GIANT SCALE EDGE 540 PROFILE

    Thank you for purchasing the Giant Scale Profile Edge 540.  Our very popular Giant Scale Edge 540 Profile has been totally redesigned using the latest technology and innovation in design and construction.  Finally a giant scale fun fly with TOC level performance designed right from the start.  If you love fun flying and doing 3D maneuvers with a big plane but need something quick to build and easy on the pocket book, this is it.  Stable and forgiving, these giant profiles do all the big bird tricks with ease.  Sized for a variety of big glow two stroke or four stroke engines or one of the new small gas powerhouses.  Our recommendations for engines include the O.S. 1.60 or Moki 2.10 2-stroke, Saito 1.80 4-stroke, or the RC Showcase 1.80 or MVVS 2.15 gassers.  With the kit version you can easily split the ailerons, add an extra servo, and take advantage of airbraking and crow maneuvers!  Either way you are in for awesome performance and crowd pleasing 3D maneuvers.  The large wing area, thick aspect ratio, and tail design allow this aircraft to perform anything you can imagine: elevators, harriers, super fast waterfalls, knife edge spins, flat spins, and of course rock solid hovers and torque rolls.  The two piece wing design attaches with an aluminum tube for solid and reliable performance.  All this at a fraction of the cost of typical giant scale aircraft.  "I hope you will enjoy it as much as we have"- Mike Pilkenton.

A QUICK WORD ABOUT SAFETY AND RADIO CONTROL FLYING MODELS

    With radio control aircraft, like any hobby or sport, there are certain risks.  The operator of these models are responsible for these risks.  With this in mind, you will want to be certain that you build your model carefully and correctly.  If you are not an experienced flier, have your work checked and ask for help in learning to fly safely.  This model aircraft is not a toy and must be operated and flown in a safe manner at all times.  Always perform a pre-flight check of the model including all control surfaces, proper function of the radio gear, structure, radio range, and any other area relating to the safe operation of this aircraft.

    Models are not insurable but operators are.  You can obtain coverage through membership in the Academy of Model Aeronautics (AMA).  For an AMA information package call 1-800-435-9262, ext. 292 or visit the AMA website at "www.modelaircraft.org".

ENGINES, PROPELLERS AND MUFFLERS

    The recommended engine range for the giant profile is a 1.40 - 2.10 two-stroke, 1.20 - 1.80 four-stroke, or a 30 - 40 cc gas engine.  There are a tremendous variety of engines available and each type has its own advantages and disadvantages.  The 2-stroke engines are lighter and more powerful for their size while the 4-stroke engines are somewhat heavier but are quieter and usually have more torque.  Additionally, the 4-strokers can turn a much larger diameter prop that can deliver more thrust to the control surfaces.   The gas engines offer economy of fuel, and torque advantages similar to the 4-strokes.  Selecting the proper size of propeller for your particular engine is a very important part of the whole setup.  The Profile Edge was designed to use low pitch props.  What you need is vertical performance and airflow over the control surfaces, not straight-line speed.  Pick the largest diameter propeller with the lowest pitch you can find that suits your engine and you'll enjoy all the GS540P or GSYak54P have to offer.

Note 2:  As with all kits, it’s a good idea to read all the instructions and study the plans before you begin construction.  Questions or comments can be directed to omp@ohiomodelplanes.com.

Note2:  To print this manual click here and for a printable version.

