Top Flite TOPA0220 - Manual (Page 43)

❏ 15. After the filler has fully cured, wet-sand with
progressively finer grits of sandpaper. When you’re
done, your cowl should look something like the one
in the photo - just enough filler left to fill in the low
spots near the seams.
BALANCE THE AIRPLANE LATERALLY
IMPORTANT: Do not confuse this procedure
with “checking the C.G.” or “balancing the
airplane fore and aft.”...That very important stap
will be covered later in the manual.
Now that the basic airframe is complete, it’s time to
balance the airplane laterally (side-to-side).
❏
1. Mount the wing to the fuselage. Make sure the
engine and muffler are installed.
❏ 2. With the wing level, carefully lift the model by the
nose and the aft end of the fuselage under the stab (this
may require two people). Do this several times.
❏ 3. If one wing always drops when you lift the
model, that side is heavy. Balance the airplane by
gluing weight inside the other wing tip with epoxy. An
airplane that has been laterally balanced will
track better in loops and other maneuvers.
PREPARE THE MODEL FOR COVERING
❏ 1. At this stage, there shouldn’t be much left to do.
We’ve installed the radio system along the way, all the
hinge slots are cut and the control surfaces are all
temporarily installed, the engine is mounted and the
retracts (if you are installing them) have been fitted. If
there are any areas left that you haven’t fuelproofed,
now is the time to do it. We recommend taking off the
engine, landing gear and any other systems that may
get in the way of painting or fuel proofing. Make sure you
fuelproof the inside of the wheel wells (if you installed
retracts), the fuel tank compartment, the wing saddle
and the front of the wing, etc. For fuelproofing, you can
use any kind of fuelproof model airplane paint but, of
course, we prefer Top Flite LustreKote
® . See the Hot Tip
that follows on how to use LustreKote to fuelproof these
important areas. You can also use epoxy thinned with
rubbing alcohol for fuelproofing.
Note: You should always fuelproof the model before
you cover it.
❏ 2. Inspect all surfaces for uneven glue joints and
seams that require filler. Apply lightweight balsa filler
(HCAR3401) where needed. Many small dents or
scratches in balsa can be repaired by applying a few
drops of water or moistening the area with a wet
tissue. This will swell the wood so you can sand it
when it dries.
❏ 3. Final sand your entire model with progressively
finer grits of sandpaper, finishing with 320 or 400-grit
sandpaper.
❏
4. Use a large brush, compressed air or a Top Flite
Tack Cloth to remove dust from the model.
FINISHING
COVERING WITH MONOKOTE
It is assumed that you are an intermediate to
advanced modeler, so we won’t go into many details
on covering techniques, but here are some tips you
should consider:
❏ 1. Most importantly, NEVER CUT THE COVERING
DIRECTLY ON THE SHEETING. The R/C Nobler
depends upon the wood sheeting for some of its
strength. Modelers who cut through the covering tend to
cut into the sheeting and this will weaken the structure.
❏
2. Use a Top Flite Hot Sock ™ for your Top Flite
covering iron or a Cover Sock if you are using a 21st
Century
® iron to minimize dents in the wood from your
covering iron. You’ll probably go through two socks by
the time you finish covering your R/C Nobler. The 21st
Century iron is highly recommended for this model due
to the curved lines and fillets in the fin area.
If you plan to cover your model with Top Flite
MonoKote film and you will be using Top Flite
LustreKote spray paint for parts that require
painting and/or fuelproofing, you may find it easier
to apply LustreKote
® to some of those areas with a
paint brush instead of spraying it from the can. To
apply LustreKote with a brush, hold a tube (such as
a drinking straw) to the spray nozzle, with the other
end of the tube emptying into a container. Depress
the spray nozzle until you have enough paint in
your container to do the job. Spraying LustreKote
into a tube will keep most of it from becoming
airborne. Allow the paint to stabilize for about ten
minutes before you brush it on. This is a handy
method for painting visible areas on the outside of
the model that require fuelproofing and must match
your MonoKote finish (such as the wheel wells).
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