Top Flite TOPA0310 - Manual (Page 21)

❏ ❏ 20. Cut notches in rib 5 on both sides of the top
main spar to accommodate the die-cut 1/16"
plywood
top spar braces . Glue the braces in
position with epoxy.
❏ ❏
21. Use a 1/8" x 1/4" x 31" basswood stick for
the top LE spar that goes from rib 15 to rib 5 and a
1/8" x 1/4" x 24" basswood stick from rib 5 to rib 1.
Save the remainder of the 24" stick for the bottom of
the wing. Glue the spars in position.
❏ ❏ 22. Use a bar sander with 80-grit sandpaper to
sand the top of the wing, blending all the spars to
the ribs.
❏ ❏ 23. Use the wing tip sheeting template
provided on the plan to make the wing tip sheeting
from a 3/32" x 3" x 36" balsa sheet. Test fit the
sheeting to the wing and trim as required for the
correct fit. The sheet ends in the middle of rib 13. If
necessary, wet the top of the sheeting with water or
window cleaner to facilitate bending. Place a shim
from leftover balsa, under the wing tip so you don’t
misalign it as you are pressing the sheeting down.
Then, glue the tip sheeting to the wing.
❏ ❏
24. Use a 3/32" x 3" x 36" balsa sheet to make
the top wing sheeting that runs from the tip
sheeting at rib 13 to rib 1. You’ll have to trim a piece
of the sheeting from the tip and glue it near the other
end so the sheet will be wide enough to reach from
the LE spar to the LE at rib 5. After you’ve trimmed
the sheet to the correct size, glue it only to the LE
spar. Wet the sheet and bend it to the LE and glue it
to the ribs and LE.
Hint: Place weights over the
trailing edge of the wing to hold it to your building
board while you apply pressure to the LE as you
bend the sheeting down.
❏ ❏ 25. Make the 3/32" balsa/ply wing TE sheeting
for the flap area by laminating a 1/32" x 1" x 18"
plywood strip to a leftover 1/16" balsa strip. Cut the
strip into two pieces as shown and glue them, ply
side down, to the wing with 3/8"
extending aft of the
inner TE (this can be seen in the sketch at step 5 on
page 24).
❏ ❏ 26. Glue the die-cut 3/32" balsa mid TE to the
notches in the bottom of ribs 7, 8 and 9. Bevel the
aft edge of the mid TE to match the tapering angle
of the ribs.
Now for the fun part!
Refer to this photo for the following two steps.
❏ ❏ 27. Cut the cap strip for the outer TE spar that
fits between ribs 9 and 15 from a 3/32" x 1/4" x 36"
balsa stick and glue it into position.
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