Construction Manual
www.oldschoolmodels.com
Page 5
Start with the R6 installed between R2
and R3. Hold it in place over the plans
to get an idea of which side of the
piece need the bevel sanded. Then
test fit it in place. Adjust as necessary
and when satisfied with the fit, glue it
in place to both ribs. The R7 is next and
it has a notch pre-cut into it. This notch
needs to face the bottom of
the wing. Bevel the appropriate
ends and glue it into place to
the ribs when the fit is correct.
Work your way along the rest of
the wing, alternating as you go.
Step 14 - Wing Assembly (removing tabs)
Once the glue has cured, the wing half can
be removed from your building board.
It’s now time to carefully remove the tabs on
each rib.
All ribs have two tabs and they need to be
carefully cut away and the ribs lightly sanded
to maintain their airfoil shapes. There’s a
number of ways to do this but we find a
Japanese saw is the perfect tool. These saws
are small, have flexible blades and the lack of
off-set teeth makes a smooth, straight cut.
Step 15 - Wing Assembly (starboard wing)
Set the port (left) wing half aside and begin work on the starboard
(right) wing half. Tape the right wing plan and fresh wax paper
on your board. Then go back and follow steps 2 through 14 to
assemble the right wing half. Once finished, then move on to step
16 to complete the wing assembly.
Note that when building the right half, some of the parts will need
to be glued to the opposite side (R3a, for instance). Always refer
to the plans to make sure you’re gluing the parts together in the
correct way.
Step 16 - Wing Assembly (upper D1)
Lightly sand R2 so it is flat and
there is no extra basswood
spar, or balsa leading/trailing
edges protruding.
Locate one R1 from LP3 as
this is one of three dihedral
braces that will be used in
the wing’s construction. Also
locate the port wing half. Place the wing as shown (right-way-up).
This particular D1 will fit into the pre-cut slots in R2 and R3, just to
the rear of the upper spar.
We recommend epoxy for this step and make sure it is firmly
seated while the glue cures. Also make sure to remove any excess
epoxy that may drip on the face of R1. Epoxy is easier to clean off
before it cures by using a paper towel lightly soaked in a bit of
denatured alcohol.
Step 17 - Wing Assembly (D2 and WH7)
Locate D2 from LP1. It is
glued in as shown here -
in the pre-cut slots in R2
and R2 - just in front of the
trailing edge. Using the
same techniques and care as
you did when epoxying D1
in the last step.
Once the epoxy has cured,
locate WH7 and glue it in
position on top of the trailing
edge as shown here.
Step 18 - Wing Assembly (R1)
Make sure that R2 is smooth and flat, then install R1 (from LP4) on
to the port wing.
Slide D1 and D2 into R1’s slots, the push it flat against R2. We
recommend using epoxy for this step to give you more working
time than quick setting glue does. Once R1 is in place, make sure
it is still flat against R1, then tape or clamp it in position until the
glue cures.
Step 19 - Wing Assembly (R1)
Locate the other R1 from LP4 and glue it in place, up-against, and
aligned with the R1 you just installed. Again, use epoxy here.
Step 20 - Wing Assembly (join wing halves and D2)
Locate D1 from LP3
and both wing halves.
At this time the wing
halves will be joined
into a single wing -
again we recommend
epoxy to glue these
two halves together.
Carefully slide the two
halves together, taking
care not to damage or
break off D1 or D2.
When properly aligned, there will be a slight bend at the center of
the wing (dihedral).
At the same time, also epoxy the remaining D1 to the underside
of the wing as shown here - just in back of the lower spars, in the
pre-cut notches in R1, R2 and R3.
Make sure the two wings are firmly clamped together and allow the
epoxy to completely cure.
Step 21 - Wing Assembly (center sheeting)
Now the center section of the wing is sheeted on each side of R1,
so we’ll focus on the top sheeting first. You’ll notice that R1, D1
and D2 are slightly proud of (raised above) R2 and R3 - creating a
1/16th “pocket” that the sheeting will fit in to.
We’ll do this in two sections - the front and then the rear - which are
Yes, this photo does show center
sheeting already installed on our
prototype. Please disregard that for
now as the sheeting will be installed
in a few steps.
