Mojave — Build Guide

At a glance

• Difficulty: Intermediate to build, easy to fly
• Wingspan: 3000 mm (118")
• Length: 1650 mm (65.0")
• Flying weight: 7700–8200 g (17–18 lb)

Overview

Thank you for purchasing a model by Lofted Aero! 3D printed aircraft are an exciting new segment of the hobby, and we've got no shortage of ideas for new designs. Your support helps us make those reality.

The Mojave is inspired by multi-role unmanned aircraft designed for performance and adaptability in real-world conditions. It's built to fly from rugged environments, achieve impressive flight times, and carry cameras and equipment as desired. It's a capable design that shows how flexible and useful printable model aircraft can be.

In that spirit, this model can be equipped with an ArduPilot flight controller to enable assisted and autonomous flight features.

Skill meter

Build: This model is quite large but is straightforward to assemble. Heat-set inserts, retractable landing gear, and optional flight controller installation are the most complex features.

Flight: This model has a light wing loading and predictable handling. It is suitable for intermediate pilots.

Specifications

Spec	Value
Wingspan	3000mm (118")
Length	1650mm (65.0")
Wing Area	87.8dm2 (9.45ft2)
Print Weight	3300-3400g (7.3-7.5lb)
Flying Weight	7700-8200g (17-18lb)
Wing Loading	88-93g/dm2 (29-30oz/ft2)
Airfoil	NACA4412

Recommended equipment

The following hardware & electronics are required to complete the Mojave. In addition, you'll need some CA glue and activator, epoxy, your R/C transmitter and receiver, and a LiPo battery charger.

Power system & avionics

Item	Details
Motor	BadAss 4530-360kV Motor
ESC	BadAss Rebel V2 100A ESC
Battery	6S ~12Ah (two LiPo packs in parallel or single Li-Ion pack)
Propeller Blades	FlightLine 16x10 Blades (need 5 blades, 4 per pack)
Aileron and Elevator Servos	Hitec HS-85MG (x2) or Hitec D85MG (x2)
Flap Servos	Hitec HS-645MG (x2)
Rudder & Nosewheel Servos	Hitec HS-65MG (x2) or Hitec HS-70MG (x2)
Main Retracts	JP ER-120 – Inside (x2)
Nose Retract	JP ER-120 – 100 Degree Inside
Retract Controller	JP Tricycle Retract Control Box
Shock Absorbers	140mm Aluminum Shock Absorber (Similar alternatives are available from multiple sources)
Shock Oil	60WT Silicone Shock Oil
Short Servo Extensions	40cm Servo Extensions
Medium Servo Extensions	80cm Servo Extensions
Long Servo Extensions	100cm Servo Extensions
Motor Leads	12AWG Silicone Wire
Battery Leads	10AWG Silicone Wire
Pylon Release Servos (Optional)	JX DHV56MG (x2)

Autopilot equipment (Optional)

Item	Details
Flight Controller	Matek H743-Wing
GPS Receiver	Matek M10Q GPS with Compass
Airspeed Sensor	Matek Digital Airspeed Sensor

Carbon fiber

Tube	Cut Lengths	Qty	Link
16mm x 14mm x 1000mm Tube	Forward Wing Joiner Sleeves – 500mm – x2 (1000mm tube cut in half is OK) Aft Wing Joiner Sleeves – 420mm – x2 Center Wing Joiner Sleeve – 158mm	2	16mm x 14mm Carbon Tube
14mm x 12mm x 1000mm Tube	Wing Joiner – 1000mm – x2	2	14mm x 12mm Carbon Tube
12mm x 10mm x 1000mm Tube	Main Struts – 248.5mm – x2 Nose Strut – 205mm	1	12mm x 10mm Carbon Tube
10mm x 8mm x 1000mm Tube	Tail Joiner Sleeves – 80mm – x2	1	10mm x 8mm Carbon Tube
8mm x 6mm x 1000mm Tube	Wing Tubes – 1000mm – x4 Fuselage Tubes – 1000mm – x2 Fuselage Lower Tube – 350mm Nose Joiners – 100mm – x2 Forward Tail Tubes – 270mm – x2 Aft Tail Tubes – 74mm – x2 Forward Ventral Tube – 52mm Aft Ventral Tube – 152mm	8	8mm x 6mm Carbon Tube
6mm x 4mm x 1000mm Tube	Tail Skid – 150mm	1	6mm x 4mm Carbon Tube
2mm x 1000mm Solid Rod	Aileron Hinges – 578mm – x2 Elevator Hinges – 500mm – x2 Rudder Hinge – 157mm Flap Stiffener – 828mm – x2	5	2mm Carbon Rod

