Top

Flite M

od

els Ch

amp

aign

,ILTelep

ho

ne (217) 398-8970,E

xt.5airsu

pp

ort@

top

-flite.com

RE

AD

TH

RO

UG

H T

HIS

INS

TR

UC

TIO

N B

OO

K F

IRS

T.IT C

ON

TAIN

S IM

PO

RTA

NT

INS

TR

UC

TIO

NS

AN

D W

AR

NIN

GS

CO

NC

ER

NIN

G T

HE

AS

SE

MB

LY A

ND

US

E O

F T

HIS

MO

DE

L.

TOP

Z1020 for TO

PA1020

V1.0

Entire C

ontents © C

opyright 2006

™

Win

gsp

an:

56.5 in [1435 mm

]W

ing

Area:

677 sq in [43.7 dm2]

Weig

ht:

60-70 oz [1700-1985g]W

ing

Lo

adin

g:

12.8-14.8 oz/sq ft [39-45 g/dm

2]L

eng

th:

46 in [1170 mm

]E

ng

ine:

.40-.51 cu in [6.5-8.4cc]2-stroke glow

control line

WA

RR

AN

TY.....Top F

lite Models guarantees this kit to be free

from defects in both m

aterial and workm

anship at the date of purchase.This w

arrantydoes not cover any com

ponent parts damaged by use or m

odification.In no case shallTop F

lite’s liability exceed the original cost of the purchased kit.F

urther, Top Flite

reserves the right to change or modify this w

arranty without notice.

In that Top Flite has no control over the final assem

bly or material used for final

assembly, no liability shall be assum

ed nor accepted for any damage resulting from

theuse by the user of the final user-assem

bled product.B

y the act of using the user-assem

bled product, the user accepts all resulting liability.

If the buyer is not prepared to accept the liability associated with the use of this

product, the buyer is advised to return this kit imm

ediately in new and unused condition

to the place of purchase.

To make a w

arranty claim send the defective

part or item to H

obby Services at the address:

Include a

letter stating

your nam

e, return

shipping address,

as m

uch contact

information as possible (daytim

e telephone number, fax num

ber, e-mail address), a

detailed description of the problem and a photocopy of the purchase receipt.

Upon

receipt of the package the problem w

ill be evaluated as quickly as possible.

Hobby S

ervices3002 N

.Apollo D

r.S

uite 1C

hampaign IL 61822 U

SA

TAB

LE

OF

CO

NT

EN

TS

INT

RO

DU

CT

ION

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2S

AF

ET

Y P

RE

CA

UT

ION

S. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

EN

GIN

E &

LIN

E R

EC

OM

ME

ND

AT

ION

S. . . . . . 3

AD

DIT

ION

AL

ITE

MS

RE

QU

IRE

D. . . . . . . . . . . . 3

Adhesives &

Building S

upplies. . . . . . . . . . 3

Optional S

upplies & Tools

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3K

ITC

ON

TE

NT

S. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

AS

SE

MB

LE

TH

E W

ING

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5Install the F

laps. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5Install F

lap Linkage. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

AS

SE

MB

LE

TAIL

SE

CT

ION

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6Install E

levators. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6Install E

levator Linkage. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

FIN

ISH

TH

E W

ING

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7Test F

it Wing

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7Install B

elly Pan

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8A

ttach Wing

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8L

AN

DIN

G G

EA

R. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

Assem

ble Main G

ear. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9A

ssemble Tail G

ear. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9E

NG

INE

AN

D F

UE

L S

YS

TE

M. . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

Mount the E

ngine. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

Assem

ble and Install the Fuel Tank

. . . . . . 11F

INIS

H T

HE

MO

DE

L. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

Install the Cow

l. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11Install the C

anopy. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

Apply the D

ecals. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

GE

T T

HE

MO

DE

L R

EA

DY

TO F

LY

. . . . . . . . . 13B

alance the Model (C

.G.)

. . . . . . . . . . . . . 13W

ing Tip W

eight. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

PR

EF

LIG

HT

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14B

alance Propellers

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14E

ngine Check

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14C

ontrol Check

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14A

djust Leadouts. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

EN

GIN

E S

AF

ET

Y P

RE

CA

UT

ION

S. . . . . . . . . . 15

AM

A S

AF

ET

Y C

OD

E. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

CH

EC

K L

IST

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16F

LYIN

G. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

Flying P

recautions. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16P

reflight. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

Takeoff. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17

Landing. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

AM

A S

TU

NT

MA

NE

UV

ER

S. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19

INT

RO

DU

CT

ION

Congratulations and thank you for purchasing the Top

Flite C

ontrol Line Score A

RF.T

he Score is capable of

performing all A

MA

stunt maneuvers;

however, it is

also a

plane that’s

suitable even

for relative

newcom

ers to

control line

flight.T

he pre-covered

Score assem

bles quickly and easily with a bolt-on

wing and stabilizer.A

ccess hatches in the tail sectionallow

elevator control throw adjustm

ent at the field,and a rem

ovable wing tip w

eight access hatch allows

you to add or subtract tip weight betw

een flights tofine

tune the

model.

The

leadouts can

even be

adjusted by a quick turn of a screwdriver.

Whether

flown casually or in com

petition, the Score is sure to

provide you with im

pressive control line performance.

For the latest technical updates or manual corrections

to the Score P

recision Control Line A

RF

visit the TopF

lite w

eb site

at w

ww

.top-flite.com.

Open

the“A

irplanes”link,

then select

the S

core P

recisionC

ontrol Line AR

F.If there is new technical inform

ationor changes to this m

odel, a “tech notice”box w

illappear in the upper left corner of the page.

If you have not flown a control line stunt m

odelbefore, w

e recomm

end that you get the assistanceof an experienced pilot in your club for your firstflights.

If you’re not a mem

ber of a club, your localhobby shop has inform

ation about clubs in your areaw

hose mem

bership includes experienced pilots.

AM

A

In addition to joining a control line club, we strongly

recomm

end you join the AM

A (A

cademy of M

odelA

eronautics).T

he AM

A is the governing body of

model aviation and m

embership is required to fly at

AM

A clubs.T

hough joining the AM

A provides m

anybenefits, one of the prim

ary reasons to join is liabilityprotection.

Coverage

is not

limited

to flying

atcontests or on the club field.It even applies to flyingat public dem

onstrations and air shows.

Failure tocom

ply with the S

afety Code (excerpts printed in the

back of

the m

anual) m

ay endanger

insurancecoverage.

