The Black Horse Model Electric Trainer ARF is a quick build design for beginners that can be powered by a direct drive brushless motor like an AXI 2808/24 or the lower cost Brushless Power System 150 from FMA Direct. The easy flying aileron trainer uses three mini servos and a small 3-cell Lithium pack.

Key Features:

• All Balsa and Plywood construction
• Covered with hand iron-on Oracover® Film
• All hardware and accessories included
• Easy and quick building

Specifications:

• Wingspan: 52"
• Length: 42"
• Wingarea: 491 sq. in.
• Controls: 4-channel, 3-servos
• Weight: about 2lbs. RTF

Motor Mounts:

The Electric Trainer ARF comes with two motor mounts. One for the AXI-like mounting scheme and another for the GWS-like mounting scheme. The FMA Brushless Power System 150 fits right onto the stick which was then CA'ed in place after testing the cowl position. The two screws that come with the motor are used in the pre-drilled holes to keep it securely on the stick.

I replaced the stock mimi Tamiya connector with a Dean's Ultra Male connector.

Cowl and Spinner:

A slot needs to be cut in the cowl bottom to allow it to wrap around the front gear mains. I positioned the cowl with tape and then secured it with the four supplied screws.

I added a GWS rubber spinner (no included) for a more finished look.

Tail Assembly:

The stabilizers glued into place using thin CA after first cutting away a portion of the covering. You can also use epoxy or tacky white glue, if preferred. Note that the split elevator joiner rod also needs to be glued before installing it in the tail. You can use either 5-minute epoxy here or CA and kicker accelerator.

To ease the control rod binding, the rods assigned to the elevator and rudder were reversed. This meant that the rudder control rod now needed to be on the same servo arm side as the steerable nose wheel. We simply elongated the hole in the quick link to allow the second rod to be inserted.

The elevator control horn ended up being positioned on the end of the control surface for less binding. After trimming away the covering and CA gluing the control horn to the control surface, a thin strip of lite plywood was glued over the end for added strength.

M5 v2 Receiver

For glitch-free performance, use the light full-strength M5 v2 receiver

Servo Bay

The M5 receiver was easily positioned under the servo bay and an 8" extension was used to connect the aileron servo to channel 1. The rudder and elevator servos can be either a CS-35 mini servo or a strong micro servo like the Hitec HS-85.

Finishing Up:

By securing the Cellpro pack up front behind the firewall with Velcro, the Electric Trainer balances perfectly!

Hatch Modification:

A simple modification to the screw on hatch can be done, if desired, so that it can more easily open by simply pulling the screw head near the On/Off switch. By adding a hinge to the front end of the hatch, the lid closes toward the back of the plane. It is held shut by a snug fit.

Ready To Fly:

The 4 decals were added to the wings and the fuselage sides. The Black Horse Electric Trainer was Ready-To-Fly at 29.5oz (1.8lbs) including the Cellpro Kokam 3-cell 1250mAh pack that weighs 4.3oz. The new low-cost FMA Brushless Power System provides 150w at 15amps for a spirited 81w/lb. which is a perfect power level for a trainer.

Test Flying: