where it exits the fuselage sides to secure it.
❑
3) The fuselage is now prepared to receive the horizontal
stabilizer (stab) and the vertical fin. At the top rear of the fuselage
you will see a strip of uncovered balsa. This is the fin spacer block
and it is now removed. The fuselage also has a horizontal stab
spacer block built into it and this also must be removed. Use a
sharp #11 blade and your hobby knife to cut the covering away
from the stab slot on both sides of the fuselage. The block will
become free and can be removed and discarded. The remaining
covered fillet blocks should be handled carefully until the stabilizer
and fin are permanently in place.
Use your hobby knife to cut the covering material away from the
rear fuselage tailpost, exposing the rear fin slot.
❑
4) From the kit contents, locate the horizontal stabilizer and
elevators, the vertical fin and rudder and the pre-bent elevator
joiner wire. First, in order to be able to attach the tail braces to
both the stab and fin, the factory prepared holes for the bolts must
be opened up.
You can see the hole locations beneath the
covering. Find them and open them up with a sharp #11 blade
and a hobby knife or use a technique that works well for us. Use
a cigarette lighter or butane torch to heat up the end of
a sharp metal pick or punch. Press the hot end of the pick into the
hole through the covering. Doing this produces a perfect hole with
sealed edges. Remember to open up the holes on both sides of
the stab and fin.
❑
5) The elevators are now joined, using the elevator joiner
wire. Use 5-minute epoxy for this step. First remove the strip of
covering from the inboard leading edge of both elevator halves.
This exposes the wire channel and joiner hole placed there by the
factory.
Use a toothpick or small dowel to apply epoxy into the elevator
joiner holes and channels in each elevator half. Press the wire
elevator joiner into each elevator half and lay the assembly on a
flat work surface, protected with waxed paper. Wipe off any excess
glue with a paper towel and alcohol. Make sure the leading edge
of the entire elevator assembly is straight (we use a straight balsa
strip, glued in place to a piece of scrap plywood for a "truing"
fixture). Allow the epoxy to cure completely before removing.
❑
6) The horizontal stabilizer is now be glued in place into the
rear of the fuselage. We suggest using 5-minute epoxy for this job
to allow time to position the stab accurately and make any final
adjustments that might be needed. We have found it helpful to
7
