Top Flite TOPA0290 - Manual (Page 24)

FINISH FITTING
THE LANDING GEAR
Even though retractab
le landing g
ear are sho
wn
in the photos,
this section applies both to fix
e
d
and retractab
le landing g
ear
.
❏
1.
Cut the
landing g
ear rail shear webs
from the
remainder of the 1/16" x 3" x 30" [1.6 x 75 x 760mm] balsa sheet used f
or the shear w
ebs f
or the center
panel.
Glue the shear w
ebs into position.
❏
2.
Deter
mine ho
w close y
ou can position a piece
of lefto
v
er 1/8" [3.2mm] balsa across the r
ails to the
retr
act unit while still allo
wing the unit to be remo
v
ed
from the wing.
This piece of balsa will suppor
t the
sheeting.
Glue the suppor
t into position.
❏
3.
Build a
bo
x
around the retr
act mount with
lefto
v
er balsa str
ips
.
Sand the edges of the bo
x e
v
en
with the contour of the r
ibs
.
A
fter the bottom of the
wing has been sheeted and the opening has been cut f
or the retr
act, the opening will be nice and neat
and the sheeting will be suppor
ted.
❏
4.
Optional:
F
or a dur
ab
le
, finished appear
ance
,
the top sheeting inside the wing o
v
er the wheel
openings can be coated with lightw
eight (3/4 oz.)
fiberglass cloth and resin.
When sanded and painted,
this will mak
e the inside of the wheel w
ells fuel and
w
eather proof and look g
reat.
First, cut f
our str
ips of
cloth (tw
o f
or each wing) to fit betw
een the r
ibs
, then
la
y into place
.
Use a soft br
ush to coat the cloth with
finishing resin or 30-min
ute epo
xy
.
Bef
ore it thic
k
ens
,
use a b
usiness card to lightly squeegee e
xcess resin
from the cloth.
This will remo
v
e
wr
inkles and b
u
b
b
les
making the cloth la
y flat.
After the epo
xy has fully
hardened, lightly sand with 400-g
rit sandpaper
.
N
o
w
the wheel w
ells ma
y be painted.
An airbr
ush will
pro
vide the most e
v
en co
v
e
rage and allo
w y
ou to get
paint into all of the little cor
ners without o
v
er spr
a
ying
the rest.
See page 61 on ho
w to spr
a
y
LustreK
ote
®
through an airbr
ush.
Note:
Should y
ou decide to add
the cloth later
, be cer
tain to do so
BEFORE
co
v
e
ring
the model.
Otherwise
, epo
xy and paint will soak into
the sheeting and sho
w through the co
v
e
ring.
If y
ou will be
“glassing”
and painting the inside of
the wheel w
ells
, get the other wing panel to this
same stage of completion.
That w
a
y both wheel
w
ells can be treated at the same time
.
- 24
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