Engine Hatch and Cockpit Canopy
The main engine hatch and the internal canopy
frame are both trimmed for you at the factory, and
the balsa baseplate is fitted in the hatch, so you only
need to complete the fixings.
Fit the hatch first. It is held onto the fuselage with a
Ø 7 x 40mm long dowel at the back, and 2 milled
plywood hooks at the front. Scrape any moulding
seams on the back of the hatch and fuselage that
could prevent it fitting flush, using the edge of a
sharp modelling knife. Sand the bottom surface of
the hatch, if necessary, so that it fits the fuselage.
Drill a Ø 7mm hole exactly in the centre of the back
face of the hatch. Apply some masking tape to the
fuselage, and then tape the hatch into final position.
From the inside of the fuselage you can now mark
the position of the hole on the fuselage tape, using
a pencil thru’ the hole in the hatch.
Remove the hatch, and glue a small scrap of 6mm
balsa in front of the hole in the hatch, to reinforce the
glue joint to the dowel later, and behind the hole in
the fuselage also. Redrill the 7mm hole thru’ the
balsa block in the hatch. Drill the Ø 7mm hole in the
fuselage for the fibreglass dowel. Remove the mask-
ing tape and wax both the back of the hatch and the
fuselage, around the holes, in case you get some
glue on there in the next steps. Sand the end of the
dowel where the glue will be,
and fit it into the hole into the
fuselage with about 10mm pro-
jecting out of the front. Fit the
hatch into position over the
dowel and tape firmly into
place. Turn the fuselage over
and apply some 30 minute
epoxy & micro-balloons mixture
to glue it into the hatch.
When the glue is cured remove
the hatch. Apply some masking
tape to the top of the front rail,
and mark the slots for the front
hooks, 15mm in from the edge
of the fuselage. File the slots in
the top of the bulkhead and the
fibreglass rail, 3mm wide and
about 12mm long - to match
your ply hooks. Refit the hatch
Fox Composites Co., Ltd.
25
(above) Back of hatch is secured to fuse-
lage with a Ø 7 x 40mm dowel.
(below) Add scrap balsa blocks inside
hatch and fuselage to reinforce joints.
(above) Bottom view of completed hatch, with inset detail of
front hooks. Balsa composite baseplate is factory-installed.
Front of hatch is secured with 2 plywood hooks that slide
under the front rail, thru’ slots cut in the bulkhead.
