Top Flite TOPA0155 - Manual (Page 58)

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6. Cover the protruding portions of former F5B with
flat black or black MonoKote. Also cover the top portion
of the air passage fairings as shown in the photo.
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7. Cover the remainder of the fuse in the following
suggested order:
Bottom
Wing fillets
Fuse sides aft of F5B
The exhaust outlet (use chrome MonoKote -
see preceding photo)
Fuse sides forward of F5B
Top
Elevators and rudder
Note: The dove gray covering was applied first,
followed by the insignia blue top. Do not attempt to
cover large areas of the fuse with one piece. Use as
many pieces as necessary to eliminate wrinkles and
make the job easier–seams are preferable to wrinkles!
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8. Cover the wing beginning with the invasion
stripes. For simplicity, straight invasion stripes may
be cut on the workbench using a straightedge and a
hobby knife. Cover the rest of the bottom of the wing
with dove gray followed by the top of the wing with
insignia blue. It’s easiest to cover each panel (center,
left outer, right outer) separately. Before applying the
covering to the center section, first cut the covering
to accurately fit up to the molded ABS air intakes.
When you get to the trailing edge, wrap the covering
around the bottom and seal it inside the top skin as
shown in the photo.
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9. Cover the ailerons and flaps.
Arresting hook
Though the trim scheme featured on the kit box
model is of a racing plane that doesn’t have an
arresting hook, we made one anyway (for illustration
purposes should you decide to make one–especially
if doing a military trim scheme). The hook was
carved from basswood, then glued into a 3/16"
[4.8mm] aluminum tube. The other end of the tube
was glued to a pinned hinge (the same kind of hinge
used to hinge the flaps). Drill a hole in the end of the
fuse to accommodate the hinge. The rest of the
bracketry was made from a 2-56 screw and nut and
parts of a nylon Faslink. For security and durability, a
small pin was used to secure the arresting hook to
the rudder after the model was covered and the hook
was painted (though no such pin exists on the
real plane).
Painting
With the exception of the canopy frame, all of the
parts on the model that were painted were painted
with Top Flite LustreKote (see instructions for
painting the canopy later in the manual). For small
parts where light coats of paint are required (such as
the air intakes already glued to the wing and the
machine gun blisters), painting with an airbrush is
desired. Though LustreKote is available only in spray
cans, there is a way to apply LustreKote with an
airbrush. Here’s how:
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1. Spray the paint through a tube into a cup.
Spraying the paint through a tube keeps most of it
from becoming airborne. Allow the paint to stabilize
for about an hour before transferring it to the airbrush
jar. Stir thoroughly.
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