3.
Dry assemble formers ‘F9’ (with ‘F’ facing the front) and ‘F10’ into their slots and then bring the rear of the
two fuselage sides together and insert former ‘F11’ (tail plane mount). Ensure that the sides are correctly
aligned with each other before wicking CA into the rear joint and around the formers ‘F10’ and ‘F11’.
4.
Check that the tabs on ‘F9’ and the sides are fully seated against the fuselage sides and stick into place.
5.
At the front of the fuselage, check that the balsa fuselage sides are correctly located on the former tabs and
that they are in full contact with the plywood inner box. Wick CA into all the joints, tabs and along the top and
bottom where the balsa and plywood sides meet.
6.
Locate and remove keel formers ‘K2-B’ (or ‘K2-C’), ‘K3’ and ‘K4’ from Sheet 4. Insert ‘K1’ into the top centre
slots on formers ‘F1’ to ‘F3’ and stick into position. Stick ‘K3’ into the top centre slots of ‘F4’ and ‘F5’.
7.
Remove former ‘F8’ from Sheet 4 and insert into the top slots of the fuselage behind ‘F7’ and at the same
time insert keel ‘K4’ into the top centre slots on ‘F8’, F9’ and ‘F10’ and wick CA into the joints to secure.
8.
Stick
3
/
32nd
sq. stringers from ‘F1’ to ‘F3’. Stick a stringer on each side from ‘F5’ to ‘F10’ in the first slot above
the fuselage side. Stick the four remaining stringers between ‘F5’ and ‘F6’.
9.
At the rear, stick a stringer on each side from ‘F7’ to ‘F10’ and also the remaining two that run from ‘F8’ to
‘F10’.
Battery Hatch Construction
1.
Locate and remove the following formers from Sheet 1 – ‘B1’, ‘B2’, and ‘B3’, from Sheet 2 – plywood base
‘B4’ and keel part ‘K2’ from Sheet 4.
2.
Lay the plywood base ‘B4’ on a couple of 3mm scrap plywood pieces removed from the formers on a flat
surface.
3.
Stick former ‘B3’ into the slot and the closed end of ‘B4’ ensuring that it is at a right angle to ‘B4’.
4.
Dry assemble formers ‘B1’ and ‘B2’ with the keel ‘K2’ onto ‘B4’ and ‘B3’, check they are square and correctly
located into their slots before wicking CA into the joints.
5.
Stick
3
/
32nd
sq. stringers into the slots to complete the construction of the battery hatch.
6.
The hatch is designed to be held in place using four 3mm diameter Neodymium magnets. If they are being
used then insert one magnet into the former ‘F3’ on the fuselage so that it is flush with the face of the former.
Wick CA into the hole in ‘F3’ behind the magnet, and stick into place. Repeat the process to stick a magnet into
former ‘F5’.
7.
Take another magnet, check that it is correctly oriented so that is attracted (and not repulsed) to the one in
‘F3’ and insert it into former ‘B1’ on the battery hatch so that it is flush with the surface of the former. Do the
same for ‘F5’ / ‘B3’. Check that the battery hatch fits with both magnets holding it in place. If all is okay remove
the hatch and wick CA into the holes to the rear of the magnets on ‘B1’ and ‘B3’.
8.
Stick some self-adhesive Velcro
®
type tape onto the battery tray. The other piece is attached to the battery.
9.
Cut a piece of 20mm wide Velcro
®
type battery strap to a length of 15cm and from the top pass it through an
outer slot of the battery tray and loop it round and from underneath pass it through the opposite slot.
Install Servos, Electronic Speed Controller (ESC), Receiver and Motor
1. Mount the servos on to the servo tray from the underside of the fuselage with the servo arms fitted with
pushrod connectors pointing to the centre line of the fuselage and fix with the supplied screws. Run the servo
leads back through the central hole in the servo tray and forwards through the slot in ‘F5’.
Balsa Basics Spitfire Vintage Model Company
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