GS540P Material List: (balsa except where noted)

 Materials required to complete kit:

·  1 1/8" heavy duty control horns (5-8)

·  4-40 x 12" pushrods (5-8)

·  4-40 nuts (5-8)

·  4-40 clevises (5-8)

·  2-56 x 8” pushrod for throttle

·  2-56 clevise for throttle

·  1" square CA hinges or equivalent (26)

·  Heavy duty Sullivan Tail Wheel assembly or equivalent

·  Wheel collar for tail wheel

·  Axle shafts or bolts for gear (2)

·  wheel collars for above (2)

·  3” main wheels, 1” tail wheel

·  6-32 x 1 1/2" cap bolts & washers for wings (2)

·  6-32 blind nuts for wings (2)

·  8-32 x 1 3/4" bolts for gear mounting (2)

·  8-32 washers (4)

·  8-32 nylock nuts (2)

·  Fuel tank and fuel tubing

·  Engine of suitable size, prop, and spinner

·  covering material

·  Radio gear (number of servos depends on your setup)

A Builder's Tip From OMP Concerning Wood Usage:  When building kits that have many sticks such as profile style aircraft, always use the shortest piece you have available or left over for the current task you are working on.  This will assure you have adequate stock and lengths for all structures.

Also please note that some of the construction pictures represent previous versions of the Giant Profiles and may not exactly match your model version.  However the basic construction remains the same.

FUSELAGE CONSTRUCTION:

1.  Begin by constructing the 1/16” balsa fuselage sides by cutting and gluing together several pieces of balsa sheeting.  Careful planning should allow you to easily make both sides from 12 sheets of 1/16” x 3” x 42”.  The illustration below shows one way to cut and piece these together.  Make sure the vertical splices are staggered from row to row.  The easiest way to glue the pieces together is to tightly tape the pieces on one side using masking tape, flip the whole thing over, block sand lightly to fill gaps with balsa dust and hit all joints with thin CA.  Turn over, remove tape, and then lightly sand both sides.  Use the cutoff pieces from sheet 5 to fill in the top of the turtle deck and sheet 6 after trimmed in half can be used for both sides.  Temporarily put the foam fuselage pieces together to aid in your layout.  Notice from the photo how much sheeting is left over; save this for future use.  Build both sides now.

2.  The plans and photos show a typical three servo arrangement for the tail and this is the recommended approach.  Other servo setups are possible but careful planning here avoids headaches once the sheeting is applied.  If you prefer another setup then cut the foam and servo wire tunnels to suite your preference now.  Cut the fuselage plans out and use them to locate the proper area for the battery and receiver hatch mounts, the wing tube supports (both sides), and the tail servo mounts (both sides) and trim out the foam 1/8" deep for each.  The foam cores may not match the plans exactly but this is not an issue.  Simply pick a common point like the front bottom corner and line up the bottom edges.  Use the laser cut 1/8" lite ply parts as templates.  Glue in each of these into the respective foam areas using a thin amount of 5 minute epoxy.  Make absolutely sure the wing tube supports are installed exactly as shown on the plans.  Hint: use a piece of wing tube socket temporarily installed through the fuselage to locate the proper position.  Allow the glue to cure completely before sheeting the fuselage so you don't disturb the position of these pieces.  Do not cut out the foam for the hatches or servo locations yet.  This is done after the sheeting is applied.

3.  It is very important to lightly sand the foam cores in order to remove the "skin" and allow the glue to penetrate better.  Using polyurethane or your favorite foam adhesive, coat the mating surfaces of the foam fuselage pieces and press them together.  Use small strips of masking tape to the pieces together on both sides.  Use the plans again as a guide to align the foam cores as there may be some slight play in the fit of the pieces.  Don't worry about the tape as it will become permanent under the sheeting and glue.  Spread the glue evenly and thinly over the entire balsa sheeting and press down onto the foam core.  Use a smooth hardwood block to slide along the sheeting as you press down firmly.  This technique allows even pressure without poking through the sheeting.  Repeat for the other side and then weight the entire fuselage assembly down with flat boards and weights such as water softener salt bags or bricks (about 200-400 lbs. is adequate).  It is strongly advised to pin the sheeting in place to the foam or anchor the perimeter when using some of the high quality urethane expanding glues.  These glues can exert a lot of pressure and can actually slide the sheeting and weights off the edges.

