Manual 1 - Tower Hobbies

INSTRUCTION MANUAL 

WARRANTY 

® 

WINGSPAN 

39 in [990mm] 

Tower 

Hobbies ® 

guarantees 

this kit to be 

free from defects 

in both material and 

workmanship at the 

date of purchase. This 

warranty does not cover any 

component parts damaged by 

use or modification. In no case 

shall Tower Hobbies’ liability exceed 

the original cost of the purchased kit. 

Further, Tower Hobbies reserves the right to 

change or modify this warranty without notice. 

In that Tower Hobbies has no control over the final 

assembly or material used for final assembly, no 

liability shall be assumed nor accepted for any damage 

resulting from the use by the user of the final 

user-assembled product. By the act of using the 

user-assembled product, the user accepts all resulting liability. 

LENGTH 

31.5 in [800mm] 

WING AREA 

272 sq in [17.5 dm 2 ] 

WEIGHT 

28 – 31.6 oz [795 – 895 g] 

If the buyer is not prepared to accept the liability associated with the 

use of this product, the buyer is advised to return this kit immediately in 

new and unused condition to the place of purchase. 

To make a warranty claim send the defective part or item to Hobby Services at 

the address below: 

 

Include a letter stating your name, return shipping address, as much contact information 

as possible (daytime telephone number, fax number, e-mail address), a detailed description 

 

problem will be evaluated as quickly as possible. 

WING LOADING 

14.8 – 16.7 oz/ft 2 [45 – 51 g/dm 2 ] 

RADIO 

4-Channel 

MOTOR 

1000kV outrunner, 30A ESC, 

10 x 6 3-blade propeller 

READ THROUGH THIS MANUAL 

BEFORE STARTING CONSTRUCTION. 

IT CONTAINS IMPORTANT INSTRUCTIONS 

AND WARNINGS CONCERNING THE 

ASSEMBLY AND USE OF THIS MODEL. 

TOWER HOBBIES 

 

 

airsupport@hobbico.com 

Entire Contents 

© 2012 Tower Hobbies 

TOWA2004 

®

2 

TABLE OF CONTENTS –––––––––––––––––– 

INTRODUCTION. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2 

SAFETY PRECAUTIONS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2 

REQUIRED FOR COMPLETION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2 

LiPo Battery Charger . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2 

KIT INSPECTION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3 

ORDERING REPLACEMENT PARTS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3 

CONTENTS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3 

MAIN ASSEMBLY. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4 

FINAL ASSEMBLY. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5 

Hook Up the Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5 

Check the Control Throws . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6 

Check the C.G.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6 

MOTOR SAFETY PRECAUTIONS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 

MOTOR/ESC OPERATION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8 

FLYING. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8 

REPAIRS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8 

INTRODUCTION –––––––––––––––––––––––– 

Thank you for purchasing the Tower Hobbies EP Hellcat. Not 

quite as much the “household” name as your Mustangs or Corsairs, 

the Hellcat is every bit as impactful when you see it in person— 

whether it’s the model or the real thing! But hey, what to say about 

this Tower Hobbies Hellcat There’s not really much to it other 

than an economical, durable and simple model with considerable 

surface and scale detail and it flies great! Get it together, head to 

your flying site, get it into the air and have fun! 

For the latest technical updates or manual corrections to the 

Hellcat, visit the Tower Hobbies web site at www.towerhobbies. 

com. Open the “Airplanes” link, then select the EP Hellcat ARF. 

If there is new technical information or changes to this model a 

“tech notice” box will appear in the upper left corner of the page. 

AMA 

If you are not already a member of the AMA, please join! The 

AMA is the governing body of model aviation and membership 

provides liability insurance coverage, protects modelers’ rights 

and interests and is required to fly at most R/C sites. 

Academy of Model Aeronautics 

5151 East Memorial Drive 

Muncie, IN 47302-9252 

Tele. (800) 435-9262 

Fax (765) 741-0057 

Or via the Internet at: www.modelaircraft.org 

IMPORTANT: Two of the most important things you can do to 

preserve the radio controlled aircraft hobby are to avoid flying near 

full-scale aircraft and avoid flying near or over groups of people. 

SAFETY PRECAUTIONS –––––––––––––––– 

PROTECT YOUR MODEL, YOURSELF & OTHERS… 

FOLLOW THESE IMPORTANT SAFETY PRECAUTIONS 

1. Your EP Hellcat should not be considered a toy, but rather a 

sophisticated, working model that functions very much like a 

full-size airplane. Because of its performance capabilities, the 

Hellcat, if not assembled and operated correctly, could possibly 

cause injury to yourself or spectators and damage to property. 

