Komet Instructions

Produced by Cloud Models,Deopham Road,Morley,Wymondham, Norfolk,NR18 9AA
E-mail [email protected]
web site cloudmodels.com
Introducing
The Cloud Models
Messerschmitt Me163 Komet
Thank you for purchasing the Cloud Models Me163 Komet we hope you are going to enjoy building
and flying it.
The Me163 Komet has been designed to be sport scale so as to make it straight forward to build and
fun to fly.
By
Tricks
The Me163 Komet requires a 480 motor nicad and three-channel radio with elevator
aileron mixing using 2 servos and a speed controller,plus glues, covering paint etc.
Any equivelent brushless motor is suitable or the Komet flies well as a slope soarer.
Visit our website at cloudmodels .com
Me163 Komet parts list
Qnty
Fuselage Right
Fuselage Left
Canopy
Servo Boxes Set
Lite Ply
Birch Ply
Leading edge.
Trailing edge.
Wing tip.
Elevons.
Flange support
Keel packing
Fin.Front
Fin Rear
Fin Tip
Servo Mnt Blocks
Cooling conduit
Hatch pins horn reinforce
Plastic control horns.
Metal control rods.
Plastic clevises.
Self tap screws.
Mylar hinge
1
1
1
1
1
1
2
2
2
2
1
2
1
1
1
4
1
1
2
2
2
4
1
Moulding
Moulding
Moulding
Moulding
CNC
CNC
Balsa Stock
Balsa Stock
Balsa Stock
Balsa Stock
Balsa.Stock
Balsa Stock
Balsa Shaped
Balsa Shaped
Balsa Stock
Hardwood
Stock
Stock
Stock
No2 x1/2"
100mm
10 mm >< 6 mm >< 510 mm.
12mm x 3 mm x 501mm.
15mm x 30mm x 100mm
8mm x 30mm x 430mm.Tri
3mm x 24mm x 120mm
1.5mm x 10mm x 250mm
6mm x 12mm x 75mm
8mm x 8mm x 12mm
30mm
3 mm ><75 mm plastic tube.
Before You Start
Before you start read the instructions and familiarise yourself with the parts. The Komet is not intended as a
beginner’s model but anyone with low wing experience should find no problem flying it. It will be noticed
that there is washout built into the wing tips to help prevent tip stalling, we suggest this is not changed. The
construction is not difficult merely slightly different due to the use of plastic vac-formed mouldings.
Glue the leading edge 6 mm x 10 mm x 510 mm and trailing 3 mm x 8 mm x 510 mm edges to the wing
panels. Once dry glue on the wing tips 12 mm x 24 mm x 100 mm and shape. Carefully remove the waste
material from the centre of the pre-cut servo wells. You will need to remove the foam almost to the top veneer skin. To route the servo leads through the wing you may either cut a channel in the lower wing surface
and cap it with some scrap hard balsa or bore a hole through the foam using a sharpened length of tube. Remember if you wish to have fully removable servos, ensure that the channel/hole you make will allow the
passage of the servo plug.
Glue in the plastic servo tub, once dry trim and cut a hole in the tub to match the servo lead channel/hole.
On the top surface of the wing measure 35 mm in from the root and cut a hole down to meet the servo lead
channel/hole. Check the fit of the two wing root faces and glue together upside down on your bench, this
will result in a slight dihedral. Take great care at this stage to ensure that the wing panels are not twisted in
relation to each other. If your chosen finishing method is going to be tissue and dope/paint then it would be
beneficial to cover the wing with tissue at this point.
Take both fuselage half shells and trim away the flange down to the mark on the inside of the shells. Cut out
root area, leaving the elevon area, sufficiently to allow the wing to slide into position. Cut out the
cockpit/hatch area to leave a 6 mm flange at the sides increasing to 20 mm at the front. Do not throw the
scrap plastic away. Check the two shells against each other and correct any gaps, lumps and bumps with a
fine grade of sandpaper.