Filament

Use	Filament	Amount
Foaming LW-PLA for Wings and Tail	3DLabPrint PolyLight	~2715g Required
Regular PLA for Accessories	3DLabPrint PolyAir	~279g Required
TPU for Tires	3DLabPrint FlexiLight	~95g Required
PETG-CF for Landing Gear, Motor Mount and Prop Hub	Bambu PETG-CF	~248g Required

Hardware

Item	Part
Threaded Inserts	M3 Short Insert (x28, pack contains 100)
Motor Mount Threaded Inserts	M4 Short Insert (x4, pack contains 100)
Motor Mount Bolts	M4x14 Socket Head (x4)
Flap Hinges	M2.5x12 Socket Head (x10) M2.5 Washer (x20) M2.5 Lock Nut (x10)
Landing Gear Axles and Joints	M4x30 Countersink (x3) M4x60 Button Head (x3) M4 Washer (x5) M4 Lock Nut (x6)
Landing Gear Strut Mounts	M3x20 Socket Head (x2) M3x16 Socket Head (x2) M3 Low Profile Washer (x2, pack contains 100) M3 Lock Nut (x2)
Landing Gear Bearings	684ZZ 4x9x4mm Bearings (x6, pack contains 20)
Landing Gear Mount Bolts	M3x12 Countersink (x12)
Servo and Hatch Mount Screws	#2x3/8" Tapping (~x80) #2 Washer (~x20)
Payload Pod Mount Screws	M3x25 Countersink
Ball Link Ends	M2 Ball Linkage (x16, two packs of 10) M2 Lock Nut (x16)
Aileron Pushrods	M2 x 95mm Pushrods
Elevator Pushrods	M2 x 55mm Pushrods
Flap, Rudder and Nose Steering Pushrods	M2 Fully Threaded Rod (cut as necessary)
Pylon Mount Screws (Optional)	#4x7/8" Tapping (x6)

Note: A convenient hardware pack containing all inserts and fasteners is available from Lofted Aero HERE.

Printing thin-wall models

Desktop 3D printers are perfectly capable of producing great-flying R/C models durable enough to withstand hangar rash and general use. However, aircraft designs contain a unique mix of thin surfaces and intricate solid supports that require some practice to print perfectly. Keep the following tips in mind when printing your model.

Slicing with OrcaSlicer

The model download includes .3MF project files for OrcaSlicer – a modern, free, and open source slicer with wide support for popular printers and the ability to utilize multiple plates and varying settings within a single project. These project files include print settings tailored to the model as well as filament settings with adjusted temperature and retractions. The provided settings have been tested to suit a wide range of printers – in most cases, no changes should be necessary aside from choosing your printer.

The video below provides a guide for opening the .3MF project files in OrcaSlicer and ensuring the included process and filament settings are applied properly.

Tutorial video

Modifiers and per-object settings

OrcaSlicer allows per-object modifications to slicing settings, and this method is frequently used in the provided .3MF files. When making settings changes, be mindful of these per-object settings as well as any height range or other modifiers that have been applied to each part. You can use the "View all object's settings" button to quickly view the modifications for all part files in each project.

