Top Flite TOPA0140 - Manual (Page 38)

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4. Position the left and right lower crutches on
the upper crutches using the firewall, former 1B and
former 4B to hold the crutches in place. Glue the
lower crutches to the upper crutches and the servo
tray using the formers and the firewall to hold them
in alignment. Do not glue the firewall yet.
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5. Drill 3/16" [4.7mm] holes through the punch
marks in former 4B. Add the tank floor to the
assembly. Glue former 1B, the tank floor and
former 4B in place.
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6. Glue formers 2B and 3B to the left and
right crutches.
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7. Glue the die-cut 1/8" balsa formers 6B
through 10B to formers 6 through 10 respectively.
Use a straightedge to make sure the bottom
formers align with the top formers.
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8. Glue four 3/16" x 3/16" x 36" [4.8 x 4.8 x
914mm] stringers and four 3/16" x 3/16" x 24" [4.8
x 4.8 x 610mm] stringers in the notches of the
formers. Hold formers 6B through 10B in alignment
as you glue the stringers to them.
Note: All the stringers end in the middle of
former 10B.
MOUNT THE TAIL WHEEL ASSEMBLY
Use this photo for step 1 and 2.
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1. Cut the aft alignment post off the nylon tail
gear bracket. Use a pliers to flatten 1/4" [6.4mm]
of one end of the 1/8" x 5/8" [3.2 x 15.9mm] brass
tube. Slide the tube onto the tail gear wire and
place the assembly over the plan to make sure it is
the correct length. Shorten the
torque arm portion
of the tail gear wire if necessary.
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2. Silver solder the brass tube to the tail gear
wire. Drill a 1/16" [1.60mm] hole through the end of
the brass tube where shown on the plan. From
now on this portion of the tail gear wire will be
referred to as the
steering arm.
Refer to this photo for steps 3 through 7.
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3. Drill 1/16" [1.60mm] holes through the two
punch marks in the front of the die-cut 1/8"
[3.2mm] plywood tail gear plate and a 1/8"
[3.10mm] hole through the aft punch mark. Glue a
piece of leftover 1/8" [3.2mm] plywood over the
1/16" [1.60mm] holes and re-drill them through the
ply plate you just glued on. Make sure the plywood
strip will fit between the main fuse stringers.
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4. Mount the tail gear bracket to the tail gear
plate with two #2 x 3/8" [9.5mm] screws.
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5. Cut a slot in the right side of the fuse
sheeting for the steering arm to pass through.
Refer to the fuse plan and take measurements
from the tail gear plate to find the exact location of
the slot.
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6. Place the tail gear plate and the tail gear
bracket on the fuse to make sure the slot in the
stab saddle and the fuse side is in the correct
location. Make adjustments if necessary. Take the
tail gear plate off the fuselage and set it aside.
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