Top Flite TOPA0410 - Manual (Page 50)

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FINISHING
BALANCE THE MODEL LATERALLY
Do not confuse this procedure with “checking the C.G.”
that will be discussed later in the manual.
Now that the model is nearly completed, you should
balance it laterally (side-to-side). An airplane that is
laterally balanced will track better. Here’s how:
❏ 1. Temporarily attach the elevators, rudder, engine,
cowl, landing gear and wing. Lift the model by the
propeller shaft and the bottom of the fuse near the rudder.
This will require an assistant. Do this several times.
❏ 2. The wing that consistently drops indicates the heavy
side. Balance the model by adding weight to the other
wing tip.
SURFACE PREPARATION
❏ If you plan on installing a Top Flite Giant Corsair
Cockpit Kit, now is the best time to cut out the cockpit
floor. Trim out the floor following the instructions included
with the cockpit kit. The cockpit should be installed after
the fuse is covered.
Remove the engine, servos and any other hardware that
may restrict sanding. All edges should be rough sanded
and rounded following the cross-section views on the
plans. Nearly every imperfection in your wood structure
will show through the covering material; therefore, before
covering, you should make a final check of the entire
structure. Fix any “dings” before sanding the entire
structure. Fill all dents, seams, low spots and notches with
HobbyLite
™ balsa colored filler.
HOW TO REMOVE MINOR DENTS
Here is an easy method to remove minor dents in wood
where the wood grain has not been broken.
❏ A. Wet the area of the dent with water.
❏ B. Carefully rub a hot sealing iron over the dent.
❏ C. As the wet wood is heated, the wood grain will
swell up.
❏ D. Allow the wood to dry before sanding smooth.
After the filler has dried, use progressively finer grades of
sandpaper to even and smooth all the edges, seams and
surfaces. Remove all the balsa dust from the model with
compressed air or a vacuum with a brush and a tack cloth.
COVERING
Cover the model with Top Flite ® MonoKote ® film, using the
suggested covering sequence that follows. Before you
cover the fuselage, first apply 3/8" wide strips of
MonoKote film in the corners where the stab and fin meets
the fuselage. Then, proceed to cover the fin and stab with
pre-cut pieces that meet in the corners and overlap the
3/8" strips. Never cut the covering on the stab and fin after
it has been applied except around the leading and trailing
edges and the tips. Modelers who do this may cut through
the covering and into the stab and fin. This will weaken the
structure to a point where it may fail during flight.
Some modelers prefer to cover the top and bottom of the
ailerons with one strip of MonoKote film. This is done by
covering the bottom first, then wrapping the MonoKote film
up over the leading edge.
We used Top Flite MonoKote Insignia Blue and Dove Gray
to cover our Corsair.
Suggested Covering Sequence
Fuselage and Tail:
1. 3/8" strips at fin and stab as described
2. Dove Gray on aft fuselage bottom
3. Dove Gray on forward fuselage bottom
4. Insignia Blue on fuselage right side
5. Insignia Blue on fuselage left side
6. Insignia Blue on the turtle deck
7. Insignia Blue on the nose
8. Insignia Blue on the fin TE, followed by stab TE
9. Dove Gray on the stab bottom, followed by
Insignia Blue on the top
10. Insignia Blue on the fin right side, followed by the
left side
11. Insignia Blue on the elevator LE and root ends
12. Dove Gray on the elevator bottoms, followed by
Insignia Blue on the top
13. Insignia Blue on the rudder LE, right side
followed by the left side
Wing:
1. Dove Gray on bottom of wing tips
2. Insignia Blue on trailing edges of wing
3. Dove Gray on the bottom right, followed by the
left wing panel
4. Insignia Blue on the top right, followed by the left
wing panel
5. Dove Gray on the bottom and insignia blue on
the top of the ailerons
6. Dove Gray on the bottom and insignia blue on
the top of the flaps
When covering concave surfaces, follow the iron with a
damp cloth, pressing the covering down.
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 such as the firewall, wing saddle and openings in
the wing for the retracts.
Top Flite LustreKote fuelproof paint is recommended for
painting all ABS plastic parts. At least one coat of
LustreKote primer is highly recommended to fill small
scratches left from sanding as well as small pin holes in
the filler. Wet sand between coats with 400-grit sandpaper
and apply a second coat of primer if necessary.
The oil coolers were painted after the wing was covered.