Top Flite TOPA0220 - Manual (Page 24)

❏
18. Locate the two soft 3/32" x 3" x 24" [2.4 x 76 x
610mm] balsa sheets you set aside in step 10. Cut
both sheets to a length of 14" [356mm]. Fit a piece of
sheeting to the area to be covered between F3T and
F6T on the left side of the fuselage. Glue the sheet
into position with thin CA.
Note: There is a small area of the sheeting at the top
near F3T that needs to be filled in. Use a corner of the
piece you just cut off and glue it to the sheeting.
❏ 19. Fit the second piece of sheeting to the other
side of the fuselage. Glue it into position with
medium and thin CA.
❏ 20. Trim and sand all of the sheeting flush with
F1T, F3T and F6T.
Note: A 1/4" [6.4mm] notch will be cut in the top of
the sheeting between F5TR and F6T when the
vertical fin is installed.
This completes the assembly of the fuselage. The
bottom sheeting will be added when the wing is
mounted to the fuselage.
BUILD THE WING
BUILD THE RIGHT PANEL
❏ 1. Remove all of the ribs from the die-cut 1/16"
[1.6mm] balsa sheets. When doing so, do not
remove any of the lightening hole cutouts in W2, W3
and W4. Remove the spar webs from the die-cut
3/32" [2.4mm] balsa sheet. Remove the TE spar/jigs
from the die-cut 1/16" [1.6mm] balsa sheet. Be very
careful not to let any of the jig tabs split off of the jig.
If any do, glue them back on. Remove all of the ply
wing parts from their die-cut sheets.
❏ 2. Prepare four leading edge skins as shown in the
sketch above. Locate five pieces of 1/16" x 3" x 24"
[1.6 x 76 x 610mm] sheeting. From one sheet cut
four strips that are 1/2" [12.7mm] wide. Glue a 1/2"
[12.7mm] strip to each of the other four pieces of
sheeting, making sheets that are 3-1/2" [89mm]
wide. Sand each sheet flat and smooth on one side
with your bar sander and 150-grit sandpaper. Sand
any glue bumps from the other side of each sheet.
Caution: Avoid over sanding the sheets, making
them too thin.
Remember:
“R-steps” are for retracts only;
“F-steps” are for fixed gear;
Note: Use a colored marker to highlight the
steps for your landing gear option.
Retracts go to step R9.
Note: Portions of this manual that apply only to
fixed landing gear begin with an “F”. For
example: Step F3 is for fixed gear only. Steps
that apply to retract landing gear are shaded
and begin with an “R”, such as step R6. It is
assumed that most modelers will be installing
fixed tail dragger landing gear (with a tail wheel),
so just skip the shaded steps that begin with an
R. If you are building your model for retracts,
make sure you read the steps that are shaded
and skip steps that begin with an F.
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