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Top Flight , Inc. Baby Toy MK IX User's Manual

1. iene eee 51 Join the control 51306 52 Scale details ccceececeseceeceeseeeeteeeeeseeeeseees 52 GET YOUR MODEL gt 56 Balance your 100 61 5 55555 5 999555 56 Final hookups and checks s es 57 PREFLIGHT 52 2525 558 52 2 5 5 52 8 Identify your model 5 995555 5 58 Charge your batteries 5 5 955 58 Balance your propellers 58 Find a safe place to fly 58 Ground check your 1066 58 Range check your 58 Checkliste cist avian 58 ENGINE SAFETY PRECAUTIONG 00 59 AMA SAFETY CODE 60 VIN Grea 60 TAKEO f iniia niaaa NA 60 Flighter a e 22205 22 2 12 02 60 LENON e a T 61 61 TWO VIEW back cover PROTECT YOUR MODEL YOURSELF amp OTHERS FOLLOW THIS IMPORTANT SAFETY PRECAUTION Your Spitfire is not a toy but a sophisticated working model that functions very much like an actual airplane Because of its realistic performance if you do not assemble and operate your Spitfire correctly you could possibly injure yourself or spectators and damage
2. eeka ani ra 4 Retractable landing 68 4 Flaps de 4 TOP FLITE SCALE ACCESSORIES 4 Scale cockpit 4 Scale propeller and Spinner 5 5 COMPETITION MINDED MODELERG 5 OTHER ITEMS REQUIRED 5 Building supplies 0 0 0 eee eeeeeee eee eeeeeeeeeeeeeeees 6 19161 ini aaa a 6 IMPORTANT BUILDING 3 6 COMMON ABBREVIATIONS 7 TYPES OF WOOD 555 5355 25 5525252 25 552225 5 7 GET READY TO BUILD saassnnnsennenennenunnnnnnnnnnna 7 DIE CUT 8 amp 9 BUILD THE TAIL SURFACES sssaassnnneennennns 10 Build the Stab 9555555909 ERNEA 10 Build the elevators 5554445555 55995555595 12 Build the 5 5995 59 5559 55595955569 55 14 Build the rudder 5 5595555 0 9 95555 15 BUILD THE 9 95 5 16 PreParatiOns seoseis 16 Build the outer wing 6 17 Build the center section nneeeeen 19 Join the outer panels to the center section 21 Fit the landing 6 22 Prepare the outer panels fo
3. 30 BALSA 2 PER KIT 3 32 X 3 X 24 BALSA a T aoh O sPrewo2 1 O SPFEWO6 f z Or SPF6W02 tip Souk SPFEWO6 Elevator Horn Retract Valve Mount Plate Mount Plate SPF6FO1 SPF6FO1 Tail Gear Plate Tank Floor SPF6F04 1 16 _X_ 5 1 8 20 BIRCH PLY SPF6W10 DIE CUT PATTERNS 1 PER KIT 1 16 4 1 8 X 20 BIRCH PLY 2 PER KIT SPFEW36 Fillet Base SPF6W36 1 PER KIT 1 8 X 3 5 8 X 19 PLY 1 PER KIT 58 6 03 Servo Mount Plate Base Lower Crutch Doubler SPF6WO1 a SPF6WO1 2 PER KIT SPF6FO6 2 PER KIT 1 8 x 5 1 8 x 8 1 2 Birch Ply 1 8 4 1 8 X 9 3 8 PLY Flap Servo Mount Plate Wing Dowel L E Jig Doubler BAJ SPF6W09 1 PER KIT SPF6W31 2 PER KIT This part is Laser Cut T E Jig 2 PER KIT Tip Jigs Radiator Braces BUILD THE TAIL SURFACES BUILD THE STAB J 1 Use your own method or the Hot Tip that follows to glue two 1 16 x 3 x 30 1 6 x 76 x 762mn balsa sheets together to make a 6 x 30 152 x 762mm sheet for the top and bottom stab skins 51 B Tightly tape the sheets together with 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
4. 3 2 Use the Spitfire display prop template provided on the plan to mark the correct outline on each of the four P 51 blades Hint Lightly spray the back of the template with 3M 75 Repositionable Spray Adhesive to hold it to the blade while you scribe the outline with a hobby knife or something similar Use a belt sander or a rotary tool with a 3 sanding drum to trim the propellers along the lines you marked to arrive at the correct outline 4 J 4 Sand the blades to a uniform contour rounding the leading and trailing edges Sand off the boot portion of the blades as well 4 I 5 Cut holes in your spinner to accommodate the pegs of the propeller blades Start with a drill or a carbide cutter on your rotary tool and finish with a sanding drum Hint You ll notice that the hole in the middle of the spinner at the front for the bolt that holds it on has been filled You can do this with your display spinner because it is not for flying and the propeller blades will hold the spinner on J 6 Mount the backplate of your spinner to your engine Install the propeller hub and test fit the blades Make adjustments where necessary J 7 Wet sand your propeller blades with progressively finer grades of sandpaper Prime then paint the tips yellow Finish with a coat of flat clear paint over the entire blade to blend it all together You don t have to use fuelproof paint because
5. INNER T E WING RIB LJ 2 Cut eight 3 4 19mm long flap hinge blocks from the 3 8 x 3 8 x 12 9 5 x 12 7 x 305mm balsa stick Glue the hinge blocks to the front of the inner TE s where shown on the plan as indicated in the sketch k 3 Trim the flap hinge blocks so they are even with the ribs and TE s 23 J 4 Securely glue both flap bellcrank plates to ribs 4 and 5 as shown on the plan Note Study the plan and position the flap bellcranks so both flap pushrods move in the same direction when the servo is actuated I 5 Slip a silicone retainer over both clevises of the flap center pushrod not shown in the photo and connect the pushrod to the bellcranks Make sure the bellcranks are neutral when the flap servo is neutral Adjust the clevises if necessary Enlarge the hole of both flap bellcranks that the pushrods connect to with a 48 1 90mm or 5 64 drill Cut six 1 25mm long aileron hinge blocks 6 4 from the same 3 8 x 3 8 9 5 x 9 5mm balsa stick you used for the flaps and glue them to the outer TE of both wing panels where shown on the plan Trim the outer aileron hinge blocks so they are even with the outer TE 7 Mark the location of the flap and aileron hinge blocks on the outside of the TE s so it will be easier to determine where to make the hinge slots later 8 Cut four aileron servo hatch rails from the 1 4 x 3 8 x 24 6 4 x 9 5 x 610mm bas
6. now to make wing skin doublers that fit inside the wheel and retract openings in the bottom skin The doublers fit between the ribs as shown in the photo Set these pieces aside for now You will be instructed to glue them inside the wing after you sheet the bottom 3 L 7 Glue the bottom skin in position There are several methods to do this but one we prefer is to apply a bead of medium or thick CA along the bottom spar and rib 4 Quickly position the bottom skin on the wing and lightly press it down to the spar and rib 4 L 8 After the CA on the spar and rib 4 cures lift the skin and apply a bead of CA to the outer trailing edge and rib 13 Press the skin down over these areas ail I 9 After the CA cures remove the wing from the jigs and turn it upright Carefully holding the 24 wing in your hand and without adding any twist to the wing one rib at a time apply a light bead of medium CA to each rib and press the bottom skin to it Glue the skin to the sub leading edge the same way Do not glue the skin to the inner trailing edge at this time J 10 Trim the bottom skin along the sub leading edge tip rib 13 and the outer trailing edge Trim the trailing edge of the skin between ribs 12 and 13 at least 1 8 3mm past where shown on the plan to allow for trimming later Perform steps 11 12 and 13 only if you are installing retracts J 13 11 Working quickly
7. Perform steps 4 through 13 only if you are installing retracts Our prototype Spitfire uses and this instruction manual shows how to install Robart 605 Heavy Duty 3 16 4 8mm wire 90 degree pneumatic retracts Other units may work but it is up to you to make any modifications necessary BEFORE AIR FTE NOTE THE DIRECTION OF AIR CYLINDER THE COIL k 4 Disassemble your retracts and mount the air cylinder so it comes out the other end Switch the right and left landing gear wires so the strut will be below the coil giving the wheel more room in the wheel well Start with the left wing panel so your progress matches the photos 22 1 5 For now cut the landing gear wire to a total length of 6 150mm from end to end this will be slightly too long but you can fine tune the length later A cut off wheel on a rotary tool works best for cutting the landing gear wire Don t forget your safety glasses Bend your landing gear wires forward until they match the drawing shown on the wing plan 6 Place your retract on the left landing gear rail in the wing Position the landing gear wire so the coil is parallel with the wing ribs when the landing gear is extended see the following photo Tighten the set screw to lock the landing gear wire in this position J 7 Place a 3 16 4 8mm axle on your landing gear wire 5 3 16 132mm from the retract pivot point
8. buzz this may indicate control surface flutter Because flutter can quickly destroy components or your airplane any time you detect flutter you must immediately cut the throttle and land the airplane Check all servo grommets for deterioration this may indicate which surface fluttered and make sure all pushrod linkages are slop free If it fluttered once it will probably flutter again under similar circumstances unless you can eliminate the slop or flexing in the linkages Here are some things which can result in flutter Excessive hinge gap Not mounting control horns solidly Sloppy fit of clevis pin in horn elasticity present in flexible plastic pushrods Side play of pushrod in guide tube caused by tight bends Sloppy fit of control rods in servo horns Insufficient glue used when gluing in torque rods Excessive flexing of aileron caused by using too soft balsa Excessive play or backlash in servo gears and insecure servo mounting LANDING When it s time to land fly a normal landing pattern and approach You will probably find that the Spitfire retains its airspeed quite well Due to its small frontal area and efficient shape the Spitfire s split flaps will really come into play here For your first landings plan to land slightly faster than stall speed and on the main wheels as this is the easiest way to land your Spitfire Later with a little technique you will find you can make moderately s
9. the flap and aileron area 2 Wing fairing where wing blends to the fuse 1 3 Bottom of one then the other half of the wing Top of one then the other half of the wing 4 CONTROL SURFACES AND DETAILS 1 Ends bottoms then tops of elevators and ailerons 2 Ends then bottom of flaps L 3 One then the other side of the rudder 4 Aileron servo hatches L 5 Wheel well covers L 6 Radiators PAINTING Note This section does not apply to the canopy See the Canopy section on page 53 51 At this stage all of your plastic pieces should have the seams filled with Bondo or putty If you haven t already done so wet sand the plastic parts with 400 grit wet or dry sandpaper so the paint will adhere Spray all the molded plastic parts except for the canopy and scale accessories with at least one coat of primer We used Top Flite LustreKote on all the ABS plastic that needed to be painted Wet sand the plastic pieces between coats with 400 grit sandpaper Use Great Planes 1 8 3 2mm EZ Mask Flexible Masking Tape GPMR1000 for masking sharp lines Kyosho Masking Cover Sheet KYOR1040 for masking large areas A Top Flite Tack Cloth TOPR2185 is useful to remove dust just before you paint LustreKote paint gives a MonoKote matching finish For the wing fillets we suggest first covering the fuselage with MonoKote then painting the fillets to match the MonoKote You can paint ov