4.  Once cured, cut out the stab, servos, 1/2" dowel, wing tube hole, engine rails, hatches, and landing gear block openings.  The plans are very accurate and should be used as a template to get the openings very close.  Hint: cut the wing tube hole out first matching the location of the inserts you previously glued in; then align the plans and go from there.  Also trim away the excess balsa around the edges and block sand smooth.  Be careful not to sand into the foam too much and distort the shape.  Trim the sheeting flush to the inside of the front battery hatch opening leaving the balsa sheeting over the ply pieces you glued in earlier.  This way the hatch will fit flush inside the 1/16 ply fuselage doubler.  The balsa sheeting over the 1/8" ply hatch mounts for the receiver opening must however be trimmed out so that the hatch cover fits flush inside the surrounding balsa.  Optionally, the rx can be secured using velcro or tie straps without the hatch cover.  The balsa and small amount of foam left on the right side of the throttle servo hole will cut away after the ply fuselage doubler is installed.

5.  Now is the time to decide which engine you are going to use and adjust the engine rail width accordingly.  If you do need to make an adjustment, be sure and make the same change on the top and bottom mounts keeping the engine center line the same.  Note that the foam cores are cut wide for bigger engines.  Use scrap pieces of balsa (such as the 1/4" balsa from the R1A laser sheet) to shim the hardwood engine rails between the foam core and hardwood to achieve the correct engine mounting width you desire.  Glue the 5" hardwood engine rails and appropriate balsa shimming into the fuselage using epoxy.  A 2.5" piece is provided for the rear and must be cut to match your engine width and glued in place between the engine rails as shown on the plans.  Glue the supplied 1/2" x 1 1/8" hardwood landing gear supports into the respective fuselage holes.  Also glue in the rear 1/2" wing mounting dowel making sure it extends all the way through the fuselage sheeting.  Sand everything smooth after the glue dries.

6.  Using the 1/4" x 1 1/4" balsa provided, cap the top and bottom of the fuselage.  You will have to splice two pieces together to form the bottom piece and a small section at the rear of the turtledeck.  It's best to splice the wood using 45 - 60 degree angles in the wood.  To bend the balsa around the front lower fuselage and the canopy, cut small kerfs about every 1/2" or so half way through the balsa (foam side) using your razor saw (see photo for details).  Wetting the wood with ammonia and water also helps to bend the balsa to the shape.  Use polyurethane or epoxy glue and masking tape to securely hold the pieces in place until the glue dries.  Cap the canopy and turtle deck in one long piece and then finish the front deck by butting the end of the balsa up against the bottom front edge of the canopy.  This will help to hold the canopy balsa down while the glue dries.

7.  Once the glue has cured, sand the front and rear edge of the fuselage flush with the foam cores.   Finish capping the fuselage front as shown on the plans.  Sand each piece so that it fits flush and tight to the foam and surrounding pieces.  Use the 1/8" x 1.25 x 9" balsa piece provided for the rear of the fuselage.  Once dry, sand excess balsa off and shape edges as desired.

8.   Using the plans as a guide, draw a center line on the fuselage side using a soft pencil.  The center line should run through the center of the engine mounts and for the Edge 540, the center of the stabilizer as well.  Now take one of the plywood root ribs and mark its center line using the plans as a guide.  Use the supplied short piece of wing tube socket about 1 3/16" long.  Slide this piece into the fuselage and then the R1 rib over the socket (rear mounting tab on R1 should point up).  Line up the R1 center line with that of the fuselage and mark the location of the front and rear wing mounting holes on the fuselage using a pencil.  Drill out the wing mounting holes for 6-32 through-bolts using a drill press for accuracy.  Glue the wing tube socket into the fuselage using epoxy making sure it extends through both sides of the sheeting.  Sand smooth after the glue dries.

