Saturday  Night
Special  Building Instructions

The first SNS was designed and  built in about two hours on a Saturday night, in preparation for a Sunday  afternoon combat meet. It's flight performance, dimensions, and building  techniques typify the type a aircraft which have welcomed many sport flyers  safely and successfully into the exciting sport of R/C combat!

Fuselage:

1. The fuselage is simply a 30"  piece of PVC gutter pipe. There is no down or right thrust on the SNS, so make  sure the gutter pipe is cut square!

2. There are two basic types of  gutter pipe available: 2 3/8" O.D. x 3/64" wall thickness, or 2 1/2" O.D. x  1/16" wall thickness. The 2 3/8" pipe is Canadian made, and harder to find. The  2 1/2" pipe is American made and is available at most home building supply or  large hardware stores. If you use the Canadian pipe, it does NOT need the rear  fuselage cut-out due to it's much lighter weight. If you use the American pipe,  make a rear fuselage cut out, as represented by the red line on  the
drawing. Save the  scrap piece and use it to make other PVC parts!

3. Beginning 8" back from the  front of the fuselage, cut out a 7" x  1 1/2" radio access hole centered on the  fuselage. A Dremel® with a cutting wheel works great for this.

4. Install and fuel proof two  1/4" x 4 1/2" wing hold down dowels. Make sure the dowels are at least 12" apart  as this will minumize wing rubber-band pressure, and coroplast crush! As a  general rule, if you are going to use a bushing engine, install the foreward  dowel 5 1/2" from the front of the fuselage. If you plan to use a heavier  bearing engine, install the forward dowel 5" from the front of the fuselage.  Install the dowels as close to the top fuselage radius as comfortably  possible.

NOTE: Another option for wing hold down dowel placement is to complete  your entire SNS to FLIGHT READY CONDITION, and save this step for the last thing  you do before flying! This way you can install your radio gear as convienient as  possible, and use wing placement to achieve perfect  CG.
 
Helpful hint: If you have never drilled  a hole in gutter pipe...watch out! It likes to GRAB the drill bit...BE READY FOR  THIS.

5. Fabricate a firewall from 3/4"  plywood to fit flush with the foreward edge of the fuselage. It is mounted to  the fuselage with at least one #6 x 1/2" self tapping screw per side.

NOTE: If you wish to get fancy here..."step" the firewall leaving a  1/8" lip so your firewall is in effect a gutter pipe "cap"...this will greatly  increase the impact strength of both firewall and fuselage!

Tail:

1. Cut the vertical stab and  horizontal stab/elevator from 4 mil. Coroplast® as shown on the  drawing.

2. Create the elevator hinge by  cutting away the bottom side of the Coroplast® flute. A utility knife works  great for this!

3. Fabricate two tail mounting  "L" brackets from gutter pipe. "L" brackets are 1/2" x 1/2" x 5" long. Sheet  metal shears work great for cutting small PVC parts!

4. Assemble the tail and attach  to the fuselage using #6 x 1/2" self tapping screws. Drill "L" bracket and  fuselage holes as follows: Drill 1/8" holes for the head side of the screw, and  1/16" holes for the screws to self tap into.

Note: Exact location of the screws is not critical, however, assuring  the tail is square with the fuselage, and the vertical stab is aligned straight  is VERY CRITICAL.

Helpful hint: Several drops of medium CA will nicely tack the tail parts  together while drilling the screw holes.

Wing:

1. The wing is built from a 24" x  48" piece of 4 mil Coroplast®, with the flutes running span wise. With the piece  laying on the table, the upper surface will be the inside of your wing, and the  edge closest to you will be the lower wing trailing edge. Mark the vertical  center line on the Coroplast® for reference.

2. From the lower trailing edge  measure up 11" and using a #1 phillips screwdriver (or similer blunt tipped  object) crease the inside this flute, AND THE FLUTE ON EACH SIDE OF IT (3 flutes  total) to give you a leading edge fold.

3. From the center flute of your  leading edge fold, measure 3 1/2" into the top wing panel for the forward spar  fold, and then 1 1/4" from there for the rear spar fold. Crease these flutes  also.

NOTE: You must "Flash" the coroplast to make medium CA glue stick  effectively. Simply run the flame from a butane or propane torch along the area  to be glued. Do this slow enough to burn the manufacturing oils out of the  plastic, yet fast enough so the plastic doesn't burn!  Practice on scrap  Coroplast®...AND BE CAREFUL!!! Keep in mind that there are flamable items all  over your hobby room!!!

4. Glue two standard 36" wood  yardsticks to the top inner wing, spaced 1" apart, between the two upper spar  folds using medium CA.

NOTE: There is 6" of wing extending past the spars at each tip, and the  wing tips are left open.

5. Test fold your wing (no  gluing) to see how the top panel will meet the bottom trailing edge. with the  wing folded and trailing edges touching, mark the first top panel flute that is  unobstructed by the
lower trailing edge...this will become your aileron hinge! Unfold  the wing, create the aileron hinge by cutting away the inside of that flute, and  cut away 4" of Coroplast® at the center section between the ailerons.

Note: Sometimes Coroplast® can vary slightly in wall thickness between  batches, and the aileron hinge can be very stiff. If you feel your ailerons are  too stiff, it is acceptable to cut the hinge from  two
adjacent  flutes to help losen them up. Also, depending on how your Coroplast® was cut to  size, your ailerons may be slightly larger or smaller than 1 1/2" wide. Slightly  smaller is OK, but if they are wider than 1 1/2", trim them down to size to  eliminate the possibility of in-flight flutter.