10. ROBQ2363 2 Robart 190 Quick Connectors ROBQ2395 pkg of 2 Robart 189 Air Restrictor ROBQ2395 Servo for the air control valve micro or mini servo preferred FLAPS Your Spitfire is designed to incorporate scale split flaps however flaps are optional and not necessary for an excellent flying experience Without flaps the takeoff roll is longer and the landing speed is faster The flaps are not difficult to build but they do require good craftsmanship to fit well Flaps add nicely to the model s flight characteristics and scale appearance Only slight trim correction is needed when flaps are used with the recommended throws Flaps are highly recommended for those who wish to install them You will find more information on the use of the flaps in the Flying section near the end of this manual For Flaps you will need the following additional items Standard servo 6 150mm Servo extension 8 Small Pivot Point Hinges GPMQ4001 pkg of 15 TOP FLITE SCALE ACCESSORIES SCALE COCKPIT INTERIOR Your Spitfire won t be complete without the Top Flite Spitfire Scale Cockpit Kit TOPQ8403 The cockpit kit includes the floor side panels instrument panel seat and armor back rest You don t install the cockpit kit until you are near the end of construction and no modifications to the fuselage are required to install it Instructions for painting detailing and installing your Scale Cockpit Kit are included wit
11. defective or if you have any questions about building or flying this model please call us at 217 398 8970 and we ll be glad to help If you are calling for replacement parts please look up the part numbers and the kit identification number stamped on the end of the carton and have them ready when calling Bs PRECAUTIONS 1 You must build the plane according to the plan and instructions Do not alter or modify the model as doing so may result in an unsafe or unflyable model In a few cases the plan and instructions may differ slightly from the photos In those instances you should assume the plan and written instructions are correct 2 You must take time to build straight true and strong 3 You must use a proper R C radio that is in first class condition the correct sized engine and correct components fuel tank wheels etc throughout your building process 4 You must properly install all R C and other components so that the model operates properly on the ground and in the air 5 You must test the operation of the model before every flight to insure that all equipment is operating and you must make certain that the model has remained structurally sound 6 If you are not already an experienced R C pilot you must fly the model only with the help of a competent experienced R C pilot DECISIONS YOU MUST MAKE ENGINE SELECTION Recommended engine size 61 to 75 cu in 10 0 12 0cc 2 stroke 0 t
12. painting and or fuelproofing you may find it easier to apply LustreKote to some of those parts with a paint brush instead of spraying from the can To apply LustreKote with a brush hold a tube such as a drinking straw to the spray nozzle with the other end of the tube emptying into a container Depress the spray nozzle until you have enough paint in your container to do the job Spraying LustreKote into a tube will keep most of it from becoming airborne Allow the paint to stabilize for about ten minutes before you brush it on This is a handy method for painting visible areas on the outside of the model that require fuelproofing and must match your MonoKote finish such as the wheel wells and the TE of the wing in the flap area 49 PREPARE THE MODEL FOR COVERING k 1 Inspect all surfaces for uneven glue joints and seams that require filler Apply filler where needed Many small dents or scratches in balsa can be repaired by applying a few drops of water or moistening the area with a wet tissue This will swell the wood so you can sand it when it dries J 2 Sand the entire model with progressively finer grits of sandpaper finishing with 320 or 400 grit sandpaper Use a large brush air pressure or a Top Flite 3 Tack Cloth to remove dust from the model BALANCE THE AIRPLANE LATERALLY Mount your wing 1 L 2 With the wing level carefully lift the model by the engine propeller shaft and the aft
13. wide strip along the joining edges of both cowl halves k 17 Join the cowl halves and hold them together with masking tape Glue the cowl halves together with thin CA Avoid using accelerator because it may soften the plastic 44 3 18 Place the cowl on the fuse and put your spinner backplate on your engine Align the front of the cowl with the spinner backplate Use a pencil to mark any high spots that need to be trimmed at the rear of the cowl Remove the cowl trim then test fit again Continue to test fit and trim as necessary until the cowl fits the fuselage and you have a 3 32 3mm gap between the front of the cowl and the spinner 1 19 Once you are satisfied with the fit of the cowl mark the location of the cowl mount blocks on the fuse Position the cowl and hold it to the fuselage 20 1 with tape Drill 3 32 2 40mm holes through the cowl and the cowl mount blocks 3 8 9 5mm forward of the aft edge of the cowl Don t worry if the top and bottom holes you drill are on the seam because you will reinforce the cowl with glass cloth _ 21 Use 30 minute epoxy or thin CA to apply a 1 25mm wide strip of glass cloth over the seams and screw holes inside the cowl where indicated in the photo Thoroughly sand these areas first for a good bond If you use CA make sure you do this in a well ventilated area and avoid inhaling the fumes Avoid using accelerator k 22 Enl
14. 1 1 8 left 1 1 8 right 7 8 left 7 8 right Ailerons 3 4 up 5 8 down 1 2 up 3 8 down Flaps Landing position 1 1 2 position 2 1 1 4 The balance point and control surface throws listed in this manual are the ones at which the Spitfire flies best Set up your aircraft to those specifications If after a few flights you would like to adjust the throws or C G to suit your tastes that is fine Too much control surface throw can make your model difficult to control or force it into a stall so remember More is not better TRIM MIXING If your transmitter has Elevator to Retract mixing we recommend mixing 1 16 1 6mm of down elevator when the gear is retracted This will keep the nose level when the gear is cycled PREFLIGHT IDENTIFY YOUR MODEL No matter if you fly at an AMA sanctioned R C club site or if you fly somewhere on your own you should always have your name address telephone number and AMA number on or inside your model It is required at all AMA R C club flying sites and AMA sanctioned flying events Fill out the identification sticker included with this kit and place it on or inside your model CHARGE YOUR BATTERIES Follow the battery charging procedures in your radio instruction manual You should always charge your transmitter and receiver batteries the night before you go flying and at other times as recommended by the radio manufacturer BALANCE YOUR PROPELLERS Carefully balance
15. 13 the die cut 1 8 3 2mm balsa outer trailing edge and the tip spar to the assembly T k L 4 Remove the T pins from the spar and glue the ribs to it As you glue each rib simultaneously pull the spar up into the notch in the rib and push the rib down to your building board This will ensure that the spar is fully seated in the rib notches Glue the outer spar the tip spar and the tip brace to the ribs J 5 Cut 1 7 8 48mm from a 1 4 x 3 8 x 24 6 4 x 9 5 x 610mm basswood top main spar Fit the spar in the notches in the top of the ribs and glue it only to ribs 11 and 12 Notice that the top spar ends at the outboard edge of rib 12 0 LI 6 Test fit ribs 4 and 5 and the 1 4 7 16 x 3 1 2 6 4 x 11 1 x 89mm plywood landing gear rails to the wing panel if you are not installing retracts disregard the landing gear rails Use the die cut 1 8 3 2mm plywood dihedral gauge to set rib 4 at the correct angle Make sure the notches in the ribs for the landing gear rails allow the rails to go in at an angle as indicated on the plan Enlarge the notches if necessary Use this photo for the next four steps J I 7 After you are satisfied with the way the landing gear rails and ribs 4 and 5 fit together pin rib 5 to your building board over the plan and add the die cut 1 8 3 2mm balsa inner trailing edge to the assembly Glue rib 5 to the bottom spa
16. Flite Gold Edition Spitfire The model we have chosen to replicate is the Mk IX the second most popular Spit ever reaching a total production of 5 665 units Considered to be the finest Spitfire of all the Mk IX went into operational service in July 1942 Though all of the models in the Gold Edition line feature standard construction techniques and basic materials that most modelers are familiar with we feel that the Spitfire may be the easiest one to build Although the Spitfire is a scale model with plenty of detail it is one of the cleanest subjects without any tricky areas found on some scale birds If you re not already in love with the Spitfire you re in for a surprise The Spit doesn t seem to have the menacing looks of the husky P 47 or the speedy P 51 but as you near completion you ll grow to appreciate the clean lines and round contour of your Spitfire And after the covering is done you ve added all the scale details and put the wing on the fuse you ll be transformed into a true Spitfire fan With the British roundels and invasion stripes your Spitfire will surely stand out from the rest of the models on the flight line Another phenomenon with the Spitfire is its deceiving size while under construction At first you may think Gee these tail surfaces sure are small or This model doesn t have a very big wingspan But don t worry Once you join the tail surfaces to the fuse add the cowl and
17. I 5 Use the plan to mark the location of the aileron ribs on both sides of the aileron base For the next two steps it is helpful to set the wing on the leading edge between two blocks or boxes so it wont fall over 6 Glue the aileron base to the aileron LE Make sure the front of the aileron base is centered on the aileron leading edge and the trailing edge of the aileron base aligns with the flap and wing tip You may have to relocate your T pins so they do not interfere with the aileron base Cut the top and bottom aileron ribs from 7 two 3 32 x 3 8 x 24 2 4 x 9 5 x 610mm balsa sticks Glue the ribs to the aileron base and the aileron LE making sure you keep the aileron base aligned with the wing J 8 Use your razor plane or a bar sander to trim the ribs to the shape of the wing and aileron 230 k 9 Remove the T pins and take the aileron out of the wing 8 J 10 Place a straightedge against two T pins in the center of the aileron LE near both ends Use a ballpoint pen to mark the centerline of the aileron LE along the straightedge Mark the centerline of the inner TE of the 11 wing the same way LJ 12 Glue pieces of leftover 3 32 2 4mm balsa to the aileron base over the location of the hinge slots You can see these pieces in the next photo Cut the hinge slots along the c