2. You must assemble the Hellcat according to the instructions. 

Do not alter or modify the model, as doing so may result in an 

unsafe or unflyable model. In a few cases the instructions may 

differ slightly from the photos. In those instances the written 

instructions should be considered as correct. 

3. You must use an R/C radio system that is in good condition. 

All components must be correctly installed so that the model 

operates correctly on the ground and in the air. You must check 

the operation of the model and all components before every flight. 

4. If you are not an experienced pilot or have not flown this type 

of model before, we recommend that you get the assistance 

of an experienced pilot in your R/C club for your first flights. 

If you’re not a member of a club, your local hobby shop has 

information about clubs in your area whose membership includes 

experienced pilots. 

5. While this kit has been flight tested to exceed normal use, if the 

plane will be used for extremely high stress flying, such as racing, 

or if a motor or battery larger than ones in the recommended range 

is used, the modeler is responsible for taking steps to reinforce 

the high stress points and/or substituting hardware more suitable 

for the increased stress. 

We, as the kit manufacturer, provide you with a top quality, 

thoroughly tested kit and instructions, but ultimately the 

quality and flyability of your finished model depends on how 

you build it; therefore, we cannot in any way guarantee the 

performance of your completed model, and no representations 

are expressed or implied as to the performance or safety of 

your completed model. 

REMEMBER: Take your time and follow the instructions to 

end up with a well-built model. 

REQUIRED FOR COMPLETION ––––––––– 

No extraordinary tools or building supplies are required to 

finish the EP Hellcat—just a Phillips screwdriver. The Hellcat 

is already equipped with servos, ESC and motor, so the only 

other components you have to supply are as follows: 

■ Minimum 4-channel transmitter and receiver 

■ 3S 11.1V 1800mAh ̶ 2200mAh LiPo battery: 

Electrifly 2200mAh 30C (GPMP0681) 

FlightPower 2100mAh 25C (FPWP4196) 

FlightPower 2200mAh 30C (FPWP6198) 

Flyzone 2100mAh 20C (FLZA6173) 

(See page 6 for more about batteries.) 

■ LiPo battery charger 

NOTE: If using a battery with a Deans ® Ultra Plug ® connector, 

a Deans Ultra Male-to-SuperTigre ESC adapter (SUPM0040) 

will also be required (or the connector on the ESC may simply 

be replaced with a Deans Ultra Male connector).

LiPo Battery Charger 

Most modelers may already have a suitable LiPo charger, but for 

those that do not, the Duratrax Onyx 235 AC/DC Advance Peak 

Charger (DTXP4235) is one of the suitable chargers recommended. 

The Onyx charger is perfect for 3S batteries used with the Hellcat 

and may be powered either by an external DC power source 

(such as a 12 battery), or a 110V AC outlet. The Onyx also has 

an adjustable charge rate to charge your batteries in as little as a 

half-hour or less (depending on the condition of your batteries 

and the manufacturer’s specified charge rate). The Onyx can also 

charge larger batteries and batteries other than LiPos, so it is a 

versatile charger you can grow into. The 235 also has an LCD 

digital display screen, so you can see how much capacity it took 

to recharge the battery (required for monitoring the condition of 

your batteries and calculating how long you can fly). 

NOTE: For use with the Onyx 235, LiPo batteries that come 

with a SuperTigre connector (such as the Flyzone batteries 

recommended) require a banana plugs-to-SuperTigre charge 

lead (SUPM0070). And batteries that come with a Deans Ultra 

connector require a Charge Lead with banana plugs/Deans Ultra 

Male charge lead (GPMM3148). 

KIT INSPECTION ––––––––––––––––––––––– 

Before assembly, take an inventory of this kit to make sure it is 

complete, and inspect the parts to make sure they are of acceptable 

quality. If any parts are missing or are not of acceptable quality, or 

if you need assistance with assembly, contact Product Support. 

When reporting defective or missing parts, use the part names 

exactly as they are written in the Kit Contents list. 

Hobbico Product Support Ph: (217) 398-8970 ext. 5 

3002 N Apollo Drive Suite 1 Fax: (217) 398-7721 

Champaign, IL 61822 

E-mail: airsupport@hobbico.com 

ORDERING REPLACEMENT PARTS –––– 

Replacement parts for the Tower Hobbies EP Hellcat are available 

using the order numbers in the Replacement Parts List that 

follows. The fastest, most economical service can be provided 

by your hobby dealer or mail-order company. 

To locate a hobby dealer, visit the Hobbico web site at www. 

hobbico.com. Choose “Where to Buy” at the bottom of the menu 

on the left side of the page. Follow the instructions provided on 

the page to locate a U.S., Canadian or International dealer. 

