We hope you ll enjoy the Drifter as much as we have! Scott DeTray Model Aero Specifications:

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1 We are excited to bring you the Drifter RC airboat. You re probably thinking it doesn t fly so what is Model Aero thinking??? We have always liked RC vehicles of all types and have had a fondness for airboats for many years. After we built the prototype we realized it was just too much fun not to share! The Drifter is at home on grass, water, or snow. We actually prefer to run it on grass or even pavement (with some bottom protection of course!). It s also a blast to run on a smooth surface like a gym floor. We call it the Drifter for a reason; it Drifts through turns and that is what makes it fun. It takes a certain amount of skill and practice to get it just right, and that keeps it interesting unlike RC cars and trucks which can get boring pretty quickly (unless you re racing). We hope you ll enjoy the Drifter as much as we have! Scott DeTray Model Aero Specifications: Length: 34 Width: 11 AUW: oz. Controls: Rudder (9 gram servo recommended) and throttle Motor: (1400kv) APC 7-5E prop, (2200kv) APC 6-4E prop ESC: 30 to 40 amp Battery: S to S

2 Construction Before starting construction, read through the build guide and familiarize yourself with the various steps involved. Adhesives: Most standard foam safe adhesives can be used. Epoxy, foam safe CA (thick), Foam Tac, and many others will work fine. If you plan to run the Drifter in water, care should be taken to seal up the hull. Note that some pictures may be slightly different than your kit. Working on a flat surface, lay the hull top deck down and attach the hull sides and rear bulkhead as shown. Note that the round holes in the rear bulkhead have been changed to rectangular ones in the kit.

3 Next, the hull bottom and rear transom are attached. One the glue dries, you may wish to sand the corners slightly all the way around for a better appearance. The roll bar mounts and tail base support are now attached. Epoxy is recommended for this step. We have painted all wood parts black. This isn t required; we just think it looks better. Note that the hatch has been cut free and the 5 x 9 hull bottom doubler has been glued in. Also visible is a ledge for the hatch made from the ½ foam strips.

4 The vertical stab and nacelle are the trickiest part of the build, so study these steps carefully. Starting with the 3 pieces shown above, glue the inner pieces of the vertical stab to one of the outer pieces. The space between the pieces serves as a channel for the motor extension wires. Next, attach the other side of the vertical stab as shown above.

5 Sand the leading and trailing edges of the vertical stab to a pleasing shape as shown.

6 Sand a taper on the angled end of the nacelle side pieces. This will make it easier to bend around the nacelle bottom. Attach the nacelle sides on top of the nacelle bottom as shown. The curve can be bent by hand. A little heat from a heat gun or hair dryer will allow the foam to be more easily bent.

7 1/8 Next, attach the nacelle assembly onto the vertical stab. Then, install the rudder using the two CA hinges. Position the rudder 1/8 above the bottom of the vertical stab. Note the foam firewall and wood motor mount have been epoxied into place. We recommend smearing some epoxy around the inside of the foam firewall as well.

8 Shown above are three 18 motor wire extensions (not included). Note we have put bullet connectors on each end which are not necessary but ease the hookup of the motor and ESC. The wire should be 14 to 16 gauge. The extension wires have been run through the wire channel of the vertical stab and the female bullet connectors are shown protruding through a hole in the bottom of the nacelle. The vertical stab/nacelle assembly may now be epoxied into place, taking care to keep everything square and true. Route the motor extension wires through the aft bulkhead and into the hatch area as shown.

9 Next, install the rudder servo and linkage. You will want to use a long servo arm and setup the rudder for maximum deflection. Then, attach the roll bar, roll bar top support, and nacelle top as shown. Epoxy is recommended for this step. Note that the motor has been installed and the wires connected.

10 Construction is now complete except for decal application and installation of the receiver, ESC, and battery. See decal application tips below. Decal application tips The decal application procedure is the same for all our kits and the photos may not be of the airboat. Before applying the decals, clean the foam of sanding dust. An effective way to do this is with a tack rag or packing tape. Laying the tape down and peeling it off removes all the dust from the foam, allowing the decal to stick better. Trim each decal as shown in photo, leaving 1/16 to 1/8 of the backer paper around the decal. Then, peel the decal/backer from the sheet & place the decal in the desired location and press down thoroughly. Very carefully peel the backer paper off the decal (right), making sure the decal stays on the plane. If the decal lifts off the plane, just press it back down and try another corner. Tweezers work very well for grabbing the backer paper. Additionally, a bit of Windex or water applied to the backer paper will soften it and ease it's release. Just be sure not to get any moisture under the decal itself.

11 4 ¼ Use the photo above as a guide to place the decals. The canopy decal should be positioned 4 ¼ back from the front of the airboat. Be very careful when handling this decal as it is quite large. Once the canopy decal is in place, carefully cut the sides of the hatch free, leaving the decal uncut at the front of the hatch. The decal will serve as a hinge for the hatch. We simply tape the rear of the hatch closed, but magnets or a latch could be used as well. Bottom Protection To prevent excessive damage to the bottom, you may want to put some type of protection on it. Thin plastic sheet, packing tape, duct tape or Gorilla tape are a few things that work well. Set-up and Operation Rudder throw: 1 ¾ each way, 50% expo recommended. CG: The Drifter should balance approximately 17 back from the nose for ground operation and 19 back from the nose for water operation. The location of the RX and ESC is not critical. Place the battery to achieve the correct CG. When running the Drifter, keep in mind that it is over powered! (especially with the motor) It will blow over at high speeds! If you are letting a younger or inexperienced operator run the Drifter, you may want to consider using a less powerful motor or limiting the high throttle end point until they have some experience. If you see the nose start to rise, simply cut the throttle until it settles back down. Note that motor torque can cause the Drifter to lean left with the application of power. You may wish to offset the battery ½ to the right side to counter this. Note: Monitor ESC temperature closely. While we have not used vents or a heatsink for cooling, It may become necessary in warm ambient temperatures. The Drifter relies on prop thrust against the large rudder for turning authority. When entering a turn, use a combination of rudder and throttle inputs to get the desired results. When done just Right, the Drifter will drift through the turns. For water operation, we recommend having a chase boat to retrieve the Drifter should it capsize.

12 Please consider our other designs for more RC fun! Polaris, Polaris XL, and Mini Polaris Aqua Cat

13 Aqua Jet AeroCat V2 and MiniCat

14 Cessna