❏
6. Cut 2" from a 3/16" x 3/16" x 30" balsa stick.
Use medium CA to glue the elevator LE spars to the
ribs, inserting the stick between the elevator LE spar
and the stab TE at each rib as you glue it.
❏
7. Use a bar sander with 80-grit sandpaper or a
hobby knife to carefully bevel the front of the ribs to
match the aft sweeping angle of the LEs. Cut the 30"
long shaped balsa
stab LE
to the correct length for
both LEs. Glue them, centered vertically, to the front
of the ribs and stab center.
❏
8. Use a bar sander with 80-grit sandpaper to
sand the tops of the ribs, the stab TE and the
elevator LE spars so they are all even.
❏
9. Use the 1/16" x 3" x 30" balsa sheets supplied
with this kit and select four of the softer (and lighter)
sheets to be used for sheeting the tail surfaces.
❏
10. Use your own method or the
Hot Tip
that
follows to make two 1/16" x 6" x 30" sheets from the
four balsa sheets you selected in the previous step.
D
. Lay the sheets on your workbench covered with
wax paper. Use a credit card or something similar
as a squeegee to simultaneously press the sheets
flat as you wipe the glue from the seam.
C
. Turn the sheets over and apply slow drying
glue like Great Planes Pro aliphatic resin to the
joining edges. Some prefer to use CA, but it is not
recommended in this
Hot Tip
because CA does
not allow enough working time to align the sheets
and it is much harder than the balsa, making
sanding difficult.
B
. Use masking tape to tightly tape the trued
edges of the sheets together.
A
. Use a straightedge to true one edge of two
balsa sheets.
HOW TO MAKE THE STAB SKINS
Top Flite selects balsa that is intended for sheeting,
though occasionally a few of these sheets may
have a small nick or split near the ends. If your kit
contains a few of these sheets, arrange them and
glue them together so the defects will not interfere
with the final shape of the skin.
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