Parts may be ordered directly from Hobby Services by calling 

(217) 398-0007, or via facsimile at (217) 398-7721, but full retail 

prices and shipping and handling charges will apply. Illinois 

and Nevada residents will also be charged sales tax. If ordering 

via fax, include a Visa ® or MasterCard ® number and expiration 

date for payment. 

Mail parts orders Hobby Services 

and payments by 3002 N Apollo Drive, Suite 1 

personal check to: Champaign IL 61822 

Be certain to specify the order number exactly as listed in the 

Replacement Parts List. Payment by credit card or personal 

check only; no C.O.D. 

If additional assistance is required for any reason contact Product 

Support by e-mail at productsupport@hobbico.com, or by 

telephone at (217) 398-8970. 

Order No. 

TOWA6095 

TOWA6096 

TOWA6097 

TOWA6098 

TOWA6099 

TOWA6100 

TOWA6101 

TOWA6102 

TOWA6103 

GPMQ1888 

TOWA6092 

TOWM5500 

SUPM1030 

TOWG2000 

REPLACEMENT PARTS LIST 

Description 

Wing 

Fuselage 

Horizontal Stabilizer 

Vertical Stabilizer 

Cowl 

Canopy/Hatch 

Wing Bolt ( 2 pcs. ) 

Landing Gear 

10x6 3 Blade Propeller 

Tail Gear 

Spinner Hub 

Servo 

30A Brushless ESC 

1000kV Outrunner Motor 

––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– CONTENTS –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– 

1 

3 

1. Fuselage, Cowl, Canopy Hatch 

2. Wing 

3. Vertical Stabilizer 

4. Horizontal Stabilizer 

5. Hardware Bag 

6. Main Landing Gear 

7. Propeller Hub 

8. Propeller 

2 

8 

4 

7 

6 

5 

3

MAIN ASSEMBLY –––––––––––––––––––––– 

NOTE: If you haven’t yet figured it out yet, the canopy hatch 

is held to the fuselage with magnets at the rear and a tab at the 

front. To remove the hatch, simply lift up on the aft end of the 

hatch to disengage the magnets. 

❏ 3. Connect the pushrods to the horns as shown. 

❏ 4. Insert one, then the other main landing gear wires into 

the wing – the wire struts are positioned inboard of the wheels. 

❏ 1. Fit the horizontal and vertical stabilizer (stab and fin) 

together, then fit them to the fuselage while keying the tail gear 

into the rudder. 

4 

❏ 2. Fasten the stab and fin assembly to the fuselage with the 

M3 x 40 screw. 

❏ 5. Guide the aileron servo wire through the hole in the bottom 

of the wing.

❏ 6. Bolt the wing to the fuselage with the M6 x 50mm nylon 

wing bolt—don’t over tighten the bolt—just enough to securely 

“snug” the wing up to the fuselage. 

❏ 2. Use the included double-sided foam mounting strip to 

mount the receiver in the fuselage out of the way where it will 

not interfere with installation and removal of the battery. 

❏ 3. Without the propeller yet mounted, temporarily place the 

battery in the fuselage, turn on your transmitter and connect the 

battery to the ESC to power the system up so you can check the 

controls. 

❏ 7. Apply the rougher, “hook” side of the included hook-andloop 

material to the fuselage floor and the softer, “loop” side to 

the battery. 

FINAL ASSEMBLY –––––––––––––––––––––– 

Hook Up the Controls 

❏ 1. Connect the servo and ESC wires to the appropriate channels 

in your receiver. 

❏ 4. Make sure all the controls respond in the correct direction 

according to your inputs and that all the control surfaces are 

centered—if necessary, use the servo reversing in your transmitter 

and adjust the pushrods in the screw-lock connectors to center 

the controls. Whether or not you adjusted any pushrods, doublecheck 

that the screw in all the screw-lock connectors are 

tight and secure. 

5

Check the Control Throws 

Check the C.G. 

The C.G. (center of gravity) has a great effect on the way the 

Hellcat flies. If the C.G. is not correct the Hellcat could be too 

stable (reacting too slowly to control inputs) or too instable 

(reacting too quickly to control inputs) possibly causing a crash. 

