The Kadet Senior basically follows the philosophy of our other models in the Kadet Trainer series that preceded it, a stable, high wing design using a flat bottomed airfoil. The major difference is that the wing loading has been reduced by increasing the size and simplifying the structure. It is more of a "hands off" flier because of increased dihedral and larger tail surfaces, but because of this, will not be suitable for aileron control and in fact, does not need it. The excellent performance is mainly a result of the light weight, but because of this, the Senior cannot be as rugged as the Kadet Jr. and MKII. The Senior should not be flown in winds over 10m.p.h. or in a field with obstructions to run into, or from a bad surface that will cause cartwheels on landing, until you are a proficient pilot. The Junior and MKII are best for rough flying conditions. But the best approach, in our opinion, is not to choose between the Senior and the Kadet MKII, for example, but to make use of both. Start with the slower Senior to develop confidence and automatic reactions. Then go on to the Kadet Mark II for graduation to aileron control. The only transition between the two airplanes is minor, which can be quickly by-passed with a little ground taxiing experience to get used to steering the nose with a different hand.

RADIO EQUIPMENT REQUIREMENTS

Selection of radio equipment should be based on the amount of money you wish to spend, the type of airplanes you intend to be flying and your future goals. If you plan to stay in the hobby and work up to larger airplanes with complete controls, it might be best to consider the purchase of a four, or more, channel set in the beginning, even though the model is flown on fewer channels. This would eliminate the necessity of disposing of an initial investment in beginner's equipment of less than 4 channels and buying a new set when your flying skills are ready for an advanced model. Equipment with nicad rechargeable batteries is strongly recommended. Dry cell operation is cheaper initially but the money saved is soon wiped out buying replacement dry cells. Nicads are safer, since you go out flying with a full charge and don't have to worry about losing control from dead batteries.

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ENGINE SIZE

We are of the opinion that RC trainers should have adequate power for such things as grass field takeoffs, beating their way upwind, etc. Therefore fairly large engines are recommended. For cruising around and learning to fly, throttle back with the knowledge that power is available when needed. Engines larger than those listed on the box lid are not recommended. Use of oversize engines may overload the airframe. Remember that a muffler will reduce engine power and allowance should be made for this. If you live at high altitude, engines will not develop power equivalent to that delivered at sea level.

ABOUT THE BUILDING SEQUENCE

The quickest and most efficient way to complete a model is to work on several pieces at the same time, such as the front and rear of the fuselage. We occassionaly get suggestions that our instruction guides should be in exact step-by-step building sequence. But this would result in many sentences starting, "While the glue is drying on the fuselage, move to the wing ...etc." and a lot of jumping back and forth between assemblies with no consistant pictorial progression. Also, a pre-selected building sequence by our choice might not suit your workshop space and time allotments. Therefore we feel the present system of covering main assemblies in a unit works out best for the majority of kit builders. So keep in mind that the numbering sequence used in this guide was chosen as the best way of explaining the building of each major assembly and is not intended to be followed on exact one-two-three fashion. Start on the wing at No.1 and after doing as many steps as convenient, flip over to the next main heading "FUSELAGE CONSTRUCTION" and do a step or two there, then over to "TAIL SURFACES" and so forth. You will, of course, arrive at points where you can go not farther until another component is available. For example, you need a nearly completed wing before the fuselage can be entirely completed. And you will need both the wing and the stab to fit the wing and tail saddles on the fuselage and align them to each other. The way to understand these relationships is to read these instructions completely and study the full size plans before beginning to work. Think ahead! Any reference to right or left refers to right or left as if seated in the cockpit.

REFER TO "THE BASICS OF RADIO CONTROL"

In addition to the instructions you are reading now, the publication "The Basics of Radio Control" has been included with this kit as a reference for installing the engine, fuel tank, and radio in the Kadet Senior. It also contains very important information on preparing the model for flight. Modelers of all experience levels are encouraged to read this publication and follow its guidelines for success.

SOME BUILDING SUGGESTIONS

Cut all long pieces of balsa first, followed by medium lengths, before cutting up any full-length strips into short pieces. Protect the plan with wax paper or plastic wrap under the assemblies. A piece of Celotex-type wallboard or foam board makes a handy building board, into which pins can easily be pushed. Lay the building board on a table with a flat and untwisted top. Pins can be pushed through all pieces in the kit without any lasting damage. Don't be afraid to use plenty of pins when planking. The holes will fill up during sanding and doping. Use Sig-Bond glue for general construction except where the instructions call for epoxy. A single edge razor blade is best for cutting sticks. Use a modeling knife for cutting out sheet balsa parts.

