.
39.
a. Install the landing gear mount in the rear notches of the fuselage doubler by
gluing it firmly to the sides, the doublers, and FBR.
b. Tape the die-cut Lite-Ply piece FBF (fuselage bottom, front) in place,
recheck the fuselage alignment over the plans, then glue it using medium
CA. Be sure to firmly glue the joints between FBF and the landing gear
mount, F-1 and F-2 from the inside of the fuselage.
c. If necessary, use a modeling knife to trim the back edge of the hole in FBF
so that it's flush with the front face of F-1.
40.
a. Install the landing gear mount in the front notches of the fuselage doubler by
gluing it firmly to the sides, the doubler, and F-2.
b. Cut the die-cut Lite-Ply piece FBF (fuselage bottom, front) into two pieces
as shown in the diagram.
c. Tape the two pieces of FBF into place on the bottom of the fuselage,
recheck the fuselage alignment over the plan, then glue it all using medium
CA. Be sure to firmly glue the joints between FBF and the landing gear
mount, F-1, and FBR from the inside of the fuselage.
41.
a. Cut two 1-1/2" lengths from the 1/2"x30" balsa triangle stock to serve as
braces for the landing gear mount. Notch both braces to clear the blind nuts,
then glue them in place.
b. Cut two braces for F-1 from the 1/2" balsa triangle stock and notch them as
necessary to clear the blind nuts on the back of F-1. Apply slow CA to the
braces and press them firmly in place.
c. Install the die-cut Lite-Ply tank floor so that it is sealed on the fuselage
doublers and against the back of F-1, then glue it in place.
42.
a. Glue the 1/4"x1"x3-5/6" balsa nose brace to the top of the fuselage and F-1.
b. When dry, hold the die-cut 3/32" plywood hatch tongue in position and draw a line on the tongue at the back of the
nose brace.
43.
a. Remove the hatch tongue, center
it on one end of the 1/4"x4"x6"
balsa hatch, and glue it so that the
line on the tongue is flush with the
end of the hatch.
b. Glue the two die-cut Lite-Ply hatch
plates (HP) into place.
44.
a. The hatch is cut oversize so that it can be sanded to match the fuselage. Spot glue the hatch
in place using two spots of slow CA on the top edge of fuselage sides.
b. The fuselage is now ready for final sanding. Sand off at the "Tee-Lock" tabs then round the
bottom edges of the fuselage, the fuselage nose, and the sides of the nose brace and hatch.
Use a sanding block, starting with 80-grit sandpaper. Switch to 150-grit sandpaper for the final
sanding.
c. The balsa stringers already have an angled side, but for the smoothest finish you need to sand
the angle slightly. Wrap one end of your sanding block with paper, then slide the wrapped end
against the top edge of the fuselage as you sand. Once you've sanded the angle, round off the
top outside corner of each stringer with your sanding block.