Top Flite TOPA0120 - Manual (Page 12)

❑ 4. Pin ribs V-1 and V-4 to the building board
over their proper locations. Center the LE
vertically on the front of the ribs and glue it in
place.
❑ 5. Center the Fin TE vertically on the aft edge
of the ribs and glue it in place.
❑ 6. Put ribs V-2 and V-3 into their places and
glue them. Remember, all jig tabs should contact
the work surface.
❑ 7. Glue the die-cut 3/32” balsa Fin Triangle
into the corner of V-4 and the Trailing Edge.
❑ 8. Apply extra CA+ glue to any joints that do
not appear to be well glued.
❑ 9. Blend the LE to match the ribs on the
upward facing (left) fin side. Sand the TE, if
necessary, to blend smoothly with the ribs.
❑ 10. Make a skin for each side of the fin using
the 1/16” balsa sheet left over from the stab skins.
Make the skin so it overhangs past V-1 about 1/2”;
this will allow fitting to the stab later. See the
sketch on page 11.
❑ 11. With the structure flat on the table, glue on
the left skin.
❑ 12. Trim off the jig tabs and blend the LE and
TE to the ribs on the right side of the fin.
❑ 13. Glue on the right skin. Be sure to get a
good bond between the ribs and the skin.
❑ 14. True up the edges of the fin sheeting with
a sanding block. Shape the LE to match the cross-
section on the plans.
❑ 15. Glue the shaped 3/4” balsa Fin Tip to the
top of the fin at the location shown on the plans.
Use a razor plane and a sanding block to do the
initial shaping of the tip. Final shaping should be
done later, with the fin taped to the rudder.
BUILD THE ELEVATORS
NOTE: Build both elevators using the
following steps:
❑ ❑ 1. Place the die-cut 3/32” balsa Elevator
Bases (EB) on the plans and mark the “Rib”
locations on both sides using the “tick” marks on
the plans.
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