Top Flite TOPA0140 - Manual (Page 35)

SHEET THE TOP OF THE FUSELAGE
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1. Blend the the stringers to the formers with a
small bar sander and 150-grit sandpaper.
Refer to this photo for steps 2 through 8.
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2. Use the upper fuse skin pattern on the plan
to make the upper fuse skin for the left side of the
fuse from a 3/32" x 3" x 36" [2.4 x 76 x 914mm]
balsa sheet. Do not glue it in place until instructed
to do so. Use leftover 3/32" [2.4mm] balsa to make
the sheet wide enough to extend to the center of
the top middle stringer in the front of the fuse and
long enough to extend 5/8" [15.9mm] past the
plywood stab saddles in the back of the fuse.
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3. Trim the main stringer and sub stringers even
with the end of the stab saddles.
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4. Wet the outside of the upper fuse skin with
isopropyl alcohol so you can carefully bend it into
position as you trim it to fit your model (the pattern
on the plan is slightly oversize so you will have to
custom fit the skin to your model). Frequently wet
the sheet as you continue to shape and fit it to the
fuselage. By the time you are ready to glue the
skin to the fuse, you will be able to bend it all the
way down to the formers.
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5. After you are satisfied with the way the left
skin fits the fuse, trace its outline onto another
3/32" x 3" x 36" [2.4 x 76 x 914mm] balsa sheet.
This way you will have a good starting point when
you make the right skin.
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6. One at a time, remove the T-pins that hold the
left main stringer to your building board and replace
them as shown in the sketch so they will not
interfere with the sheeting when you glue it in place.
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7. Glue the left fuse sheet in position. The best
way to do this is one section at a time. First, apply
a bead of medium or thick CA to the main stringer
and sub stringer (see the photo at step 2) from
former 5 to about 3" [75mm] from the aft end.
Position the skin and hold it in place until the CA
hardens. Second, glue the other half of the skin to
the main and sub stringer from
inside the fuse with
thin CA. Lastly, glue the sheet to the rest of the
stringers and formers with medium CA.
Note: Do not glue the fuse sheeting to the stab
saddle. Do not glue the aft three inches of the
fuse sheeting to the side and sub stringers.
❏
8. Use the pattern you traced onto the other
3/32" [2.4mm] balsa sheet to make the skin for the
right side of the fuse. Fit and glue it to the fuse the
same way you did the left side (refer to the
following photo). Don’t forget to reposition the
T-pins in the right main stringer before you glue
the sheet in place.
❏
9. Use another 3/32" x 3" x 36" [2.4 x 76 x
914mm] balsa sheet to sheet both sides of the
turtledeck.
Sorry, no patterns for this one. You’ll
have to rely upon pure skill!
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10. Sand the top edges of the turtledeck
sheets even with the top stringers and the tops of
the formers.
Read the note at the end of step 7 before
you proceed
(you’re reading each step
completely through to the end before you
proceed anyway, right?).
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