(example screenshot shown – may not represent this model)

Compatibility note

Some versions of OrcaSlicer use "Lateral Lattice" naming to refer to the "2D Lattice" infill pattern. Opening the .3MF files in these versions will produce the following error. Be sure to manually change the infill pattern to either "2D Lattice" "Lateral Lattice" for the relevant parts as appropriate for your OrcaSlicer version.

Quality filament

Using good quality filament can be the key to successful thin-wall prints. Foaming LW-PLA is the filament of choice for these prints due to its low warp and high interlayer bond strength – but not all LW-PLA is created equally. With poor quality filament, you may notice surface imperfections, underextrusion, or inconsistent foaming. We've had the best results with 3DLabPrint's "PolyLight" LW-PLA and strongly recommend it for printing Lofted Aero models. If it's not available in your region, Colorfabb's LW-PLA is a good substitute. Bambu PLA Aero and eSun LW-PLA will produce acceptable results, but weight will slightly exceed the 3DLabPrint or Colorfabb materials.

Mirrored parts

You'll notice that the included STL files often contain parts for only one side of symmetrical components like wings, tail surfaces, and landing gear. Don't worry – you can simply mirror these parts in your slicer to produce the other side. When using the included .3MF project files, this mirroring has already been done.

Other printing options

If you'd rather configure and slice the STL files yourself with the software and method of your choice, refer to the table below to configure slicing settings for the different types of parts.

Print table

Reference print profiles, per-part modifiers, and weights for each part.