18. Sportsman and Expert classes in Sport Scale Fun Scale and Sport Scale have the same flight requirements where you must perform ten maneuvers of which five are mandatory The other five are up to you easy stuff like a loop or a roll a slow low pass with flaps extended or maybe a touch and go If you have never competed in a scale contest you could start out in Fun Scale In Fun Scale the only documentation you need for static judging is any proof that a full size aircraft of this type in the paint markings scheme on your model did exist A single photo a kit box cover even a painting is sufficient proof If you re interested contact the AMA for a rule book which will tell you everything you need to know Look in the back of the AMA magazine Model Aviation for a schedule of events The main landing gear has been moved outward They pivot in a scale manner as the full sized Spitfires did but the wells are moved slightly out and forward just behind the main spar The stance on the ground is scale This modification greatly improves the ground handling of the model Although the fin and stab retain their accurate hinge line the entire tail fin rudder and stab elevator have been enlarged by 19 5 This gives the model a very solid feel in the air and will allow the model to remain controllable through the stall The trim scheme of the Spitfire on the kit box cover is the same as the one on the cover of the Squadron book the
19. The hinges will not be properly secured and could come out while the model is in flight ASSEMBLE THEN APPLY 6 DROPS OF THIN CA TO CENTER OF HINGE ON BOTH SIDES THE CA WICKS ALONG THE TUNNELS TO THE ENTIRE HINGE SURFACE LJ 4 Cut a paper towel into 2 50mm squares Add six drops of thin CA to the center of the hinges on both the top and bottom The tunnels you drilled will wick the CA into the entire hinge surface Use the paper towel squares to absorb excess CA from the hinge gap before it cures Use the same hinging method to join the 5 rudder to the fin and the ailerons to the wing 6 If you ve built working flaps use a toothpick to apply a small amount of petroleum jelly to the pivot points of the hinges to keep epoxy out 52 J L 7 Mix enough 30 minute epoxy to do one flap at a time Use a piece of wire or a toothpick to thoroughly coat the holes in one of the flaps and the holes in the wing with the epoxy Coat one side of the flap hinges with epoxy and insert them into the wing Coat the other side of the hinges with epoxy and join the flap Wipe away excess epoxy before it cures J I 8 Position the flap and the hinges so the flap is centered and fits the wing Tape the flap in place until the epoxy has fully cured 9 Join the other flap to the wing the same way J 10 Reinstall the pushrods you disconnected before covering and mount the control horns to the aile
20. cut 1 4 6mm holes in the sheeting for the wing bolts l 4 Place the wing on the fuselage and use the pin and string technique to align the wing only this time stick the T pin in the center of the fuselage at the rear l 5 See the Hot Tip that follows and use a 10 4 90mm or 3 16 drill to drill through the holes in the wing bolt plate into the wing bolt blocks in the fuselage The wing must not shift during this procedure or you will lose your alignment Also you must hold your drill perpendicular to the bottom of the wing while drilling Secure the wing to the fuselage with masking tape or weights if you feel it is necessary Take a deep breath steady your hands and drill the holes If you seem to have had difficulty with this procedure in the past you could just dimple the wing bolt blocks by letting the spinning drill bit barely contact them and backing off before you actually drill a hole Remove the wing and make sure you will be drilling the holes near the center of the blocks Reinstall the wing check alignment and finish drilling the holes If you have a drill press or if you can use a friend s make a drill jig by drilling a 10 4 9mm or 3 16 hole through an approximately 1 x 1 1 2 x 2 25 x 38 x 50mm wood block Use the block to hold your drill bit perpendicular to the bottom of the wing as you drill the holes This will help you aim the drill directly toward the wing bolt blocks so
21. defects will not interfere with the final shape of the skin D xr we HOW TO MAKE THE STAB SKINS 3 A Use a straightedge and a sharp 11 blade to true one edge of both sheets Do not cut all the way through the first time but make several passes with your knife to prevent the wood from splitting masking tape 53 C Place a sheet of waxed paper on your workbench Turn the taped together sheets over and apply aliphatic resin wood workers glue such as Great Planes Pro to the seams 3 D Use a credit card or something similar to simultaneously press the sheets flat as you squeegee the excess glue from the seam Wipe the glue off your squeegee so it s ready for the next time Immediately proceed to the next step 10 CROSS SECTION OF GLUE JOINT INCORRECT SHEETS NOT FLAT AND EVEN CORRECT SHEETS ARE FLAT AND EVEN J E Inspect the seam and press the sheets together where they do not align I F Place weights on top of the sheets to hold them down We prefer plastic bags filled with lead shot but anything similar will do the job J G After the glue dries remove the masking tape and sand the sheet flat with your bar sander and 150 grit sandpaper The idea is to sand the sheeting before you glue it to the structure This eliminates low spots that can occur over the wing ribs from sanding too much after you glue the sheeting in place This is the same procedure we w
22. end of the fuselage at the bottom of the fin trailing edge this may require two people Do this several times J 3 If one wing always drops when you lift the model that side is heavy Balance the airplane by gluing weight inside the other wing tip Do this by carving a cavity in the bottom of the balsa wing tip and filling it with the amount of weight required to balance the model laterally Glue the weight in place with epoxy and cover the rest of the cavity with balsa filler An airplane that has been laterally balanced will track better in loops and other maneuvers COVER THE MODEL WITH MONOKOTE It is assumed that you are an intermediate to advanced modeler so we won t go into many details on covering techniques but here are some tips you should consider 4 1 NEVER CUT THE COVERING DIRECTLY ON THE SHEETING The Spitfire depends upon the wood sheeting for some of its strength Modelers who cut through the covering tend to cut into the sheeting and this will weaken the structure We recommend that you paint the plastic wing 2 fillets after you cover the fuse This way you can overlap the paint onto the covering to make the transition between the two virtually undetectable _ 3 Use a Top Flite Hot Sock to minimize dents in the wood from your covering iron L 4 Some modelers have three irons going at once one on high heat without a Hot Sock for stretching the covering around curves like wingtips
23. find it difficult to countersink the holes in the hatch for the flat head screws you could use regular 2 x 3 8 9 5mm screws not supplied without countersinking the holes J 4 Mount your servos to two 5 16 x 3 4 x 7 8 7 9 x 19 1 x 22 2mm servo mount blocks with the screws included with your servo Mark the edge of the hatch rails on the 5 inside of the hatch LINES INDICATE LOCATION i OF THE RAILS _J J 6 Remove the hatch and use 30 minute epoxy to glue the servo mount blocks to the servo hatch where shown on the plan Position the servo within the lines you marked inside the hatch indicating where the rails are LJ 7 Temporarily mount the hatch with your aileron servo in the wing l 8 Return to step 1 and mount the hatch and aileron servo on the right wing panel Perform steps 9 through 13 only if you are building flaps FASLINK 1 16 J 9 Make a flap pushrod by threading a nylon clevis onto a 074 x 6 1 9 x 152mm pushrod about 20 turns Make a 90 degree bend in the pushrod where it crosses the flap bellcrank to match the plan Temporarily snap a nylon Faslink onto the pushrod Cut the excess pushrod so 1 16 1mm protrudes from the Faslink Connect the clevis to the outer hole of a small nylon control horn Make another flap pushrod the same way L 10 Cut the exit holes in the bottom wing skin for both flap pushrods where shown on th
24. heat sparks or flames Do not smoke near the engine or fuel as it is very flammable Engine exhaust gives off a great deal of deadly carbon monoxide so do not run the engine in a closed room or garage Get help from an experienced pilot when you learn to operate engines Use safety glasses when you operate model engines Do not run the engine near loose gravel or sand the propeller may throw loose material in your face or eyes When you start and run the engine keep your face and body as well as all spectators away from the plane of rotation of the propeller Always be aware and very conscious of hand movements and be deliberate in your reach for the needle valve glow plug clip or other items near a spinning propeller Keep loose clothing shirt sleeves ties scarfs long hair or loose objects away from the prop Be conscious of pencils screw drivers or other objects that may fall out of your shirt pockets Use a chicken stick or electric starter and follow the instructions to start your engine Make certain the glow plug clip or connector is secure so that it will not pop off or get into the running propeller Ask an assistant to hold the model from the rear while you start the engine and operate the controls Make all engine adjustments from behind the rotating propeller The engine gets hot Do not touch the engine during or immediately after you operate it Make sure fuel lines are in good condition so fuel w
25. in the Painting section on page 51 for more hints on painting Hint Save the leftover paint you just mixed to coat the inside of the top sheeting later on 1 16 Sand the tops of the ribs spars leading edge and trailing edge so they smoothly blend k 17 Inspect the wing and reinforce any glue joints that don t look strong 18 Sand the trailing edge of the bottom sheeting at the tip to accommodate the top sheeting SHEET THE TOP OF THE WING If you haven t already done so make the top 1 wing skins as described in steps 1 2 and 3 on page 23 Sheet the left side of the wing first 4 61 2 Trim the end of one of the skins to join the top sheeting of the center section the skin will have a slight curve due to the curvature of the airfoil and the dihedral of the wing When the skin accurately fits the center section trim it about 1 4 6mm larger than the outline of the rest of the wing to allow for positioning errors and trimming later J J 3 Build the die cut 1 8 3 2mm plywood upright wing jigs Place the wing on the jigs and place weights over the center section to hold it down Place the tip jigs under the wing tips 4 J 4 Use a piece of leftover balsa or something similar to support the trailing edge of the wing near the tip of the flap This will keep the wing from bowing when you place weights on it to hold the top skin down J 5 Apply aliphatic resin to
