Top Flite TOPA0160 - Manual (Page 10)

BUILD THE TAIL SURFACES
MAKE THE SKINS FOR THE
TAIL SURFACES
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1. See the Hot Tip that follows and use six 1/16” x
3” x 30” [1.6 x 76 x 762mm] balsa sheets to make two
1/16” x 9” x 30” [1.6 x 229 x 762mm] stab skin
planks. Make a third plank for the fin/rudder skin
from three more 1/16” x 3” x 30” [1.6 x 76 x 762mm]
balsa sheets.
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2. After the glue is dry, peel off the masking tape
and decide which side of the planks will be the
outside. Use a bar sander or a large, flat sanding
block and 150-grit sandpaper to sand the outside of
the planks so they are flat, even and smooth. The
idea is to do the sanding
before you glue the skins
to the structure.
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3. Cut the three 9” x 30” [229 x 762mm] sheets in
half, making six 9” x 15” [229 x 381mm] planks.
F. Place weights along the glue joint and let the
glue dry.
G. Use the same procedure to make the wing
skins when you build the wing.
E. Press the joining edges of the sheets down
with your fingers so they are flat and even.
D. Use a credit card or a piece of thin plywood to
simultaneously press the sheets flat as you
squeegee the excess glue from the seam. Wipe the
glue off your squeegee with a paper towel or a stick
of wood. Immediately proceed to the next step.
C. Place waxed paper on your workbench. Flip
the sheets over and apply a bead of aliphatic
resin (
wood workers glue such as Great Planes
Pro ™ ) between the seams. Immediately proceed
to the next step.
B. Tightly tape the sheets together with masking
tape placed about every 4” along the seams. The
sheets will not lay flat because they are tightly
taped together
A. Use a straightedge and a sharp #11 blade to
true the joining edges of the sheets. When you
trim them, do not cut all the way through the first
time but make several passes so you slice the
wood instead of splitting it.
HOW TO MAKE THE SKINS
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