Top Flite TOPA0215 - Manual (Page 28)

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5. Install the servos as shown following the
radio manufacturer's mounting instructions. Before
screwing the servos in place, drill a 1/16" [1.6mm]
hole through each of the servo mounting holes,
drilling into the plywood servo tray and the
reinforcement strips on the underside of the servo
tray. Skipping this step may cause the servo tray to
split when you screw the servos into position. Apply
a couple of drops of thin CA to harden the holes and
then screw the servos in place.
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6. Permanently secure the receiver and battery in
place where shown on the plan. Be sure that you
wrap each of them in 1/4" [6mm] foam and secure
them so they are not able to move around inside the
fuselage. Connect your servos to the receiver
following the manufacturer's instructions. Route your
receiver antenna through the fuselage, attaching it to
the fuselage longerons at the rear of the model.
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7. Mount your on / off receiver switch in a location
that does not interfere with the rest of the radio
system. It is good practice to mount your switch on
the side of the model opposite the exhaust.
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8. Locate the .072 x 17-1/2" [445mm] pushrod wire
threaded on one end. This is the throttle pushrod
wire. Insert the unthreaded end of it through the
screw lock connector on the carburetor and into the
tube in the firewall. Feed the wire into the tube until
the end of the wire is over the throttle servo control
horn. Once the throttle pushrod wire is over the
throttle servo arm continue feeding the pushrod wire
into the tube an additional 1" [25mm]. At the screw
lock connector on the carburetor, cut the excess
throttle pushrod wire. When you cut the wire you will
be cutting off the threaded portion of the wire. This is
correct. Tighten the 4-40 set screw on the screw lock
connector to hold the throttle pushrod wire in place.
Connect the other end of the throttle pushrod to the
servo with a screw lock pushrod connector and the
4-40 set screw.
FINISHING
Fuelproofing
Remove the engine, engine mount and the throttle
pushrod. Fuelproof the entire engine compartment
including the firewall. Use epoxy, epoxy paint,
finishing resin or other fuelproof model paint.
Prepare the Model for Covering
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1. Inspect all surfaces for uneven glue joints and
seams that require filler. Apply filler 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.
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2. Final sand the entire model with progressively
finer grits of sandpaper, finishing with 320 or
400-grit sandpaper.
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3. Use a large brush, air pressure or a Top Flite Tack
Cloth (TOPR2185) to remove dust from the model.
Balance the Model Laterally
Laterally balancing the model now will allow you to
install weight on the wingtip before covering the wing,
hiding the weight inside the wing. Other components of
the aircraft like the pushrods and landing gear should
not have any effect on the lateral balance when they
are installed in future steps.
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1. Mount your wing and the engine.
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2. With the wing level, carefully lift the model by
the engine propeller shaft and the aft end of the
fuselage at the bottom of the wire tail skid (this may
require two people). Do this several times.
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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. Glue the weight in place with
epoxy. An airplane that has been laterally balanced will
track better in loops and other maneuvers.
Cover your Model 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:
A. Most importantly, NEVER CUT THE COVERING
DIRECTLY ON THE SHEETING. The Elder 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.
B. Use a Top Flite ® Hot Sock ™ to minimize dents in
the wood from your covering iron.
C. 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.