Great Planes F-15 Eagle 40 Kit - GPMA0438 - Manual (Page 45)

BALANCE THE AIRPLANE
LATERALLY
SPECIAL NOTE: Do not confuse this
procedure with "checking the C.G." or
"balancing the airplane fore and aft".
That very important step will be covered
later in the manual.
Now that you have the basic airframe nearly
completed, it is a good time to balance the airplane
laterally (side-to-side). Here's how to do it.
D 1. Place the receiver in the right turbine as
shown on the plans Temporarily attach the wing
and engine (with muffler) to the fuselage
D 2 With the wing level, lift the model by the
engine shaft and at the exact centerline of the fuse
rear (this may require two people) Do this several
times.
D 3. If one wing always drops when you lift, it
means that side is heavy Balance the airplane by
gluing weight to the inside of the other wing tip.
NOTE: An airplane that has been
laterally balanced will track better in
loops and other maneuvers.
FINAL SANDING
D 1 Check over the entire structure carefully,
inspecting for any poorly glued joints, gaps and
"dings". Apply additional glue and/or balsa filler as
necessary, then sand the entire fuselage and wing
smooth using progressively finer grades of
sandpaper.
COVERING
Because it is assumed that you have had some
previous model building experience, we won't go
into detail in regard to the covering procedure
Follow the instructions included with your covering
material.
A FEW COVERING NOTES
When covering the tail surfaces, cut the covering,
before applying it. (DO NOT, under any
circumstances, attempt to cut the covering
material after it has been applied to the fin and
stab, except around the leading and trailing edges
and the tip ) Modelers who do this often cut
through the covering and part-way into the balsa
stab This can weaken the stab to the point where
it may fail in flight' We highly recommend using
the Top Flite "SmartCut™ " MonoKote trim tool
when covering your plane It allows you to
effortlessly achieve smooth consistent cuts and
end up with a great looking covering job.
RECOMMENDED COVERING
SEQUENCE:
D 1. Stab bottom
D 2. Stab top
D 3. Elevators
D 4. Fins - only cover to where they
will intersect the turbine tops.
D 5. Rudders
D 6. Fuse bottom
D 7 Fuse sides
D 8 Fuse top
D 9. Inlets - we used black here
D 10. Hatch
D 11 Back of fuse
D 12 Ends of ailerons
D 13 Bottom of ailerons
D 14 Top of ailerons
D 15 Bottom of left wing panel
D 16 Bottom of right wing panel
D 17. Top of left wing panel (overlap
covering 1/4" at wing LE)
D 18. Top of right wing panel (overlap
covering 1/4" at the LE)
GLUE FINS IN PLACE
D 1. Apply a strip of masking tape along each
side of both fin slots This will help keep the
excess glue off the plane Mix up a batch of 30
minute epoxy and apply it to the exposed wood on
both sides and the bottom of each fin Insert the
fins into their correct slots and wipe off any excess
epoxy with a paper towel soaked in rubbing
alcohol Make sure the fins are fully seated in their
slots, that they are aligned with each other and
perpendicular to the fuselage (Vertical).
GLUE THE AILERON HINGES
D 1. Lay the ailerons on the plans and mark on
the leading edge of each, the locations of the
hinges and torque rods Now use a sharp hobby
knife to cut slits in the covering at the hinge
locations Trial fit the hinges to make sure you
have "found" the slots which you previously cut In
the same manner, slit the covering at the hinge
locations in the wing Also cut the covering away
from the torque rod slots.
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