Top Flite TOPA0135 - Manual (Page 22)

❏ 5. After carefully aligning the holes, glue both
2-C’s to the forward surface of F-2B. Inspect all the
glue joints and add small fillets of medium CA
where each former meets the crutches.
❏ 6. Glue the remaining lower formers 6-B
through 8-B to their respective upper formers.
Use a straightedge to maintain vertical alignment
between top and bottom formers. Hint: For better
bonding with the sheeting, lightly sand the formers
edges so that they are slightly beveled to match
the angle of the fuse toward the tail.
❏ 7. Drill a 5/64" hole through the two
forward punch marks in the die-cut 1/8" plywood
Tail-wheel Deck (TW) and a 9/64" hole through
the aft punch mark. Insert 9-B into TW and glue
them to the fuselage as shown on the plans. Glue
5-D to the crutches.
❏ 8. Glue three 3/16" x 3/16" x 24" stringers in the
aft former notches; one in the bottom and one more
in each middle notch as shown in the photo.
NOTE: The two side stringers at former F-9 do not
end at the aft edge of F-9 but are inset 1/16". Use a
straightedge as you glue in the stringers to keep
the formers in vertical alignment.
❏ 9. Test fit the die-cut 3/32" balsa Wing Saddles
to the formers, then glue them in position.
TAIL GEAR INSTALLATION
❏ 1. Cut the Aft Post flush with the nylon Tail
Wheel Bracket.
❏ 2. Use a pliers to flatten 1/4" of one end of the
1/8" x 5/8" Brass Tube. Slide the tube on the Tail
Wire and check the parts over the fuselage top
view to make sure they match up well. Use silver
solder to solder the brass tube to the top of the
tailwheel wire.
❏ 3. Mark the location of the Metal Ball on the end
of the brass tube and drill a 1/16" hole at the mark.
❏ 4. Attach the ball permanently to the tail gear
with the Small Nut provided. Put a drop of epoxy
on the threads to prevent it from coming loose.
❏ 5. Use the 4-40 Set Screw to lock the Collar at
the height shown on the fuselage side view, but
orient the set screw so small adjustments can be
made later during construction if required.
❏ 6. Roughen the tubular Nylon Bearing on the
tailwheel wire with coarse sandpaper.
SILVER SOLDERING
Use this process when soldering metal to metal, such
as brass tube to wire, or pushrod ends to wire.
A. Thoroughly clean the items to be soldered with
alcohol or degreasing solvent. Pay special attention to
the inside of the threaded brass couplers.
B. Roughen the area to be soldered with fine
sandpaper, then clean again.
C. Assemble the items to be soldered.
D. Apply a small amount of soldering flux. Acid based
liquid flux works best when one or more of the items
is steel.
E. Heat the metal with a soldering gun or iron and
apply solder to the metal. The metal must get hot
enough to melt the solder and the solder must flow
freely into the joint.
F. Do not move the parts until the solder has cooled.
G. Test the joint by pulling hard.
H. Clean off the excess flux with alcohol or solvent.
Coat the parts with a very fine film of oil.
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