INSPECT THE WOOD

Though we try to eliminate spar wood with flaws, there is always the possibility of a too soft spar or one with an imperfection in a critical place. Double check the wing spar wood before building it into the wing. The most critical part of the wing is the center section and the first two rib bays on the outside of the cabin.

USE ENOUGH GLUE

The thousands of Kadet Senior and Senioritas flying are proof of the adequacy of lightweight structure when properly constructed. But the model will not be strong if you skimp on the glue. This is particularly true of the central area of the wing. The doublers must be glued to the spars with full glue coverage. The same thing applies to the plywood spar braces and to the wing spar webs.

A caution about cyanoacrylate glues. The thin glues are handy for instantly assembling a structure. However, unless the joints are perfectly fitted, they are able to fail later. Therefore we recommend that you go over all joints that have been assembled with a thin cyanoacrylate and make an external fillet of thick cyanoacrylate.

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YOU CAN'T GET ALONG WITHOUT A GOOD SANDING BLOCK

An indispensable tool for proper construction is a large sanding block, sized to take a full sheet of sandpaper. Use several wood screws along one edge to hold the sheet in place. Use the block to bring all parts and sticks to final, exact fit. I recommend 80 grit garnet paper for use on the block during general construction. You can switch to 100 grit, followed by 220 silicone paper for that finish just before covering. In addition to the large block, there are places where a smaller one is handy. Also a sandpaper "file" can be made by gluing sandpaper to a flat spruce stick for working in tight-places.

LEAVE THE COMPLETE BLACK LINE ON THE PRINTED PARTS! A modelling knife or jig saw can be used for cutting out the printed parts. Don't cut too close to the lines - leave some extra wood outside the lines. True up and finish the edges with a sanding block as you are fitting the parts together or carving to shape. Don't force die cut parts from the sheet. Use a modeling knife to finish freeing them.

COMPLETE KIT PARTS LIST
Die-Cut Balsa Sheets
2Sheet No.4 Ribs W-1 3Sheet No.5 Ribs W-2 6Sheet No.6 Ribs W-3 1Sheet No.7 Ribs W-4
1Sheet No.9 Elevator & Rudder Ribs E-1, E-2, R-1 thru R-7
Printed Balsa Sheets
1Sheet No. 1 Fuselage Parts FN, G-1, G-2, G-3 1Sheet No. 2 Cowl C-1, C-2 1Sheet No 3 WT, C-3 (Use scrap for Wing L.E. Center)
Stick Balsa
21/2"x1/2"x36" Wing Leading Edge 61/4"x1/2"x36" Front Wing Spars, Fuselage Crosspieces 63/16"x3/8"x36" Rear Wing Spars, Rear Bottom Spar Doublers 23/8"x3/8"x36" Stabilizer Frame
13/8"x3/8"x12" Stabilizer Frame 31/4"x3/8"x36" Elevator Leading Edge, Diagonal Stabilizer Braces 13/8"x3/4"x9" Stabilizer Center 131/4"x1/4"x36" Fuselage Frame
35/16"x5/16"x36" Fin Frame, Pushrods 11/8"x1/4"x24" Fuselage Rear Diagonal Braces 11/8"x5/16"x24" Fin Diagonal Braces 13/16"x5/16"x24" Fin Ribs
13/4"x15" Triangular Stock Firewall braces, Cowl Front 11/4"x3/4"x3-3/4" FD 15/16"x5/16"x18" Fin Frame 11/2"x10" Traingular Stock Wing Leading Edge Fillet
11"x4-3/4" Traingular Stock Windshield Fillet
Sheet Balsa
23/32"x4-3/4"x24" Fuselage Side Sheets 53/32"x3-1/4"x30" Fuselage Bottom Sheeting, Wing Center Sheeting Rear, Wing Spar Webs, Fuselage Top Sheeting 11/8"x3"x4-1/2" Fuselage Fill-in at Fin 21/16"x3"x18" Wing Tip Sheeting
15/16"x1-1/4"x4-1/4" Fin Fillet FD
Special Shaped Balsa
13/16"x3/4"x30" Elevator Trailing Edge, Notched, Shaped 17/16"x1-3/8"x36" Left Wing Trailing Edge, Notched, Shaped 17/16"x1-3/8"x36" Right Wing Trailing Edge, Notched, Shaped 11/8"x3/4"x11" Rudder Trailing Edge, Shaped
Die-Cut PlyWood
11/8"x3-1/2"x11" Lite Ply FT, FF 21/64"x4"x11-7/8" Birch Cabin Window Frames 15/32"x6"x5-3/4" Firewall PF
Hardwoods
21/4"x6-1/2" Wing Dowels 13/8"x1"x4-1/8" Grooved Hardwood Block 23/8"x3/4"x1" Landing Gear Anchor Blocks 21/4"x3/4"x1" Basswood-Wing Anchor Blocks
13/8"x3/8"x9-1/2" Servo Mounts 15/32"x1-1/8"x1-5/16" Landing Gear Wedge 11/8"x7/16"x2" Ply Right Thrust Shim
Spruce Sticks
21/4"x1/4"x22" Fuselage Frame Top 31/4"x1/4"x36" Cabin Top Stringers, Fuselage Frame Bottom 51/8"x1/4"x8-5/8" Fuselage Nose Stringers 41/4"x1/4"x7-7/8" Cabin Doublers
11/8"x3/8"x4" Stabilizer Brace 21/4"x1/2"x16" Front Top Wing Spar Doublers May be furnished as 2 15-1/4" long Cabin Tops and 2 36" long Fuselage Bottoms
Wire Parts
11/16"x9" Pushrod Ends 15/32" Formed Nose Gear 25/32" Formed Main Gear