Part	Weight	Print Profile	Modifiers
LW-PLA Parts
Wing L1 and R1	88g each	Lofted Aero 0.28mm LW-PLA Lattice0.28mm Height 0.42mm Extrusion Width 2 Perimeters 3 Top / 3 Bottom Layers Lateral Lattice @ 2.5% Lattice Angle 1 −30° Lattice Angle 2 30° 0mm Infill Anchor Nearest Seam Classic Wall Generator	Wing Hinge Modifier (100% fill in this region)
Wing L2 and R2	87g each		—
Wing L3 and R3	84g each		—
Wing L4 and R4	73g each		—
Wing L5 and R5	64g each		—
Wing L6 and R6	55g each		—
Wing L7 and R7	48g each		Ensure Vertical Shell Thickness – All
Wing L8 and R8	3g each		Ensure Vertical Shell Thickness – All
Flap L1 and R1	4g each		Flap Hinge Modifier (100% fill in this region)
Flap L2 and R2	21g each		—
Flap L3 and R3	22g each		—
Flap L4 and R4	22g each		—
Flap L5 and R5	22g each		—
Aileron L1 and R1	20g each		—
Aileron L2 and R2	19g each		Aileron Horn Modifier (100% fill in this region)
Aileron L3 and R3	19g each		—
Aileron L4 and R4	4g each		—
Tail L1 and R1	39g each		—
Tail L2 and R2	26g each		—
Tail L3 and R3	17g each		—
Tail L4 and R4	5g each		—
Elevator L1 and R1	2g each		—
Elevator L2 and R2	15g each		—
Elevator L3 and R3	13g each		Elevator Horn Modifier (100% fill in this region)
Elevator L4 and R4	10g each		—
Ventral Tail 1	21g		—
Ventral Tail 2	4g		—
Rudder 1	3g		Rudder Control Horn Modifier (100% fill in this region)
Rudder 2	10g		—
Nose 1	32g	Lofted Aero 0.28mm LW-PLA Cubic0.28mm Height 0.42mm Extrusion Width 2 Perimeters 3 Top / 3 Bottom Layers Cubic @ 3% 0mm Infill Anchor Back Seam Classic Wall Generator	Ensure Vertical Shell Thickness – Moderate
Nose 2	44g		—
Fuselage 1	36g		Ensure Vertical Shell Thickness – Critical Only
Fuselage 2	46g		—
Fuselage 3	93g		3 Top Layers
Fuselage 4	84g		—
Fuselage 5	100g		3 Top Layers
Fuselage 6	132g		—
Fuselage 7	112g		—
Fuselage 8	150g		Cube Modifier around scoop inlet (3 top layers in this region)
Fuselage 9	92g		3 Top Layers
Canopy 1	20g		Ensure Vertical Shell Thickness – Critical Only · Cube Modifier around tabs (10% fill in this region)
Canopy 2	49g		—
Canopy 3	53g		—
Canopy 4	18g		—
Hatch 1	17g		Cube Modifier around tab (10% fill in this region)
Hatch 2	6g		—
Gear Faring L1 and R1	4g each		1 Perimeter
Gear Fairing L2 and R2	4g each		1 Perimeter · Height Range 104.5-118.0mm (4 top layers and 100% fill in this region)
Spinner	13g		Aligned Seam · Archane Wall Generator · Auto Brim
Pylons L and R (Optional)	18g each		Aligned Seam
Total LW-PLA Parts	2751g
PLA Parts
Battery Tray	46g	Lofted Aero 0.20mm Standard0.20mm Height 0.45mm Extrusion Width 3 Perimeters 5 Top / 4 Bottom Layers Grid @ 15% 0mm Infill Anchor Aligned Seam Archane Wall Generator	—
Nose Screw Holder (x4)	1g each		—
Wing Spar Guide (L and R)	12g		—
Wing Joiner Stopper (x2)	4g each		—
8mm Spar Guide (x4)	2g each		—
Canopy Latch	4g		100% Fill
Hatch Latch	4g		—
Main Gear Mount	49g		—
Nose Gear Mount	25g		—
Bolt Latch Tab (x9)	18g total		50% Fill · 5 Perimeters
Bolt Latch Receptacle (x9)	26g total		40% Fill
HS-645MG Mount (x2)	5g each		100% Fill
HS-645MG Mount Cover (L and R)	12g each		—
D85MG Mount (x4)	2g each		—
D85MG Mount Cover (x2 L and x2 R)	4g each		—
Servo Receptacle 1x1 (x3, Optional)	2g each		0.12mm Layer Height
Servo Receptacle 3x1 (x2, Optional)	5g each		—
Total PLA Parts	279g
TPU Parts
Nose Tire	19g	Lofted Aero 0.28mm TPU0.28mm Height 0.42mm Extrusion Width 5 Perimeters 8 Top / 8 Bottom Layers Gyroid @ 15% Nearest Seam Archane Wall Generator	10% Fill
Main Tire (x2)	38g each		—
Total TPU Parts	95g
PETG-CF Parts
Propeller Hub	60g	Lofted Aero 0.20mm Standard0.20mm Height 0.45mm Extrusion Width 3 Perimeters 5 Top / 4 Bottom Layers Grid @ 15% Aligned Seam Archane Wall Generator	20% Triangles Fill · 4 Perimeters · Nearest Seam · Minimum Sparse Infill Threshold: 30
Propeller Hub Plate	6g		100% Fill · 6 Perimeters
Motor Mount	66g		40% Fill · 5 Perimeters
Main Gear Arm (L and R)	18g each		50% Fill · 6 Perimeters
Main Gear Joint (L and R)	16g each		—
Main Gear Strut Mount (L and R)	4g each		—
Main Gear Spacer Ball (x2)	1g total		Random Seam
Nose Gear Fork	23g		6 Perimeters
Nose Gear Joint	16g		40% Fill · 5 Perimeters
Total PETG-CF Parts	248g

Joining parts

Unless otherwise specified, medium CA and activator are recommended for joining printed parts. In addition, many joints use ~18mm lengths of 1.75mm PLA filament for alignment. Preparing a handful of these ahead of time can help speed up the build.

