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8) Apply a generous bead of silicone sealer around the neck
of the tank (regular household bathroom type silicone sealer,
available at most hardware stores, is recommended). Slide the
tank in place in the fuselage. Push the tank firmly up against the
back side of the firewall, compressing the silicone sealer to make
a good seal. If excess silicone sealer oozes out onto the front of
the firewall, clean it off.
❑
9) A 5/16" x 3/4" x 3-3/16" balsa stick is provided to keep the
fuel tank in place. Install the balsa stick across the back of the
tank, gluing it to the sides of the fuselage. This will keep the tank
from sliding backwards in flight. If the tank ever has to be removed
for service, you can break the balsa stick loose and get the tank
out.
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10) Finish your tank installation by connecting the fuel tank
tubes to the appropriate engine, filling valve or fuel dot, fittings,
etc. Use only silicone fuel tubing (not included) for all connec-
tions. Trim off any excess length of silicone tubing. The fuel lines
should be kept as short as possible for best fuel draw, but not so
short that there is danger of them coming off in flight. Leave a
little slack in the lines.
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11) When using a glow engine it is best to seal the bottom
hatch to keep fuel and exhaust residue out of the fuselage. The
reason we built a hatch into this airplane was to provide access
to the battery compartment when using an electric motor. Obvi-
ously, you do not need access to that area. Simply glue the hatch
in position, and then seal over the seams with either clear tape or
the same color covering material.
COWLING
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1) You will most likely need to make a large opening in the bot-
tom of the cowling to clear the engine cylinder head and carbure-
tor. Don't be tempted to quickly dive in with a knife and start
removing large chunks of material. You will achieve a lot better
result if you take the time to develope a pattern and mark it on the
cowling for guidance when you are cutting.
Be aware that there are no hard and fast "rules" for the exact per-
fect shape for openings in a cowling. Most important, make it big
enough to provide the access you need to the engine. The best
method is to "sneak up" on these openings, continually trial fitting
the cowling over the engine until it finally fits properly. Once the
opening is big enough for you to slip it over the engine and place
it in correct location on the model, then continue modifying the
opening as needed to provide access to the needle valve and the
fuel line tubing at the carb.
Note: A Dremel® Tool, or similar powered hand-tool, with an as-
sortment of sanding bits is without a doubt the best tool to use for
making holes in the fiberglass cowling. However, if you do not
have access to such a power tool, you can cut the opening with a
drill, a hobby knife, and a file - by first drilling a series of almost
touching holes inside the pattern lines (1/8” dia. works well); then
using the knife to cut through the connecting material between
each hole; and finally finishing the edges of the opening with the
file or a sanding block.
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2) Mount the cowling on the fuselage with the four M2.6 x
10mm PWA Screws provided.
a) Start by placing the cowl over the engine and in correct po-
sition on the front of the fuselage.
b) Mount the spinner backplate on the engine. To hold the
backplate in place, mount a propeller on the shaft and hold it in
place with a propeller nut (a piece of hardwood with the appropri-
ate size hole drilled in it can substitute for a whole propeller, as in
the photo) .
c) Move the cowling back into proper position on the fuselage,
leaving a 3/32” to 1/8” gap between the front of the cowling and
the back of the spinner, for clearance. Tape the cowling in correct
position using a low-tack tape.
d) At the rear of the cowl there are four small pre-drilled mount-
ing holes - two on each side of the airplane. Use a 1/16" drill bit
to make a guide hole through one of the cowl mounting holes and
into the fuselage side. Install an M2.6 x 10mm PWA Screw into
the drilled hole and screw it in place - do not over-tighten the
screw. Recheck the overall fit of the cowl and make any adjust-
ments needed with tape to hold it in place. Then on the opposite
side of the fuselage, drill another 1/16" guide hole and install a
screw into that hole. Repeat this process for the remaining two
cowl mounting holes. Remove the tape.
❑
3) Make additional holes in the cowling as needed for your
muffler and to access the engine's needle valve.
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