Additionally,

training program

s and

instructors are available at AM

A club sites to help

you get started the right way.T

here are over 2,500A

MA

chartered clubs across the country.Contact the

AM

A at the address or toll-free phone num

ber below:

Acad

emy o

f Mo

del

Aero

nau

tics5151 E

ast Mem

orial Drive

Muncie, IN

47302-9252Tele.(800) 435-9262Fax (765) 741-0057

Or via the Internet at:http://w

ww

.modelaircraft.org

PR

OT

EC

T Y

OU

R M

OD

EL

,Y

OU

RS

EL

F &

OT

HE

RS

FO

LL

OW

TH

ES

E IM

PO

RTA

NT

SA

FE

TY

PR

EC

AU

TIO

NS

1.Your Score P

recision Control Line A

RF

should notbe

considered a

toy, but

rather a

sophisticated,w

orking model that functions very m

uch like a full-size

a

irpla

ne.

Be

cau

se

of

its p

erfo

rma

nce

capabilities, the Score P

recision Control Line A

RF, if

no

t a

ssem

bled

a

nd

o

pe

rate

d

corre

ctly, co

uld

possibly cause injury to yourself or spectators anddam

age to property.

2.You must assem

ble the model according to the

instructions.D

o not alter or modify the m

odel, asdoing so m

ay result in an unsafe or unflyable model.

In a few cases the instructions m

ay differ slightlyfrom

the

photos.In

those instances

the w

ritteninstructions should be considered as correct.

3.You must take tim

e to build straight, trueand strong

.

4.You must use lines that are in first-class condition,

and a

correctly sized

engine and

components

throughout the building process.- 2

-

5.You must correctly install all pushrods and other

components so that the m

odel operates correctly onthe ground and in the air.

6.You must check the operation of the m

odel beforeevery flight to insure that all equipm

ent is operating andthat the m

odel has remained structurally sound.

Be

sure to check clevises or other connectors often andreplace them

if they show any signs of w

ear or fatigue.

7.If you are not already an experienced control linepilot, you should fly the m

odel only with the help of

a competent, experienced control line pilot.

8.W

hile this kit has been flight tested to exceednorm

al use, if the plane will be used for extrem

elyhigh stress flying, or if an engine larger than one inthe recom

mended range is used, the m

odeler isresponsible for taking steps to reinforce the highstress

points and/or

substituting hardw

are m

oresuitable for the increased stress.

9.WA

RN

ING

:The cow

l and wheel pants included in

this m

odel are

made

of fiberglass,

the fibers

ofw

hich may cause eye, skin and respiratory tract

irritation.Never blow

into a part to remove fiberglass

dust, as the dust will blow

back into your eyes.A

lways w

ear safety goggles, a particle mask and

rubber gloves when grinding, drilling and sanding

fiberglass parts.V

acuum the parts and the w

orkarea thoroughly after w

orking with fiberglass parts.

Rem

emb

er:Take

you

r tim

e an

d

follo

w

the

instru

ction

s to en

d u

p w

ith a w

ell-built m

od

elth

at is straigh

t and

true.

Before starting to build, com

pare the parts in this kitw

ith the Parts List and note any m

issing parts.A

lsoinspect all parts to m

ake sure they are of acceptablequality.If any parts are m

issing, broken or defective, orif you have any questions about building or flying thisairplane, please contact Top F

lite at the address ortelephone num

ber below.

If requesting replacement

parts, please provide the full kit name (S

core Precision

Control Line A

RF

) and the part numbers as listed in the

Parts List.

Top

Flite P

rod

uct S

up

po

rt:3002 N

Apollo D

rive Suite 1

Cham

paign, IL 61822Telephone:(217) 398-8970 Fax:(217) 398-7721

E-m

ail: productsupport@top-flite.com

EN

GIN

E &

LIN

ER

EC

OM

ME

ND

AT

ION

S

AD

DIT

ION

AL

ITE

MS

RE

QU

IRE

D

Ad

hesives &

Bu

ildin

g S

up

plies

In addition to comm

on hobby tools and householdtools, this is the “short list”

of the most im

portantitem

s required to build the Score P

recision Control

Line AR

F.Great P

lanes

®P

ro™

CA

and Ep

oxyglue

are recomm

ended.

❏ 1/2 oz.[15 g] T

hin Pro C

A (G

PM

R6001)

❏ P

ro 30-minute epoxy (G

PM

R6047)

❏ R

/C-56 canopy glue (JO

ZR

5007)❏

Threadlocker thread locking cem

ent (GP

MR

6060)❏

#1 Hobby knife (H

CA

R0105)

❏ #11 blades (5-pack, H

CA

R0211)

❏ D

rill bits:#54 [1.4 mm

], 1/16" [1.6 mm

],3/32" [2.4 m

m]

❏ S

tick-on segmented lead w

eights (GP

MQ

4485)❏

Sm

all metal file

❏ R

otary tool such as Drem

el with cutting/grinding

assortment (for cutting holes in fiberglass cow

l)❏

Denatured alcohol

Op

tion

al Su

pp

lies & To

ols

Here is a list of optional tools that w

ill help you tobuild the S

core Precision C

ontrol Line AR

F.

❏ 2 oz.[57 g] spray C

A activator (G

PM

R6035)

❏ 4 oz.[113 g] aerosol C

A activator (G

PM

R634)

❏ C

A applicator tips (H

CA

R3780)

❏ C

A debonder (G

PM

R6039)

❏ E

poxy brushes (6, GP

MR

8060)❏

Mixing sticks (50, G

PM

R8055)

❏ M

ixing cups (GP

MR

8056)❏

Curved-tip canopy scissors for trim

ming

plastic parts (HC

AR

0667)❏

Dead C

enter™

Engine M

ount Hole

Locator (GP

MR

8130)❏

CG

Machine

™(G

PM

R2400)

❏ P

recision Magnetic P

rop Balancer

™(TO

PQ

5700)❏

Prop R

eamer (G

PM

Q5005)

A .40-.51 cu in [6.5-8.4 cc] tw

o-stroke glow engine

is recomm

ended for the Top Flite S

core Precision

Control

Line A

RF.

Our

test m

odels perform

edsuperbly w

ith the O.S

. ®M

ax .46 LA-S

and a TopF

lite 11

x 4

Pow

er P

oint ®w

ood prop.

This

combination provided good line-tension and lap

times on 60' lines.A

.51 engine could be used asw

ell, but expect faster speeds with this setup.For

most engines, .015" [.38 m

m] m

ulti-strand linesare

recomm

ended, but

.018" [.46

mm

] m

ulti-strand lines are recom

mended if flying w

ith a .46or .51 engine.

#132 .015" x 60' [.38 mm

x 18 m] lines (S

ULP

2632) #135 .018" x 60' [.46 m

m x 18 m

] lines (SU

LP2635)

#166 Standard handle (S

ULP

2866)#148 80 lb.[36 kg] test lie connectors (S

ULP

2948)

We, as the kit m

anufacturer, provide you with a top

quality, thoroughly tested kit and instructions, butultim

ately the quality and flyability of your finishedm

odel depends on how you build it;therefore, w

ecannot in any w

ay guarantee the performance of

your completed m

odel, and no representationsare expressed or im

plied as to the performance or

safety of your completed m

odel.