9.  Sand the trailing edges of the fuselage ply doublers to a taper (note that the doubler with the hatch cutout goes on the left side and the doubler with the servo opening goes on the right side!).  Using thick CA or epoxy, carefully place and glue one of the 1/16” ply fuselage doublers in place and press firmly until the glue dries.  Repeat for the other side.  Make sure you have these aligned properly with the engine and wing root areas.  Note that the wing R1 rib needs to fit flush against the fuselage and not the ply doublers.  Hint: temporarily install the root ribs to help locate the fuselage doublers but make sure you don't get any glue on the root ribs.

10. Carve out a section of the lower fuselage capping as indicated on the plans and glue in place the 1/8" x 1/2" x 3" ply piece provided for the tail-wheel mounting plate.  Sand smooth when cured.

11. Fine trim the rudder and elevator servo openings to fit your servos.  OMP recommends the use of two medium torque (90 in-oz of torque or better) servos for the elevators and one high torque (130 in-oz of torque or more) servo for the rudder.

12. Center the laser cut receiver hatch over the opening and temporarily attach using one small screw in each side screwed into the 1/8" lite-ply mounts.  Remove the hatch and set aside for covering.

13. Note that front hatch pre-cut into the foam is the default location for the battery and represents a typical location for most engine/servo combinations.  However, different engine and servo combinations will dictate a different location for proper balance.  The Giant Profiles are designed so that you can relocate the battery compartment anywhere along the lower fuselage with access to the servo wire tunnel.  Before covering your fuselage, assemble the entire model, engine, and radio gear and check the CG location.  Adjust the battery location accordingly and mark where you want to locate it.  For the stock battery location, simply cut out the remaining foam from the bottom of the opening and install the hatch cover.

14. If you need to construct another battery hatch, carefully cut out the sheeting and foam making sure the opening is directly below the servo wire tunnel.  The opening should be 2.75 inches long by 2.5 inches tall.  Now trim away the balsa and foam 3/8" wide by 1/8" deep either side of the opening and glue in 1/8" x 2.5" ply hatch supports (must cut from scrap).  Center the laser cut battery hatch over the opening and temporarily attach using two small screws in each side.  Remove the hatch and set aside for covering.  

15.  Cut out the remaining balsa and foam for the throttle servo using the laser opening provided on the right-hand side.  Note that a servo wire tunnel is provided to feed the wire into the receiver compartment.

FIN CONSTRUCTION:

1.      Begin by cutting and pinning in place the 1/4” x 1/2" trailing edge piece in place.

2.  Cut and glue in place the 1/4” x 3/8” fin front and the 1/4” sq. bottom and top pieces. 

3.  Cut and glue in place the 1/8” x 1/4” cross brace.

4.  Unpin the assembly and block sand both sides flat.

5.  Sheet both sides of the fin with 1/16” balsa (grain running parallel to the LE).  The sheeting should be flush to the bottom of the fin.  Do not sheet the vertical fin post below the fuselage top as this post will onto the back of the fuselage.  Lay the fin structure over a piece of 1/16" x 3" balsa and mark the sheet for best use of the material.

6.  Sand both sides smooth and shape the leading edge as desired.

7.  Glue the fin to the rear of the fuselage assuring the fin post is centered on the back of the fuselage, perfectly vertical, and flush against the top of the fuselage.  Glue in place using CA.  You may wish to sand and shape the fuselage top before gluing on the fin.

8.  Using the 1/2" sq. balsa provided, cut two pieces to fill in the fuselage rear edge along the fin post.  The top of these filler pieces should match the angle of the turtle deck.  The pieces will be a little oversize at this point.  From a piece of 3/8" triangle x 36" balsa, cut and glue in place a piece to the rear of the fin post.  Make sure you glue this centered on the back of the fuselage!  The rear edge of the fuselage should now be tapered to blend into the 3/8” triangle stock.  Use your razor plane and sanding block to shape the 1/2" sq. balsa fillers according to "View A" on the plans.  The top edges of the fuselage can also be tapered to blend into the fin.

