Polecat instruction manual

"Alert: If the center web and/or the vertical bulkhead in the front of the wing saddle of the fuse is, modified or removed, then you must put lots of epoxy and glass fiber "goop" under and around each of the front wing mounting blocks. A plywood gusset front and rear of the blocks attached to the fuse sides would be a good solution as well.
To not do this,can and probably will cause the wing blocks to leave the fuse along with the wing. Not a good thing."

1. First wash all components with soap and water to remove all access mold release.
2. Next sand the entire fuselage, especially the areas that will receive fillets (around the stab and the wing saddle). I usually sand the fillet areas with 80 grit and the rest of the fuselage with 180 to prep it for paint. The white color is paint and can be used as the primer (this is what I do).
3. Cut out the area inside the fillets to receive the stab and control horn. On the right side of the fuselage you will see a small recessed rectangular area, this is where the control horn slides through the fuselage. Cut the rectangle out leaving a 3/32" flange to receive a 1/64th ply cover. The cover will be glued to the flange and then filled when you apply fillets to the stab. For fillets I use a product called "Super-Fil" which is sold by Aircraft Spruce and specialty. It is a two part epoxy filler that is awesome try it you will like it. There seems to be a slight amount of negative built into the fillets so keep the stab towards the top of the cut-out in the front and to the bottom in the rear. It is not much but needs to be addressed.
4. Cut out the firewall using the supplied template on the drawing using 3/8" five ply, plywood.
5. Slide the firewall into the fuselage and make the necessary trimming so that the firewall fits snuggly into the fuselage but not so tight that it deforms the fuselage.
6. Place your motor mount inside the engine compartment and fasten your motor to the mount. Remove the necessary material from the fuselage around the venturi so that the motor fits properly and be careful not to remove too much material so that the opening around the venturi is too large. At this point you will be installing and removing the engine a couple of times until the venturi fits, when doing this make sure the firewall is pressed up against the mount and install your spinner every time to verify the fit. (I have only installed a NELSON engine into the airplane).
7. Once you are satisfied with the engine fit press the firewall up against the mount and use some thin CA to tack glue the mount to the firewall. (THE ENGINE MUST BE IN THE PROPER POSITION AND THE SPINNER MUST HAVE THE PROPER SPACING TO ALLOW THE ENGINE TO OPERATE. YOU MAY USE EITHER A PIECE OF 1/32 PLY OR BALSA TO SPACE THE SPINNER AWAY FROM THE FUSELAGE.)
8. Next, remove the engine from the mount and drill the pilot holes for the mount through the firewall.
9. Tap the mount to break it free from the firewall and remove the firewall through the wing saddle. Re-drill the mount holes to accommodate the blind nuts and install the blind nuts.
10. Sand the area inside the fuselage surrounding the firewall and glue your firewall in place. Use slow-drying epoxy and glass fibers and make sure your engine is aligned prior to the epoxy curing.
11. Cut out the cheek cowl cover using the scribe lines. And verify that it fits correctly onto the fuselage with the engine installed.
12. Mount the aileron servo. Cut through both the bottom and top skins at the centerline to accommodate your servo and horn (distance back from the LE is shown on the print). Stay away from square corners! Plywood plates installed onto the top skin will provide the necessary mounting area for the servo. The servo is fastened to the plates through the bottom (opposite of normal installation). 4-40 screws through the torque tubes and Goldberg 3/32 plastic horns are used to actuate the ailerons. I have recently switched to using brass tubing horns, the 4-40 screws will need to have the threads removed to allow the 1/8" tubing to fit. However, leave enough threads so that you can still fasten the screws to the torque tubes. The brass tubing allows the linkage to be installed easily versus the plastic horns. Both methods work. Make sure the servo and linkage is set-up correctly prior to installing the canopy.
