Build the rud der – Top Flite TOPA0300 User Manual

Page 15

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11. Remo

v

e

the fin from the b

u

ilding board

and tr

im off the jig tabs

. Blend the LE and TE to

the r

ibs on the r

ight side of the fin.

NO

TE:

If y

ou plan to r

oute wiring f

or a bea-

con thr

ough the fin, install a 15

length of

outer pushr

od tube (not supplied) thr

ough

the 3/16

holes y

ou drilled in step #2. Glue it

in position with medium CA, lea

ving the

e

xcess tube pr

otruding fr

om V

-1.

12. Use medium or thic

k CA to glue on the

right side skin. Be sure to get a good bond

betw

een the r

ibs and the skin.

13. T

rue up the edges of the fin sheeting with

a sanding b

loc
k. Shape the LE to match the

cross section on the plans

. Don’t tr

im the bottom

edge of the sheeting at this time

.

14. Glue the shaped 3/4” balsa

Fin Tip

to the

top of the fin. Shaping should be done later

, with

the fin taped to the r

udder

.

NO

TE:

If ad

ding a beacon light, drill a hole

thr
ough the top of the Fin Tip that aligns with

the wiring tube bef

ore y

ou glue it in place

.

1. Use one 1/16” x 3” x 30 balsa sheet to

mak

e tw

o
rud

der skins

, using the r

udder skin

patter

n on the wing plan. Y

ou will need to edge

glue a small w

edge shaped piece of sheeting to

the TE of the skin to pro

vide the correct width.

Y

ou should ha

v

e

more than enough mater

ial left

o

v

er from the pre

vious assemb

lies to accomplish

this step

.

2. Pin one of the r

udder skins to the (w

ax

paper co

v

ered) plans and dr

a

w

the location of

each r

ib using the “tic” mar

ks as a guide

. Dr

a

w

a

line the length of the r

udder skin, 3/8” in from the

aft edge

, as y

ou did with the ele

v

ators

. Remo

v

e

the r

udder skin from the board and taper the aft

edge to 1/32”. T

aper the aft edge of the other

rudder skin to 1/32”. (See ne

xt photo

.)

3. Locate the 3/8” x 3/4” x 12” tapered balsa

rud

der LE

. Cut the tips to match the s

w

eep

angle of the r

udder

. Lightly sand both sides of

the r

udder LE to match the angle to

w

a

rd the aft

edge of the r

udder

.

4. Re-pin the r

udder skin o

v

er the plans

. Glue

the r

udder LE to the surf

ace of the r

udder skin,

flush with the front edge

, using medium CA. The

wide end of the r

udder LE is at the bottom end

of the r

udder

.

5

. Slightly taper the f

orw

ard edge of the r

udder

ribs
R-1

through

R-6

to match the s

w

eep angle of

the r

udder LE, then glue them in position o

v

er

the location lines that y

ou dre

w in step #2.

6. Shape one end of the 1/4” x 1/2” x 1-1/4”

balsa r

udder

T

o

rque Bloc

k
to match the angle

at the intersection of the r

udder LE and R-1.

Glue the T

orque Bloc

k in position when satisfied

with the fit.

7

. Remo

ve

the r

udder assemb

ly from the board,

then lightly sand the fr

ame to b

lend all joints

. Glue

the second r

udder skin to the fr

ame with thic

k CA.

T

o

pre

vent twists

, be sure that the assemb

ly is held

on a flat surf

ace while the CA cures

.

EXCESS

30"

3"

Build the rud

der

15

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