Top Flite TOPA0220 - Manual (Page 17)

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7. Place the fuselage top deck over the top view of
the fuselage plan. Align the cutouts in the top deck with
formers F2, F3TC and F3. Mark the location of former
F1TR and all of the formers aft of F3.Transfer the marks
for F4, F5 and F6 to the bottom of the top deck.
❏ 8. Place the right fuselage side over the side view
of the fuselage plan. Align the fuselage side with the
wing saddle. Mark the location of formers F4, F5 and
F6 at the lower edge on the inside of the fuselage
side. Align the left fuselage side with the right side
and transfer these marks to the inside of the left
fuselage side.
❏ 9. Without using any glue, assemble the fuselage top
deck, left and right fuselage sides, F2 and F3. Use
rubber bands to hold the assembly together. Align F2
even with the front of the wing saddle cutout and align
F3 even with the rear of the wing saddle cutout. Be
certain that the forward (marked) sides of F2 and F3 are
facing the front of the fuselage.
IMPORTANT: Check that the front edge of the top deck
is exactly aligned with the front edge of the ply fuselage
doublers. View the fuselage assembly from the top and
insure that the firewall will have RIGHT thrust.
❏ 10. Cover your building board with plan protector
or wax paper. Place the fuselage assembly upside
down on the building board. With the assembly
properly aligned, glue F2 to the top deck and
fuselage sides with thin CA. Be sure that the top
deck is firmly seated against the ply fuse doublers
and that F2 is aligned with the wing saddle cutout.
Squeeze the fuselage sides together against F2 until
the CA cures.
❏ 11. Glue F3 to the top deck and fuselage sides with
thin CA. Be sure that the top deck is firmly seated
against the ply fuse doublers and that F3 is aligned with
the wing saddle cutout. Squeeze the fuselage sides
together against F3 until the CA cures.
❏ 12. Glue the top deck to the fuselage sides
between F2 and F3 with thin CA. Be sure the top
deck is firmly seated against the ply fuse doublers.
❏ 13. Glue the firewall F1 in place to the front of the
fuselage using 30 minute epoxy.You will need to cut two
notches in the top deck to clear the 6-32 blind nuts.
Align F1 with the top of the top deck. F1 will extend
below the bottom of the fuselage by about 3/32"
[2.4mm]. Check that the sides and top deck are square.
❏ 14. Reinforce the joint between F1 and the
fuselage sides and top deck with some balsa
triangular sticks cut from a 1/4" x 1/4" tri x 30" [6.4 x
6.4 x 762mm] stick. Glue in place with epoxy. Do not
let any epoxy get into the blind nuts.
Hint: Put some vaseline on the two blind nuts near
the top deck.
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