- 3-

- 4-

PAR

TS

PH

OTO

GR

AP

HE

D

1.F

uselage2.

Cow

l3.

Canopy

4.F

uel Tank Hatch D

oor5.

Horizontal S

tabilizerw

/Elevators

6.W

ing w/F

laps7.

Spinner

8.F

uel Tank w/H

ardware

9.W

heel Pants

10.Landing Gear

11.Elevator C

ontrol Horn

Access H

atch12.Tail W

heel13.Tailgear W

ire14.E

levator and Flap

Joiner Wires

15.Engine M

ount Halves

16.Main W

heels17.S

teel Shot

PAR

TS

NO

T P

HO

TOG

RA

PH

ED

(1)W

ing Tip W

eight Hatch A

ccess Door

(2)N

ylon Tie S

traps 395 mm

(14)2 x 10 m

m S

elf-Tapping Washer H

ead Screw

s(23)

2 x 6 mm

Self-Tapping W

asher Head S

crews

(5)2 m

m N

uts(3)

Silicone C

levis Retainers

(10)3 m

m W

ashers(6)

3 x 25 mm

Socket H

ead Machine S

crews

(7)N

ylon Landing Gear S

traps(3)

2 mm

Steel C

levises(4)

4 mm

Blind N

uts(6)

4 mm

Washers

(2)4 x 55 m

m M

achine Screw

s(4)

4 x 20 mm

Machine S

crews

(4)4 m

m Lock W

ashers(1)

CA

Hinge S

trip(1)

2 mm

Wheel C

ollar

(4)4 m

m W

heel Collars

(5)3 m

m S

et Screw

s(1)

3 x 6 mm

Machine S

crew(1)

305 mm

Silicone F

uel Tubing(4)

3 mm

Nylon Locknuts

(2)W

ing Dow

els(1)

Alum

inum P

ushrod(2)

Pushrod W

ires(2)

Landing Gear R

etainer Plates

7

21

34

16

17

5

14

9

10

15

8

6

1112

13

KIT

CO

NT

EN

TS

To co

nvert inch

es to m

illimeters,m

ultip

ly inch

es by 25.4

- 5-

AS

SE

MB

LE

TH

E W

ING

Install F

laps

❏1.C

arefully remove the tape holding the flap

sto

the win

g p

anels.

Cut the covering from

the controlline bellcrank access hole as w

ell as the flap joinerw

ire groove located in the center of the wing trailing

edge.If necessary, trim

the covering from the tw

ow

ing bolt holes.

❏2.C

ut the included 2" x 9" [51 x 229 mm

] CA

hin

ge

stripinto 3/4" x 1" [19 x 25 m

m] hinges as show

n inthe draw

ing.C

lip the corners of each hinge to allowthem

to fit in the hinge slots easier.

❏3.

Locate the holes and slots for the flap jo

iner

wire

at the inside leading edge of both flaps and trimthe

covering aw

ay.Tem

porarily install

CA

hinges

halfway into each of the pre-cut hinge slots in the

flaps.Test fit the flap joiner wire (the larger of the tw

oincluded joiner w

ires) into the joiner wire holes w

iththe control horn pointing up.

❏4.

Temporarily attach the flaps to the w

ing bysliding the C

A hinges into their m

atching pre-cutslots.V

iew the trailing edges of the flaps from

the endof the w

ing.S

ee if the flaps are parallel with each

other (have the same “up”

and “down”).If necessary,

“tweak”, or bend the joiner to align the flaps.B

e sureto

remove

the joiner

wire

from

the flaps

beforeattem

pting to bend it.

❏5.R

emove the hinges and trim

the covering fromthe pre-cut C

A hinge slots both on the w

ing and theflaps.

Drill a 3/32" [2.4 m

m] hole into the center of

each hinge slot.

❏6.Insert the hinges into the slots in both flaps.U

sea T-pin to help keep the hinges centered in the slotsduring assem

bly.

❏7.R

oughen up the portions of the joiner wire that

fit into the flaps with sandpaper.C

lean the wire w

ithdenatured alcohol.

Mix a sm

all batch approximately

7.5 cc [1/4 oz] of 30-minute epoxy.

Use a piece of

wire or a toothpick to apply epoxy to the holes and

grooves in the flaps for the joiner wire.

Coat the

matching halves of the joiner w

ire with epoxy, and

then insert it into the flaps.Join the flaps to the wing

by inserting the hinges into their mating slots in the

wing.

Apply thin C

A to the center of the hinges on

both sides.The hinges w

ill secure the flaps in placew

hile the epoxy on the joiner wire cures.W

ipe away

any excess epoxy with alcohol.

Install F

lap L

inkag

e

❏1.T

hread a 2 mm

nut, silicone clevis retainer, anda m

etal clevis onto the flap pushrod wire.

❏2.F

eed the bent end of the pushrod wire through

the cutout in the sheeting near the trailing edge of thew

ing.C

onnect the pushrod to the outer hole on thecontrol line bellcrank.

❏3.W

ith the bellcrank in the center position, adjustthe clevis until the flaps are neutral w

hen the clevis isconnected to the m

iddle hole on the flap joiner controlhorn.S

lide the silicone clevis retainer onto the clevis,add threadlocking com

pound to the pushrod threads,and tighten the 2 m

m nut against the clevis to secure

it into place.

AS

SE

MB

LE

TH

E TA

IL S

EC

TIO

N

Install E

levators

❏1.Trim

the covering from the tw

o mounting holes

on the ho

rizon

tal stabilizer

and the elevator joinerw

ire groove located in the center of the stab trailingedge.

As you did w

ith the wing and flaps, trim

thecovering from

the pre-cut CA

hinge slots both on thestabilizer and the elevato

rs.

❏2.Locate the holes and slots for the elevato

r join

erw

ireat the inside leading edge of both elevators and

trim the covering aw

ay.Temporarily install C

A hinges

halfway into each of the pre-cut hinge slots in the

elevators.Test fit the elevator joiner wire into the joiner

wire holes w

ith the control horn pointing down.

❏3.Tem

porarily attach the elevators to the stabilizerby sliding the C

A hinges into their m

atching pre-cutslots.V

iew the trailing edges of the elevators from

theend of the stab.S

ee if the elevators are parallel with

each other

(have the

same

“up”and

“down”).

Ifnecessary, “tw

eak”the joiner to align them

.Rem

ovethe joiner w

ire from the elevators to do this.

- 6-

❏4.R

oughen up the portions of the joiner wire that

fit into the elevator with sandpaper.

Clean the w

irew

ith denatured alcohol.Mix a 7.5 cc [1/4 oz] batch of

30-minute epoxy.U

se a piece of wire or a toothpick

to apply epoxy in the hole and groove in the elevatorfor the joiner w

ire of on

ly on

e elevator.

Coat the

matching half of the joiner w

ire with epoxy, and then

insert it into the elevator.Secure the joiner w

ire to theelevator w

hile the epoxy cures.

