Top Flite TOPA0220 - Manual (Page 44)

❏ 3. Some modelers have three irons going at once:
one on high heat without a Hot Sock for stretching
the covering around curves like wingtips; one on
medium heat with a Hot Sock for bonding the
covering to large sheeted areas like the wing and
stab; and a Trim Iron for small areas.
❏
4. When you cover large sheeted surfaces such as
the wing, bond the covering in the middle and work
outward, pushing out air as you proceed. Do not
move the iron in a circular motion, but move it span-
wise with the grain of the wood.
❏ 5. When you cover smaller parts with square
edges such as the elevators and ailerons, cover the
ends first with separate pieces of covering. Then, all
you have to do is wrap the covering around the top
and bottom and iron it down.
COVERING SEQUENCE
Fuselage
1. Stab bottoms, then stab tops
2. Fin
3. Aft fuse bottom
4. Forward fuse bottom
5. One fuse side, then the other (with the two halves
joining in the middle of the top)
6. Bottom, then top of elevators
7. Rudder
About the wing tips
Before covering the wing you need to consider the
wing tips. The wing tips are designed for lightness
and are tricky to cover. As you cover the tips,
especially the forward part of the tips, have your iron
set to a high heat. This will allow you to pull and
stretch the covering as you proceed. As you stretch
the covering, make sure you allow it to cool for few
seconds while still holding it before you move to
another section. When covering the rear section of
the tip, bend the balsa slightly while you iron the
covering on so that when you let the balsa go it will
pull the covering tighter.
This is important. After the bottom of the tip is
covered, cut the covering with a 1/4" [6.4mm]
overlap. Iron the overlap to the top of the tip core.
This will prevent the bottom covering from loosening
when you cover the top of the wing tip. The covering
on the bottom of the tip will be loose until the top is
covered and shrunk.
Wing
1. Bottom of one, then the other panel
2. Top of one, then the other panel
3. Bottom, then top of ailerons
4. Bottom, then top of flaps
PAINTING
We used Top Flite LustreKote for everything that
needed to be painted or fuel proofed. This included
the engine cowl, engine compartment and the
wheel wells. To do this, first roughen the plastic
parts with 320-grit sandpaper and then spray on a
coat of primer. After the primer dries, sand with 400-
grit. Wet sanding works best because it keeps your
sandpaper from becoming clogged. The primer will
insure a good color match with the MonoKote. Now
spray on your primary color.
For masking fine lines, use Great Planes 1/8"
[3.2mm] E-Mask Flexible Masking Tape
(GPMR1000) and use Kyosho Masking Cover Sheet
(KYOR1040) for masking large areas. Use a Top
Flite Tack Cloth (TOPR2185) to remove dust just
before you paint.
JOIN THE CONTROL SURFACES
❏ 1. Locate the two .074 x 36" [1.6 x 914mm] wire
pushrods. Cut the Z-bends that you made earlier
from the wires when the elevator servo was installed.
Assemble a nylon clevis and clevis retainer on the
threaded end of both pushrods. Thread the clevis on
about 15 turns. Clean each pushrod wire with a
paper towel and some alcohol.
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