Top Flite TOPA0310 - Manual (Page 34)

❏ 3. Stick a T-pin into the center fuse stringer above
former 3. Tie a small loop in one end of a 50" piece
of string and slip it over the T-pin.
❏ 4. Fold a piece of masking tape over the other end
of the string and draw an arrow on it. Slide the tape
along the string and align the arrow with one tip of the
stab. Swing the string over to the other tip of the stab
and check the alignment. Shift the stab and slide the
tape along the string until the arrow reads the same on
both sides of the stab. Now your stab is aligned.
❏ 5. Place a straightedge across the top longerons
in front of former 4 and hold it in place with C-clamps
or clothes pins.
❏ 6. Observe the fuselage from the rear and check
the alignment of the stab with the straightedge. If
necessary, remove the stab and adjust the height of
one of the stab saddles until the stab is parallel with
the straightedge.
❏ 7. Once the stab is level with the straightedge,
glue the stab into position with 30-minute epoxy.
Place a weight on top of the stab to hold it down. Use
the pin and string to recheck the stab alignment.
Wipe away excess epoxy before it hardens.
❏
8. Test fit the fin to the fuse and the top of the stab.
Trim the sheeting on the bottom of the fin as
necessary for a good fit to the stab. The fin TE should
rest tightly against the aft end of the saddles and the
tail wedge.
❏ 9. Use a C-clamp to hold the bottom of the fin TE
to the stab saddle. Align one edge of a large
draftsman’s triangle with the centerline on the TE of
the fin. Use a small C-clamp to hold the triangle in
position. Check the alignment of the bottom of the
triangle with the centerline on the stab TE. Trim the
bottom of the fin sheeting where it rests on the stab
until you can get the fin vertical.
❏
10. Adjust the front of the fin laterally by measuring
the distance between both sides of the fin and the
sides of former 9. Note: It is important that the fin be
accurately aligned with the fuse centerline.
❏ 11. Glue the fin to the stab and fuse with 30-minute
epoxy. Before the epoxy hardens, confirm the vertical
and lateral fin alignment as described previously.
Note: Be certain the fin sheeting is securely glued to
the stab sheeting, but do not build up a large fillet. This
joint will be reinforced with tri stock in the next step.
Refer to this photo for the following five steps.
❏ 12. Cut two pieces from the 1/4" x 18" balsa tri
stock and glue them to the fin and stab with 30-
minute epoxy. Note that the tri stock should end 1-1/2
forward of the fin TE.
❏ 13. Gradually taper the 1/8" x 1/4" basswood
stringers on both sides of the center stringer on top
of the fuse. The ends of these stringers just “float” in
the structure and will gradually and smoothly
disappear underneath the covering.
❏ 14. Use the stab fairing pattern on the plan to
make two stab fairings from leftover 1/4" balsa and
glue them into position on both sides of the fuse.
❏ 15. Glue the ends of the 1/8" x 1/4" basswood outer
stringers on the top of the fuse to former 8. Glue leftover
1/4" x 1/4" balsa sticks between the top stringers.
❏ 16. Make the fin fillet as shown on the plan from
leftover 1/4" balsa and glue it into position. Round the fin
LE and the fin fillet smoothly blending the two together.
- 34 -