Panda (oz5307)

About this Plan

Panda. Radio control glider. Jedelsky style wing.

Discontinued model from Multiplex. Kit # 214058. Plan also includes 2nd sheet showing Electro-Panda option, to add Permax 400 electric motor in the nose.

Direct submission to Outerzone.

Build manual with text and illustrations in German, English and French.

Quote: "Panda is a small model glider designed for two-channel radio control. The model is also available in an electric version under the name Elektro-Panda. The kit is designed to ensure that even the absolute beginner to modelling will be able to complete the model successfully without assistance.

All the model's components are highly pre-fabricated, so that construction is fast and straightforward. No covering is necessary since all the flying surfaces are balsa-sheeted. All the model needs for waterproofing is two or three coats of clear or coloured dope. Of course, you can give your Panda a decorative multi-colour paint finish if you wish, using any colour scheme which you find attractive. However, don't apply too much colour paint as this will increase the model's all-up weight unnecessarily.

The wing section endows Panda with docile flying characteristics and an excellent flight performance for the size of model. The wings are fixed to the fuselage with rubber bands which will give way on a hard landing to prevent major damage.

Panda and Elektro-Panda are very easy to transport, as the two-part wing and removable tailplane make the model as compact as it could possibly be. Panda can even be carried without difficulty in a duffle bag on your bicycle or moped.

We strongly recommend that you build your Panda in the sequence described in the building instructions. This ensures that your model will go together as quickly as possible, and without hiccups.

Tools You will need a certain minimum of tools to build the model successfully: 2.5 and 1.5 mm diameter drills, a sharp balsa knife, glasspaper of various grades (60, 120, 240 and 400 - the grade is printed on the reverse of the paper), combination pliers, glass-headed pins, adhesives (see separate section below), a flat building board about 80 cm long and 20 cm wide, a roll of adhesive tape and a sanding block.

The sanding block can be home-made. Take a wooden block about 2 cm thick, 7 an wide and 15 cm long, and stick coarse glasspaper on one face, fine glasspaper on the other. We suggest that you use double-sided tape (Order No. 68 3116) to fix the abrasive to the block, so that worn-out paper can be removed and replaced with new. A good sanding block is an important aid to building a strong, accurate model. For example, it is essential for sanding the wings flat and smooth and for shaping components accurately (leading edges, noseblock).

Adhesives: Several different adhesives are required: White glue (PVA) has always been one of the best and most economical adhesives for joining wooden parts. It can be thinned with water and applied easily with a paintbrush, and it is fairly slow-drying. White glue is recommended to any modeller who has little experience with adhesives.

Two-pack resins produce high-strength joints. These adhesives must be used where small-area joints are likely to be severely stressed. You will only need epoxy resin for your Panda. Note that there are fast-setting and slow-setting epoxies: 5-minute epoxy sets in about 5 minutes, and if you find this working time too short it is best to select a slower-setting type. Be sure to read the manufacturers instructions.

ZAP is an extremely fast-setting adhesive based on cyano-acrylate. The material starts to harden when it comes into contact with moisture, which is present in the air and in aircraft components (wood contains a lot of moisture). The larger the surface area of glue which the moisture can reach at the joint position, the fasterthe cyan sets. Forthis reason do not applythe glue too thickly as this inhibits hardening. Human tissues also contain plenty of moisture, and ZAP sets very quickly in contact with skin. Fingertips will stick together in seconds! Cyano is particularly dangerous if allowed to spurt out of the bottle into an eye. ZAP must always be used with the greatest care.

Fuselage: If you have bought the glider version you will be pleased to know that you can convert the model at anytime tothe electric version with the supplementary kit, Order No. 33 2547. Tape the plan down over the building board and cover it with clear plastic film, to avoid the balsa parts sticking to the paper. Lay both the fuselage sides 1 on the building board, as shown in the sketch. This avoids the danger of building two left-hand or two right-hand fuselage sides.

Fig.1.

Before fitting the doublers press out the opening for the receiver On/Off switch in the left-hand doubler 2. If you are building your Panda as a glider (no motor), press parts 81 out and glue them back in again. For the electric version these parts are glued in place as shown on the supplementary plan. The openings which result serve as air inlets for cooling the motor.

Fig.2.

Glue the doublers 2 to the fuselage sides 1. Glue the top and bottom fillets 3 and 4 in place. Cut the struts 5, 6 and 7 to length and glue them in place..."

Update 19/04/2021: Added review from Aviation Modeller International, July1997, thanks to RFJ.

Supplementary file notes

Manual.
Review.

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