❏5.

After the epoxy has cured, reinsert the hinges

into that

elevator and

attach it

to the

stabilizer.P

osition the

elevator so

that the

elevator joiner

control horn is centered in the groove in the trailingedge of the stab.

Using the sam

e procedure as theflaps, perm

anently attach the elevator to the stab.

❏6.M

aneuver the partially assembled stabilizer into

the fuselag

e.U

sing two 3 x 25 m

m S

HC

S and tw

o 3 m

m w

ashers, permanently m

ount the stab to thefuselage.

To prevent the screws from

backing out,use thread-locking com

pound.You can also glue thestab into place w

ith epoxy.

❏7.Just as you did w

ith the wing, m

ix another small

batch of

30-minute

epoxy and

attach the

otherelevator in the sam

e manner.B

efore the epoxy cures,secure the hinges w

ith thin CA

glue.The hinges w

illhold the flap in place w

hile the epoxy cures.

Install E

levator L

inkag

e

❏1.Loosely install a 2 m

m nut onto each end of the

remaining pushrods.Install a m

etal clevis with silicone

retainer onto one end of each remaining pushrod w

ire.T

hread the ends of the pushrod wires that only have a

nut installed on them into the ends of the alum

inumpushrod.A

djust the clevises and pushrod wires inside

the aluminum

pushrod so that the total len

gth

of theassem

bled pushrod is 18-3/4" [475 mm

].B

e sure touse threadlocking com

pound on the pushrod threads.

❏2.

Slide

the assem

bled pushrod

through the

fuselage.Temporarily attach the clevis to the m

iddlehole in the elevator control horn.

❏3.T

ighten the nut against the clevis at the otherend of the pushrod near the w

ing saddle.B

e surethat the clevis is threaded on about 6m

m [1/4"].

❏4.Install the elevator control horn access hatches

using eight 2 x 6 mm

self-tapping screws.

FIN

ISH

TH

E W

ING

Test Fit th

e Win

g

❏1.C

ut the covering from the holes in the front of the

wing and glue in the w

ing

dow

els with epoxy.Tap the

dowels into place as far as they w

ill go into the holes.

❏2.

Using tw

o 4 x 55 mm

screws and tw

o 4 mm

washers, test fit the w

ing to the fuselage.- 7

-

Install th

e Belly P

an

❏1.A

lign the belly p

aninto position and tape it to

the fuselage.Use a felt tip pen to trace its shape onto

the wing.

❏2.

Rem

ove the belly pan and wing.

Use a sharp,

new knife blade or a soldering iron (see “H

ot Tip”) to

cut the covering from the w

ing 1/16" [2 mm

] insid

ethe lines.If using a knife, use a lig

ht to

uch

and great

carenot to cut into the sheeting under the covering

or the

wing

will

be w

eakened.A

fter cutting

thecovering,

use denatured

alcohol and

a tissue

toclean the ink lines from

the covering.Then, peel off

the covering.

HO

W TO

CU

T C

OV

ER

ING

FR

OM

BA

LS

A

Use a soldering iron to cut the covering from

the stab.T

he tip of the soldering iron doesn’t have to be sharp,but a fine tip does w

ork best.Allow

the iron to heat fully.

Use a straightedge to guide the soldering iron at a

rate that will just m

elt the covering and not burn intothe w

ood.The hotter the soldering iron, the faster it

must travel to m

elt a fine cut.Peel off the covering.

❏3.Trim

the covering from the underside edges of

the belly pan.Epoxy the belly pan to the w

ing and cutaw

ay the covering from the w

ing bolt holes if youhave not already done so.W

ick thin CA

glue into thew

ing bolt holes to harden the wood in this area.

Attach

the W

ing

❏1.F

it the two w

ing dowels into their m

ating holesin the fuselage.W

hile tilting the trailing edge of thew

ing away from

the fuselage, use needle nose pliersto connect the elevator pushrod to the outer hole inthe

flap control

horn.S

ecure the

clevis w

ith the

silicone retainer.

❏2.U

sing the 4 x 55 mm

screws and 4 m

m w

ashers,secure the w

ing to the fuselage.- 8

-

- 9-

LA

ND

ING

GE

AR

Assem

ble th

e Main

Gear

❏❏

1.Slide the landing gear w

irethrough the hole in

the wheel pant.

Center a nylon strap over the w

ire 1/2" [13 m

m] above the axle hole and drill 1/16" [1.6 m

m]

holes through the strap and into the pant for the strapscrew

s.Temporarily secure the strap w

ith two 2 x 10 m

mself-tapping screw

s.B

ack the screws out and apply a

few drops of thin C

A to the screw

holes.Be sure not to

block the holes with too m

uch CA

, and allow the glue to

dry completely before reinserting the screw

s.

❏❏

2.R

ough up the inside of the wheel pant w

ithsandpaper.C

lean the area with alcohol and test fit the

retainer plate.Sand or trim

the plate as necessary for

it to lay flat on the pant.Use epoxy to attach the plate

to the pant.Dab a bit of petroleum

jelly to the end ofthe landing gear w

ire and fit it into the retainer plate.T

he jelly will prevent epoxy from

sticking to the wire.

The landing gear w

ire will hold the plate in the correct

position while the epoxy cures.

❏❏

3.Thread 3 m

m set screw

s into two 4 m

m w

heelcollars.

Install the

wheel

into the

wheel

pant by

securing a wheel collar to each side of it as show

n inthe picture.

File a sm

all flat spot on the gear wire

where the set screw

s will be tightened.B

e sure thatthe w

heel rotates smoothly on the landing gear w

ire.A

dd oil to the gear wire if necessary.

❏4.R

epeat these steps for the other wheel pant.

❏5.Test fit the landing gear w

ire into the wing.M

akeany necessary adjustm

ents like rounding over theedge at the top of the hole for the gear w

ire to sit flat.C

enter two nylon straps over the gear w

ire and mark

the holes for the straps.Drill 1/16" [1.6 m

m] at those

marks.

Use four 2 x 10 m

m self-tapping screw

s toinstall the gear.R

einforce the holes with thin C

A as

done in previous steps.

Assem

ble th

e Tail Gear

❏1.T

hread a 3 mm

set screw into the 2 m

m w

heelcollar.

Slide the tail w

heel

onto the tail wh

eel wire

followed

by the

wheel

collar.U

se thread-locking

compound to secure the set screw

.B

e sure the tailw

heel rotates freely when the set screw

is tightened.O

il the wheel if necessary.

FL

AT

SP

OT

S

❏2.

Locate the groove for the tail gear wire on the

underside of the fuselage and trim the covering aw

ay.T

he hole at the front of the groove for the tail gearw

ire is approximately 9-1/2" [241 m

m] from

the aftend of the fuselage.Insert the tail w

ire into the grooveand secure it w

ith a nylon strap and two 2 x 10 m

mself-tapping screw

s.