Wing assembly

1. Slide two 8mm x 6mm x 1000mm carbon tubes into wing section 5 and secure with glue.

   

2. Slide wing section 4 onto the tubes and glue it to section 5 with medium CA. Use a slower curing adhesive such as UHU or epoxy on the carbon tubes themselves to prevent setting before the parts are fully joined.

   

3. Repeat with wing sections 3, 2, and 1.

   

   

   

4. Prepare the 16mm spar joiner sleeves. Cut a 1000mm tube in half to form the forward joiner sleeves. Cut a second 1000mm tube into two 420mm lengths to form the aft joiner sleeves, saving the remaining short length to use for the fuselage in a later step.

5. Glue the printed spacers into the outboard end of the forward joiner sleeves. These ensure that the joiner itself sits centered in the wing. The shorter aft sleeves do not need them.

   

6. Glue the joiner sleeves into the wings with epoxy, being careful not to get any glue inside the tubes. It is easiest to perform this step before assembling and installing the wingtips.

   

7. Using some filament guide pins, join wing sections 6 and 7.

   

   

8. Similarly, add section 8 to the tip.

   

9. Again using filament guide pins, join the section 1-5 assemblies with the section 6-8 assemblies.

   

10. Cut 578mm lengths of 2mm carbon rod for the aileron hinges.

    

11. Trim the support material from the aileron tip sections.

    

12. Glue the four sections of the ailerons together, using the rod for alignment if desired. Be careful not to get any glue on the carbon hinge rod.

    

13. Install the ailerons using the carbon fiber hinge rods.

    

14. Secure the hinge rods with a drop of CA at the tip.

    

15. Cut 828mm lengths of 2mm carbon rod to act as stiffeners for the flap sections.

    

16. Ensure the sections are in the right order. Since the sections are visually very similar, they're embossed with identifying numbers.

    

17. Once satisfied, glue the flap sections together including the carbon stiffener rod.

    

18. Hinge the flaps to the wing using M2.5 x 10mm screws, washers, and locknuts. Fully tighten each screw one at a time, then loosen until the surface can rotate without resistance or slop.

    

    

19. Prepare the wing servo holders by gluing the mount components to the covers. Orientation of the mounts doesn't matter – the parts are symmetrical.

    

20. Center the aileron servos and fasten to the mounts using #2 x 3/8" self-tapping screws or the screws included with the servos.

    

21. Fit servo extensions as long as necessary for the servo lead to reach the wing root.

    

22. Install the aileron servos using more #2 x 3/8" screws to secure the mount covers to the wing. Assemble and connect pushrods using M2 threaded rods and ball links (as desired).

    

    

23. Center the flap servos and secure to the mounts with more #2 self-tapping screws.

    

24. Mount the flap servo assemblies to the wing and assemble pushrods as shown. Ensure that the servo arm is forward of neutral when the flap is in the retracted position – 1700 to 1800uS is a good starting PWM value for this.

    

25. Install M3 heat-set threaded inserts into the bolt latch receptacles.

    

26. Glue two bolt latch receptacles into each wing root, with the threaded inserts facing down. Wing assembly is now complete.

    

Tail assembly

1. Glue ventral tail sections 1 and 2 together.

   

2. Cut 8mm carbon fiber tube into 152mm and 52mm lengths for the ventral tail spars.

   

   

3. Cut a 4mm carbon fiber tube into a 150mm length for the tail skid.

   

4. Glue the ventral tail spars and tail skid into the joined ventral tail assembly as shown.

   

5. Cut a 2mm carbon rod into a 157mm length for the rudder hinge.

   

6. Join the two sections of the rudder, using the rod for alignment if desired.

   

7. Install the rudder with the carbon fiber hinge rod, securing the rod with a drop of glue at the root.

   

8. Center the rudder servo and mount it with #2 x 3/8" tapping screws. Create a pushrod using M2 threaded rod and ball links. Coil the lead under the servo, leaving enough to comfortably plug into the fuselage.