26. leftover 1 16 1 6mm balsa J 2 Test fit the flap skins to the wing and trim where needed for a good fit Bevel the trailing edge of the flap skins as shown in the sketch below k 3 Glue the balsa flap skins to your wing 4 4 Proceed to Build the ailerons on page 30 Perform steps 5 through 26 only if you are building flaps Make the left flap first APPROX 1 32 1 ei 1 16 FLAP SKIN J 5 Test fit a die cut 1 16 1 6mm plywood flap skin on top of the wing Trim the ends and the leading edge of the flap skin if necessary for a good fit Bevel the trailing edge of the bottom of the flap skin as shown in the sketch and the photo 13 6 Glue the flap skin to the top of the wing LJ 7 Trim the bottom flap skin so it aligns with the top flap skin when you position it on the wing I 8 Bevel the top of the bottom flap skin the same way you beveled the bottom of the top flap skin In order for your flaps to operate correctly and have the best fit and appearance the holes for the hinges in the wing and in the flap and therefore the hinges themselves must 1 be perpendicular to the flap LE and inner TE and 2 accurately align with each other Follow the instructions closely and work as accurately as you can to achieve this HINGE LOCATIONS 9 Use a square to mark the centerlines of the hinges across th
27. mount the bottom servo tray to the rails with four 2 x 3 8 9 5mm screws 9 Mount your battery pack On our model we used leftover 1 8 3 2mm plywood to make a 1 8 3 2mm battery plate and two rails to hold the battery pack in place Place the plate between the fuselage sides over the battery pack with the appropriate R C foam rubber press down and glue the rails to the fuse sides only If you ever have to remove your battery pack all you have to do is slide the plate from under the rails and take out your battery 10 Mount your on off receiver switch in a location that does not interfere with the rest of the radio system or the cockpit interior if you plan to install one It is a good practice to mount the switch on the side of the model opposite the exhaust J 11 If you re installing retracts connect a 10 inch piece of air line that came with your retracts to your air tank Glue the tank to formers 5B and 6B with RTV silicone or epoxy where shown on the plans J 12 Mount your air filler valve On our prototype we mounted the filler valve to a piece of leftover 1 8 3 2mm plywood and glued the plywood to the lower crutch with the filler valve protruding through a hole drilled through the crutch and the balsa fuse side Adjust the filler valve so it is flush with the outside of the fuselage INSTALL THE COCKPIT AND CANOPY Proceed to step eight if you will not be installin
28. one on medium heat with a Hot Sock for bonding the covering to large sheeted areas like the wing and stab and a Trim Iron for small areas k 5 When you cover large sheeted surfaces such as the wing bond the covering in the middle and work outward pushing out air as you proceed Do not move the iron in a circular motion but move it span wise with the grain of the wood 6 When you cover smaller parts with square edges such as the elevators and ailerons cover the ends first with separate pieces of covering Then all you have to do is wrap the covering around the top and bottom and iron it down When you cover sharp junctions like where the 7 stab meets the fuse cut narrow strips of covering to 1 2 10 to 15mm wide and apply them in 3 8 the corners before you cover the major surfaces The larger pieces of covering will overlap the smaller pieces This technique also eliminates the need to cut the covering after it has been applied HOP THP HOW TO MAKE INVASION STRIPES Since most of the trim schemes for Spitfires have invasion stripes on both the wing and the fuse we thought it would be helpful to show you a way to make them J 1 Use a small square to lightly mark two vertical guide lines on the side of the fuse where you want one of the invasion stripes to go Use the center stringer to position the square so the lines will be vertical 50 J 2 Wra
29. plate base in the center section of the wing so the ball on the servo arm aligns with the holes in both 2 ribs where the flap pushrod will come through Drill 1 16 1 60mm holes at the punch marks in the servo mount plate through the servo plate base J 21 Turn the center section over Glue strips of leftover 1 8 3 2mm ply to the bottom of the plate base across the holes you drilled see the following photo Re drill the holes in the plate base through the strips with a 1 16 1 60mm drill Enlarge the holes in the servo mount plate only with a 3 32 2 40mm drill Temporarily mount the servo mount plate to the plate base with four 2 x 3 8 9 5mm screws Remove the jig tabs from the bottom of the 22 1 ribs Sand the top sheeting and sub LE even with the ribs on both sides of the center section forward wing joiners top and bottom aft wing joiners and the die cut leading edge joiners Round one end of both 1 4 x 4 6 4 x 102mm hardwood wing dowels and test fit them in the sub leading edge and the aft wing dowel plates Note You may have to cut a small section from the wing sheeting ahead of the top spar to install 20 the forward joiners If necessary adjust the notches in the ribs or remove excess glue so the joiners fit well Each of the next three steps requires 30 minute epoxy so try to finish them all before taking a break 4 24 Glue all the joiners to t
30. property To make your R C modeling experience totally enjoyable get assistance with assembly and your first flights from an experienced knowledgeable modeler You ll learn faster and avoid risking your model before you re truly ready to solo Your local hobby shop has information about flying clubs in your area whose membership includes qualified instructors You can also contact the Academy of Model Aeronautics AMA which has more than 2 500 chartered clubs across the country We recommend you join the AMA which will insure you at AMA club sites and events AMA membership is required at chartered club fields where qualified flight instructors are available Contact the AMA at the address or toll free phone number below Academy of Model Aeronautics 5151 East Memorial Drive Muncie IN 47302 9252 Tele 800 435 9262 Fax 765 741 0057 or via the internet at http Avww modelaircraft org Your Top Flite Gold Edition Spitfire Mk IX is intended for scale and general sport flying including mild aerobatics such as loops stall turns rolls etc Its structure is designed to withstand such stresses If you intend to use your Spitfire for more abusive types of flying such as racing aggressive aerobatics or flying from rough fields it is your responsibility to reinforce areas of the model that will be subjected to the resulting unusually high stresses INTRODUCTION Congratulations and thank you for purchasing the Top
31. sheeting to the side and sub stringers k 8 Use the pattern you traced onto the other 3 32 2 4mm balsa sheet to make the skin for the right side of the fuse Fit and glue it to the fuse the same way you did the left side refer to the following photo Don t forget to reposition the T pins in the right main stringer before you glue the sheet in place J 9 Use another 3 32 3 x 36 2 4 x 76 x 914mm balsa sheet to sheet both sides of the turtledeck Sorry no patterns for this one You ll have to rely upon pure skill 1 10 Sand the top edges of the turtledeck sheets even with the top stringers and the tops of the formers MOUNT THE FIN AND STAB Slightly bevel the edges of the die cut 1 4 1 6 4mm balsa fin spacer to match the tapering angle of the fuse sheeting Glue the fin spacer to the stab saddles accurately aligned over its location on the plan between the fuse sheeting Pin but do not glue the sheeting to the 2 fin spacer J 3 Carefully sand the balsa fuse side sheeting so it is the same shape as the stab saddles Do this without sanding the stab saddles and inadvertently changing the incidence of the stab cuToUTA SMALL TRIANGLE N CENTERLINE 4 Cut a small piece of sheeting from the top o the stab to accommodate the leading edge of the fin This piece doesn t have to be perfect It just has to allow the stab LE to go th
32. spinner then glue the wing tips to the wing and it all together your enthusiasm will soar when you realize that this really is a good size model One last note before you get started we highly recommend you get some pictures or a book about Spitfires or send for your documentation package as soon as possible This way you can study the drawings and photos to get a feel for how your Spitfire should look when you re done This will also help you figure out what scale details to add and decide on a trim scheme you can also dream about how cool your Spitfire is going to look One of the books we recommend is the Squadron Signal Publications Spitfire in Action book No 39 SQUZ1039 It features lots of historical and technical information as well as detailed drawings photos and trim schemes Well this should be enough to get your juices flowing 50 move your other projects off your workbench say goodbye to your significant other for a while and read on NOTE We as the kit manufacturer provide you with a top quality kit and great instructions but ultimately the quality and flyability of your finished model depends on how you build it therefore we cannot in any way guarantee the performance of your completed model and no representations are expressed or implied as to the performance or safety of your completed model Please inspect all parts carefully before starting to build If any parts are missing broken or
33. the heads of your wing bolts will rest flat on the bottom of the wing You can use this drill jig on all your models k 6 Take the wing off the fuse Tap threads in the wing bolt blocks with a 1 4 20 tap Enlarge the holes in the wing only with a 17 64 6 70mm drill bit Bolt the wing to your fuselage with 1 4 20 nylon wing bolts NOW does it look like a Spitfire We re only missing a few things namely that characteristic wing fillet and the front end of the fuselage You re almost there so keep going BUILD THE WING FILLET J 1 Temporarily tape both die cut 1 32 0 8mm plywood wing fillet bases to the lower fuselage crutch J 2 Bolt the wing to the fuselage and view the model from the rear Observe the horizontal alignment between the wing and the stabilizer If necessary loosen the wing bolts and insert shims from leftover balsa between the wing fillet bases and the fuselage to bring the wing into alignment with the stab Tighten the wing bolts Make sure the aft edge of both wing fillet 3 bases end at the trailing edge of the wing If necessary trim the saddle bases to achieve this 4 Cut the molded plastic wing fillets along the cutlines Test fit the wing fillets to the fuselage so you can see how they fit 42 Turn the fuselage over and remove the wing 5 4 Cover the middle of the wing with waxed paper so glue will not stick Remove the fillet bas
34. to the assembly the right and left upper crutches float between the main stringers except where they are glued to former 1A and former 2 J 10 See the following sketch and trim the sides of the cockpit floor to match the contour of the instrument panel former 5 and former 6 1 2 X 5 8 AFT COCKPIT RAIL 1 4 X 5 16 FORWARD COCKPIT RAIL LJ 11 Cut the 1 4 x 5 16 15 6 4 x 7 9 x 381mm forward cockpit rails and the 1 2 x 5 8 x 6 12 7 x 15 9 x 152mm aft cockpit rails to the length shown on the plan and glue them to the cockpit floor and formers The aft cockpit rails are inset 1 4 6 4mm inside the forward cockpit rails 3 12 Trim the rails to match the contour of the formers the same way you did the cockpit floor J 13 From two 3 16 x 3 16 x 36 4 8 x 4 8 x 914mm balsa sticks cut the stringers that fit in the notches of the formers immediately above the main stringers on both sides of the fuselage and glue them in place These stringers extend from F2 to F10 Cut the remaining four stringers that fit between formers 5 through 10 from four 3 16 x 3 16 x 24 4 8 x 4 8 x 610mm balsa sticks _ 14 Use the leftover balsa sticks from step 13 to make the three forward stringers and glue them in place 1 MARK HERE F1B BEHIND F1A 3 15 Use a ballpoint pen to mark the center of the middle stringer on the front of former 1A This is a reference mark th
