once the sanding is finished wrap blenderm tape completely around the forward horizontal  wing joint near the neck, it will help support and hide the joint.
6. If your rail buttons are not pre-installed, install them at this time.  Install the rail buttons in the pre-punched holes.  The T nut goes inside the tube, then a plastic washer, plastic collar and plastic washer go on the outside of the tnut shaft and held in place with the included screw.  Make sure they are snug but don’t over tighten as it will deform the tube.
7. The body tubes are  pre-cut for the wing slot except for where the coupler goes.   When gluing the coupler, you may want to use a slower setting glue so you have time to work, if you use the CA, make sure you test fit the coupler into both tubes and make sure they fit easily.  If not already glued in for you glue the coupler into the end of the tube with the arrow marked and the rail button installed. It should insert about halfway or until the coupler hits the rail button t-nut on the inside.   Glue the other body tube in place onto the coupler with the end marked with an arrow on the end make sure you align the arrows so that the wing slots and rail buttons will be correctly aligned.
8. Once the glue is set, using multiple light cuts slowly cut the body tube slot through the tube and coupler to make a complete slot.   Go slow and make multiple passes a little at a time. Test fit the a spare piece of foam into the slot to make sure the wing will install easily.
9. Test fit and slide the wing into the body tube slot making sure it is centered front and rear and the rail buttons are on the same side as the visible spars(on the bottom)  **Note the body tube with the rail buttons will be toward the rear of the model.  Once centered,  place the model upside down on a flat surface so that the rail buttons are up and glue fully along the body tube  bottom to secure it in place.  The tube tends to flatten once it is cut so you may need to pinch the tube slightly as you glue and use accellerator a bit at a time to make sure it stays round in the middle and makes contact with the wing.  Flip over and lay the front portion on something flat and glue the top tube starting with the neck section.  Since the rail buttons are in place you will need to be careful when you glue the top rear that you do not deform or bend the wing as you glue the rear.
10. Tape the shoulder of the nose cone so it fits snug into the body tube
11. Lay one side of the wing against a table.  This is so that when gluing the forward curved wing portion to the nose cone it will be aligned with the rear wing.
12. Lay one of the curved forward wing sections against the nose cone and body tube.  Sand/fit the rear and side so it butts against the rear wing and nose cone, then glue the piece ONLY to the nose cone.
13. Repeat on the other side, then lightly sand the outer edges to align with the rear wing and blend it into the nose cone.
14. Glue the two pushrods/control horns in the bottom of the wing in each control surface in the pre-punched holes using CA+. Apply CA+ to the top of the control surface on the prongs from the control horns to capture them in place.  Set with accelerator.  Note in the picture how the control horns face, the flat part of the control horns faces forward so that the holes that the pushrod go in are even with the hinge line.
15. Your radio needs to be configured for Delta mixing, this means that the servo arms will move the same direction during elevator stick movement and opposite for aileron stick movement.  Connect your servos to the receiver one in the aileron connection and one on the elevator connection and apply power.   Use a servo arm at least 9/16” long and with holes small enough that there won’t be slop with the pushrod wire when installed.  I use the hole furthest out on the servo arm, to maximize movement. On some servos there are a long two-ended servo arm, you can use this arm and trim off one end.   Zero out any trim settings on the transmitter.
16. Flip the model upside down. Mark where the servo will sit in the body tube and mark and cut a pocket to fit, make sure the servo will fit into the pocket and the control surface will stay level.
17. Attach a servo extension to each servo long enough so that it will go the full length of the body tube and out the front to allow you to connect it to the receiver.  Route the servo wire forward and reconnect to the receiver.
18. With the radio still on, put a moderate amount of glue on the servo, being careful not to get any near the output shaft, and set it in place on the model  in the pocket keeping the control surface centered.   Do the same to the other side.  Make sure the glue is set before continuing.
19. Attach the receiver and battery into the nose cone using the supplied velcro.
20. Glue the two foam strips onto the motor tube on the two pencil lines that are opposite each other. In newer kits there are four strips, so glue all four on the motor tube, there are three lines pre-marked, glue the fourth strip opposite the third strip so it makes a plus or X when viewed from the end of the tube.
21. Test fit the motor tube in place, sand the two foam strips a little at a time till the tabs will fit into the rear of the model.  The sides of the motor tube are centered in the cutout in the wing.  If your motor mount has four strips, you will rotate the mount so that the tabs clear the wing cutout and the rail button screw.  See photos.
22. Glue a triangular lower intake cone foam piece to one of the the longer upper intake cone strips so that the triangle shapes are aligned.
