Top Flite TOPA0135 - Manual (Page 17)

❏ 12. Use a drafting triangle to hold the formers
vertical and remove any twists as you glue one
3/16" x 3/16" x 42" balsa stringer in F-1 through
F-9 on each side of the fuselage. Cut the stringers
flush with F-1. Glue 3/16" x 3/16" x 24" stringers in
the rest of the formers on the aft end of the
fuselage. The middle stringer on each side extends
past F-9 1-1/2" and will be trimmed to exact size
later. The top 3/16" stringers end at the forward
surface of F-9. NOTE: Do not glue the top stringers
to F-9.
❏ 13. Glue the die-cut 1/8" balsa Razor Spine to
the top of CB, 5-C and 6-C. NOTE: The aft edge of
the razor spine ends at the center of 6-C.
❏ 16. Cut and glue the rest of the stringers for the
front of the fuselage from three 3/16" x 3/16" x 24"
balsa sticks.
❏ 17. Use thin CA (wiping away any excess before
it cures) to glue two 1/8" x 3/16" x 24" balsa sub-
stringers into the groove in each side main
stringer. These sub-stringers will provide a ledge
for the sheeting.
❏ 18. Lightly sand all joints and blend the stringers
to the formers in preparation for sheeting. Use a
razor plane to bevel the edges of the cockpit deck.
SHEET THE SIDES OF THE FUSELAGE TOP
❏ 1. Locate the two shaped 3/32" balsa Main
Upper Fuselage Side Sheets. The fuselage is
longer than the sheet so we’ll add a piece to the
rear later. Refer to the plans for the position of the
side sheet.
MAIN
SUB-STRINGER STRINGER
MAIN
BUBBLE CANOPY VERSION:
Perform steps 14 and 15 if building the Bubble
Canopy version.
❏ 14. Glue the die-cut 1/8" Plywood Formers IP,
CBX and 5X to the cockpit floor and former tops
6X and 7X to their respective formers. Hint: if
you have decided to install the Top Flite scale
cockpit, glue the IP to the cockpit deck from the
front only and CBX from the back only. Most of
the cockpit deck will be cut flush with IP and CB.
NOTE: Save all the unused portions of the
3/16" x 3/16" stringers used during
construction of the fuselage.
❏ 15. Use a drafting triangle to hold the formers
vertical and remove any twists as you glue one
3/16" x 3/16" x 42" balsa stringers in formers F-1
through F-9 on each side of the fuselage. Cut
them flush with F-1. Glue 3/16" x 3/16" x 24"
stringers in the rest of the formers on the aft end
of the fuselage except for the top, middle
stringer. Notice the middle stringer on each side
of F-9 extends 1-1/2" and will be trimmed to exact
size later. The top 3/16" stringers end at the
forward surface of F-9. NOTE: Do not glue the
top stringers to F-9.
- 17 -