Make up the lower keel assembly from parts K1 to K7 as shown below.
Add the balsa strip packing either1.5 mm x 10 mm x 250 mm side of the lower keel Check and sand to
adjust the fit of the keel assembly inside the landing skid area of the fuselage shells. Using one of the fuselage half shells as a guide glue the keel assembly to the lower surface of the wing on the centre line.
Ensure that the keel is perpendicular and not leaning to one side. Add the front K9 and rear K8 bracing
gussets. Once dry check each fuselage half shell on the wing/keel assembly ensuring that there is sufficient clearance between them and the bracing gussets, if required sand to adjust. Also check that the two
halves do not reach beyond the centre line of the lower keel. At this stage with a pencil lightly mark on
Take the scrap plastic and cut into 10 mm by 6 mm squares. At the following areas, between the front
former/engine mount and the hatch and keel area, between the front of the fin area and the rear of the
hatch. Glue these plastic squares on each alternative shell to as to create an interlocking teeth effect,
this will assist in the later gluing process. Inside each lower fin half, glue 24mm squares cut from 3
mm x 24 mm 120mm balsa immediately above the semi circular wheel recess. Once dry trim to allow
the two halves to meet.
The fuselage half shells are glued to the wing one at a time. Mix up some slow (one hour) epoxy and
thicken with micro balloons. Apply a thin bead of glue mix to the previously marked pencil line on the
wing. Further apply another thin bead to the inside of the fuselage half shell where it contacts with the
keel. Slide the half shell in place and secure with clothes pegs ensuring that the edge of the shell is on
the centre line of the keel, Once dry repeat the process with the other half. When both fuselage halves
are securely glued to the wing and keel check the fit between the two halves and correct as required.
To apply the necessary glue to the plastic to plastic joins, spring them apart, apply the glue and close
and hold with masking tape.
Glue in the front engine mount former the rear hatch former and the fin mount. A tip with the fin mount
is to lightly super glue a strip of balsa to it as a handle in order to check the fit inside the fuselage and also
to hold whilst gluing it in. (I agree that it is fiddlely but it is the best way of ensuring a good fit).
With the fuselage halves glued together check for any gaps and "steps" that may have developed and fill
as necessary. Check that the flange on the fuselage/hatch join has not bowed downwards. If it has, sand to
size the two small balsa squares from 3 mm x 24 mm 120mm balsa and d glue between the flange and the
top surface of the wing. Cut and drill the front/engine former to suit your motor mounting and cooling inlets. Using the short supplied length of plastic conduit cut a suitable hole on the front underside of the fuselage to fit the conduit angled to direct cooling air onto the brush assembly of the motor. Open up the
rear rocket exhaust to allow motor cooling air to exit and to trail the RX antenna. Cut a small slot in the
lower fin to accept the dummy tail wheel, glue in place.
Take the two elevons, plane and sand to blend in with both the wing trailing edge/tips and the
fuselage/wing fillet. Mark the position of the control horn holes and glue in place two small lengths of the
supplied plastic tube. Once dry trim flush to the surfaces of the elevons. Plane and sand an angle onto the
front face of the elevons to allow top hinging
Check the hatch base and rear hatch former for size and fit against the fuselage and trim as required. Hold
the hatch base in position with masking tape and glue on the rear hatch former and brace. When dry drill
the top of the rear hatch former through into the fuselage former to take a short length of the supplied
plastic tube to act as a locator. Glue in place the front hatch former and brace. Drill through the front of
the hatch base into the plastic flange. Check the fits of the plastic tubes and glue into place in the hatch.
Fit and paint the cockpit interior, once dry, fit and glue on the canopy taking care not to distort the hatch
assembly. Take the ply hatch strip and place it over the tube in the hatch base ensuring that the strip is on
the centre line of the hatch. Glue the rear half only of the strip to the hatch base. This will then act as a
spring and retain the hatch/cockpit.