LESS control throw 

MORE control throw 

MORE 

control 

throw 

LESS 

control 

throw 

Raise the aft end of the fuselage so the wings and stab are level (or 

nearly level). Measure the control surface throws and if necessary, 

use the programming in your transmitter or change the location 

of the pushrods in the servo arms or in the horns on the control 

surfaces to get the recommended throws. Note that the throws 

are measured at the widest part (front-to-back) of each surface: 

The Hellcat is designed to fly with either an 1800mAh or 

2100mAh 3S (11.7V) battery, but it could use a little help in 

the C.G. department and will benefit from the slightly heavier 

2100mAh battery. The Hellcat should balance pretty much on 

the recommended C.G. location with a 3S 2100mAh battery 

positioned as far forward as it will go. It will still balance within 

the recommended range with an 1800mAh battery all the way 

forward, but to get it balanced directly on the recommended 

point approximately .75 oz. [21g] may be required in the nose. 

After checking the C.G., should you decide to stick an ounce 

or so of ballast in the nose it is acceptable to do so directly to 

the inside of the cowl. Eventually though the adhesive on the 

double-sided foam tape on the back of most lead strips will 

let go, so once you’ve finalized the amount of weight, attach 

it more securely with a few drops of CA. 

If your radio does not have dual rates, we recommend setting the 

throws halfway between the high and low rates. 

THESE ARE THE RECOMMENDED CONTROL SURFACE THROWS: 

HIGH RATE 

LOW RATE 

ELEVATOR 

UP 

7/16" [11mm] 

13° 

DOWN 

7/16" [11mm] 

13° 

UP 

1/4" [6mm] 

7° 

DOWN 

1/4" [6mm] 

7° 

RUDDER 

AILERONS 

RIGHT 

3/4" [19mm] 

19° 

UP 

1/2" [13mm] 

17° 

LEFT 

3/4" [19mm] 

19° 

DOWN 

1/2" [13mm] 

17° 

RIGHT 

1/2" [13mm] 

13° 

UP 

3/8" [10mm] 

12° 

LEFT 

1/2" [13mm] 

13° 

DOWN 

3/8" [10mm] 

12° 

❏ 1. With the battery disconnected, mount the propeller to the 

motor with the included collet adapter hub—for now the propeller 

hub needs to be only finger tight (in case the cowl requires removal 

for adding ballast to the nose later). 

6

❏ 2. If you haven’t done so already, install the battery—as 

previously suggested, start with the battery positioned as far 

forward as it will go. 

❏ 4. Lift the model upside-down with your fingertips on the 

recommended C.G. location you marked. 

❏ 5. If necessary, shift the battery forward or aft or add stick-on 

lead ballast where required to get the model to balance. 

Recommended 

Starting C.G. 

2-5/8" [67mm] 

Back From Wing LE 

at Fuselage Sides 

Forward Limit: 

2-1/4" [57 mm] 

Aft Limit: 

3" [76 mm] 

2-5/8" [67mm] 2-5/8" [67mm] 

❏ 6. Once the C.G. has been set, tighten the propeller hub using 

a small screwdriver as a torque bar. 

MOTOR SAFETY PRECAUTIONS ––––––– 

Failure to follow these safety precautions may result in severe 

injury to yourself and others. 

■ Seek the assistance of an experienced pilot if new to electric 

motors. 

■ Wear safety glasses whenever in the proximity of a spinning 

propeller. 

■ Do not operate the motor in an area of loose gravel or sand; 

the propeller may throw such material in your face or eyes. 

❏ 3. The C.G. is to be marked on the top of the wing so that 

you can see where to position your fingers for lifting the model 

for balancing, or better yet, so that you can actually feel the 

marks. You could use a fine-point, felt-tip pen, or something 

inconspicuous or removable such as pins inserted directly into 

the foam that can be removed later. Whatever method you use, 

mark the C.G. on the top of the wing where indicated. 

■ Keep spectators as well as your own face and body out of 

the plane of rotation of the propeller. 

■ Keep all loose clothing, long hair or any other loose objects 

such as pencils or screwdrivers that may fall out pockets 

away from the propeller. 

NOTE: The Hellcat may be flown with the C.G. up to 3/8” 

[10mm] ahead or 3/8” [10mm] behind the recommended 

balance point. With the Hellcat balanced at the front of the range 

it will be more stable, but less maneuverable and heavier due 

to the ballast that may be required. With the Hellcat balanced 

at the rear of the range the Hellcat will be more maneuverable, 

but less stable and quicker to react to your control inputs. 

7

8 

MOTOR/ESC OPERATION ––––––––––––– 

Turning on the transmitter and operating the motor are intuitive 

for most pilots who already have experience with electric motors, 

but for those who may have little or no experience with electric 

motors here are operating instructions for the ESC and motor 

included with your Hellcat: 

When ready to run up the motor, first turn on the transmitter and 

make sure the throttle stick is all the way down. Then connect 

the battery to the ESC. The ESC will send a single, short pulse 

to the motor, causing it to beep once (“beep”). To operate the 

motor advance the throttle stick, hold it there momentarily, and 

listen for another single beep (“beep”). Then return the throttle 

stick all the way down.The motor will sound two more quick 

beeps (“beep beep”). The next time the throttle stick is advanced, 

the propeller will turn. You are now ready to fly. 

