Top Flite TOPA0140 - Manual (Page 11)

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2. While you’re making skins, make a 6" x 15"
[152 x 381mm] fin skin by cutting a 1/16" x 3" x
30" [1.6 x 76 x 762mm] balsa sheet in half and
gluing the two pieces together. Set the skins aside
for now.
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3. Carefully cut along the partially die-cut lines
in the front of the die-cut 3/32" [2.4mm] balsa
stab ribs and remove the pieces of balsa to
accommodate the stab core. Leave the jig tabs in
place on the bottom of the ribs.
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4. Position the fuse plan so the stab plan is
over your building board, or cut the stab from the
plan and tape it to your building board. Cover the
stab plan with waxed paper.
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5. Temporarily pin a 1/4" x 5/8" x 18" [6.4 x 15.9
x 457mm] balsa stab TE over the stab TE on the
plan. This will help you accurately position the stab
ribs until you raise the TE and glue it in place. Use
small T-pins to pin the stab ribs over their location
on the plan so they contact the stab TE. Insert the
T-pins through the ribs so they will not interfere
with the stab core.
Use this photo for the next two steps.
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6. Use medium CA to glue the die-cut 3/16"
[4.8mm] balsa stab core in the notches of the ribs.
Bevel the fronts of the ribs so the die-cut 3/32"
[2.4mm] balsa stab leading edges will align with
the front of the stab core. Glue the stab leading
edges to the top of the stab core.
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7. Remove the stab TE from your building
board and trim it to the length shown on the plan.
Center the TE on the ends of the ribs and glue it
in position.
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8. Use the stab skin template on the plan to
make the top and bottom stab skin from the 1/16"
[1.6mm] sheets you glued together earlier.
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9. Trim the LE of one of the stab skins so it
accurately fits the stab leading edges. Slightly
bevel the LE of the skin to match the angle at
which it contacts the stab LE’s.
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10. Trim the top of the stab TE so it is even with
the tops of the ribs. Remove all the T-pins except
the ones in tip ribs S6. Make sure none of the
T-pins will be concealed under the stab sheeting
so you will be able to remove the stab after you
glue the sheeting in place.
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11. Glue the stab skin to the top of the stab. We
recommend thin CA for the leading edge of the
skin and aliphatic resin for the ribs and TE. Use
weights and T-pins to hold the skin down until the
glue cures.
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12. Remove the weights and T-pins and trim the
stab skin so it is even with the tips and TE. Glue the
bottom of the ribs to the stab core, then carefully cut
the jig tabs from the bottom of the ribs.
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13. Cut six 1" [25mm] long hinge blocks from
the 1/4" x 1/2" x 12" [6.4 x 12.7 x 305mm] balsa
stick. Glue the hinge blocks to the stab TE where
shown on the plan. Trim the TE so it is even with
the ribs and lightly sand the bumps of the ribs left
from the jig tabs. You can see the hinge blocks in
the next photo.
Note: Refrain from using CA accelerator, or use
it sparingly. Residual accelerator can make the
CA you use in the following steps cure quickly
and unexpectedly—even if has been sprayed on
hours before.
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