   

9. Glue a bolt latch receptacle into the ventral tail as shown.

   

10. Using filament guide pins as necessary, glue together the four sections of each tail surface.

    

    

11. Cut two 270mm and two 74mm lengths of the 8mm carbon fiber tube to serve as the forward and aft tail spar tubes, respectively.

    

    

12. Glue the forward and aft spars into the tail surfaces.

    

13. Join the four sections of each elevator surface.

    

    

14. Cut two 500mm lengths of 2mm solid carbon fiber rod to serve as the elevator hinges.

    

15. Use the carbon fiber hinge rods to install the elevator surfaces. The hinge rod will protrude from the root a small amount – this is expected.

    

    

16. Prepare the elevator servos, mounts, and covers in the same fashion as the aileron servos.

    

17. Install the servos and pushrods with #2 x 3/8" self-tapping screws, M2 threaded rods, and ball links.

    

18. Install two bolt latch receptacles in the root of each tail surface to complete the tail assembly.

    

Fuselage assembly

1. Install M4 heat-set threaded inserts into the motor mount.

   

2. Install M3 heat-set threaded inserts into the main and nose landing gear mounts.

   

3. Using filament guide pins, join fuselage sections 8 and 9.

   

   

4. Cut two 80mm lengths of 10mm carbon fiber tube. These will receive the 8mm forward tail spars – test to ensure that they slide together easily.

   

5. Glue the 80mm tail joiner sleeves into the aft fuselage.

   

6. Now is also a good time to glue the motor mount into the aft fuselage. Use a strong, slow-curing glue such as epoxy.

   

7. Glue the bolt latch tabs and 8mm tube receptacles into their slots in the tail and ventral mating areas of the aft fuselage.

   

   

8. Glue two 8mm x 1000mm carbon fiber tubes into their receptacles in fuselage section 7.

   

9. Apply a slow-curing adhesive like UHU or epoxy to the area of the tubes that will interface with fuselage section 6. Then, use filament guide pins and CA to join the mating faces of sections 6 and 7.

   

   

10. Install the main gear mount into its pocket in fuselage section 6 and secure with CA.

    

11. Using the same UHU/epoxy + CA process as previously, join section 5 to section 6.

    

12. Slide a pen spring and the forward hatch latch into the slot in fuselage section 5. Then glue on section 4, using care not to get glue on the moving latch parts.

    

    

13. Continue fuselage assembly by attaching section 3.

    

14. Similarly to the main gear mount installed previously, slide the nose gear mount into its pocket in fuselage section 2 and secure with CA.

    

15. Complete the forward fuselage assembly by adding sections 1 and 2.

    

    

16. Cut a 350mm length of 8mm carbon fiber tube to serve as the lower joiner between the forward and aft fuselage sections.

    

17. Slide a pen spring and the rear hatch latch into its slot on fuselage 8. Slide the lower joiner tube into the hole in fuselage 7.

    

18. Join the forward and aft fuselage assemblies together to complete the main fuselage assembly. The lower joiner tube will extend all the way into Fuselage 6 and should be secured with slow-curing glue.

    

    

19. Join the two sections of the rear hatch.

    

20. Join the four sections of the canopy.

    

    

21. Join the two sections of the nose and install four M3 heat-set threaded inserts.

    

    

22. Cut two 100mm lengths of 8mm carbon fiber tube to serve as the nose joiners.

    

23. Glue the nose joiner tubes into their pockets in the forward fuselage.

    

24. Glue the nose mounting screw doublers into their pockets in the battery tray area.

    

25. Glue the wing spar guides into their pockets in the fuselage. Insert and glue a ~158mm length of 16mm carbon fiber tube (this is the part left over from cutting the two 420mm aft joiner sleeves) into the forward hole in the guides.

