Great Planes Tracer 46 Kit - GPMA0400 - Manual (Page 36)

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8. Remove the cowl and engine mount with engine.
Harden the threads in the fuse with thin CA.
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9. Use Bondo or other filler on all seams and blemishes.
When dry, wet sand with 400-grit sand paper until you are
satisfied it is prepared for paint. Hint: You may want to
begin the process of priming and wet sanding your cowl
now so it is ready for paint when you are.
Do not confuse this procedure with “checking the C.G.”
which will be discussed later in the manual.
An airplane that is laterally balanced will track better during
aerobatic maneuvers. Taking your time with this procedure
will make a difference in your models' all around
performance from spins to loops, from inverted flight to
slow speed handling.
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1. With the wing level and attached to the model (and
the engine and muffler installed), lift the model by the
propeller shaft and the aft bottom of the fuse. This may
require an assistant. Do this several times.
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2. The wing that consistently drops indicates the heavy
side. Balance the model by adding weight to the light wing tip.
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1. If you've hooked up the pushrods to the servos before
cover ing the model, disconnect and remove all the
pushrods and remove the hinges and control horns from
the ailerons, elevators and rudder. Remove the engine
mount and any other hardware you may have installed.
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2. Most of the model should be rough-sanded by now
with all the tabs and rough edges sanded even. Fill all
dents, seams, low spots and notches with HobbyLite
™
balsa-colored filler.
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3. After the filler has dried, use progressively finer grades
of sandpaper to even all the edges and seams and smooth
all surfaces. Remove all balsa dust from the model with
compressed air or a vacuum with a brush and a tack cloth.
COVERING TECHNIQUE
Cover the model with Top Flite MonoKote Film. Here are a
few suggestions to gaining a really professional appearance:
Since the tips of the elevators and stab are squared off, it is
easiest to cover the tips before you cover the tops and
bottoms. Do the same for the fin, rudder and the wing.
Before you cover the fuselage, first apply 1/4" wide strips of
MonoKote film in the bottom corners of the stab and fuse and
strips which are oversized by a 1/4" to cover the fin/fillet/stab
transitions. Then proceed to cover the fin and stab with pre-
cut pieces that meet in the corners and overlap the 1/4"
strips. Never cut the covering on the stab and fin after it
has been applied except around the leading and trailing
edges at the tips. Modelers who do this may cut through the
covering and into the stab or fin. This will weaken the
structure to a point where it may fail during flight.
Some modelers drill a small hole in each stab rib and the
trailing edge of the stab to allow expanded gas to exit while
heating the MonoKote film. This keeps the covering from
“ballooning” and allows you to securely bond it to the entire
stab. The same thing can be done with the fin and rudder.
Since the ailerons are long “strip” ailerons some modelers
prefer to cover the top and bottom with one strip of
MonoKote film by covering the bottom first, then wrapping it
around the leading edge over the top.
PAINTING
After the model is covered, use fuelproof model paint, 30-
minute epoxy thinned with alcohol or finishing resin to coat
areas that may be exposed to raw fuel or exhaust residue.
These are areas such as the firewall, front and back of the
belly pan, fuse openings for the wing and fuse doubler and
the tank hatch.
Top Flite LustreKote ® fuelproof paint is recommended for
painting the ABS cowling. At least one coat of LustreKote
primer is highly recommended to fill all the small scratches left
from sanding as well as small pin holes in any filler you
applied. Wet sand between coats with 400-grit sandpaper and
apply a second coat of primer if necessary. If the parts are
primed properly, only one coat of color should be required.
Finish the Model
Prepare the Model for Covering
Balance the Model Laterally
36