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Hardware
15/32" Nylon Nose Gear Bearing 15/32" Nylon Nose Gear Steering Arm 16-32x1/4" Screw for Steering Arm 1Package of 7 Easy Hinges
2Nylon Control Horns 44-40 Blind Nuts for Nose Gear Bearing 46-32 Blind Nuts for Engine Mounts 44-40x3/4" Screws for Nose Gear Bearing
46-32x1" Bolts for Engine Mounts 4No.2 2x3/4" Pan Head Screws for Control Horns 22-56 RC Links 210" RC Rods
2Glass Filled Engine Mounts 21/16"x3/8"x1" X-Large Landing Gear Straps 4#4x3/8" Metal Screws for Landing Gear Straps 1Pushrod Connector Assembly
Laser Cut Parts
25/32"x1-1/2"12-3/4" Dihedral Doubler D-1
Miscellaneous
238"x50" Full-Size Plans - Plates One and Two 128 Page Instruction Book 1Basics of RC Book 12"x16" Fiberglass Tape
13"x4-1/2" Decal - Kadet Senior - 2 Color 23-1/4"x10-3/8" .015 Clear Butyrate - Cabin Side Windows 14-5/8"x10-7/16" .015 Clear Butyrate - Windshield


WING CONSTRUCTION

1.
Using several ribs as guages, pin down a 1/4"x1/2"x36" front bottom spar and rear 3/16"x3/8"x36" rear bottom spar on the plan.

2.
  1. Pin down the notched wing trailing edge

3.
  1. Glue a piece of 1/4"x1/2"x16" Balsa on top of the front spar as a doubler.
  2. Glue a piece of 3/16"x3/8"x16" balsa on top of the rear spar as doubler.
  3. Begin gluing ribs in place, starting with the second W-1 rib. Do not glue the center W-1 in place until later.


ABOUT TRAILING EDGE RIB NOTCHES
The rib notches may vary slightly in position on the plan because, as noted, the plan paper is subject to shrinking or stretching with humidity changes. Therefore the rib may not sit perfectly on the rib position on the drawing. Ignor this and simply make the rib parallel to the rib drawing. The notches also tend to vary in depth and width. Take a die cut rib, draw a line on it 1/8" from the end and use this as a guage to check the notch depth and fit to the rib. Enlarge any notches that aren't deep enough or wide enough with a razor blade.

4.
Continue pinning and gluing ribs in place on the spars, working toward the tip.

5.
  1. Prepare the 1/4"x1/2"x36" top from spar by pre-gluing a 1/4"x1/2"x16" spruce doubler in place. Then glue the assembled spar into the rib notches
  2. Glue a 3/16"x3/8"x36" top rear spar in place in the rib notches. The top rear spar has no doublers.

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6.
  1. Glue the 1/2" sq. x 36" leading edge into the front of the ribs.

7.
Position the center W-1 rib, using the dihedral guage as shown to get it at the right angle. Tack glue only until paragraph 18.


