Inspect the kit contents and check them against the parts list. Email sales@ddaywarebirds.com immediately if you find damaged or missing parts. Minor dents and dings in the foam may be easily repaired with vinyl spackling such as DAP.

Check the http://www.ddaywarbirds.com web site for updates to the instructions, tips on building and flying, etc.

Sanding Sponges

Read through all the instructions before starting to build the plane. Lightly sand the parts to your satisfaction. Use medium and fine sanding sponges. If you haven't worked with pink foam before, use a light touch as it tends to come off in hunks along the edges. Use low temperature hot melt glue for joining all parts - except for the attaching the landing gear wires to the landing gear block, attaching the firewall to the fuselage and gluing the wing stiffening dowels and 1/8" x 1/8" hardwood fuselage longerons into the slots that have been pre-cut. Yellow Carpenter’s wood glue or five minute epoxy, thinned with a little alcohol, works best for these joints. A low temperature hot melt glue gun works well for all other joints. It's fast, clean and strong. It's also good for repairing those inevitable less-than-smooth landings. For really catastrophic crashes, just order an inexpensive replacement airframe kit. It provides a new fuselage, wings, and tail feathers. Everything else can be recycled from your old plane.

The wing has an innovative dual airfoil which provides an extensive airspeed envelope. It can be flown fast, but it will also slow down nicely. The wing is hotwire-cut in four separate procedures.

Only two servos are used to control the planes - elevator and ailerons or elevator and rudder (depending on the model you have)- which saves the price of a third servo (which can easily be added). At around 11 oz. all-up weight the 21 oz of thrust provided by the recommended motor allows for inside and outside loops, victory rolls and great inverted flight. The use of 3/16" hardwood dowels in the wing and 1/8" X 1/8" hardwood longerons used the 1" fuselage foam, provide rugged reinforcement.

This foam warbird is an easy, fast, and inexpensive build (only 5 main pieces) - requires minimum electronics - looks great in the air - and is suitable for combat or fun flying.

• Wingspans 32" for the Mustang and 36" for the ME-109 and the L-19 Bird Dog
• Weight about 8 oz
• Total all-up weight = around 12 oz. (340 grams)
• Battery = approximately 1000 mAh 11.1 V or 7.4 V Li-Poly
• Propeller = 8 X 4
• 2408-21 motor and the 18Amp ESC
• Motor/ESC = http://www.rchotdeals.com/
• A prop saver to fit the 3mm motor shaft is a good idea. RCHotDeals sells them as well.

Installing the wing reinforcing dowels

Use the sanding sponges lightly to remove the "angle hair" remaining from the hotwire cutting. Cut the wing reinforcing dowels to length. Use a dowel to enlarge the precut wing groves by forcing the end of the dowel in the grove and sliding it along the length of the grove. Thin some epoxy with alcohol or use Carpenter’s glue and press the reinforcing dowels into the wing grove flush with the root. (We recommend plain old yellow Carpenter’s glue for the wing dowels, firewall, 1/8" hardwood fuselage longerons and landing block to plane connection as the glue penetrates the wood and the foam, but you may want to use epoxy if you do not have time to allow each bond to dry overnight).

Marking the location for the control horn

Using a credit card to space the aileron

Using the 2" Strapping Tape to attach an aileron

Trimming the tape

Mustang and ME-109: Measure out 2" from the wing at the root and make a mark on each aileron for later gluing of the control horns.

After rounding the tips of outer trailing edge balsa ailerons tape them against the trailing edge of each wing half, by spacing them the thickness of a credit card away from the wing, tapered side down and against the wing. This provides enough of a gap to allow for free movement of the ailerons. Use 2" strapping tape. Move the aileron up and down to make certain that you have enough of a gap to allow it to move freely. Trim the strapping tape neatly at each end of the aileron. The strapping tape is difficult to paint over. Lightly sanding the strapping tape will bring up some "tooth" to help hold the paint. We have found 2" Scotch Extreme Application Packaging Tape to be outstanding.

Measuring the amount of dihedral

Applying hot melt glue (low temperature version) to the root of the wing

Joining the wing halves, note that one wing is held flat on the table, while the other is supported by a class positioned to produce the correct height at the raised wing tip (3" for the P-51 and the ME-109 and 4" for the L-19).

Adding a layer of 2" strapping tape to the underside of the wing

Close up of wingtip

Wing ready for painting

Using a low temperature hot melt glue gun, glue and firmly press the two wing halves together. With one wing-half on a flat surface, prop the other wingtip up on a block or any convenient object and slide the block until the gap at the root is closed. The proper dihedral angle has been pre-cut in each wing root and this should result in a measurement of approximately 3" for the P-51 Mustang and the ME-109 (1 and ½ inch from the flat surface up to each wingtip) The L-19 Bird Dog dihedral should be set to 4".