35. when it s off the fuse than it is when it is glued in place J 9 Now that you are sure the stab will align glue it to the fuse sheeting and the ply stab saddle with 30 minute epoxy Use the pin and string technique to recheck your alignment Wipe away excess epoxy before it cures Do not build up a fillet between the stab and the fuse Do not disturb the fuse until the epoxy is fully cured 10 Taper the trailing edge of the fin so it will fit between the sheeting on the fuse Fit the fin to the stab Trim the leading edge and the sheeting on both sides of the fin until it fits the stab If necessary enlarge the opening you cut in the stab sheeting so the leading edge of the fin will straddle the center rib When the fin trailing edge contacts your building board and is perpendicular the fin is ready to glue in place see the following steps J 11 Trim the fuse sheeting even with the TE of the fin Align the centerline you drew on the TE of the fin for hinging with a square to make sure the fin is vertical 3 12 Did you final sand the fin yet Now is the time to do it if you haven t already k 13 Use 30 minute epoxy to glue the fin to the stab and the fuse Make a small fillet of epoxy and microballoons or milled fiberglass between the fin and the stab Do not disturb the assembly until the epoxy has fully cured 3 14 Draw a centerline on the top of the 1 4 x 1 3 4 x 24 6 4 x 44 x 610mn balsa tur
36. with medium or thick CA There should be approximately a 1 16 1 6mm gap between the elevator balance tab and the stab tip 9 Use a razor plane and your bar sander with 80 grit sandpaper to sand the elevator and stab tips as shown on the plan Avoid sanding the 1 6mm stab sheeting Proceed slowly 1 16 removing small amounts of material at a time and inspect your work frequently k 10 Return to step 7 and build the right elevator the same way Note It is more important that the elevator tips match each other rather than match the plans perfectly As you proceed compare the right tip to the left tip to make sure they are identical Joran gt J 11 Use three 3 32 x 3 8 x 24 2 4 x 9 5 x 610mm balsa sticks to make the elevator ribs and glue them to the side of the elevators where you marked the locations of the ribs Glue the ribs to the other side of the elevators matching them to the ribs you already glued Shape the ribs to match the shape of the root and tip blocks and the cross section on the plan 4 12 Round the leading edge of the stab as shown on the cross section of the plan blending it to the stab tips k 13 Carefully break both elevators free from the stab Notice which elevator matches which side of the stab Remove any glue bumps left from the CA you used to tack glue the elevators to the stab IMPORTANT NOTES ABOUT CA HINGES This kit is supplied wi
37. 00 qty 11 Single Edge Razor Blades HCAR0312 100 qty L T Pins small HCAR5100 medium HCAR5150 large HCAR5200 TOOLS 1 Sealing iron TOPR2100 Razor Plane MASR1510 Hobbico Builder s Triangle HCAR0480 Drill Bits 1 60mm 1 16 2 40mm 3 32 48 1 95mm or 5 64 9 64 3 60mm or 1 8 1 8 3 10mm 8 32 4 00mm 3 16 4 70mm 7 32 5 60mm 1 4 6 30mm 17 64 6 70 10 4 90mm or 13 64 or 1 4 20 tap and drill set 29 3 40mm or 9 64 or 8 32 tap and drill set 1 4 20 Tap and drill GPMR8105 L 8 32 Tap and drill GPMR8103 L Tap wrench GPMR8120 L Kyosho Lexan Curved Scissors KYOR1010 Long handle 9 64 ball end hex wrench GPMR8004 Silver Solder GPMR8070 w flux 1 Easy Touch Bar Sanders Heat Gun TOPR2000 L Trim Seal Tool TOPR2200 Sealing Iron TOPR2100 L Hot Sock TOPR2175 5 EASY TOUCH BAR SANDER A flat durable easy to handle sanding tool is a necessity for building a well finished model Great Planes makes a complete range of Easy Touch Bar Sanders patent pending and replaceable Easy Touch Adhesive backed Sandpaper While building the Spitfire we used two 5 1 2 140mm bar sanders and two 11 280mm bar sanders equipped with 80 grit and 150 grit adhesive backed sandpaper Here is the complete list of Easy Touch Bar Sanders and adhesive backed
38. 0300 Top Flite Cessna 182 Skylane 69 1753mm Wingspan 7 5 10 Ib 3400 45400 81 2057mm Wingspan 10 12 Ib 4540 5440g TOPA0305 Top Flite Beechcraft Bonanza TOPA0400 Top Flite Giant Scale P 51D Mustang 81 2057mm Wingspan 11 13 Ib 4990 5900g 84 5 2146mm Wingspan 17 5 19 Ib 7938 8618g 63 ing only Not suitable for scale documentation 2 VIEW DRAWING aaa plann
39. 1 and 2 3 12 The same way you did for the outer panels trim the top of the sub LE to accommodate the top sheeting k 13 Remove any T pins that will be concealed under the sheeting after you glue it to the top of the center section LJ 14 Cut ten 9 1 2 242mm long sheets from four 1 16 x 3 x 30 1 6 x 76 x 762mm balsa sheets Make two 15 x 9 1 2 380 x 242mm center section skins by gluing together two sets of five sheets 3 15 Glue one of your skins to the top of the center section The front should extend past the LE by approximately 1 16 1 6mm and the TE should extend past the end of the ribs by 3 8 9 5mm l 16 Take the center section off of your building board Perform steps 17 through 21 only if you are building flaps SERVO MOUNTS _J 17 Mount your flap servo to two 5 16 x 3 4 x 7 8 7 9 x 19 1 x 22 2mm hardwood servo mounts with the screws included with your servo Use 30 minute epoxy to glue the servo mounts to the die cut 1 8 3 2mm plywood mount plate J 18 Make a one arm servo horn from one of your standard servo horns by cutting off the extra arms Insert a 0 80 ball screw in your servo arm Secure the ball screw with a drop of thread lock and a 0 80 hex nut 4 19 Cut an opening in the top sheeting and trim rib 1 as necessary to accommodate your flap servo and the mount plate Position the servo mount plate on the servo 20 1
40. 12 Notch the aileron and glue the die cut 1 8 3 2mm plywood control horn mounting plate in place Sand the mounting plate to match the shape of the aileron LE 4 3 J 13 Reinstall the aileron on the wing Make the aileron pushrod from a 074 x 4 1 9 x 102mm pushrod a solder clevis and a nylon clevis Connect one end of the pushrod to the aileron servo arm and the other end to a large nylon control horn Adjust the length of the pushrod as shown on the plan Drill 1 16 1 60 holes in the mounting plate for the control horn Add a few drops of thin CA to the holes After the CA dries temporarily mount the horns to the aileron with two 2 x 3 8 9 5mm screws 3 14 Build the framework for both radiators from the die cut 1 8 3 2mm plywood parts Glue two die cut 1 8 3 2mm balsa inlets to the front of both radiators l 15 Sheet the bottom of the radiators using the 1 8 x 3 x 24 3 2 x 76 x 610mm balsa sheet Round the edges as shown on the plan and in the photo 116 You could glue the radiators to the wing after you final sand the wing but we recommend gluing them in place after you cover or paint the model Now does it look like a Spitfire wing A beautiful elliptical shape isn t it Clean off your workbench vacuum the floor and get out the fuse plan 232 BUILD THE FUSELAGE FRAME THE FUSELAGE TOP Note We have tried to prevent the Spitfire from bec
41. 14 4mm 3 4 19mm GET READY TO BUILD 1 Unroll the plan sheets Roll them inside out so they lie flat 2 Remove all the parts from the box Use a ballpoint pen not a felt tip pen to lightly write the name or size on each piece so you can identify it later Use the die cut patterns on pages 8 amp 9 to identify and mark the die cut parts before you remove them from their die sheets Many of the parts already have numbers stamped on them but in some cases the number is located alongside the parts You may remove all the die cut parts from their die sheets now or wait until you need them If a part is difficult to remove don t force it out but cut around it with a 11 blade After you remove the parts from their die sheets lightly sand the edges to remove slivers or die cutting irregularities Save some of the larger scraps of wood 3 Separate the parts into groups such as stab fin wing and fuse Zipper top food storage bags are handy to store parts in as you sort identify and separate them into subassemblies DIE CUT PATTERNS 3 16 3 18 BALSA 1 PER KIT SPF6SO2 SPF6S02 SPF6S01 1 PER KIT 1 4 4 X 24 BALSA 1 PER KIT 3 32 X 3 X 24 BALSA 2 PER KIT Aileron Horn Block Horn Block SPF6W04 Elevator Leading Edge F 11 gt SPF6FO8 SPF6WO THIS PART IS LASER CUT SPF6F07 1 PER KIT 3 32 X 3 X 24 BALSA 2 PER KIT SPF6WO8 SPF6WO5 Inlets X 4
42. 22 Cut the flap control horn block from the 3 16 x 3 4 4 8 x 19 1mm balsa stick and glue it inside the flap where shown on the plan Use the flap horn as a template to drill two 1 16 1 60mm holes through the flap for the 2 x 3 8 9 5mm screws FLAP CONTROL HORN J L 23 Reinforce the screw holes with a few drops of thin CA After the CA dries temporarily mount the flap control horn to the flap with the screws 24 Cut the screws if they interfere with the top flap skin or ribs when the flap is raised J 25 Move the flap through its range of motion Make adjustments where necessary l 26 Return to step 1 and build the other flap the same way BUILD THE AILERONS J J 1 True up the wing sheeting where the ailerons will fit LJ LJ 2 Hold a die cut 3 32 2 4mm balsa aileron base up to the wing Glue a piece of leftover balsa to the wing so the gap between the end of the aileron and the wing will be approximately 1 16 2mm wide Our model required a piece of 1 8 3 2mm balsa Sand the balsa even with the wing sheeting k 3 Cut the aileron leading edge from the 1 4 x 7 8 x 24 6 4 x 22 2 x 610mm balsa stick Trim the aileron leading edge so it fits in the wing against the outer TE AILERON LEADING EDGE J I 4 Pin the aileron leading edge to the wing then shape it so it matches the wing sheeting on the top and the bottom J
43. BELLCRANK Sse MOUNTING 4 40 PLATE J 1 Drill a 1 8 3 10mm hole through the punch mark in both die cut 1 8 3 2mm plywood flap bellcrank plates Assemble the bellcranks as shown in the sketch with the hardware supplied with this kit Secure the 4 40 nut with a drop of epoxy or thread lock _ 2 Mark rib 4 at the center of the leading edge Lay a straightedge on the rib across the mark you made and the trailing edge of the rib where it comes to a point Draw a short line along the straightedge from the trailing edge of the rib to the notch for the inner trailing edge This is where you will cut the bottom of the ribs when instructed to do so to accommodate the flap L 3 Do the same with the other rib 4 and ribs 5 through 8 for both wing panels Perform step 4 only if you are building retractable landing gear J 4 Glue the die cut 1 16 1 6mm plywood rib doublers 3 4R and 5R to both sets of die cut 3 32 2 4mm balsa wing ribs 3 4 and 5 Make sure you build a set of right and a set of left wing ribs by gluing the doublers to the correct side of the ribs as shown on the plan and in the photo Note Ribs 3 and 4 have doublers on one side only but rib 5 has doublers on both sides Perform step 5 only if you are building fixed landing gear a scale warbird without retracts Won t you reconsider 3 5 Glue the die cut 1 8 3 2mm plywo