6. Once accomplished, fold and  glue the wing together! The positive G strength of your wing depends on a good  spar to lower wing bond, and a 2 x 4 piece of wood works great for holding the  trailing edge down while gluing!

Note: When gluing Coroplast® to  Coroplast® (trailing edge) with medium CA, USE 1 DROP OF GLUE EVERY 1/8" OR  SO!!!  MORE IS NOT BETTER! ALSO ASSURE THERE IS NO MOVING OR SHIFTING OF THE  PARTS AFTER INITIAL CONTACT!

7.  Fabricate two 4" long x 1/2"  wide rubber-band protectors from gutter pipe and glue them in place. Although  not represented in the drawing, they are much more effective if you use angled  pieces, and they extend over the edge of the wing and make contact with the  fuselage.

Engine installation:

1. Install engine to firewall  using a conventional engine mount to fit your engine.

2. Fuel tank is wrapped in foam  for a snug fit, and installed conventionally.

3. Make sure your throttle  pushrod or housing does NOT make contact with the fuel tank...it will eventually  chafe through!

Helpfull hint: If you are unsure of how to install your engine, tank, or radio  equipment, please enlist the help of local club members or your local hobby  shop, they will be more than glad to help!

Radio installation:

1. Fabricate 3 control horns from  gutter pipe. 1" high x 1" long x 3/4" wide base works great. Glue them in place  on the ailerons and elevator.  Keep in mind the slight pushrod angle of the  ailerons. Position the horns as close to, BUT NOT ON, the hinge as  possible.

NOTE: It is EXTREMELY IMPORTANT to flash the control horns and control surfaces prior to gluing.  If you do not feel safe with just gluing them in place, fabricate back plates  from gutter pipe, glue in place, and install small screws.

2. Cut a hole in the rear  fuselage centered between the wing and tail for the elevator servo. Drilling a  hole, and using a small Dremel® stone works great for this. Secure servo in  place with self tapping servo screws.

3. There are two ways you can  mount your aileron servo. Cut your servo hole for a snug fit just aft of the  rear spar. Either glue small gutter pipe scraps to the wing and mount with servo  screws, or use a zip-tie around the servo through the bottom of the wing. If  using the zip-tie method, make a small scrap gutter pipe doubler, glue to wing  bottom directly below the servo, and drill two holes in it for the zip-tie. Cut  a small hole in the bottom of the wing for the servo lead to pass  through.

4. Mount your throttle servo to  the inside of the fuselage using double sided foam mounting tape. It is highly  reccommended that you drill a hole in the fuselage on each side of the servo,  and further secure in place with a zip-tie.

5. Wrap your receiver and battery  in foam and install. We also highly recommend drilling fuselage holes and  securing them in place using zip-ties once you are assured of their proper  location, and the CG is correct.

6. Mount your switch as high on  the left side of the fuselage as possible, and assure that the foreward position  is "on". This will decrease the possibility of the switch being turned off  during hand
launch, or  a mid-air impact.

7. Glue a small piece of drinking  straw or small plastic tubing just inside the rear fuselage for antenna routing.  You can also poke a small hole in the bottom of the horizontal stab and continue  routing the
antenna  into the stab and out the side.

8. Install elevator, throttle,  and aileron pushrods. Make sure the throttle is rigged to shut the engine OFF  for dead stick landings!  Rig elevator and ailerons for 1 1/2" total travel  (3/4" each direction)

VERY IMPORTANT  NOTE: Rig aileron neutral position with the wing  installed. At neutral, the ailerons must be parallel to the fuselage, or you  WILL experience trim problems at different power settings!

9. CHECK YOUR CG!!! With the wing  installed and no fuel in the tank, your ready to fly SNS MUST BALANCE LEVEL TO SLIGHTLY NOSE HEAVY AT THE FOREWARD  SPAR. A tail heavy plane is NOT ACCEPTABLE AND VERY DANGEROUS.  Correct a tail heavy condition before any attemps to fly your  plane!

10. Don't forget to drill a small  hole in the left side of the rear fuselage for combat streamer  attachment!

Flying your SNS:

1. Follow ALL AMA safety  guidelines!

2. Install your wing with at  least 12 (6 per side) #64 rubber-bands, MAKE SURE YOUR AILERON SERVO IS PLUGGED  IN!

3. Make sure your prop is  "clocked" to stop horizontal (at compression stroke) when the engine is shut off  for landing.

4. DO NOT TRY TO HAND LAUNCH YOUR OWN PLANE UNTIL IT IS TRIMMED  OUT!!!

5. If you are an experienced  pilot, you will not need any more instructions...fly your SNS, and have a  blast!!!

NOTE: If you need more instruction at this point, you should not be  flying the SNS without experienced help. PLEASE  ENLIST THE HELP OF AN INSTRUCTOR PILOT. Although many  consider R/C aircraft as toys, they carry with them the potential to inflict  great bodily harm and even
death if caution, and all safety guidelines are not strictly  adhered to!

Questions? Please post them on  the SPAD  Message Board, and as  always, if you would like to show off your SNS to the world, send pictures to  Collin at collin@spad.org  and we will post them on the SPAD  Gallery!