    

26. Insert and glue the four bolt latch tabs into the wing root area to complete the fuselage assembly.

    

Landing gear assembly

1. Cut two 248.5mm lengths of 12mm carbon fiber tube for the main struts.

   

2. Cut one 205mm length of 12mm carbon fiber tube for the nose strut.

   

3. Install M3 heat-set threaded inserts into the strut mounts.

   

4. Glue the main gear joints to the carbon main gear struts with CA.

   

5. Create the main gear axles using M4 x 60mm bolts and locknuts.

   

6. Mount the main gear arms to the joints using M4 x 30mm flat-head bolts and locknuts. Tighten them fully, then back off until the arms can pivot freely without slop.

   

   

   

7. Slide the strut mounts onto the main gear tubes, paying attention to orientation. Do not glue them.

   

8. Prepare the shock absorbers along with M3 x 16mm cap screws, low-profile washers, and the printed spacer balls.

   

9. Insert the spacer balls into the top eye of the shock absorbers and align with the strut mounts.

   

10. Secure with the M3 x 16mm cap screw and low-profile washer as shown.

    

11. Secure the lower ends of the shock absorbers to the main gear arms using M3 x 20mm cap screws and locknuts.

    

    

12. Press the wheel bearings into the main wheel hub parts.

    

13. Assemble the main wheels, gluing the two hub components together at the middle. It is not necessary to glue the hubs to the tires.

    

14. Mount the main wheels to the axles using M4 locknuts.

    

    

15. Glue together the sections of the main gear fairings.

    

16. Slide the fairings onto the main gear assemblies and secure them to the joints with #2 x 3/8" self-tapping screws.

    

17. Now that the fairings have set the correct spacing and alignment of the printed strut mount parts, drop some CA into the two holes to secure them to the main gear tubes.

    

18. Loosen the screws in the trunnions of the retract units, then slide in the main gear assemblies.

    

19. The flat portion at the top of the fairings will sit on the outer face of the trunnion, setting the proper alignment of the main gear assembly. Ensure that this interface is not twisted, then tighten the screws on the trunnions to secure the main gear assemblies in place.

    

20. Mount the main gear to the fuselage with eight M3 x 12mm flat head screws. It may be easier to retract the units before screwing them into place.

    

21. Prepare the nose gear fork, nose gear joint, M4 x 30mm flat head screw, washer, and locknut, and the nose steering servo.

    

    

22. Create the nose steering pushrod with some ball ends and a short length of M2 threaded rod.

    

23. Assemble the parts to form the nose steering assembly. The M4 screw should be inserted from the bottom of the nose gear fork, and the M4 washer should sit between the fork and the joint. Fully tighten the screw and then back off until the fork can move freely without slop. Secure the servo with some #2 x 3/8" self-tapping screws.

    

    

24. Glue the 205mm nose gear tube into the nose gear joint with CA.

    

25. Mount the tube to the nose retract unit and tighten.

    

26. Press more wheel bearings into the nose wheel hubs. Assemble the hubs and tire in the same manner as the main wheels.

    

27. Mount the nose wheel to the fork using an M4 x 60mm screw and locknut.

    

    

28. Install the completed nose gear assembly into the fuselage with four M3 x 12mm flat head screws.

    

29. Secure the lead from the nose steering servo and ensure that there's enough slack for the gear to retract and extend without interference.

    

Motor and propeller installation

1. Press M3 locknuts into the back of the propeller hub.

   

2. Install the blades into the hub, ensuring the correct orientation. It's a good idea to individually weigh the blades and try to arrange them in as balanced a pattern as possible.

   

3. Place the propeller hub plate over the blade roots, then secure with the M3 cap screws included with the propeller blades. If you have the ability, you may choose to CNC cut the plate from fiberglass or carbon fiber rather than printing it. This is also a good time to balance the propeller, which you can do by adding small tapping screws to the small holes around the inside of the hub.

   

4. Mount the completed propeller hub assembly to the motor using the locknut included with the motor. It's easiest to do this now because it's difficult to grip the motor when it's installed inside the aircraft. Also, attach the cross mount to the motor during this step.

