Top Flite TOPA0101 - Manual (Page 36)

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2. Fuelproof the inside of the fuselage forward
of F-3. K&B polyester resin and a bent epoxy brush
was used for this on the prototypes.
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3. Fuelproof any external exposed wood. Top
Flite LustreKote ™ paint works nicely here.
BALANCE THE AIRPLANE
LATERALLY
SPECIAL NOTE: Do not confuse this procedure
with “checking the C.G.” or “balancing the airplane
fore and aft.” That very important step will be
covered later in the manual.
Now that you have the basic airframe nearly
completed, this is a good time to balance the
airplane
laterally (side-to-side). Here is how to do it:
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1. Temporarily attach the wing and engine (with
muffler) to the fuselage.
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2. With the wing level, lift the model by the
engine propeller shaft and the aft tip block (this
may require two people). Do this several times.
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3. If one wing always drops when you lift, it
means that side is heavy. Balance the airplane by
gluing weight to the other wing tip.
NOTE: An airplane that has been laterally
balanced will track better in loops and
other maneuvers.
COVERING
Because it is assumed that you have had some
previous model building experience, we won’t go
into detail in regard to the covering procedure.
Follow the instructions included with your
covering material
.
NOTE: When covering areas that involve fillets and
sharp junctions, like the tail section of the Corsair,
cut narrow strips (3/8" to 5/8") and apply them in the
corners before covering the major surfaces. The
larger pieces of MonoKote film will overlap and
capture these smaller surfaces. This technique also
bypasses the need to cut the MonoKote film in
these areas after it is applied.
DO NOT, under any
circumstances, attempt to cut the covering material
after it has been applied to the fin and stab, except
around the leading and trailing edges and the tip.
Modelers who do this often cut through the covering
and part-way into the balsa stab. This can weaken
the stab to the point where it may fail in flight!
The F4U Corsair prototypes first had the wing tips
covered with yellow MonoKote film. Then they
were completely covered with insignia blue
MonoKote film (with the exception of the wing tips
and anti-glare panel).
Recommended Covering Sequence:
1. Fillet Strips as described in above note
2. Rudder left side
3. Rudder right side
4. Bottom of elevators
5. Top of elevators
6. Stab bottom
7. Stab top
8. Fuse bottom
9. Fuse sides
10. Fuse top
11. Fin left side
12. Fin right side
13. Ends of ailerons and flaps
14. Bottom of ailerons and flaps
15. Top of ailerons and flaps
16. TE surfaces of wing (at ailerons and flaps)
17. Oil coolers and fairings (on bottom of wing)
18. Bottom of left wing panel
19. Bottom of right wing panel
20. Top of left wing panel (overlap covering 1/4"
at wing LE)
21. Top of right wing panel (overlap covering
1/4" at the LE)
When covering concave surfaces, follow the iron
with a damp cloth, pressing the covering down.
APPLY DECALS AND TRIM
NOTE: The decal sheet does not give you
everything you need to completely trim your model;
it does, however, provide all the intricate detailing
and difficult items.
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1. Study the plan and the photos on the box to
determine where to place the decals.
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2. Thoroughly clean your airplane before
applying decals.
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3. Cut out the individual decal items and apply
them in the locations shown on the plan.
NOTE: Certain non-scale decals are provided
which you may use at your discretion, such as the
“Top Flite” logo and the “kill” markings.
HINT: To apply decals accurately, peel only a
small portion of backing from one end, cut off the
backing with a scissors, position the decal
carefully, press down the exposed portion of the
decal, peel off the rest of the backing, then
(working from the already stuck down end)
carefully press down the rest of the decal.
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4. The top of the fuselage in front of the canopy
can be covered with black MonoKote film. You can
also cover the entire fuse with insignia blue, then
mask and paint the top with black LustreKote
followed by flat clear.
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5. We recommend Top Flite LustreKote ™
insignia blue paint be used on the cowl to provided
a satisfactory match to the MonoKote covering.
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6. For drawing the “panel lines,” we used a Top
Flite Power Line fine point pen, which is available
from hobby supply stores. Although not completely
fuelproof, we like using this pen because it draws
very nicely on MonoKote film and the lines may be
removed if necessary with 70% rubbing alcohol.
The plane may be cleaned with most cleaners
without affecting the lines, however.
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