44. Position the axle so it is parallel with the main spar and tighten the set screw to lock the axle in position J I 8 Remove the die cut piece from rib 6 to accommodate the wheel when you test fit the landing gear J L 9 Cut out rib 5 as necessary to clear the landing gear wire when you retract it into the wing Use a rotary tool and a sanding drum if you have one 4 LJ 10 Temporarily mount your wheel to the axle and retract the gear into the wing Make sure the landing gear will operate correctly and there is no interference Return to step five and fit the right retract in 11 the right wing panel the same way J 12 Drill holes in the landing gear rails and mount your retracts with the screws included with the retracts Make sure both retract units are in the same location on the rails L 13 Double check the retract action and make sure the wheels and struts do not interfere with anything when you retract them into the wing Trim where necessary PREPARE THE OUTER PANELS FOR SHEETING Perform step 1 only if you are not building flaps LJ 1 Use the 3 16 x 3 4 x 6 4 8 x 19 1 x 152mm balsa stick to make two gussets joining rib 8 to the inner TE of both wing panels Glue the gussets in position Refer to this photo for the rest of this section Perform steps 2 through 5 only if you are building flaps BOTTOM OF WING AS ON YOUR WORKBENCH NOW FLAP HINGE BLOCK
45. SPITFIRE vx WARRANTY Top Flite Models guarantees this kit to be free of defects in both material and workmanship at the date of purchase This warranty does not cover any component parts 7 Fi damaged by use or modification In no case shall Top Flite s liability exceed the original cost of the OP LITE purchased kit Further Top Flite reserves the right to change or modify this warranty without notice In that Top Flite has no control over the final assembly or material used for final assembly no liability shall be assumed nor accepted for any damage resulting from the use by the user of the final Top Flite Models user assembled product By the act of using the user assembled product the user accepts all P O Box 788 resulting liability Urbana Il 61803 If the buyer is not prepared to accept the liability associated with the use of this product the Technical Assistance Call 217 398 8970 buyer is advised to immediately return this kit in new and unused condition to the place of purchase READ THROUGH THIS INSTRUCTION BOOK FIRST IT CONTAINS IMPORTANT INSTRUCTIONS AND WARNINGS CONCERNING THE ASSEMBLY AND USE OF THIS MODEL Entire Contents Copyright 1997 SPF6P03 V1 0 TABLE OF CONTENTS AND BUILDING SEQUENCE INTRODUCTION 5 5555 5955 55955 5595 599 3 PRECAUTIONS 65 3 DECISIONS YOU MUST MAKE 3 Engine selection esac erae 3 Exhaust SYStOM
46. While you re at it temporarily install the rudder with the hinges and blend the bottom of the rudder and the fuse to each other J 11 Break the bottom tail blocks off the fuse Permanently mount the tail gear bracket to the tail gear plate and secure the screws with a few drops of thin CA Position the tail gear plate and securely glue it to the main stringers J 12 Drill a 5 32 4 00mm hole through the bottom tail blocks to accommodate the nylon bearing tube on the tail gear wire Glue the bottom tail blocks in position J 13 Cut the hinge slot in the fuselage and the bottom of the rudder Drill the 3 32 2 40mm hole in the center of the hinge slots and test fit a hinge as described earlier in the manual when you were fitting the elevators FINAL CONSTRUCTION MOUNT THE WING TO THE FUSELAGE J 1 Glue the die cut 1 8 3 2mm plywood former F4 B to former 4 and the lower crutches 7 J 2 Trim the fuse sheeting even with the lower crutches Test fit the wing on the fuselage This is the moment of truth Slightly enlarge the holes in the bottom of former F1 to accommodate the wing dowels if necessary Trim the balsa fuse sheeting near the leading edge of the wing until the wing fits _ 3 Locate the holes in the wing bolt plate under the bottom wing sheeting the holes should be 2 1 4 57mm ahead of the TE and 1 25 4mm on both sides of the wing centerline Use a hobby knife to
47. a wood dowel Shape the dowel to resemble a gun barrel then glue it inside the 1 4 6 4mm brass tube This will fit inside the 9 32 7 1mm brass tube you glued in the wing After you paint the removable portion of the gun it should fit securely into the tube in the wing and stay in place during flight If not roughen the gun with coarse sandpaper or apply a thin coat of CA to provide enough friction to keep it in place 1 16 BALSA BOTH SIDES ANTENNA 1 16 PLY DETAIL l 3 Make the antenna mast from a piece of leftover 1 16 1 6mm plywood sandwiched between two pieces of leftover 1 16 1 6mm balsa Sand to an airfoil shape then paint or cover to match the rest of your model Cut a notch in the top of the fuselage where 4 shown on the plan to insert the antenna Like the guns you can permanently glue the antenna mast in place or just leave it removable for transporting your model WHEEL COVERS The wheel covers shown on the model on the cover of the box are intended for display but could be left in place for flying if you enlarge the opening in the bottom of the wing to accommodate the covers when the wheels are retracted Use the template provided on the plan to cut them from 1 8 3 2mm plywood To fit the wheel covers to your landing gear struts you will need two landing gear straps GPMQ4254 and four 4 40 x 1 4 6 4mm screws Paint or cover the wheel covers to
48. ach hole k 12 Remove the engine from the mount and drill four 29 3 40mm or 9 64 holes at the marks Tap 8 32 threads into the holes and mount your engine with four 8 32 x 1 25 4 socket head cap screws 3 13 Glue the die cut 1 8 3 2mm plywood cowl former and the four 3 8 x 5 8 x 5 8 9 5 x 15 9 x 15 9mm hardwood cowl blocks in place Mount your exhaust system We used the 14 Top Flite In Cowl Warbird Muffler and appropriate Top Flite In Cowl header Since the muffler is far from the engine you must use a long Silicone tube to connect them We used an Aerotrend 3 4 19mm inside diameter Silicone tube AERG2220 with the included spring sleeve inside the tube to prevent the hot exhaust gas from burning through the silicone Before you mark the location of the muffler mounting screw holes temporarily insert a 3 32 2 4mm balsa spacer between the muffler and the tank floor so the top of the muffler does not contact the fuel tank floor 3 15 Cut the molded right and left ABS cowl halves along the cutlines Hobbico HCARO667 or Kyosho KYOR1010 curved plastic cutting scissors work well for this True any jagged edges with a bar sander and 80 grit sandpaper 1 16 Thoroughly sand the inside and the outside of the joining edges of both cowl halves with 150 to 240 grit sandpaper Basically you should sand everywhere you want glue and filler to adhere including a 1 25mm
49. aint will not react with the plastic Test on leftover pieces if unsure We used Pactra Formula U Olive Drab to paint the canopy of our Prototype Spitfire It s a close match to Monokote film LustreKote is not recommended for painting butyrate J 4 Position the canopy on the fuselage and draw its outline on the fuselage with a felt tip pen Poke holes through the covering with pin inside the line or remove a thin strip of covering just inside the outline Wipe away the ink with a cloth dampened with alcohol 5 5 Glue the canopy in place with special canopy glue such as J amp Z Products Z RC 56 canopy glue JOZR5007 Hold the canopy in place with tape or rubber bands Use a balsa stick under the rubber bands to hold the sides of the canopy to the fuselage Wipe away excess glue with a tissue 53 dampened with water before the glue dries Make sure there is no glue on the balsa sticks so you do not inadvertently glue the balsa sticks to the canopy PROPELLER AND SPINNER There are two methods to make a scale static display propeller for your Spitfire For our prototype Spitfire we modified the Top Flite P 51 Static Display Prop TOPQ7906 This is only recommended for those who have access to a belt sander because there is much plastic to sand off Here s how to do it REMOVE THIS PORTION OF THE PROPELLER HUB BUUU J 1 Trim the propeller hub of the P 51 display prop as shown in the sketch
50. ake off Although this model has excellent low speed characteristics you should always build up as much speed as your runway will permit before lifting off to give you a safety margin in case of a flame out When you first advance the throttle and the tail begins to lift the plane will start to turn left a characteristic of all tail draggers Be ready for this and correct by applying a slight amount of right rudder to steer it straight down the runway Be sure to allow the tail to come up Don t hold the tail on the ground with too much up elevator as the Spitfire will become airborne prematurely and will possibly stall When the plane has sufficient flying speed lift off by smoothly applying up elevator don t jerk it off into a steep climb and climb out gradually FLIGHT We recommend that you take it easy with your Spitfire for the first several flights gradually getting acquainted with this warbird as your engine gets fully broken in Add and practice one maneuver at a time learning how she behaves in each For ultra smooth flying and normal maneuvers we recommend using the low rate settings as listed on page 57 High rate elevator may be required for crisp snap rolls and spins High rate rudder is best for knife edge Speed is the key to good knife edge performance Caution THIS APPLIES TO ALL R C AIRPLANES If while flying you notice any unusual sounds such as a low pitched
51. alve and fuel filler as well HOOK UP THE CONTROLS 1 8 x 1 4 PLY STRIPS SERVO TRAY AS SEEN WHEN YOU ARE BUILDING THE MODEL UPSIDE DOWN LJ 1 Cut 1 8 1 4 3 2 x 6 4mm plywood doublers from leftover plywood and glue them across the servo tray as shown in the sketch _ 2 Place your throttle servo with a servo horn in the servo tray Drill a 3 32 2 40mm hole through former 1 to allow the throttle pushrod to pass Temporarily install your fuel tank Make the throttle pushrod from a 074 x 12 3 x 305mm pushrod and a nylon clevis Bend the 1 9 pushrod as necessary and connect the clevis to the carburetor Connect other end of the pushrod to the servo with a screw lock pushrod connector J 4 Install your rudder and elevator servo in the servo tray Drill 1 16 1 60mm holes in the servo tray and mount your servos with the screws that came with your radio 1 5 Cut a 074 X 36 1 9 x 914mm pushrod to 8 length of 30 760mm This is the elevator pushrod Clean residual oil from the elevator and rudder pushrod wires with a cloth dampened with alcohol or other solvent Cut twelve 3 8 9 5mm long bushings from the white inner pushrod tube then slide them evenly spaced onto both elevator and pushrod wires Make sure you position the bushings at the ends of the wires so they will not protrude from the guide tubes or the controls could become jammed du