EN

GIN

E A

ND

FU

EL

SY

ST

EM

Mo

un

t the E

ng

ine

There are two engine m

ounting templates at the back

of this manual for the S

uperTigre®

.51 C/L engine and

the O.S

.M

ax .40 LA-S

engine.If you are not using

either of these engines, you will need to m

ake your own

mounting tem

plate based on the size of your engine.

❏1.C

ut out the template from

the back of this manual

that matches your engine.

Align the dashed lines on

the template w

ith the cross-hairs on the firewall and

tape the template in place.U

se a T-pin or a small drill

bit to transfer the location of the four mounting holes to

the firewall.

❏2.R

emove the tem

plate and drill the mounting holes

with a 7/32" [5.6 m

m] drill bit.C

ut the sides from tw

o4m

m blind nuts as show

n.Install four 4 mm

blind nutsinto the back of the holes.D

raw the blind nuts tight into

the firewall by threading a 4 x 20 m

m screw

and 4 mm

washer through the engine m

ount and firewall into the

blind nuts and tightening the screw.

❏3.Install the engine m

ount halves inverted to thefirew

all using four 4 x 20 mm

screws, four 4 m

mw

ashers, and four 4 mm

lock washers.

❏4.

Position the engine so that the drive w

asher is 4-1/8" [105 m

m] from

the firewall.M

ark the positions ofthe engine m

ounting holes onto the mounting rails (w

eused a G

reat Planes D

ead Center

™E

ngine Mount

Hole Locator, G

PM

R8130) and drill the holes w

ith a1/8" [3.2 m

m] drill bit.

- 10-

❏5.S

ecure the engine to the mount w

ith four 3 mm

socket head cap screws, eight 3 m

m w

ashers andfour 3 m

m nylon locknuts.

Assem

ble an

d In

stall the F

uel Tan

k

❏1.

Install the

three m

etal tubes

into the

blackstopper.T

he tubes should protrude about 1/2" [12 mm

]from

the top of the stopper.Install the two m

etal plateson the top and bottom

of the stopper and secure themloosely w

ith the screw.C

ut the fuel tubing for the clunkto 3" [76 m

m] and install it onto the shorter tube.T

heother end of the fuel tubing receives the fuel pickupclunk.B

end one long tube so that the inside end justreaches the to

pof the tank w

hen installed.This w

ill bethe vent (pressure) line.T

he humped side of the tank

with the tw

o grooves points dow

nw

ardw

hen installedinto the fuselage.T

he other long tube remains straight.

This is the line for filling the tank.

❏2.P

ress the stopper into the fuel tank and secure itby tightening the screw

.Identify the three tubes with a

marking if necessary.

Confirm

that the clunk moves

around inside freely and reaches the back of the tank.

❏3.

Use

epoxy thinned

with

denatured alcohol,

epoxy or

fuel proof

paint to

fuel proof

the fuel

tank compartm

ent.

❏4.

Use 1/4" [6 m

m] foam

rubber (not included) toline the top of the fuel tank w

here it will be held against

the fuel tank mounting plate inside the fuselage.Feed

the long tie straps through the rectangular cutouts onthe m

ounting plate.P

osition the tank inside the fusew

ith the tank neck passing through the hole in thefirew

all.When you are satisfied w

ith the fit, draw the tie

straps tight.Cut aw

ay the ends of the tie straps.

❏5.Install the fuel tank hatch door w

ith four 2 x 6 mm

self-tapping screws.R

einforce the holes with thin C

A.

FIN

ISH

ING

TH

E M

OD

EL

Install th

e Co

wl

❏1.U

se a high-speed rotary tool with a cutting bit to

cut an air inlet hole and an outlet in the cowl that is

large enough

to accom

modate

the head

of the

engine that you are using.- 11

-

❏2.P

lace a 6" [150 mm

] long piece of masking tape

onto the fuselage over the three mounting blocks as

shown above.D

raw a line 4" [102 m

m] long starting

at the center of the cowl m

ounting blocks onto eachpiece of tape.

❏3.P

lace the cowl on the fuselage and m

ount thespinner backplate.

There should be approxim

ately3/32" [2 m

m] betw

een the spinner and the cowl.A

lignthe cow

l so that the spinner backplate is centered.W

hen satisfied with its position, use tape to hold the

cowl in place or ask a helper to hold it steady.

❏4.

Using the lines you drew

on the masking tape,

measure back 4" [100 m

m] from

the aft ends of thelines and transfer the m

arks onto the cowl.

These

marks

will

be the

screw

locations for

the cow

lm

ounting screws.

Drill 1/16" [1.6 m

m] holes at the

three marks on the cow

l into the cowl m

ounting blocks.

❏5.R

emove the cow

l and take off the masking tape.

Replace the cow

l onto the fuselage and attach thecow

l with three 2 x 6 m

m self-tapping screw

s andreinforce the holes w

ith thin CA

glue.

❏6.R

emove the cow

l and insert the muffler screw

sinto the crankcase of the engine.

Reinstall the cow

land position the screw

s so they contact the inside ofthe cow

l and mark their location.

Rem

ove the cowl

again and cut holes at your marks.Insert the m

ufflerscrew

s through the holes into the engine to confirmthat the holes are in the correct position.

❏7.

Rem

ove the cowl one m

ore time.

Line them

uffler against the muffler screw

holes on the cowl

and trace its shape.C

arefully cut out a hole for them

uffler.Trim the hole until you get a good fit.W

ith thecow

l still

removed,

attach your

fuel lines.

Also,

consider where your needle valve is positioned.

For

the engine shown in this m

anual, the remote needle

valve was m

ounted on its side and an access holew

as drilled in the cowl at that location.

- 12-

❏8.R

eattach the cowl and secure the m

uffler to theengine.D

epending on the engine being used, you may

need to drill small access holes into the cow

l to tightenthe m

uffler screws.For the engine show

n, an allen keyw

as inserted through the hole for the needle valve andthe air intake.W

hen filling the tank, fuel will overflow

through the vent line when full.A

3 x 6 mm

screw is

included with the kit to be used as a fill line plug.

❏9.R

einstall the 2" [51 mm

] spinner and propeller.

Install th

e Can

op

y

❏1.Trim

the cano

py

along the molded cut lines.

❏2.

Use m

asking tape to temporarily secure the

canopy to the fuselage.Drill four 1/16" [1.6 m

m] holes,

evenly spaced, on the bottom sides of the canopy and

into the fuselage.T

hread a 2 x 6 mm

self-tappingscrew

into each hole and back it out.Use thin C

A glue

to harden the screw holes.

Attach the canopy to the

fuselage using four 2 x 6 mm

self-tapping screws.

Ap

ply th

e Decals

1.U

se scissors or a sharp hobby knife to cut thedecals from

the sheet.

2.B

e certain the model is clean and free from

oilyfingerprints

and dust.

