Top Flite TOPA0310 - Manual (Page 30)

❏ 4. Use four 1/4" x 1/2" x 24" balsa sticks for the top
longerons on both sides of the fuselage and glue
them into position. Note the splice at former 6.
Note: When observing the fuselage from the rear, you
may note a concave bend in the top longerons at
former 6. Do not be alarmed as this is the intended
design and will be worked out when more parts are
added to the fuselage later on.
Add the stab saddles
❏ 1. Glue the die-cut 1/8" plywood tail gear
mounting plate to the die-cut 1/8" plywood tail gear
plate doubler . Drill 11/64" (or 5/32") holes through the
three forward punch marks and a 1/8" hole through
the aft punch mark. Insert three 6-32 blind nuts into
the holes in the tail gear plate doubler, use a hammer
to lightly tap them all the way in, and permanently
secure them with a few drops of thin CA. Glue the
assembly to former 9 and the bottom longerons.
Refer to this photo (and the fuse plan) for the
following four steps.
❏ 2. Glue both die-cut 1/8" plywood inner stab
saddles to former 9 and to the bottom longerons.
Note that the inside edge of the saddle aligns with
the inner edge of the bottom longeron, thus providing
a ledge on the outside for the outer stab saddle.
❏ 3. Glue both die-cut 1/8" plywood outer stab
saddles to the inner stab saddles and to the bottom
longerons.
❏ 4. Glue two pieces of leftover 1/4" x 3/4" balsa
together to make the tail wedge that will be inserted
between the end of the stab saddles. Bevel the sides
of the tail wedge to match the angle of the stab
saddles, then glue it into position, flush with the aft
edge of the stab saddles. Sand the ends of the
longerons even with the stab saddles.
❏ 5. Glue strips of leftover 1/8" x 1/4" balsa to the
longerons to support the tail gear mounting plate.
Build the front of the fuse
❏ 1. Glue both sets of die-cut 1/8" plywood right
and left forward fuse sides together to make two
1/4" forward fuse sides. Note: The left side is longer
than the right side.
❏ 2. Remove the bottom temporary cross bracing
from formers 3 and 4. Test fit the die-cut 1/8" plywood
left bottom deck and the left forward fuse side to the
fuse. Note that the forward fuse side must be
notched to accommodate the bottom corner braces
of former 3 and 4.
❏ 3. Test fit the right forward fuse side and the right
bottom deck to the fuse the same way. Remove both
assemblies from the fuselage.
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