13. Next mount the wing. The wing is secured to the fuselage from the bottom through the wing fillets. (Notice the inside of the fuselage has hard points installed into the fillets to accommodate the mounting screws. Use the drawing as a reference as to where to drill the holes. You will use 4 bolts, use either (4) 10-24 or 10-32 flat heads or (2) ¼-20 for the front and (2) 10-24 or 10-32 screws for the rear.
14. Line up the wing with the center-line of the fuse to ensure that it is square. Next secure the trailing edge of the wing to the fuselage using a servo mounting screw (on the center-line at the root through the wing into the fuselage saddle). Repeat this process for the leading edge except this time use 2 servo screws through the wing and into the fuselage saddle (as close to the leading edge as you can get). The reason for this is to keep the wing aligned as you drill the mounting holes through the fuselage into the wing.
15. Make the drill guide template supplied on the print and use this as a reference for drilling the wing mounting holes, DETAIL C. Drill one hole and tap it, install a screw. Repeat this process until all 4 holes are drilled and tapped. Use the same template to countersink all four holes. Remove the wing and re-drill the holes in the fuselage to accept the bolts.
16. Install the tail through the fuselage. Slide the pushrod through the saddle and connect it to the elevator horn. Use a small piece of 1/64th ply to cover the cut-out. The ply can be CA'd in place and filled when you make the fillets.
17. Install the rudder control horn. Use a ½ A horn, cut the bottom ear off so that the horn can be installed low enough for the rudder pushrod to pass through the exit guide. Dremel out the rudder to accept the horn and epoxy the horn in place. Fill the cut-out when you add fillets to the stab. (Verify that you have at least 3/8" of right rudder throw)
18. With the tail and wing in place check the incidence. Everything should be zero. Pot the wing to the fuselage and CA the tail in place.
19. Trim the canopy to fit. Sand the canopy and CA it in place.
20. Remove the wing from the fuselage and apply fillets to the tail and canopy.
21. Install the landing gear. First install a 1/16th ply plate on top of the landing gear recess area inside the fuselage. As shown on the print DETAIL A, the landing gear is installed from the inside of the fuselage into a plate on the bottom of the gear. You can either use a small cover over the gear or create a small filler block as shown on the print. Use 6-32 button head screws and blind nuts. Space in this area is tight so anything you can do to reduce the overall height will be helpful. The gear bolt pattern is shown in DETAIL B.
a. Another option is to install the plate inside the fuselage and put the blind-nuts inside the fuselage. This allows you to remove the gear from the outside and you must utilize a small cover taped onto the fuselage. CAUTION, use 4-40 screws and make sure they will not puncture the tank.
(NOTE: the blind nuts inside the fuselage seems to be easier, this is the method I currently use)
22. Prime and paint.

RADIO INSTALLATION:
1. Ailerons should be done!!
2. Use the template provided on the print to make your servo tray. You may use any configuration you wish as long as you provide enough space between the landing gear and the servos to accommodate your receiver.
3. Receiver is placed between the servos and the tank.
4. The battery pack is installed up front on top of the tank up against the firewall.
5. The CG should come out at 2 3/8" from the leading edge. I have flown with the CG as far back as 2 ½".
6. To ensure that the proper height is obtained between the tank and the bottom of the wing you must place the rear of the tank in boiling water for a few seconds to soften the plastic and then while the plastic is soft squeeze the rear of the tank to reduce it's overall height. Not much is needed just enough to get the wing to sit flat.
7. You will need more throw than you think, I would start out with 1/8" of travel up and down on both the elevator and ailerons as low rate.
Note: Early models have had aileron flutter, this has been minimal and is easily corrected with a piece of tape across the outboard aileron gap. The tape is placed at a 45 degree angle covering the midpoint of the tip of the aileron.

Parts needed to complete this kit:
1. Engine mount (I have only tried the JETT mount)
2. 1 ½ inch spinner
3. Jett CG tank
4. Wheels and Axles
5. Misc. radio installation components (plywood, pushrods, glue, etc.)