Top Flite TOPA0415 - Manual (Page 19)

an additional 3/32" x 4" x 36" balsa sheet for the left
side. Glue the first sheet to the right side of the fuse.
Do not glue the sheeting to the stab saddle. If
necessary, wet the sheeting with water or window
cleaner to help it bend around the formers. Glue the
other sheet to the left side of the fuse.
❏
4. Trim the sheeting even with the stab saddles.
Use caution not to trim the ply stab saddles.
Otherwise, you may change the incidence of the stab
which will greatly affect the flying characteristics.
Before we can sheet the rest of the fuse, we have to
glue the stab and fin into position.
❏
5. Fit the stab into the stab saddle. Trim the fuse
sheeting and the stringers as necessary until the TE
of the stab aligns with the dotted line on the plan
depicting the TE. Place a weight on top of the stab to
temporarily hold it down.
❏
6. With the stab in position, measure the distance
from the centerline on the TE of both ends of the stab
down to your workbench. If necessary, lightly trim
the stab saddles until you can get the stab level. If
the stab is not exactly level, but it’s close, sometimes
all it takes is shifting the weight slightly to even it up.
If you do have to sand the saddle to level the stab,
use caution not to change the incidence angle of
the stab.
❏
7. Stick a T-pin into the center fuse stringer above
former 1. Tie a small loop in one end of a 60" piece
of string and slip it over the T-pin. Fold a piece of
masking tape over the string near the other end and
draw an arrow on it. Sliding the tape along the string,
align the arrow with one end of the stab as shown in
the photo. Swing the string over to the same position
on the other side of the stab. Shift the stab and slide
the tape along the string until the arrow aligns with
both sides of the stab. The stab must remain
centered on the fuse during this process.
❏
8. Mark the stab where it aligns with the fuse so it
can be realigned after you take it off.
❏
9. Remove the stab. Trim the sheeting on the LE of
the fin until you can get it to fit into the notch in former
9. Use a builder’s square to make sure the fin TE will
be perpendicular to the building board in both axes.
❏
10. Remove the fin. Mix up a batch of 30-minute
epoxy. For additional strength, add Great Planes
Milled Fiberglass (GMR6165). Apply a small fillet of
epoxy to strengthen the bond between the insides of
the stab saddles and the main stringers and former 9.
Apply epoxy to the stab saddles and fuse sheeting
and to the bottom of the stab where it contacts the
saddles. Position the stab and place weights on top of
it to hold it down. Confirm stab alignment by repeating
steps 5 and 6. Wipe away excess epoxy and do not
disturb the model until the epoxy fully cures.
❏
11. After the epoxy from the previous step has
fully cured, fit the fin to the stab by trimming the
bottom of the sheeting until it fits the stab and can be
positioned as described in step 9 (with the TE
vertical and contacting the stab saddles). The TE of
the fin must be even with the TE of the stab.
❏
12. Mix up another batch of 30-minute epoxy and
securely glue the fin to the top of the stab and fuse.
Be certain the fin sheeting is thoroughly bonded to
the stab, but don’t build up a large fillet. Now glue the
top two stringers to former 9.
Now that the stab and fin are glued to the fuse, we
can finish sheeting the fuse.
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