Putting glue in the fuselage slots, be certain to get glue on the sides and bottom of the slot.

Spreading the glue to ensure a good bond

Inserting the 1/8 spruce stock.

Letting the glue dry. It is important that the spruce and the foam have good glue contact as this will create a very rigid fuselage

Marking the shape of the firewall

Applying glue to the firewall mount

Measure and cut the 1/8 X 1/8 longerons. Glue the two longerons into the pre-cut slots and sandwich the fuselage with wax paper and allow to dry while weighted down. Sand and shape the fuselage to your satisfaction. Mark the shape of the firewall on the included light-ply and sand or cut the firewall to match the fuselage contours and mark where the three holes for motor mount will be drilled. Drill pilot holes in the firewall for the motor mount. The firewall should be attached to the fuselage with epoxy or Carpenter’s wood glue.

Cutting the elevator sections off of the horizontal stabilizer

Trimming the hinge-dowel to length

Ready to glue

Putting glue on the elevator sections

Letting the glue dry, note that the only thing glued to the dowel are the two elevator sections. The dowel is not glued to the horizontal stabilizer. The stabilizer is used to align the two elevator sections and to keep the assembly flat while it dries.

Cut the elevator sections away from the horizontal stabilizer. Cut the dowel to length and glue the two elevator sections to the dowel - use weights to assure that both halves of the elevator are flat and the front leading edge will be aligned with the back trailing edge of the horizontal stabilizer when they are taped together. Allow to dry overnight before attaching the elevator assembly to the vertical stabilizer.

Lay a steel ruler along the trailing edge vertical stabilizer, tip your hobby knife to a 45 degree angle and remove a triangular slice so that the rudder can move down freely when it is taped to the vertical stabilizer. Then tape the elevator and the horizontal stabilizer together using 2" strapping tape.

Marking the location for the rudder

L-19 Bird Dog: L-19 Bird Dog uses a rudder which must be cut away from the vertical stabilizer. Leave a gap about the thickness of a credit card between the rudder and the horizontal stabilizer and tape the two parts together. Turn the parts over and tape the other side as well.

The P-51 Mustang and The Me-109 Messerschmitt use ailerons and do not require a hinged rudder. Place the entire empennage on the fuse. Check the fit and mark the areas to glue - do not glue in place yet as it is much easier to square (eyeball) up the tail feathers after the wing is glued to the fuselage. Marking the 1" width of fuselage on the bottom of the horizontal stabilizer and the ¼" width of the vertical stabilizer on the top makes alignment much easier.

The painted parts from above ready to assemble

Put the insignia on before assembly

The model can be painted any color that suits you from traditional warbird colors to high visibility colors. Water based latex paint should be sparingly applied. These are available in most craft stores or in the craft section of certain large retailers. Insignia printed on paper are included with each model. If you elect to create a traditional warbird and use the included insignia cut these out and apply to the painted model with spray adhesive. The paper insignia (and the model itself) should be given a very light spray coat of either flat or glossy water based polyurethane. Remember that paint adds weight and you are striving for a light weight model.

The fuselage is held upside down and hot melt glue is applied to the wing

While making certain that the fuselage is vertical, measure the amount of dihedral at each wing tip and adjust so that they are equal while the glue is hot. You must work fast

Stabilizer/Elevator assembly

Using a triangle or square to ensure that the stabilizer/elevator assembly is square to the fuselage

Rudder glue-up

Using a triangle or square to ensure a correct glue-up

Complete airframe

Using hot melt glue to create gussets for strength (this is done around all wing and tail joints)

Glue the assembled wing into the fuselage eyeballing to make sure fuselage is vertical to the angle of the wing. Next, glue the horizontal stab/elevator assembly to the fuselage making sure it is level and the angle it makes with the dihedral of the wing is equal on both sides. Glue the vertical stabilizer onto the tail making sure it is vertical and parallel with the fuselage. Test fit the pushrod into the topmost hole in a control horn, enlarge the hole if necessary for a snug fit. Gently press the control horn into the bottom of the left side elevator at the leading edge near the fuselage to create two small indentations where the holes will need to be drilled. Use a small drill bit or pin to make the two holes - punching all the through the strapping tape on the top of the elevator. Attach the control horn with hot melt glue.

L-19 Bird Dog: Perform the same procedure for the rudder control horn.

Flight gear ready to install. Note the motor and ESC are shown twice, Once in the assembled form and once as separate components

Drilling the holes for the control horn

Control horn mounted

Attaching the elevator servo

Elevator push rod installed. Note that you may want to use a short piece of drinking straw to prevent flexing if your pushrod is long

With the servo centered, ensure that the elevator is in a neutral position

Marking the location for the aileron servo

Cutting the aileron servo mounting hole

Installing the aileron servo

Aileron servo installed

Using pushrod material to mark the angle at which the control horns should be installed

Drilling the hole for the control horn

Ensuring a neutral aileron position while setting the servo attachment

The completed aileron servo installation

Installing the motor mount.

