Great Planes Reactor 3D EP ARF - GPMA1540 - Manual (Page 11)

❏
3. Wipe away the lines you drew and epoxy the fin into place.
❏
4. Position the horizontal stabilizer into the stab saddle,
centering it left and right and making it square to the wings.
Mark the outline where the stab meets the fuse as you did
with the vertical fin and remove the covering inside your
marks. Reposition the stab into the fuse. Stand back several
feet behind the model and view it from the rear. Confirm that
the stabilizer is parallel with the wing panels. If not, use tape
or a weight to straighten it. Thin CA glue or epoxy can be
used to glue the stabilizer in place.
❏
5. Position the elevator halves 1/2" [13mm] apart. The
next step will be easier if you cut a 1/2" [13mm]-wide guide
piece from scrap balsa and place it between the elevators.
❏
6. Center the elevator joiner wire over the elevators and
mark its location on the LE of each elevator half.
❏
7. Using a #54 drill bit, drill 5/8" [16mm] deep holes at the
marks you made through the LE of the elevators. Use a hobby
knife to carve away a bit of the beveled LE inside these marks.
Test fit the elevator joiner wire into the elevator halves.
❏
8. Lay the elevators on your work surface and confirm that
they both lay flat. If not, “tweak,” or bend the elevator joiner
wire slightly until they do.
Use a straightedge to guide the soldering iron at a rate
that will just melt the covering and not burn into the wood.
The hotter the soldering iron, the faster it must travel to
melt a fine cut. Peel off the covering.
HOW TO CUT COVERING FROM BALSA
Use a soldering iron to cut the covering from the fin. The
tip of the soldering iron doesn’t have to be sharp, but a
fine-tip does work best. Allow the iron to heat fully.
11