Top Flite TOPA0210 - Manual (Page 21)

❏ 22. Use 30-minute epoxy to glue the firewall in
position on the front of the fuselage.
❏ 23. Locate a 1/4" x 1/4" x 18" [6.4 x 6.4 x 457mm]
basswood stick. Cut the sticks to fit along the firewall
and fuselage side as shown on the plan. Epoxy them
in place.
❏ 24. Locate the engine mount and secure it to the
firewall with 6-32 bolts and #6 washers. Be sure that
the mount is centered on the firewall. Adjust the
mount to fit your engine.
❏ 25. Position the engine on the engine mount at
the location shown on the plan. Mark the mounting
hole locations.
Hint: The Great Planes Dead Center
™ tool works
great for doing this.
❏ 26. Based on the engine you have chosen to put
in the airplane, decide on a location for your fuel line,
vent line and throttle pushrod to pass through the
firewall. Mark the locations, then remove the engine
from the mount. Drill a 7/32" hole in the firewall
for the fuel and vent line and a 3/16" hole for the
throttle pushrod. This would be a good time to install
the outer pushrod tube for the throttle.
❏ 27. Drill 1/8" [ 3.2mm] pilot holes through the marks
you made on the rails of the engine mount. Secure the
engine to the mount with four #8 x 1" [25.4mm] sheet
metal screws.
❏ 28. Install the fuel tank and foam rubber as shown
on the plan. Cut some of the leftover 1/4" [6.4mm]
balsa sheet into two 1/4" x 1/4" x 3" [6.4 x 6.4 x
76mm] balsa sticks. After positioning the two sticks
to secure the tank, glue the sticks in place.
❏ 29. Position the die-cut 1/8" [3.2mm] ply fuel tank
hatch on the bottom of the fuselage. Drill a 1/16"
[1.6mm] hole in each corner of the hatch making
sure that the holes go into the firewall and F-2.
Remove the hatch, then place a drop of thin CA in
each of the holes in the firewall and F-2 to make the
holes more durable.
❏ 30. Drill 3/32" [2.4mm] clearance holes in the
hatch only. Use a Dremel #178 bit to countersink
the clearance holes. Attach the hatch with four #2 flat
head wood screws.
❏ 31. Glue formers F-2C, F-2D, F-3B and F-3C in
the slots in the top of the fuselage.
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