.
70.
Use a razor plane or hobby knife to roughly carve the fairing blocks to match the
lines of the fuselage. Use 80 grit sandpaper to further shape the fairing blocks to
the cross section shape shown on the plans. When the shape is close, use 220
grit sandpaper to sand the rear stringer area and the fairing blocks smoothly
together. Done properly, the whole thing looks almost one-piece.
71.
With the canopy hatch on the fuselage, use a sanding block and 80 grit
sandpaper to sand the Canopy Hatch, F-4 Cap and F-4T formers to matching,
uniform shape. Be careful here to avoid changing the shapes of these formers.
The idea is to maintain their elliptical shapes while matching their outlines. Use a
sanding block to lightly sand the 1/4" sq. balsa spine to the profile shown on the
plans. Use a sanding block and 220 grit sandpaper to sand the fuselage sides
smooth. Doing this automatically sands the two lower side stringers to shape.
Finally, use a sheet of 220 grit sandpaper to sand the stringers and filler blocks
to their final shape. Be careful to sand this area uniformly.
72.
As shown on the plans, use 3/32" scrap balsa to add fillers between each
stringer, at the front and rear. A "Dremel Tool" and drum sanding bit will quickly
radius their edges. Lightly sand these fillers smooth to the stringers and to match
the front and rear cross sections. The shaped and sanded fin and fuselage
blocks are now removed. Use a single edge razor blade to pop loose the stab
filler from the top of FSM - the whole assembly should come loose. Use the
same blade to now pop loose the two individual balsa filler blocks - set these
aside for later use. The stab and fin sanding fixture can be thrown away.
73.
With the exception of mounting the stabilizer, fin and fairing blocks, the basic
fuselage is complete and ready for final sanding. Use light weight filler to patch
any holes, dings, etc. Use your sanding block and sandpaper to now sand the
fuselage smooth. As shown on the plans, we sanded our fuselage with rounded
edges on the bottom and at the nose. Take your time and do a good job.
At this point you need to make a decision regarding the covering technique for this model. We are aware that some
modelers prefer to cover the stabilizer, fin and fairing blocks separately - off the fuselage - and glue them in place
afterwards. While this technique may work for some, we prefer to glue these surfaces in place first, before covering and
then cover the fuselage, stab and fin as a single unit. The following instructions assume that you will proceed in this
manner.
74.
Locate the 7/8" dia. x15-5/8" aluminum wing joiner tube and the 3/16"x6"
hardwood dowel from your kit box. Use a razor saw to trim the dowel to a length
of 4-1/4". Lightly sand both ends to radius their edges. Insert the dowel into the
rear 3/16" dia. hole, in the side of the fuselage, beneath the canopy area,
through the opposite fuselage side. Center the dowel to leave 1/2" exposed on
each side of the fuselage - DO NOT glue in place. Insert the aluminum tube wing
joiner into the fuselage receptacle, roughly centering it. Take one wing panel and
insert the aluminum tube into its female receptacle, sliding it in place all the way
to the exposed rear dowel. Insert the dowel into the corresponding hole in the
wing root and press the panel in place to the fuselage side. Repeat this
procedure with the opposite wing panel.
With the wing panels now in place, check their fit at the roots where they contact
the fuselage. They should fit flat to the sides with little, if any, gaps. If the main
aluminum wing tube is too long, causing a gap, remove the tube and trim it slightly for a good fit. Place the model on your
bench, nose pointed away from you. Place the stabilizer on the fuselage and center it. Use pins to secure the stab in
place. Use a measuring tape to measure the distance from the left trailing edge tip of the stab to the left trailing edge tip of
the wing. Now make the same measurement on the right side of the model. The two measurements should be the same. If
not, adjust the stab accordingly. Once the alignment is correct, use a pencil to mark the location of the fuselage sides onto
the bottom of the stab.