Prepare

a dishpan

or sm

allbucket w

ith a mixture of liquid dish soap and w

armw

ater–about one teaspoon of soap per gallon of water.

Subm

erse the decal in the soap and water and peel off

the paper backing.Note:E

ven though the decals havea “sticky-back”

and are not the water transfer type,

submersing them

in soap and water allow

s accuratepositioning and reduces air bubbles underneath.

3.P

osition the decal on the model w

here desired.H

olding the decal down, use a paper tow

el to wipe

most of the w

ater away.

4.U

se a piece of soft balsa or something sim

ilar tosqueegee rem

aining water from

under the decal.A

pply the rest of the decals the same w

ay.

GE

T T

HE

MO

DE

L R

EA

DY

TO F

LY

Balan

ce the M

od

el (C.G

.)

At this stage the m

odel should be in ready-to-flycondition w

ith all of the systems in place including

the engine, landing gear, and all hardware.

More

than any

other factor,

the C.G

.(balance

point) can have the greatesteffect on how

a model

flies, and may determ

ine whether or not your first

flight will be successful.If you value this m

odel andw

ish to

enjoy it

for m

any flights,

DO

N

OT

OV

ER

LO

OK

TH

IS IM

PO

RTA

NT

PR

OC

ED

UR

E.A

model

that is

not properly

balanced w

ill be

unstable and possibly unflyable.

- 13-

- 14-

❏1.

Use a felt-tip pen or 1/8" [3 m

m]-w

ide tape toaccurately m

ark the C.G

.on the bottom of the w

ing onboth sides of the fuselage.T

he C.G

.is located 4-1/8"[105 m

m] back from

the leading edge of the wing.

❏2.W

ith the wing attached to the fuselage, all parts

of the model installed (ready to fly) and an em

pty fueltank,

place the

model

on a

Great

Planes

CG

Machine

™, or lift it at the balance point you marked.

❏3.

If the tail drops, the model is “tail heavy”, and

weight m

ust be added to the nose to balance.If the

nose drops, the model is “nose heavy”;w

eight must be

added to the tail to balance.If additional w

eight isrequired, nose w

eight may be easily added by using a

“spinner weight”(G

PM

Q4645 for the 1 oz [28 g] w

eight,or G

PM

Q4646 for the 2 oz [57 g] w

eight).If spinner

weight is not practical or is not enough, use G

reatP

lanes (GP

MQ

4485) “stick on”lead.A

good place toadd stick-on nose w

eight is to the firewall (don’t attach

weight to the cow

l–it is not intended to support weight).

Begin by placing increm

entally increasing amounts of

weight on the bottom

of the fuse over the firewall until

the model balances.

Once you have determ

ined theam

ount of

weight

required, it

can be

permanently

attached.If required, tail w

eight may be added by

securing it to the inside of the hatch doors.

No

te:D

o not rely upon the adhesive on the back ofthe lead w

eight to permanently hold it in place.O

vertim

e, fuel

and exhaust

residue m

ay soften

theadhesive and cause the w

eight to fall off.U

se #2sheet

metal

screws,

RT

V

silicone or

epoxy to

permanently hold the w

eight in place.

❏4.IM

PO

RTA

NT:

If you found it necessary to addany w

eight, recheck the C.G

.after the w

eight hasbeen installed.

Win

g T

ip W

eigh

t

The S

core Control Line A

RF

includes 1-3/4 oz [53 g] ofsteel shot.

We suggest starting out by using 1 oz of

stick-on lead weight applied to the underside of the w

ingat the tip near the tip w

eight hatch door.Add or subtract

weight after test flying the m

odel to determine the final

amount needed based on flying preference.You can

then permanently add tip w

eight to the model by m

ixingthe appropriate am

ount of steel shot with epoxy and

pouring it into the tip weight com

partment.W

hen theepoxy has cured, screw

the tip weight hatch door to the

wing using four 2 x 6 m

m screw

s or glue it into place.

PR

EF

LIG

HT

Balan

ce Pro

pellers

Carefully balance your propeller and spare propellers

before you fly.A

n unbalanced prop can be the singlem

ost significant cause of vibration that can damage

your model.N

ot only will engine m

ounting screws and

bolts loosen,

possibly w

ith disastrous

effect, but

vibration can also cause your fuel to foam, w

hich will, in

turn, cause your engine to run hot or quit.We use a Top

Flite P

recision Magnetic P

rop Balancer (TO

PQ

5700) inthe w

orkshop and keep a Great P

lanes Fingertip P

ropB

alancer (GP

MQ

5000) in our flight box.

En

gin

e Ch

eck

If the engine is new, follow

the engine manufacturer’s

instructions to break-in the engine.A

fter break-in,confirm

that the engine idles reliably, and maintains

full power–indefinitely.

After you run the engine on

the model, inspect the m

odel closely to make sure all

screws rem

ained tight, the hinges are secure, theprop is secure and all connectors are secure.

Co

ntro

l Ch

eck

With the lines connected to the leadouts and your

assistant holding the model, operate the controls to

make sure they m

ove smoothly.

If any binding orh

esita

tion

is

de

tecte

d,

insp

ect

the

m

od

el

an

delim

inate the problem.

This is w

here your model should balance for the first

flights.Later, you may w

ish to experiment by shifting

the C.G

.up to 3/8" [9.5 mm

] forward or 3/8" [9.5 m

m]

back to change the flying characteristics.Moving the

C.G

.forw

ard m

ay im

prove the

smoothness

andstability, but the m

odel may then require m

ore speedfor takeoff and m

ake it more difficult to slow

forlanding.M

oving the C.G

.aft makes the m

odel more

maneuverable, but could also cause it to becom

etoo difficult to control.

In any case, start at therecom

mended balance point

and do not at anytim

e balance the model outside the specified range.

Ad

just L

eado

uts

This m

odel is equipped with adjustable leadouts.T

helines can be adjusted by m

eans of a Phillips head set

screw located inside the slot provided for the leadouts.

The leadouts can be loosened, then slid fore and aft.

When they are in place, tighten the set screw

down to

prevent the leadouts from m

oving back and forth inflight.You should also check the leadouts after eachflight, m

aking sure the screw is tight.

As

a general

guideline, positioning

the leadouts

further aft makes the plane pull harder on the lines

(for windy days), but also m

akes the plane “handle”orreact a little slow

er.This positioning is recom

mended

for less-powerful engines or longer lines and is also a

good way to counter the effect of having not enough

wing tip w

eight.

Further forw

ard makes the plane pull less hard on

the lines, thus quickening response.T

his can bebetter

for calm

days,

and better

for faster,

more

powerful engines or shorter lines.It is also a w

ay tocounter the effect of having too m

uch wing tip w

eight.

The exact placem

ent of these leadouts will be a m

atterof experim

entation to match your flying style;how

ever,w

e recomm

end centering the two leadouts in their

slots as a starting point.