If the transmitter is not turned on before the battery and ESC 

are connected (so the receiver is not receiving a signal), the 

motor will beep rapidly (“beep beep beep beep…”) until either 

the battery is disconnected or the transmitter is turned on. Then, 

the ESC will resume its normal arming sequence. 

If, when the battery is connected to the ESC, the throttle stick 

is not all the way down the motor will beep steadily (“beep,” 

“beep,” “beep…”) until either the battery is disconnected or the 

throttle stick is returned to the off position. This time the ESC 

will resume its normal arming sequence. 

FLYING ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– 

The Hellcat doesn’t exhibit any particular characteristics that you 

need to be made aware of ahead of time, other than it is a slightly 

“draggy” airframe that will benefit from a few clicks of throttle 

while dragging it in for a landing—just let the Hellcat settle and 

it will touch down smoothly. Then, cut the throttle. 

Flying “normally,” the Hellcat consumes approximately 250mAh/ 

minute which should provide approximately 6-1/2 to 7 minutes of 

motor run time on a 2100mAh battery—of course, the run time 

you can expect depends on many factors such as the condition 

of your batteries, your flying style and even the wind conditions 

(flying on windy days seems to use more power than flying on 

calm days). 

To find out for yourself how long you can fly, set your timer to 

a conservative 5 minutes. Fly until the timer sounds, then land. 

Use a charger with a digital display to find out how much capacity 

it took to recharge the battery (indicating how much capacity 

was used). To avoid over discharging your LiPos, likely causing 

reduced performance, the target is to use 80% of your battery’s 

capacity, so multiply your battery’s capacity by .8 to find out how 

This model belongs to: 

Name 

Address 

City, State, Zip 

Phone Number 

AMA Number 

much you have available. Compare the capacity used to 80% of 

your battery’s capacity and adjust your flight time accordingly. 

FOR EXAMPLE: If using the recommended 2100mAh battery, 

your target capacity available is 1680mAh (2100mAh x .8). If you 

fly for five minutes and it takes 1200mAh to recharge your battery, 

you still had 480mAh to go, so adjust your timer to increase your 

flight time accordingly until you reach your 1680mAh target. 

(You could also divide 1200mAh by five minutes to figure a 

current consumption rate of 240mAh/minute. Divide 1680mAh 

by 240mAh/minute to conclude that you can fly for 7 minutes.) 

It’s also a great idea to use a LiPo battery checker (HCAP0275) 

to check the battery before each flight (to make sure you haven’t 

inadvertently grabbed a discharged battery) and to check the 

battery after flight to make sure you haven’t over discharged 

your battery by flying too long. A safe, conservative, minimum 

voltage is 3.65V – 3.7V per cell right after a flight. 

REPAIRS ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– 

Parts damaged beyond repair can be purchased separately. The 

full replacement part list is printed in the front of the manual on 

page 3. Often though, parts can be repaired and you can get your 

Hellcat back into the air with a little glue and ingenuity. 

The Hellcat is made from injection-molded EPO (expanded 

polyolefin) foam which can be glued with just about anything. 

Most people use regular CA. With CA no clamping is required, 

but some prefer softer, more flexible adhesives such as white 

glue or canopy glue. These kinds of glues will require clamps 

or tape to hold the parts together while the glue dries. 

One final note about flying your model. Have a goal or flight plan 

in mind for every flight. This can be learning a new maneuver(s), 

improving a maneuver(s) you already know, or learning how 

the model behaves in certain conditions (such as on high or low 

rates). This is not necessarily to improve your skills (though it is 

never a bad idea!), but more importantly so you do not surprise 

yourself by impulsively attempting a maneuver and suddenly 

finding that you’ve run out of time, altitude or airspeed. Every 

maneuver should be deliberate, not impulsive. For example, if 

you’re going to do a loop, check your altitude, mind the wind 

direction (anticipating rudder corrections that will be required to 

maintain heading), remember to throttle back at the top, and make 

certain you are on the desired rates (high/low rates). A flight plan 

greatly reduces the chances of crashing your model just because 

of poor planning and impulsive moves. Remember to think. 

Have a ball! But always stay in control and fly in a safe manner. 

GOOD LUCK AND GREAT FLYING!

Manual 1 - Tower Hobbies

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