L19 electronics placement

L19 electronics placement

Mustang and ME-109: For the aileron servo, gently press the bottom of a servo into the wing, directly on the center line of the fuselage (imagining the center line of the fuselage extending through the wing) slightly behind the leading edge, to mark the location for a cutout in order to recess the servo. Dig out a pocket matching this marked area with a hobby knife. Use hot melt glue to hold the aileron servo in this pocket which is cut into the underside of the wing.

Depending on the depth of your servo, the pocket you cut may extend through the wing and go into the fuselage. Mount the pushrods to the servo control arms and use the pushrod mark the angle at the two inch mark you placed on each aileron. Test fit the pushrods into the top holes in the control horns and enlarge them for a snug fit, if necessary. (Using the inner holes on the servo horn and outer holes on the aileron control horns help reduce the throw and make the plane easier to control.)

Holding the control horns at an angle that matches the angle marked above, gently press the plastic posts of the control horns into the balsa to mark the location for drilling. Push a control horn into the bottom of each aileron and glue securely. The pushrods are cut a bit long and should be cut to correct size corresponding to your servo placement

Elevator Servo: Attach the elevator servo directly to the side of the fuselage with hot melt glue. The pushrod is a bit long and should be cut to correct size corresponding to your servo placement. If you end up with a very long elevator server push rod, you should pass the pushrod through a 2" length of drinking straw that is glued to the fuselage at the midway point of the push rod.

L-19 Bird Dog: Mount the rudder servo to the side of the fuselage near the elevator servo. Make sure that screw on the servo arm used for adjusting the pushrod is accessible for a screwdriver.

Mounting the motor, note that the firewall may need to be relived (drilled out partially) to allow the motor to be installed

ESC and receiver mounted to the side of the fuselage, servo wires connected and tied

Ready for landing gear

Use the Velcro for mounting the ESC, the receiver and the battery. Arrange them in a location that works with the motor and servos used.

The parts, tools and supplies needed to assemble the landing gear

Marking the center of the carbon landing gear (use a ruler or building mat)

Marking a square line on the landing gear mounting plywood

Using epoxy to attach the carbon landing gear to the mounting plywood (note that the gear bends around the plywood)

Once dry, the axles can be epoxied on

Landing gear assembly

Using yellow wood glue to attach the landing gear assembly to the airframe

Completed landing gear installation

Mark the center of the carbon landing gear supplied with the kit. Make a center line mark on the landing gear plywood mount so that the landing gear can be epoxied on exactly perpendicular to the mounting piece. Epoxy the carbon gear and the plywood mount together so that the gear is square to the plywood and the center mark of the gear lines up with the center mark of the plywood. Epoxy on each axle and allow to dry over night for a strong bond. We recommend "J B Weld" brand epoxy. The finished assembly is then glued to the air frame using yellow glue or epoxy. Remove any paint from the area before gluing. Also, relieve the foam airframe slightly where the carbon will touch so that the wood mounting block is firmly touching the airframe. Clamp over night for a good bond. Attach the included wheels using the supplied collars.

The CG location of each kit is marked by a indentation in the fuselage

Velcro is attached to the airframe to allow balancing with the battery

Battery is adjusted to provide a safe, slightly nose heavy starting CG for the first flight

A center of gravity (CG) has been marked on the fuselage. This should be a starting point for your first flights. It can be moved slightly back when you are comfortable with the planes performance. Poke a small skewer through the fuselage at this point to balance the plane using battery placement on the Velcro to obtain a slightly nose heavy poise.

Mustang and ME-109: Start with small (1/4 inch) aileron throws and larger ½ inch elevator throws. Begin with a slight bit of up elevator and adjust your aileron so that an imaginary line through the chord of each wing continues to the trailing edge of each aileron and that both ailerons are equal.

L-19 Bird Dog: Start with ¼ inch throws (in each direction) for the elevator and the rudder. Note that the Bird Dog, being a high wing plane, will climb out at a steep angle under high power. If you have a powerful motor, it will tend to pitch the nose of the plane up and cause the plane to climb. Just like a real L-19, you use the throttle control vertical pitch. If the plane climbs too steeply, reduce power until you obtain level flight. Make a mental note of this throttle position. Applying more power will result in a climb and less power will allow you to descend. Of course, you will continue to have elevator control at all flight speeds.

Hand launch with a little over half throttle. Keep the plane in close until you get accustomed to seeing it in the air, as it can get small in a hurry. A few passes low and slow and perhaps a few clicks of trim and you'll be ready for your first thrilling mission.