NOTE: The Dihedral Guage is not a Micrometer. The final fit of the center seam should be made by checking and sanding the joint. (paragraph 18).

8.
Glue the spar webs which are pieces cut from a 3/32"x3-1/4" sheet. Note that the grain is vertical.

9.
Saw off the spar ends flush with the angled rib.

10.
  1. Using the wing tip guage, glue the pre-beveled wing tip WT in place.
  2. Add the stub spar, a piece of 1/4"x1/2" spar stock. Note the wing tip cross-section on the plan, which shows this piece to be recessed down from the top of the main spar so that the 1/16" sheet tip sheeting can be glued on over the stub spar.


11.
  1. Notch the main spar out 1/16" deep above the rib so the 1/16" tip sheeting will be flush with the top of the main spar.
  2. Cut a piece of scrap wood to fit into the "V" formed by the wing tip WT. The front of the scrap is flush with the top peak of the 1/2" sq. leading edge.

12.
  1. Glue a scrap block to the trailing edge and back of WT. Have it extend past WT to provide trimming room later.

13.
Sheet the wing tip with 1/16"x3" balsa pieces. Allow them to protrude past WT to provide room for trimming as seen below in 15.

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14.
Finish the front WT with another piece of scrap balsa.




15.
Turn the wing over and trim the top 1/16" tip sheeting off flush with the bottom of WT.

16.
Trim the trailing edge block off as shown and sand and smooth.

17.
Trim the leading edge block off as shown and sand and smooth. This shape is determined by the trimming and rounding of the leading edge. However - do not shape the leading edge at the center section until after the windshield fillet is glued on later.

18.
With one half of the wing flat on the table, raise the other half 6", measured at the bottom of the tip rib. The picture shows and easy way to do this with two measured scrap pieces of wood tack glued to the tip. This allows easy moving of the wing as you fine sand the root ribs as may be necessary to make them fit snugly together. Take a little time to get the fit right. We strongly advise drilling some 1/16" holes at slight angles about 1/4" to 3/8" deep, into the spar, leading edge and trailing edge faces.

Use slow setting epoxy and work these holes full of glue with a wire. Then coat the faces of the spars. I.e. trailing edge and rib roots, and join the wing halves together. The holes full of epoxy will "nail" the spars together.

19.
  1. As soon as the wing is joined together, add the top 5/32" plywood spar doubler D-1
20. Turn wing over and sand the bottom 5/32" spar doubler D-1.

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21. Cover the center section in front of the main spar with 1/8" sheet balsa. Cover the remainder of the center section with 3/32" sheet balsa.

22.
For this step you will need the fuselage completed up to the point of having installed FF.
  1. Lay a piece of wax paper on top of FF. Set the wing on the fuselage and pin or tape it in place. You may need to sand the point of the dihedral joint at the leading edge slightly to get the wing to sit solidly on the fuselage.
  2. Sit the 1"x4-3/4" triangular windshield fillet block on FF and glue it to the point of the unshaped leading edge.
  3. Fit two pieces 1/2" triangular stock between the windshield fillet block and the leading edge. Sand the face of them as required to fit snugly onto the wing as shown.

23.
Turn the wing over and fit two more pieces of 1/2" triangular stock to the bottom in the same manner as the top. Trim off the bottom triangular stock flush with the bottom surface of the windshield fillet.


24.
  1. Glue the paper windshield pattern to light card stock (like a manilla file folder) and position it on the fuselage. Trim as necessary for a perfect fit. Tape it in place.
  2. Carve the top of the windshield fillet block roughly to shape with a whittling knife, removing it from the fuselage top to do so.
  3. Replace the wing on the fuselage and get the final shape with a small sanding block, bending the fillet contour into the windshield angle.

24/3
The wing center joint is reinforced with the strip of 2" wide fiberglass tape. I use regular Sig Epoxy Glue (not Kwik-Set Glue) for applying the fiberglass tape, since it is thinner and easier to spread out smoothly. It will be even easier to spread if you warm the mixing container by setting it in hot water for a few minutes to raise the temperature of the glue. But work quickly, for the glue will set up much faster than normally when warmed.
  1. Coat the wing center with glue.
  2. Lay the tape on top of the glue.
  3. Holding one end of the tape so it won't slip, "squeegee" the glue through the tape, with a small paddle made from a scrap of balsa. Scrap over the tape several times with the squeegee paddle to smooth the tape and remove excess glue.