52. apply thick or medium CA to the inside of the bottom skin in the area of one of the bottom skin doublers Slip the doubler into place and press it to the bottom skin Glue the other two bottom skin doublers in place the same way 12 Cut the bottom skin to accommodate the landing gear First cut a small hole under the retract rails for just the retract not the wheel and strut Enlarge the hole little by little test fitting the retract as you proceed until you can install the retract Note The hole will be slightly offset due to the angle at which the rails rest in the wing and the extra clearance required to install the retracts 7 Pree J 13 Cut the bottom sheeting until you can retract the strut and the wheel into the wing The hole in the wing sheeting for the wheel will not be a circle but will be more of an ellipse because of the angle at which the wheel retracts into the wing Allow at least 1 8 4mm clearance between the wheel and the rear of the opening in the wing in case you bend your landing gear on one of those bumpy landings 14 Return to step 3 and construct the right wing panel Note If you wish to install the 1 8 3 2mm plywood wheel covers now is the time to fit those parts A template is provided on the plan sheet and a close up photo and instructions on how to install the wheel covers are on page 55 If you wish to install fully
53. arge the holes in the cowl only with a 1 8 3 10mm drill bit Test mount the cowl to the fuselage with four 4 x 3 8 9 5mm screws Make adjustments if necessary and remove the cowl J 23 Fill the seams in the cowl with Bondo or other suitable filler Use an expired credit card or a piece of plastic as a spatula to apply the filler Bend your spatula as you apply the filler to build up a slight mound over the seams Notice the masking tape on both sides of the seam After you apply the filler you can peel off the masking tape removing excess filler with it _ 24 After the filler has fully cured wet sand with progressively finer grits of sandpaper When you re done your cowl should look something like the one in the photo just enough filler left to fill in the low spots near the seams Cut both molded plastic aft cowl blisters 25 along the cutlines Trim where necessary so the blisters fit the cowl and the fuselage Glue the blisters in place and blend to the fuselage with filler then sand J 26 Mount your fuel filler valve We used the Great Planes Easy Fueler and made a mount from leftover 1 8 3 2mm plywood to hold it up close to the cowl for easy access 7 2 3 27 Cut holes in the bottom of the cowl for air intake and outlet Generally the air exit hole should be twice the size of the air intake hole Make holes for the glow plug igniter exhaust needle v
54. arms to the servos with the screws included with your radio L414 115 116 1121 1117 his 1119 1120 1123 1124 1125 Use vinyl tape or heat shrink tubing to secure the plugs that connect your servo wires to Y connectors or servo extensions Also secure the plug that connects your battery pack to the on off switch Make sure any servo extension cords you may have used do not interfere with other systems servo arms landing gear pushrods etc Secure the pressure tap to the muffler with high temp RTV silicone thread locking compound or J B Weld Use nylon ties on both ends of the silicone tube connecting the muffler to the header Make sure your fuel lines and pressure lines are connected and are not kinked Use an incidence meter to check the wing for twists and attempt to correct before flying Balance your propeller and spare propellers Tighten the propeller nut and spinner 1122 Place your name address AMA number and telephone number on or inside your model Cycle your receiver battery pack if necessary and make sure it is fully charged If you wish to photograph your model do this before your first flight Range check your radio when you get to the flying field 59 ENGINE SAFETY PRECAUTIONS NOTE Failure to follow these safety precautions may result in severe injury to yourself and others Store model fuel in a safe place away from high
55. at will be used later to align the stab 1 8 X 3 16 X 24 SUB STRINGER LJ 16 Glue the 1 8 x 3 16 x 24 3 2 x 4 8 x 610mm fuse sub stringers into the groove of both main stringers The easiest way to do this is first to insert one of the stringers into the groove and make sure it is fully seated Then apply thin CA from the outside Position and glue the other fuse sub stringers the same way You can glue the bottom after you take the fuse off your building board SHEET THE TOP OF THE FUSELAGE k 1 Blend the the stringers to the formers with a small bar sander and 150 grit sandpaper TOP MIDDLE STRINGER Refer to this photo for steps 2 through 8 _ 2 Use the upper fuse skin pattern on the plan to make the upper fuse skin for the left side of the fuse from a 3 32 x 3 x 36 2 4 x 76 x 914mm balsa sheet Do not glue it in place until instructed to do so Use leftover 3 32 2 4mm balsa to make the sheet wide enough to extend to the center of the top middle stringer in the front of the fuse and long enough to extend 5 8 15 9mm past the plywood stab saddles in the back of the fuse TRIM EVEN WITH THE STAB SADDLE FORMER 10 k 3 Trim the main stringer and sub stringers even with the end of the stab saddles 4 Wet the outside of the upper fuse skin with isopropyl alcohol so you can carefully bend it into position as you trim it to fit your model the pattern on the plan is slightl
56. base to the rudder LE on the centerline Use this photo for the next three steps J 3 Glue the 3 8 x 3 4 x 2 3 8 9 5 x 19 1 x 60 5mm rudder blocks to both sides of the bottom of the rudder base You will shape them to match the bottom of the rudder later 4 Glue a piece of leftover 1 16 1 6mm balsa to one side of the die cut 1 4 6 4mm balsa horn block to increase its total thickness to 5 16 7 9mm Glue the balsa horn block to the right side of the rudder base where shown on the plan 53 5 Cut the rudder ribs from two 3 32 x 3 8 x 24 2 4 x 9 5 x 610mm balsa sticks and one 3 32 x 1 2 x 12 2 4 x 12 7 x 305mm balsa stick for the bottom two rudder ribs on each side and glue them to the rudder base 1 6 Sand the rudder ribs and the rudder blocks so they match the cross section on the plan Do not sand the V on LE until instructed to do so 3 7 Hold the rudder to the fin and position the shaped 1 2 12 7mm balsa rudder tip block on top of the rudder View the gap between the bottom of the rudder tip block and the top of the fin Sand the top of the rudder if necessary so the gap is even Set the rudder tip block aside for now J 8 Glue pieces of leftover 3 32 2 4mm balsa to the rudder base over the locations of the hinge slots Draw a centerline on the TE of the fin Cut the hinge slots on the centerline of the fin TE and the rudder LE where shown on the plan 4 9 Test fit the rud
57. ble the die cut 1 8 3 2mm plywood upside down TE jigs and locate the die cut 1 8 3 2mm plywood upside down tip jigs and the upside down LE jig I 4 If you re building flaps slide the flap center pushrod into the center section and temporarily connect it to the flap servo just to keep it in place J 5 Make sure your landing gear rails are in place but not yet glued in both wing panels if you re installing retracts Temporarily join both outer panels to the center section and place the wing on the jigs upside down on your workbench with the tip jigs under rib 13 at each tip Place weights over the center section and the wing tips Make sure the panels and the center section rest on the jigs Position the landing gear rails in the notches of the ribs as shown on the plan if you re installing retracts Carefully view all joining parts and make adjustments where necessary Beet ee 3 6 Gather your clamps and cut some paper towels into 2 50mm squares to wipe away excess epoxy as you proceed Separate the wing panels Mix up a batch of 30 minute epoxy and apply to all joining surfaces Proceed immediately to the next step Note If you feel your 30 minute epoxy will not provide enough working time for you to join both wing panels you may join one at a time I 7 Join the wing panels to the center section as described in step 5 and place it on the jigs retract installers your landing gear rails are in po
58. bs from the bottom of the ribs Trim the bottom of the sub leading edge so it is even with the ribs Sand the bottom spar and outer and inner TE s even with the ribs Sand the ends of the spars and the LE even with tip rib 13 and root rib 4 k 14 Return to step one and build the right wing panel the same way BUILD THE CENTER SECTION 3 1 Align the center section wing plan over your building board and cover it with waxed paper J 2 Glue the die cut 1 8 3 2mm plywood rib doublers 1B and 2B to rib 1 and both 2 s respectively as shown on the plan Glue both die cut 1 8 3 2mm plywood wing bolt plates together Use this photo for the next six steps J 3 Cut the top and bottom center section spars to the length shown on the plan from the 1 4 x 3 8 x 24 6 4 x 9 5 x 610mm basswood stick Place the bottom spar over its location on the plan and pin it to your building board k 4 Place the ribs of the center section over the plan on the bottom spar Place both die cut 1 8 3 2mm plywood aft wing dowel plates and the die cut 1 8 3 2mm plywood servo mount plate base between the 2 ribs The holes in the dowel plates are closest to the bottom of the wing 4 5 Add both die cut 1 8 3 2mm balsa center TE s and the top spar 4 6 Pin the ribs to your building board the same way you did for the outer panels pin down the jig tabs and the ow point of the ribs _ 7 Mak
59. check the items off as you complete them that s why we call it a check list J 1 Fuelproof all areas exposed to fuel or exhaust residue such as the firewall engine compartment fuel tank compartment wing saddle area trailing edge of the wing and the flap area and wheel wells if your model has flaps and retracts etc 11 12 3 1110 1112 1113 Verify the C G Secure the battery and receiver with a strip of balsa or plywood Simply stuffing them into place with foam rubber is not sufficient Extend your receiver antenna and make sure it has a strain relief inside the fuselage to keep tension off the solder joint inside the receiver Balance your model laterally as explained in the instructions File flat spots on landing gear wires and axles for the set screws to lock onto Secure critical fasteners with thread locking compound the screws that hold the carburetor arm set screws on wheel collars and slip on type axles screw lock pushrod connectors etc Add a drop of oil to the axles so the wheels will turn freely Make sure all hinges are securely glued in place Reinforce holes for wood screws with thin CA where appropriate control horns servo hatches etc Confirm that all controls operate in the correct direction and the throws are set up according to the manual Make sure there are silicone retainers on all the clevises Fasten all servo
