Top Flite TOPA0155 - Manual (Page 16)

Build the stab and elevators
Note: The stabilizer is built upside-down. There is
nothing to remember or figure out ahead of time.
Simply build the stab as instructed.
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1. Roll the wing plan inside out so it will lie flat.
Cut the stab plan from the wing plan and place it over
your flat building board. Cover the plan with Plan
Protector so glue will not adhere.
Refer to this photo for the following four steps.
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2. Without using glue, join both sets of die-cut
3/32" [2.4mm] stab ribs S2 through S5 to both die-
cut 1/8" [3.2mm] balsa stab main spars (SMS).
Place the assembly over the stab plan. If necessary,
widen the notches in the ribs and spars so they fit at
the angle on the plan.
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3. Still without glue, join both die-cut 1/8" [3.2mm]
balsa stab TE spars (STES) and both die-cut 1/8"
[3.2mm] balsa elevator spars (ELES) to the ribs,
then pin the assembly to the building board aligned
over the plan. Glue the ribs to the main and TE spars.
Hint: Pin a large balsa stick to the building board at
both ends of the stab to help hold the two halves
together and maintain alignment.
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4. Glue both die-cut 3/32" [2.4mm] balsa stab
ribs S1 together. Test fit, then use epoxy to glue the
die-cut 1/8" [3.2mm] plywood stab joiner (SJ) and
the S1’s to the assembly.
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5. The same as was done on the fin, sand the
fronts of the ribs at an angle to match the sub LE.
Use the remainder of the 1/16" x 1/2" [1.6 x 12.7mm]
balsa stick used for the fin sub LE to make the stab
sub LE, then glue it into position. Sand the top of the
sub LE and spars even with the ribs.
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6. Remove or relocate any T-pins that will interfere
with the sheeting or that will be concealed under the
sheeting after it's glued into place. Cut the top stab
and elevator skins from the second balsa sheet
prepared earlier. Glue the skins to the top of the stab
and elevators.
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7. Remove the assembly from the plan. Use a
ballpoint pen to mark the side of the stab you just
sheeted as “bottom”.
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8. Cut the hinge blocks from the 1/4" x 3/8" x 11-
7/8" [6.4 x 9.5 x 302mm] balsa stick, then glue them
to the stab TE spars where shown on the plan. Trim
the top of any hinge blocks where necessary so they
do not interfere with the top stab sheeting.
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9. Cut the top stab and elevator skins from the
remainder of the balsa sheeting. With the stab lying
flat on the workbench, glue one of the stab skins into
position. When doing so, press down to hold the
sheeting to the structure and to hold the structure to
the flat work surface. Glue the other stab skin to the
stab the same way.
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10. The same as was done on the rudder skin,
sand the TE of the bottom elevator skins to match
the tapering angle of the ribs. Glue the top elevator
skins into position.
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11. True all the sheeting even with both ends of
the stab/elevators and the sub LE.
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12. Cut the remainder of the 3/16" x 1/2" [4.8 x
12.7mm] balsa stick used for the fin LE into two pieces
for the stab LE, then glue it into position. Shape the LE
even with the stab, but do not round yet.
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13. Place both die-cut 1/16" [1.6mm] balsa stab
tip cores (STC) over the plan. Note which end is the
front (they’re not symmetrical like the fin tip, but
they’re close). The same as you did for the fin tip, use
one of the stab tip cores to lay out the patterns on the
remainder of the 3/8" x 3" x 30" [9.5 x 76 x 762mm]
balsa sheet used for the rudder base. While you’re at
it, lay out the die-cut 1/16" [1.6mm] balsa elevator
root core (ERC) patterns as well.
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