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FIREWALL ASSEMBLY

READ THIS SECTION CAREFULLY

In designing a kit, we have to think about the buyers who have never previously built any type of model. For them, extra complications must be absolutely necessary or left off. Therefore, since the Senior will fly quite reasonably and safely without any right thrust offset in the engine, we show it with zero side thrust on the plan. (The downthrust in the engine is built-in, automatically incorporated without needing any extra effort or thought by the builder.) The pictures immediately following (26, 27, 28 and 29) will cover the engine installation as shown on the plan. After that we will show you an optional installation that will provide right thrust offset. Read this entire section. If you feel you understand the operational installation, use it to follow the directions in that section. Otherwise , skip that part.







25.


26.

Photos 26, 27, 28 and 29 also show the hole necessary for installation of a Sullivan RST tank, should you be using one. It will be placed as shown, in either the zero side thrust or right thrust installation. Look ahead in the instructions for more information on tank mounting.

Mark the horizontal thrust locating line and vertical centerline on the front of the firewall. (And the tank hole center, if used.

Place the motor you will use on the firewall and draw lines as a guide for positioning the glass-filled mounts. (Different engines have different mounting dimentions.)

27.
  1. Line up the marks on the side of the mounts at the horizontal thrust line.
  2. Mark and drill the holes using a 1-1/64" drill bit for the 6-32 blind nuts.

28.
  1. Glue the hardwood wedge to the firewall as a nose gear bracket mount.
  2. Position the nose gear bearing on the hardwood wedge, then mark and drill the holes using a 9/64" drill bit for the 4-40 blind nuts.
  3. Look ahead to picture 33 and you will see the 5/32"x9/16"x2-1/4" doubler strips on the back of the firewall as a base for the 6-32 blind nuts. These strips are cut from scrap ply off the firewall die cut wood. The strips are offset in picture 33 but if you are not using right thrust they will be centered. Be sure and epoxy the blind nuts to the back of the doubler strips and the firewall so they will not come out later when it may be necessary to take off the mounts. Don't get epoxy into the threads of the bolts. Pull the blind nut points tight into the wood with the bolts before the glue sets up. With the mounts and nose gear bracket in place, cut off the mounting bolts for both flush with the face of the blind nuts on the back of the firewall. This is to prevent any chance of the bolt ends puncturing the tank or rubbing on the batteries.

29.
  1. Bolt the spinner backplate to the motor. (This must be done to allow for the differences in spinners. For example, the Goldberg spinner has a recessed backplate which requires the motor to be farther forward than a spinner without a recess.)
  2. Position the engine on the mounts so the spinner backplate will be 4-1/8" from the face of the firewall. It is handy to tack the engine in position with some spots of 5 minute epoxy or thick cyanacrylate, brought up over the edge of the edge of th engine to grip it good. Or a strip of double-stick masking tape is a little quicker, to keep the engine from slipping out of position during the next step.

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30. With a punch or sharpened piece of of 1/8" wire, center punch the motor mounting holes. (Hint: If you are not used to doing this sort of job, don't try to punch and drill all 4 holes at once. Punch and drill only one hole. Then put the motor back on the mounts, secured by the first bolt. Punch and drill a 2nd hole, repeat the procedure, then the third hole, etc. With this process you are much less likely to make a drilling mistake that will ruin the mounts.)

OPTIONAL RIGHT THRUST
Adding right thrust helps the balance between high power and low power trim. If you decide to use it, follow the pictures from here on, keeping in mind the preceeding instructions as well.





31.
  1. The landing gear wedge goes in the same place on the vertical centerline as on the preceeding zero side thrust installation. (If a Sullivan tank is used, the hole will also be in the same place.)
  2. A new vertical centerline for the engine mounts is drawn 1/4" to the right (as seen from the front of the firewall) of the firewall centerline.
  3. A 1/8" plywood shim (included in the kit) is glued on the position of the right (as seen from the front of the firewall) glass-filled mount. Sand the face of it slightly at the angle required for the mount to seat against it.


32.
The engine is then mounted in this offset position. Because of the angle provided by the shim on the one side, the prop is still approximately in the center (not critical) but it now has several degrees of right thrust offset.

33.
  1. Because of the thrust offset it will be necessary to notch one side of the FT former that is glued to the back of the firewall to pass the 5/32"x9/16"x2-1/4" blind nut doublers strips.