Make up the fin as shown and sand to a flat plate aerofoil shape. Check and adjust the fit of the fin in
the fuselage and on the fin mount. (Again if tissue covering, do so at this stage) With the fin in place
lightly pencil the location of the plastic fuselage on the fin. Make up another epoxy/micro balloons
mix and apply a thin bead to the fin base and on the pencilled line and glue the fin in place ensuring
that the fin is square to the wing.
Once all parts are dry and secure check over the entire model and sand smooth prior to finishing. If
finishing in film first spray the fuselage with the appropriate paint and then cover the wing, fin and
elevons. Hinge the elevons with mylar strip or diamond clear tape. If you wish, a firmer hinge can be
obtained by first using short lengths of double sided sellotape to provide a "control line" tape hinge before using the diamond tape. You may also if you wish use strips of the covering film. Whichever
method you employ ensure that the hinge is well made and firm in order not to create flutter in flight.
Install your servos and make up the control connections from the supplied wire and clevises Z bends
the servo end. Epoxy into the lid of the servo tub the lite ply ring when dry trim the lid level with the
face of the lite ply. The servo may be mounted by servo tape directly into the wing or onto the lid using
servo tape or blocks. The lid can be secured either by tack gluing in place or by putting blocks into the
tub and screwing in place. Install your RX on the wing at the very rear of the hatch. Fit your motor
complete with Engine Speed Controller and propeller Take the battery box parts and check against the
dimensions of your flight battery to produce a close but not tight fit, adjust as necessary and glue together. From the fuselage former at the rear of the hatch area measure forward 100 mm to the centre of
gravity (CG) position; drill a small hole in both sides of the fuselage flange at this point. Using a length
of fishing line suspend the model from this CG position. Place the battery in the box and locate it in
the fuselage on the wing adjusting its fore and aft position to make the model hang level. Add the
hatch/cockpit assembly and again adjust as necessary. With the correct position of the battery finalised
mark its location of the wing, cut into the wing and remove sufficient foam to ensure that the top battery is not above the level of the fuselage flange, then glue the box in place. The battery can be held in
the box by the use of small squares of Velcro or strapped in place for more security.
The model is now almost ready for flight. However check again the CG position and set the control
movements as follows. Aileron 6 mm up, 4 mm down. Elevator 5 mm up and down. Check that when
the elevons are at neutral the root ends match up with the reflex of the fuselage wing fairing. I.e.
slightly up. Check the free and easy movement of the elevons. Check the operation of the motor
throttle. Carry out a TX antenna down range check with the motor both on and off.
Prior to the first flight obtain the services of a good launcher; inform them to beware of the RX antenna
and launch straight and level with a good firm push. If you have built the model straight and true you
should require no drastic trim alterations and the model should climb away at a good rate and depending
upon your motor battery combination you should be able to throttle back by 20% and still safely climb.
During flight all normal aileron and elevator manoeuvres are possible. Once comfortable with the model
take her to height and try the stall. All the prototypes have stalled with a wing drop to either the left or
right depending upon the wing balance. Once aware of the stall characteristics take the model again to
height and try out the glide performance. All prototypes have displayed a very good glide angle but be
aware of the speed and angle of glide as upon landing it is fully capable of passing you at head height
and landing 80 - 100 metres further upwind
The details of the prototypes equipment is as follows:
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
f.
Motor.
KYOSHO Le Mans AP29BB.
Propeller.
Graupner CAM 150/80 folding propeller
ESC.
KONTRONIK Easy 3000.
Battery.
MULTIPLEX 9.6 volt (8 Cell) 800mAh Nicad.
RX.
MULTIPLEX Pico 4/5.
Servos.FUTUBA S5102.
The designer intended to also fit a rocket motor in the rear and space was made available. However the
road to hell is paved with good intentions and I never got around to it. If you decide to go the full scale
Monty please write and let me know. Please remember that if you desire full scale performance you will
need the Komet to explode on 30% of all landings
Above all I hope that you enjoy the building and flying experience of the Me 163 Komet