23. Cut out the paper intake cone shrouds.
24. Glue one side of the paper wrap onto the side of the foam triangle shaped assembly so that the notch aligns with the step between the two pieces at the rear.  Glue so that the glossy side without printing will be visible. The wrap won’t go completely to the tip of the foam, that’s ok you will sand the tip to shape shorter after the paper cone is attached.  Gently wrap the paper around and glue to the other side making a half cone and glue to the other side again aligning the notch with the step in the foam assembly.  Run CA on the inside corners and tip as well. Trim the foam tip at a slight angle if there is any excess to make it look clean. Repeat for the other side.
25. Glue the intake cones on each wing, so that step is flush with the front of the wing and the cone is approximately 1/16″ from the marked nacelle tube wing line so that the nacelle tube can fit over the cone.
26. Find the 2″ diameter pre-marked body tube with the tail slots pre-cut.  Carefully cut the tube on both sides on the long pencil marks to make two halves using an exacto making multiple light small cuts, take your time.
27. Lay one side of the wing on a table edge and supported so that it is flat.
28. Look at the two pieces of nacelle tubing.  There is a left and a right.  They are marked on the tubes and the slot  for the vertical stab will be inward.  If you have these swapped the elevon won’t have proper clearance to move.
29. Glue the correct nacelle tube in place.  The font of the nacelle tube is even with the front of the wing and the rear must allow the elevon to move fully.  There is a line on each wing half for gluing the nacelle.   IT IS CRITICAL the first edge is glued on the line otherwise the nacelles may not be straight and the vertical stabs will have an undesired rudder angle built into them!!  Glue the other edge in place.
30. Repeat for the other side.  Use accelerator to set the glue as you go.
31. Glue the two vertical stabs in place in the slots.  The stabs angle inward, it isn’t critical the absolute angle just try to get both sides approximately the same.  Reinforce the joint on both sides with a CA fillet on the inside and outside of the tube, use accellerator to set the glue before proceeding.
32. Glue the cockpit pieces together.
33. Sand the sides/top referring to the photos as a guide. Wrap sandpaper around the front of the nose cone/body tube and sand the bottom of the cockpit so that it will conform to the cone. Glue in place on the nose cone.
34. Paint the model using ONLY testors or model master enamel spray paint or Krylon short cuts small rattle can enamel spray paint. This is the only paint  I recommend.  I’ve used testors and model master flat black.  Mask off the rail buttons and the servo output arms to prevent paint from getting on them.  Do not spray too close to the model. Use many light coats and do not spray heavy.  I apply a coat to all the edges of the foam first since it tends to soak into the sanded exposed edges and look lighter, then apply light coats till the model is covered.  Paint adds weight, use just enough to get a nice even finish.  I used slightly more than one can of flat black to complete each prototype, and that added exactly 1/2 ounce to the model.
35. You can use a silver sharpie to add panel lines or accents if you wish.  I added some red vinyl pinstrip accent tape for the wing walk marks.
36. If you use the stickershock decals, after applying them use a hot hair dryer to soften them and press down with your finger to make them conform to the foam/paint better.
37. Install your loaded motor.
38. Support the model at the balance point indicated for boost.   Add weight as required to balance into the nose.  Hold it in place with the foam safe CA.   Do not try to fly the model too nose or tail heavy.  Remember, a nose heavy model flies poorly, a tail heavy model flies once.  I added a little at a time and re-checked often till it was just balancing slightly nose down.  Do not just use all the shot included or you will be nose heavy most likely.
39. Set up your throws and trims:  The model uses approx 5/8-3/4″ up and down elevator throw and 1/2″ left and right aileron throw.  It is quite roll sensitive on boost so you may tone this down as needed.  For boost I used zero control trim but you may need some depending on how your model is built, and for glide I’m using about 3/16 of up trim or a slight bit more. I put this trim onto my flap switch so that I can go from boost to glide trim with the flip of  a switch, you can also use a flight mode with independent roll and pitch trim to do the same function.  Make sure when you launch you are in boost trim or it will be a very short flight.

Flying:  Be ready on the first few flights to keep the model straight till you have the trims set perfectly for boost and glide.  Try to do initial flights in dead calm conditions.  You need to be ready to react quickly to keep it boosting straight up or slightly away from you.    Keep the wings level.  Count to 7 and start to push the model over level as the motor burns out and it slows down.  Then click in the up trim.   Avoid drastic bank angles which cause you to lose altitude and make it easy to lose orientation.  Gently fly around, and set up for landing into the wind when about 100′ high.  The model will rock the wings if you start to get too slow, if this happens push forward on the stick slightly.  The decent rate is very predictable,  keep some speed up so you don’t stall, and keep the wings level as it decends and gently flare just before touchdown.  If you use E-20 or E-30 motors in subsequent flights remove the red cap and make sure all black powder is removed and put the red cap back and place and tape over so that no ejection charge or flame will shoot forward into the foam wing.  The yellow ejection reservoir sticks forward longer than the glider casing so the motor won’t insert fully, be sure to check your CG with these motors installed to make sure your balance is still good.  The single use motors are lighter so normally it does not require any re-balancing.