Top Flite TOPA0135 - Manual (Page 10)

❏ 5. With the notch in one of the stab TE’s aligned
with the notch in a stab TE doubler, glue the pieces
together. Do the same with the other stab TE and
doubler. Make a right and a left half. Glue the
die-cut 1/8" balsa stab TE Joiners together.
❏ 6. Without using any glue, install ribs S3, S4
and S5 in the notches in the TE’s, then fit the
TE’s to ribs S6 and S2 previously pinned to the
building board.
During the next step make certain the jig
tabs on the ribs are contacting the building
board and the ribs are perpendicular to the
building board.
❏ 7. Vertically centered, glue one of the stab LE’s
to ribs S6 and S2, then do the same with the other
LE. Glue both TE’s to all the ribs then glue the rest
of the ribs to the LE.
❏ 8. Use thick CA to glue the TE joiner to the TE’s
making sure the jig tabs on the ribs are
contacting the building board. Wipe away
excess glue between the TE’s.
❏ 9. Trial fit both S1 ribs without the die-cut 1/8"
plywood LE Joiner. After any required adjustments
have been made to the S1’s, trial fit them
with the
LE joiner. Make further adjustments if required then
securely glue the assembly in position. Use CA to
reinforce any glue joints that don’t look strong.
❏ 10. Prepare the top of the stab for sheeting. Use
a razor plane and a sanding block to trim the top
surface of the LE (particularly toward the tip) until it
is even with the ribs. Sand the TE to smoothly
blend with the ribs. The stab frame may be
removed from the building board for this step but
must be repinned to the flat building board to apply
the skins.
HOW TO MAKE WING AND
STAB SKINS
(Also see additional Hot Tip on page 34)
A. Wherever practical, prejoin the balsa sheets
to make a “skin” before attaching them to the
structure.
B. Many modelers like to sort the wood so they
can put the best wood with the most even grain
structure on the
top of the wing and stab.
C. Make your skin larger than needed to allow
for misalignment. On a large surface like the
wing, 3/8" extra is suggested.
D. To make skins, the following steps are
suggested:
1. True up the edges of the sheets with a
metal straightedge and a sharp hobby knife or
an Easy-Touch Bar Sander.
2. Test fit the sheets together to make sure
they match well.
3. Method “A”: The fastest method for gluing
the sheets together is with thin CA over a flat
surface covered with waxed paper. A quick wipe
of the joint with a fresh paper towel will remove
most of the excess glue and make sanding
easier. Mark the poorest surface with an “I” as
the inside of the sheet.
Method “B”: An alternate method for gluing
the pieces that make up a stab or fin skin is to
glue them together with aliphatic resin (white
glue). Aliphatic resin sands much easier than
CA so your skins won’t get too thin from over
sanding. Use masking tape to hold the sheets
together until the glue cures – usually in about
thirty minutes.
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