EN

GIN

E S

AF

ET

Y P

RE

CA

UT

ION

S

•K

eep all engine fuel in a safe place, away from

highheat, sparks or flam

es, as fuel is very flamm

able.D

o not

smoke

near the

engine or

fuel;and

remem

ber that engine exhaust gives off a greatdeal of deadly carbon m

onoxide.Therefore d

o n

ot

run

the en

gin

e in a clo

sed ro

om

or g

arage.

•G

et help from an experienced pilot w

hen learningto operate engines.

•U

se safety glasses when starting or running engines.

•D

o not run the engine in an area of loose gravel orsand;

the propeller may throw

such material in

your face or eyes.

•K

eep your face and body as well as all spectators

away from

the plane of rotation of the propeller asyou start and run the engine.

•K

eep these

items

away

from

the prop:

looseclothing, shirt sleeves, ties, scarfs, long hair orloose objects such as pencils or screw

drivers thatm

ay fall out of shirt or jacket pockets into the prop.

•U

se a “chicken stick”or electric starter to start the

engine.D

o not

use your

fingers to

flip the

propeller.M

ake certain

the glow

plug

clip or

connector is secure so that it will not pop off or

otherwise get into the running propeller.

•M

ake all

engine adjustm

ents from

behind

therotating propeller.

•T

he engine gets hot! Do not touch it during or right

after operation.M

ake sure fuel lines are in goodcondition so fuel w

ill not leak onto a hot engine,causing a fire.

•To stop a glow

engine, cut off the fuel supply byclosing

off the

fuel line

or follow

ing the

enginem

anufacturer’s recom

mendations.

Do

not use

hands, fingers or any other body part to try to stopthe engine.D

o not throw anything into the propeller

of a running engine.

AM

A S

AF

ET

Y C

OD

E (E

XC

ER

PT

S)

Read and abide by the follow

ing excerpts from the

Academ

y of Model A

eronautics Safety C

ode.For the

complete

Safety

Code

refer to

Model

Aviation

magazine, the A

MA

web site or the C

ode that came

with your A

MA

license.

Gen

eral

1.I will not fly m

y model aircraft in sanctioned events,

air shows, or m

odel flying demonstrations until it

has been proven to be airworthy by having been

previously, successfully flight tested.3.W

here established, I will abide by the safety rules

for the flying site I use, and I will not w

illfully anddeliberately fly m

y models in a careless, reckless

and/or dangerous manner.

5.I will not fly m

y model unless it is identified w

ith my

name and address or A

MA

number, on or in the

model.N

ote:This does not apply to m

odels while

being flown indoors.

7.I will not operate m

odels with pyrotechnics (any

device that explodes, burns, or propels a projectileof any kind).

Failure to

follo

w th

ese safety precau

tion

s may

result in

severe inju

ry to yo

urself an

d o

thers.

- 15-

8.I will not consum

e alcoholic beverages prior to, norduring, participation in any m

odel operations.9.C

hildren under 6 years old are only allowed on the

flight line as a pilot or while under flight instruction.

Co

ntro

l Lin

e

1.I will subject m

y complete control system

(includingsafety thong, w

here applicable) to an inspection andpull test prior to flying.P

ull test will be in accordance

with

the current

Com

petition R

egulations for

applicable m

odel category.

Models

not fitting

aspecific category as detailed shall use those pull testrequirem

ents for Control Line P

recision Aerobatics.

2.I will assure that m

y flying area is safely clear of allutility w

ires or poles.3.I w

ill assure that my flying area is safely clear of all

non-essential participants and spectators beforeperm

itting my engine to be started.

4.I will not fly a m

odel closer than 50 feet [15m] to

any electrical power line.

CH

EC

K L

IST

❏1.

Fuelproof all areas exposed to fuel or exhaust

residue such as the fuel tank compartm

ent.❏

2.C

heck the C.G

.according to the measurem

entsprovided in the m

anual.❏

3.U

se

thre

ad

lockin

g

com

po

un

d

to

secu

re

critical components.

❏4.

Add a drop of oil to the axles so the w

heels will

turn freely.❏

5.M

ake sure all hinges are securely glued in place.

❏6.

Reinforce holes for w

ood screws w

ith thin CA

where appropriate.

❏7.

Confirm

that the flaps and elevators operatefreely and sm

oothly by pulling on the leadouts.❏

8.M

ake sure there are silicone retainers on all the clevises.

❏9.

Secure the pressure tap (if used) to the m

ufflerw

ith high temp R

TV

silicone, thread lockingcom

pound or J.B.W

eld.❏

10.Make sure the fuel lines are connected and

are not kinked.❏

11.Balance your propeller (and spare propellers).

❏12.T

ighten the propeller nut and spinner.❏

13.If you wish to photograph your m

odel, do sobefore your first flight.

FLY

ING

Flyin

g P

recautio

ns

Preflig

ht

No

te:T

he Top Flite S

core AR

F is not a beginner’s

model.It is intended for beginning to advanced stunt

pilots w

ho have

had som

e previous

control line

experience.If you are an inexperienced pilot seek

the assistance of a knowledgeable control line pilot

who can help you w

ith your first flights.

Beginning stunt pilots should m

ake their first flights incalm

or low w

ind conditions.S

tronger winds m

ayblow

the

model

inward

which

will

decrease line

tension resulting in loss of control.If the lines ever dogo slack, quickly step back to tighten the lines andregain

control.O

f course,

this is

most

likely to

happen, and

should be

expected, as

the m

odelapproaches the upw

ind half of the circle.

Stu

dy th

ese flying

safety precau

tion

s befo

reflyin

g th

e Sco

re AR

F.1.

Alw

ays inspect your equipment before each

flight.M

ake certain the lines, leadouts andhandle are in good condition.M

ake sure thereare no kinks in the lines.

2.F

ly only in unobstructed areas free from trees,

shrubs and

bushes, poles,

stakes, parking

barriers and fences.3.

Be aw

are of any spectators that may w

anderinto the flying circle.If this is a possibility, haveyour assistant ready to perform

crowd control.

4.T

he m

odel m

ust N

EV

ER

be

flown

in the

vicinity of

high-tension lines

or any

otherelectrical lines.

5.N

ever fly when thunder storm

s or lightningare present.

6.Take any precautions necessary to insure thesafety of spectators, the m

odel and property.7.

Never

touch the

engine during

or soon

after operation.8.

Keep clear of the rotating propeller and do

not let assistants or spectators get in the arcof the propeller.

During the last few

mom

ents of preparation yourm

ind

m

ay b

e

elsew

he

re

an

ticipa

ting

th

eexcitem

ent of the first flight.B

ecause of this, youm

ay be more likely to overlook certain checks and

procedures that should be performed before the

model is flow

n.To help avoid this, a check list isprovided to m

ake sure these important areas are

no

t ove

rloo

ked

.M

any

are

cove

red

in

th

einstruction m

anual, so where appropriate, refer to

the manual for com

plete instructions.B

e sure tocheck the item

s off as they are completed.

