Introduction

In 1999, Dr. Mark Drela of MIT revolutionized the world of RC sailplanes by creating a series of airfoils that were designed specifically for the task. These airfoils quickly replaced the scaled down versions of full-scale aircraft that had been used with some success. Within 2 years of their introduction, the vast majority of competition class hand launch planes were using these airfoils.

Along with the airfoil designs, Dr. Drela also published plans for a number of sailplanes using new construction techniques and materials to create planes that were extremely light, strong, and floated in the slightest bit of lift.

The SuperGee and Apogee planes quickly grew in popularity as the sport of hand launch gliding took off in 2000-2001. These planes performed extremely well, but their success was limited to those who had the skill and materials to create their own wings, tailfeathers, and pod to meet the design goals for weight and strength.

With the release of the Apogee 400 in 2005 and now the Apogee Sport from Enduro Composite Models, anyone with intermediate building skills can put together this high-performance glider.

MODEL SPECIFICATIONS

Airfoils: AG13 - AG14
Wingspan: 101.6 cm (40”)
Wing Area: 1280 sq cm (198.4 sq. in.}
Weight: 113.4 grams (4.0 ounces)
Wing Loading: 8.85 gm/sq dm (2.9 oz/sq ft)

• Parts Total: 83.4 grams
• Gear Total: 30.0 grams

• Total Weight: 113.4 grams (4.0 oz)

THE ECM APPROACH

ECM has tried to maintain not only the properties of Mark Drela’s original design, but the model assembly methods as well. Some things have been changed to either simplify construction or for production, but much thought has gone into this so not to compromise the performance of the Apogee Sport or the intentions of the designer.

A simple analogy would be, much like climbing gear which is not meant for comfort but for performance. The Apogee Sport shares the same philosophy, the aircraft’s performance comes first, and with this you will find tight tolerances for gear installation.

TOOLS AND SUPPLIES

You probably already have many of the tools required to build this kit, with the possible exception of a few.

General

• Gram scale
• Millimeter ruler
• Cutting blades
• Small glue clamps
• Model pins
• Masking tape
• Thin permanent marker
• Covering iron
• Small razor plane
• Razor saw
• Triangles, 2 ea. – 45 degree or 30/60/90 degree
• Small triangular file
• Dremel Motor Tool (optional)
• Suggested drill bits :

#1 (5.791 mm) (0.228”)
#12 (4.801 mm) (0.189”)
#28 (3.569 mm) (0.141”)
#36 (2.705 mm) (0.106”)
#43 (2.261 mm) (0.089”)
#53 (1.511 mm) (0.059”)
#80 (0.343 mm) (0.014”)

Glues

• Epoxy, 5 min, ( and 30 min) recommended
• Finishing resin (Z-Poxy or equivalent)
• Titebond or equivalent white glue
• Thin CA (and medium CA) recommended
• CA accelerator (recommended)
• 3M Super 77 spray adhesive

Sanding Supplies

• 120, 220, and 400 grit sanding blocks and sandpaper

Other

• Covering material (Oracover light, So-Lite, EconoKote)
• 3/4 fiber glass (to cover the pod)
• Hinge Tape (3M Blenderm or equivalent)
• 1.19mm (.047”) diameter music wire
• Wax paper
• Chapstick or Vaseline

RADIO GEAR

For the Apogee Sport, you should choose the lightest most reliable gear available.

• Receiver: Castle Creations Berg 4L Microstamp, Hitec Micro 05S
• 2 servos: Blue Bird BMS-303, D47 (or Hitec HS35)
• Battery : 3.6 V 1/3 AAA 150, 160 (or the 180) mah NiMh – or LiPo single cell @ 3.7 V, dimensions: 1.1 x 0.77 x 0.19 in. / 27 x 19.8 x 5 mm

Additionally, a switch harness is recommended to connect the battery to the receiver.