RUDDER CONSTRUCTION:

1.      Begin by cutting and pinning in place the 3/8” x 1/2” balsa main rudder post.

2.      Cut and glue in place all pieces of 3/8" sq. framing, 3/8” x 1/2” trailing edge, and 3/8” x 3/4” bottom edge (use the 12" piece provided).  Securely glue with CA as you go along.  Make sure you leave a 1/32” gap between the fin and rudder top edge. 

3.      Cut and glue in place all the 1/4” x 3/8” balsa ribs.

4.      From the 3/8” x 1.5” x 8” balsa piece provided, cut out the triangle brace to fit in the bottom corner of the rudder frame.  Note the grain direction.  Use the illustration on the plans as a guide and save the remaining piece for use on the elevators and wing panels.

5.      Once dry, remove the rudder and glue in place the 3/8” balsa triangle hinge stock using the remaining piece from the fin construction. As before, make sure you glue this on centered (note that it will overlap both sides a little).

6.      Sand both sides of the rudder smooth and the LE and TE as desired.

7.      Pre-hinge the rudder using four CA hinges (or your favorite choice of hinge) evenly spaced.  Make sure you cut the slots for each hinge dead center on the triangle stock.  Glue the hinges in place after you have covered your model.

STABILIZER AND ELEVATOR CONSTRUCTION:

1.      Begin by pinning down the 1/4” x 1/2” balsa trailing edge piece.  Glue the 1/4” sq. x 24” piece of basswood to this piece as indicated on the plans.

2.      Cut and glue in place the 1/4” x 3/8” balsa stabilizer sides and leading edge pieces. 

3.      From the 1/4” x 2” x 5.75” balsa piece provided, trim the leading edge of the stabilizer center as indicated on the plans and glue in place.

4.      Cut and glue in place all the 1/8” x 1/4” balsa ribs.

5.      Remove the stabilizer and sand both sides smooth.  Sheet both sides of the stab with 1/16” balsa using four sheets of 1/16" x 3" balsa cut to 24" lengths.  Save the left over pieces for wing bay sheeting.

6.      From the second piece of 3/8" x 36" balsa triangle provided, cut and glue in place the triangle hinge stock to the rear of the stab.  Make sure it is centered on the TE.

7.      Build both elevators at the same time.  Cut and glue in place the 3/8” sq. and 3/8” x 1/2” balsa framing for each elevator.  Glue joints are important here as the elevators are light but work really hard in this model!

8.      Cut and glue in place all the 1/4” x 3/8” balsa ribs.  Using scraps of 3/8” x 1/2” balsa, glue gussets in the counter balances of each elevator (see plans).

9.      Using the 3/8” x 1.5” balsa left over from the rudder assembly, cut and glue in place the triangle fillers at each control horn location.  Again, use the plans as a guide and remember to save the left over for the wing panels.

10.  Remove the elevators from the building board and glue in place the 3/8” balsa triangle.  You should have two pieces of triangle stock roughly 12" long left for this step (one from the stab construction and one provided in the kit).

11.  Sand all structures smooth, the leading edge of the stab and elevator counter balances round, and the trailing edge of the elevators as desired.

12.  Pre-hinge the elevators (3-4 per side) just like the rudder.  Make sure you cut the slots for each hinge dead center on the triangle stock and be very careful not to drill or cut into the hardwood stab spar or you will weaken it significantly.  Glue the hinges in place after the model is covered.  Also make sure you leave about a 1/32” gap between the stab and the elevator counter balances. 

WING CONSTRUCTION

Note that the wing is symmetrical and the right and left hand panels are built over the same plan, both upside down and flat on your building board.  Also, please note that the design of the root rib tabs has been improved for durability, the pictures below represent the previous design.  The dashed lines represent the right hand wing panel; you will build the left hand wing panel first using the solid lines.  Pay attention to the placement of the ribs during layout as the R1 rib is 1/8” thick and the R9 rib is 3/32” thick and the respective spacing between R1 and R2 is different than between R8 and R9.  This is evident on the plan when viewing the dashed lines for the right hand wing panel.