- 16-

Place the m

odel and starting equipment w

here the wind

will be behind

the model w

hen it is released for takeoff.

For the first half-circle (during the brief period w

henthe pilot has the least control before the m

odel is “upto speed”) the w

ind will push the m

odel outward to

maintain line tension.

Mark the center of the flying circle w

ith paint, chalk ora suitable object (such as a shop tow

el) so you won’t

wander.T

his is especially important if the flying area

is limited.

With your assistant holding the m

odel, walk from

them

odel toward the handle in the center of the circle

while using your fingers to keep the lines separated.

This w

ill ensure that the lines are not twisted and are

free to operate the controls.

While the pilot is holding the lines, the assistant

should walk the m

odel once around the circle to becertain the flight path is clear and to double-check thatthere are no obstructions that could snag the lines.

The pilot should double-check the operation of the

controls by pulling and pushing on the handle andhaving the assistant signal w

hat the controls aredoing (“up”

and “down”).

Takeoff

No

te:A

fully cowled engine m

ay run at a highertem

perature than an un-cowled engine.

Therefore,

the fuel mixture should be richened so the engine

runs at least 200 RP

M below

peak speed.By running

the engine slightly rich, you will help prevent dead-

stick landings caused by overheating.Traditionally,

control line pilots intentionally set their engines richso that during vertical m

aneuvers, the engine will not

“over lean,”thus causing overheating.

Further, full

RP

M is usually not desired for stunt flying.

When both the pilot and assistant are ready, the

model m

ay be fueled and started.Once the engine is

running and the model is ready to be released, the

assistant should point the nose of the model slightly

away from

the circle.This w

ill help keep the lines tautfor the first few

feet until the model gets going.

Upon the pilot’s signal, the assistant m

ay release them

odel–never push the model forw

ard as doing som

ay result in a crash.

The

pilot should

be ready–especially

duringtakeoff–to briefly step back to m

aintain line tensionuntil

the m

odel has

gained enough

air speed

toachieve line tension on its ow

n.A

llow the m

odel toroll out and gain enough speed to becom

e airborne.W

hen enough speed has been gained the pilot may

raise his arm slightly giving “up”

elevator comm

and,thus allow

ing the model to leave the ground.

Once the m

odel has lifted, maintain a slow

and steadyclim

b until a comfortable altitude has been reached

(usually between “eye-level”and approxim

ately ten feetin the air).T

he lines must rem

ain taut throughout theentire flight.If the lines ever do go slack the pilot w

illnot have control of the m

odel.During m

ost situationsthe m

odel’s factory built-in features will allow

it tom

aintain good line tension, but on occasions when the

wind blow

s the model inw

ard or the model becom

estoo

slow

the m

odeler m

ust anticipate

or notice

adecrease in “pull”and quickly step backw

ard to tightenthe lines and regain control.

- 17-

To clim

b, the

pilot w

ill slow

ly raise

his arm

.To

descend, the

pilot w

ill slow

ly low

er his

arm.

Tom

aintain level

flight the

pilot w

ill hold

his arm

horizontally.Beginning pilots should control the m

odelby keeping their arm

straight and bending at theelbow

with little or no w

rist movem

ent.Later, w

henthey becom

e more experienced, w

rist movem

ent may

be increased to increase control response.All control

inputs should be smooth.C

ontinue flying the model in

a level attitude, getting used to how the controls react

and how the m

odel “feels.”D

o this until the engineruns out of fuel.A

ctual flight time depends on several

factors, such as the engine size and brand, needlevalve

setting, propeller

size, fuel,

atmospheric

conditions, etc.

Lan

din

g

When the engine starts to sputter and/or speed up, this

is an indication that the tank is nearly empty.C

ontinue tofly the m

odel in a level attitude until the engine finallyquits.T

he same as any tim

e the model slow

s, the pilotshould step back to keep the lines taut and m

aintaincontrol.A

llow the m

odel to descend until it is about two

feet off the ground.When the m

odel has lost nearly allflying speed and is a foot or tw

o from the ground the pilot

should raise his arm to keep the lines taut and apply full

up elevator, allowing the m

odel to gently touch down.

After the m

odel has come to a stop the assistant m

ayretrieve the m

odel and return it to the starting area.In doing so the lines should be kept taut so they donot becom

e twisted or entangled.

Clean the m

odel using paper towels and household

cleaner to

wipe

off exhaust

residue.Inspect

them

odel thoroughly, looking for loose fasteners andsigns of dam

age or fatigue.Also m

ake sure the prophas not been dam

aged.P

erform any m

aintenancenecessary to prepare the m

odel for the next flight.

At the end of the flying session any residual fuel

should be drained from the tank.

After you have becom

e familiar w

ith the way your

Score flies and you are ready to begin perform

ingstunts, seek the assistance of an experienced stuntpilot before attem

pting to learn new m

aneuvers onyour ow

n.A

lmost any control line stunt m

aneuversare started w

ith the model dow

nwind from

the pilot,i.e.w

ind on the pilot’s back.Consult the A

MA

Control

Line section for stunt maneuvers.

One final note about flying your m

odel.Have a goal or

flight plan in mind for every

flight.This can be learning

a new m

aneuver(s), improving a m

aneuver(s) youalready know

, or learning how the m

odel behaves incertain

conditions (such

as w

hen testing

differentpropellers or fuel).T

his is not necessarily to improve

your skills (though it is never a bad idea!), but more

importantly

so you

do not

surprise yourself

byim

pulsively attem

pting a

maneuver

and suddenly

finding that you’ve run out of time, altitude or airspeed.

Every m

aneuver should be deliberate, not impulsive.

For example, if you’re going to do a loop, check your

altitude and mind the w

ind direction.A

flight plangreatly reduces the chances of crashing your m

odeljust because of poor planning and im

pulsive moves.

Rem

emb

er to th

ink!

Have a b

all,keep th

e lines tau

tan

d alw

ays fly in a safe m

ann

er.

GO

OD

LU

CK

,GR

EA

T F

LYIN

G,A

ND

HA

VE

FU

N!

- 18-

Co

nsecu

tive Ou

tside S

qu

are Lo

op

s

Co

nsecu

tive Insid

e Lo

op

s

- 19-

Takeoff

Co

nsecu

tive Insid

e Sq

uare L

oo

ps

Co

nsecu

tive Insid

eTrian

gu

lar Lo

op

s

AM

A S

TU

NT

MA

NE

UV

ER

SH

ere are some of the A

MA

Stunt M

aneuvers.Refer to the A

MA

Rule B

ook for full descriptions.

Co

nsecu

tive Ou

tside L

oo

ps

Ho

rizon

tal Eig

hts

Engine MountingTemplate for

SuperTigre .51 C/L

Engine MountingTemplate for

O.S. .40 LA-S

Inverted F

ligh

t

Reverse W

ing

overs