Top Flite TOPA0400 - Manual (Page 42)

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3. Test fit the cowl halves together and make
adjustments as necessary.
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4. Join the cowl halves together with thin or
medium CA.
NOTE: Do not use CA accelerator. Use of
accelerator on the ABS plastic may cause cracks
and/or prevent paint from adhering.
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5. Remove the engine from the fuse and test fit
the cowl in place. Trim the cowl until it fits as
shown on the plan sheet. Mark the outline of the
cowl on the fuselage.
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6. Refer to the fuse plan and the photo above
for the location of the 1/2" x 3/4" x 3/4" hardwood
cowl mounting blocks. Use epoxy to glue the
blocks at the proper locations. Make sure to offset
the blocks to allow for the thickness of the plastic
cowl. The two cowl blocks mounted on the firewall
will need to be rounded slightly to match the
curvature of the bottom of the cowl.
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7. Mark the location of the mounting blocks on
the fuse. Tape the cowl securely to the fuse and
drill 3/32" holes through the cowl and mounting
blocks. Remove the cowl and enlarge the holes in
the cowl only with a 1/8" drill bit. Attach the cowl
to the fuse using #4 x 1/2" button head screws.
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8. Reinstall the engine on the firewall. Use
pieces of thin cardboard or plastic to make
templates for the head of the engine, carburetor
and exhaust.
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9. Remove the engine from the fuselage
without disturbing the templates. Reinstall the cowl
and transfer the hole locations from the template
onto the cowl.
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10. Remove the cowl and templates and
reinstall the engine. Cut the openings in the cowl
slightly undersize and test fit it on the fuse. Make
adjustments as needed. Also cut a cooling exit
hole in the aft bottom of the cowl and a cooling
entrance hole in the front of the cowl.
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11. Supplied in the kit are four die-cut 1/8"
plywood valve mounts. These mounts can be used
for mounting the air filler valve, fuel filler valve or
kill switch if installing a gasoline powered engine.
Glue the sides to the mount and attach them the
firewall. We mounted the air filler valve and kill
switch at the bottom of the cowl and the fuel filler
valve on the side of the cowl behind the
carburetor. Cut the appropriate openings in the
cowl for these accessories.
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12. Glue fiberglass around the mounting holes
and along the seams on the inside of the cowl. For
maximum protection against stress cracking, you
may apply 3/4oz. fiberglass cloth to the entire
inside surface of the cowl. Adhere the cloth with
thin CA.
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13. Before painting the cowl, fill the seams and
other imperfections with filler such as Squadron
White Putty, or resin filler such as Bondo
® . We use
Bondo most of the time because it cures quickly
and is easy to sand. Squadron putty works well,
but it takes several hours to cure.
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