Top Flite TOPA0155 - Manual (Page 11)

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2. Set the sheets aside until it’s time to sheet the
tail surfaces.
Build the fin and rudder
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1. Unroll the fuse plan sheet. Roll it inside out so
it will lie flat.
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2. Position the fuse plan so the fin and rudder
are over your flat building board, or cut the fin and
rudder from the plan. Cover the plan with Great
Planes Plan Protector or wax paper so glue will not
adhere to the plan.
IMPORTANT BUILDING NOTE:
The fin is initially built and sheeted while lying on its
right side supported by the TE spars and ribs.
When it’s time to sheet the other side, the fin is turned
over and supported by the sheeting and TE spar on the
left side. The TE spars will be trimmed even with the
sheeting after the fin has been completed.
The stab and wing panels are built the same way, thus
simplifying construction and ensuring straight and true
flying surfaces (providing your workbench is flat). This
system also eliminates the requirement for jig tabs on
the ribs which can break off while removing the ribs
from the die sheets, or during construction.
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3. Without using glue, join the die-cut 1/16"
[1.6mm] balsa fin ribs V 1 through V6 to the die-cut
1/8" [3.2mm] balsa vertical main spar (VMS), the
lower main spar (LMS), the upper TE spar (UTES),
the lower TE spars (LTES) and the rudder spar
(RS). Add the die-cut 3/32" [2.4mm] balsa fin center
TE spar (CTS). Use T-pins to hold the assembly to
the plan.
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4. Making certain that the vertical main spar, the
upper and lower TE spars and the ribs are contacting
the plan at their lowest point, use medium CA to glue
all the parts of the assembly together. Be certain to
pull the rudder spar all the way up into the notches of
the ribs when gluing it into position. Note: Use only
a small amount of CA on each glue joint. Avoid using
excess CA which will cause glue blobs that may
interfere with the sheeting that will be added later.
The Sea Fury was designed and built by Hawker
Aircraft Ltd., Sutton Lane, Langley, Bucks, England.
Note: Some modelers tend to sand the sheeting
too much after it is applied to the structure,
making low spots over supported areas (such as
over ribs and stringers) where fingers can easily
punch through. By following the procedure above
(specifically, by aligning the joining edges of the
sheets as shown in step E), little sanding should
be required. Most of the sanding that
is required
should be done before the sheeting is glued in
place. The only sanding that should be required
after the sheeting is glued to the structure is final
sanding with 320-or 400-grit sandpaper.
Here are a few other things to keep in mind
while sanding balsa sheeting:
1. Sand the sheets on a flat work surface
free from hardened drops of glue or other
imperfections that will damage the sheeting.
2. Sand the sheeting only as much as
required. The inside needs to be sanded just
enough to remove excess glue and doesn’t have
to be smooth.
3. Though sanding across the grain
removes material faster, it leaves visible
scratches. Sanding
with the grain is preferable,
especially when finish-sanding.
4. If the glue joint is uneven and requires
much sanding, it may be best to leave it slightly
uneven rather than over-sanding. A slightly uneven
glue joint is preferable to paper-thin balsa!
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