   

5. Place the ESC inside the fuselage and pull the wires through the hole in the top of the motor mount. Note that the fuselage is upside down in this photo.

   

6. Connect the motor wires and install the motor in the fuselage. Use the large holes in the hub to install and tighten the motor mount screws.

   

Final assembly and finishing

1. You can mount the female servo connectors to the printed receptacles to rigidly attach them to the roots of the wings and tail. These are optional but help clean up wiring.

   

   

   

   

2. The servo connector receptacles secure to the fuselage with #2 x 3/8" self-tapping screws.

   

3. Holders for the male ends of the servo leads are also included. These too are optional – if you choose to use them, you'll need to take extra care to ensure that they are perfectly aligned when installing the wings and tail surfaces.

   

4. Similarly, the male connector holders mount to the roots of the wing and tail surfaces with #2 x 3/8" self-tapping screws.

   

5. Mount the ESC in the rear avionics hatch area. This is also a good place for your R/C receiver. Secure the wiring as desired.

   

6. If using an airspeed sensor, mount the pitot tube in the hole at the front of the fuselage and secure with glue.

   

7. Mount the airspeed sensor in a suitable location and secure the tubes.

   

8. Glue the battery tray to the floor of the forward fuselage, aligning the notches in the sides. Add Velcro, non-slip pads, and straps as desired.

   

9. If using a flight controller, arrange it inside the avionics area. Connect the sensors, inputs, and outputs as per the flight controller documentation. If not using a flight controller, wire the servos and sequencer directly to your receiver.

   

   

   Note

   This model has many servos and retracts so be sure to use a BEC capable of powering them all. If you can, using one BEC to power the receiver and servos and another to power the landing gear is preferred. In the prototype, the Matek flight controller's powerful built-in BEC was used to power the servos while the ESC's built-in BEC was wired to power the gear sequencer, retracts, and doors.

10. If using the optional nose graphic, now is a good time to glue it to the nose assembly.

    

11. Slide the nose assembly onto the mounting rails and carbon fiber tubes in the underside of the forward fuselage.

    

12. Secure the nose assembly using four M3 x 25mm flat-head screws from the battery area.

    

13. Slide the ventral fin into its receptacles in the fuselage, while connecting the servo lead. Secure with a single M3x20mm cap screw.

    

    

14. Slide the stabilizers into their receptacle tubes in the fuselage, while connecting the servo leads.

    

    

15. Secure with two M3x20mm cap screws each.

    

16. Prepare the two 14mm diameter, 1m long carbon fiber wing tubes and insert them into the fuselage.

    

17. Slide the wing panels onto the spar tube.

    

18. Fasten the wing panels using two M3x20mm cap screws each.

    

Pre-flight setup

Adjust control deflections using the suggested throws below. Dual rates are optional depending on your preferences. Though regardless, consider using 20% - 40% expo for a smooth control response.

Suggested control throws

Control	Travel	Measured at
Aileron	35 mm up / 25 mm down	Root
Elevator	25 mm up / 15 mm down	Tip
Rudder	40 mm left / 40 mm right	Tip
Flaps	40 mm at full deflection	Root

The recommended CG is marked with indentations in the underside of the wings. Ensure that the model balances at this location with the battery, electronics, and all hatches installed. The landing gear should be extended during balancing.

Congratulations – you're ready to fly!

Optional Micro Cruiser pylons

The Mojave download contains wing pylons compatible with the Micro Cruiser design found HERE. It's a great design that's a lot of fun to drop from the Mojave and also to fly standalone.

The pylons use the linkage parts from the Micro Cruiser download, actuated by a 5.6g metal gear servo. They secure to the wings with three #4x7/8" self-tapping screws per side.

Contact us

Have a question, issue, or just a cool idea for the next aircraft we should model? Drop us an email at: info@loftedaero.com