MRC/Altech EZ classic warbird ARF Texan

Model Airplane News, Dec 2001 by Trachten, Craig

MODEL AIRPLANE NEWS

FIELD & BENCH

REVIEW

The EZ Texan distributed by MRC/Altech is everything you would expect of an EZ model. It is absolutely gorgeous. The more you inspect the components of this kit, the more you appreciate it. The EZ Texan is constructed entirely of plastic, foam and Mylar over lite-ply. It comes 90-percent factory-assembled and with almost everything you need to get it into the air except an engine and radio gear. It has the same high-quality construction and attention to scale details as have come to define the EZ line as among the best almost-ready-to-- fly (ARF) models available (including a brushed aluminum finish and visible rivets and weathering). The EZ Texan even comes with silver stickers to simulate the canopy frame.

CONSTRUCTION

* Wing. Like many ARIs, construction begins with the wing. The Texan's wing consists of three sections: a right wing, a left wing and a center section. The right and left wings are finished in a high- detailed, laminated form; the center section is in a skeletal state. The open center allows easy access when it comes time to install tour servos, retracts ana wing joiners.

When the wing joiners are in place, epoxy the right and left wings to the center section, then attach the bottom plate. Once vou have installed the retracts and servos, attach the top plate. Because the top plate rests between the wing and the fuselage, there is no way it can fall off, so I chose not to glue it on. I used the leftover silver canopy sticker material to cover and seal the leading (LE) and trailing edges (TE) of the two plates. To seal the side edges front to back), I used yellow, sell-stick trim material. This assembly procedure makes it easier to access the retracts and servos if a problem arises later.

Attach the aileron linkage as shown in the instuctions. All of the necessary hardware is included in the kit. I added a small piece of fuel tubing over each clevis, however, to ensure that they would not open.

Assemble the wing-mounting plate and front dowel reinforcement plate as shown in the manual, then test-fit the wing-- mounting bolts in the mounting plate. Screw them down until you can barely see them over the side of the fuselage. The instructions say to cover the heads of the screws with paint or ink to mark the wing for the mounting holes, but I like to use liquid paper. It's easier to clean off if you have to re-mark the holes for any reason.

* Fuel tank. I assembled the fuel tank next. As with most kits, the manual shows a 2-- line fuel tank, but I prefer 3-line tanks, especially when the aircraft has a cowl. I also like to put a clunk on the third line. This makes it as easy to get the fuel out of the aircraft as it is to put it in. It also eliminates the need for a fuel-filling valve, which could cause trouble in the future.

* Engine. Mount the engine of your choice on the supplied mount. The manufacturer suggests that you use a .30 to .40 2-stroke or .48 to .50 4-stroke engine. I installed an Enya .53 4-stroke engine. Screw the mounting plates to the mount frame, then attach your engine to the plates. I found that it's best to put a piece of masking tape on each plate before you mark the drill holes. It's easier to see a mark on the tape than on the metal.

Make sure the thrust washer is at least 10 centimeters from the firewall. I set mine at 15 cm, which is the maximum recommended distance. I hate it when my spinner scrapes the cowl. I also installed a Du-Bro remote glow unit in the side of the fuse. Because the Enya .53 4-stroke has a front glow plug, a glow driver can't be used directly on the plug. Du-Bro's remote glow socket gives the installation a clean, finished look.

* Tail. Begin construction of the tail feathers by slotting the rear of the fuselage to accept the hinge part of the tailwheel bracket. I coat the wire where it passes through the hinge with a light oil; this prevents epoxy from sticking to it.

Mount the tailwheel as pictured in the manual, then epoxy the stab mount to the fuselage and the elevator center blocks to the elevators. CA the center block covers over the blocks. When all is dry, epoxy the horizontal stab to the fuselage making sure that it is perpendicular to the fuselage and parallel to the ground. Epoxy the vertical stab to the horizontal stab, and be sure that it is perpendicular to and even with the rear of the horizontal stab. Secure the entire assembly with a thick coat of epoxy. It will all later be covered, so do not worry about the appearance. At this point, strength is more important than neatness. Oil the hinges in the rudder and epoxy the rudder to the horizontal stab.

Following the manual, assemble and install the included pushrods, then install the control horns and attach the rods.

* Cowl. The cowl is crucial to the final appearance of any airplane, so it is important that you do a good job assembling it. I did not assemble the cowl as it is described in the manual. If you use the thin CA recommended, you run the risk that it will leak to the outside. I taped the ring halves together with masking tape, then I ran a bead of thick CA along the inside seams. Do not worry about strength at this point; this is only to prevent the pieces from shifting until the inside has been glassed. I attached the face ring of the cowl in the same way. Glassing the inside of the cowl ties the three pieces together and gives it body. Measure and then epoxy the cowl-mounting blocks to the firewall.