60. d on the wing tips 4 Glue the die cut 1 32 0 8mm plywood wing tip core between two shaped 1 2 12 7mm balsa wing tips Make another wing tip with the same parts True up both ends of the wing and the end of 5 the wing tips where the two will join l 6 After the glue that holds the leading edges to the wing is dry remove the masking tape Use a razor plane or a bar sander to blend the leading edges to the wing and shape them as shown in the cross sections on the plan 7 Glue a wing tip to the left wing Be sure to align the 3 32 2 4mm ply wing tip core with the trailing edge and the center of the leading edge 31 8 Use your razor plane or a bar sander to sand the tip to match the shape of the wing Do not round the wing tip until the next step J 9 Round the wing tip as shown in the photo and the profile drawn on the plan 1 10 Glue the other wing tip to the wing and shape it the same way Let s wrap this thing up Just a few more steps and your wing will be finished Finish both ailerons and make the control rods at the same time even though the photos show only one side J 1 111 Glue a die cut 1 4 6 4mm balsa horn block to the bottom of the left aileron where shown on the plan Sand the horn block to match the shape of the aileron HOLES ALIGN WITH PIVOT POINT CONTROL HORN MOUNTING PLATE J
61. der to the fin with the hinges 1 10 Using the centerline on the front of the rudder LE as a guide shape the LE of the rudder to a V as shown on the cross section a 11 Glue the rudder tip block to the rudder and shape it to match the plan and the fin Hint After you glue the rudder tip block to the rudder temporarily join the rudder to the fin Align the rudder tip block with the tip of the fin and hold itin place with a T pin Sand the tip block to match the fin Remove the T pin and round the rudder tip block to match the plan J 12 Notch the right side of the rudder to accommodate the die cut 1 8 3 2mm plywood control horn mounting plate and glue it in place Sand the mounting plate to blend with the rudder LE When you re done your fin and rudder should look something like this Alright enough of this kid stuff Lets get into the meat of this project Clean off your workbench vacuum the floor and start building the wing BUILD THE WING D Ox If you are installing retracts and have purchased your landing gear or as soon as you do take the air lines out of the package unravel them and hang them somewhere in your shop This will get all the kinks out so the lines will be easier to install later 16 PREPARATIONS Perform steps 1 2 and 3 only if you are building flaps 4 40 X 1 2 BOLT 4 WASHER NYLON BELLCRANK BRASS BUSHING
62. e bottom of the flap skin where shown on the plan 28 10 Tape the flap skin to the wing Use 8 straightedge to extend the hinge centerlines from the flap to the wing These lines will help you keep your drill perpendicular as you drill the holes for the hinges REMOVE BOTTOM HALF OF FLAP RIBS INNER T E TOP FLAP SKIN TOP WING SKIN 11 Remove the bottom flap skin and cut the bottom half of the ribs along the lines you marked earlier Remove the bottom portion of the ribs see the following photo BOTTOM OF WING INNER T E 5 32 CENTER OF HOLE TOP FLAP SKIN TOP OF WING J 12 Refer to the sketch above and drill 3 32 2 40mm holes in the inner TE for the hinges keeping your drill aligned with the guidelines on the bottom of the wing a 3 32 2 40mm drill bit in a high speed rotary tool works the best The center of the holes should be 5 32 4mm above the bottom sheeting as shown in the sketch Hint Start the holes with a 3 32 2 4mm brass tube sharpened at the end This will increase your accuracy by keeping your drill from wandering off center Slightly enlarge the front of the holes so 13 1 the hinge points can be inset as shown on the plan Use a cutting burr in a rotary tool for this if you have one Test fit the hinge points to make sure they fit Refer to this photo for steps 14 th
63. e plan Temporarily position a bottom flap skin in its location on the wing Temporarily connect the flap pushrods to the bellcranks and rest the flap horn on the flap Make sure the exit holes are large enough and in the correct location to allow the pushrods to pass through the bottom wing skin Make adjustments if necessary l 11 Remove the flap pushrods but keep them nearby J 12 Sand the bottom of the wing around the flap pushrod exits This will be difficult to do after you connect the pushrods because they may be in your way l 13 Connect the flap pushrods to the bellcranks with the Faslinks J 14 Install your aileron servo wires and a Y harness in the wing We used a Hobbico Command Y harness HCAM2500 Cut a hole in the top sheeting of the center section to allow the connector to exit Make sure you will be able to remove the servos and disconnect them from the Y harness from outside the wing after it is fully sheeted You should be able to access the connectors through the wheel wells If you re not installing retracts you may need a longer Y harness 220 Perform step 15 only you are installing retracts k 15 Move your servo cords out of the way and coat the inside of the wing around the wheel wells and landing gear cutout with fuel proof paint We mixed K amp B blue and yellow paint to simulate the green Zinc Chromate coating aluminum airplanes receive refer to the Expert Tip
64. e sure the ribs are in the correct location with the doublers as shown on the plan Remove the T pins that are holding the bottom spar down Pull the bottom spar up into the notches of the ribs and glue it to the ribs the same as you did for the outer panels Avoid gluing the aft dowel plates at this time Note Make sure both 8 ribs are vertical when you glue them to the spars J 8 Align the top edge of both aft dowel plates with the top spar and glue them in position Glue the rest of the joints made by the ribs the top spar the servo plate and the center TE s Use this photo for the next two steps 9 Use a straightedge to draw a line 1 8 3mm from the edge of a leftover 1 8 x 1 3 2 x 25 4mm sub LE you used for one of the outer panels Glue both die cut 1 8 8 2mm plywood forward dowel plates centered to the sub LE aligning them with 19 the line you marked with a 1 8 3 2mm space between them to accommodate center rib 1 J 10 Cut a 10 250mm center leading edge from the 36 914mm long shaped balsa leading edge stock Center the sub LE on the back of the center leading edge and tape them together Use the holes in the forward dowel plates as a guide to drill 1 4 6 30mm holes through the sub leading edge and the center leading edge for the 1 4 6 4mm wing dowels g Glue only the sub LE to the front of the ribs 11 with the forward dowel plates centered on ribs
65. e the Expert Tip that follows to accurately mark the balance point on the top of the wing on both sides of the fuselage The balance point is shown on the plan CG and is located 4 1 8 104 7mm back from the leading edge at the wing root as shown in the sketch and on the plans This is the balance point at which your model should be balanced for your first flights Later you may experiment by shifting the balance up to 1 4 6 4mm forward or 9 32 7 1mm back to change the flying characteristics If you move the balance point forward it may improve the smoothness and tracking but your Spitfire may then require more speed for takeoff and become more difficult to slow for landing If you move the balance aft it may make your Spitfire more agile with a lighter fee and allow you to slow the model more for landing In any case please start at the location we recommend and do not at any time balance your model outside the recommended range phd D 22 mor tre How to mark the balance point The balance point is measured from the center leading edge Mark the balance point outward a few inches so you can see where to lift the wing when it s bolted to the fuse To do this mark the balance point with a felt tip pen or tape on both ends of the center section Place a straightedge across the marks Mark the balance point along the straightedge further out on the wing Mount the wing to the fuselage k 2 Temporar
66. ear 4 1 1 4 32mm Tail wheel GPMQ4282 4 3 32 2 4mm Wheel Collar for tailwheel GPMQ4302 12 02 360cc Fuel Tank GPMQ4105 24 610mm Medium Silicone Fuel Tubing GPMQ4131 L Fuel Filler Valve GPMQ4160 4 3 1 2 89mm Spinner see Scale propeller and spinner section on page 53 4 1 4 6mm R C Foam Rubber Padding HCAQ1000 Pilot Figure WBRQ2476 a 1 7 scale pilot figure is optional if the cockpit kit is used L Exhaust Deflector HCAP2175 rolls Top Flite Super MonoKote covering 3 2 see page 50 Paint see page 51 Propellers see the instructions with your engine BUILDING SUPPLIES Here is a check list of supplies you should have on hand while building We recommend Great Planes Pro CA and Epoxy 60g Thin GPMR6003 02 2 oz 60g Medium CA GPMR6009 2 oz 600 Thick CA GPMR6015 2 L CA Accelerator GPMR6035 CA Debonder GMPR6039 CA Applicator Tips HCAR3780 L 6 minute epoxy GPMR6045 30 minute GPMR6047 Pro Wood Glue GPMR6161 L J amp Z Products 2 6 canopy glue JOZR5007 Microballoons TOPR1090 Milled Fiberglass GPMR6165 L Lightweight Hobby Filler HCAR3401 Auto body filler Bondo or similar L Denatured or Isopropyl Alcohol to clean up excess epoxy L Masking Tape TOPR8018 8014 8012 Wax Paper or Plan Protector GPMR6167 Blades HCAR0311 1
67. eck before the first flight of a new or repaired model 2 will not fly my model aircraft in the presence of spectators until become a qualified flier unless assisted by an experienced helper 3 1 will perform my initial turn after takeoff away from the pit or spectator areas and will not thereafter fly over pit or spectator areas unless beyond my control 4 will operate my model using only radio control frequencies currently allowed by the Federal Communications Commission FLYING The Top Flite Spitfire is a great flying sport scale airplane that flies smoothly yet is highly maneuverable Compared to other warbirds its flight characteristics are very smooth and forgiving It does not however have the self recovery characteristics of a primary R C trainer therefore you must either have mastered the basics of R C flying or obtained the assistance of a competent R C pilot to help you with your first flights Fuel mixture adjustment A fully cowled engine may run at a higher temperature than an uncowled engine For this reason the fuel mixture should be richened so the engine runs at about 200 rpm below peak By running the engine slightly rich you will help prevent dead stick landings caused by overheating 60 TAKEOFF If you have dual rates on your transmitter set the switches to high rate for takeoff especially when taking off in a crosswind We recommend that you do not use flaps during t
68. enterlines of the wing and the aileron where shown on the plan J 13 Test fit the aileron to the wing with three hinges LEFTOVER BALSA Use your razor plane or a bar sander to 14 1 shape the leading edge of the aileron to a V for control movement Test fit the aileron to the wing Make sure it can pivot to the recommended throws or make adjustments where needed J 15 Return to step 1 and build the other aileron the same way Let s finish up the woodwork on the wing before we hook up the ailerons and move on to the fuselage FINISH THE WING J 1 If you haven t already done so sand the top and bottom sheeting of the wing even with the sub leading edge Glue the center leading edge to the center 2 section with thick or medium CA You have already drilled holes in it so it will slip over the dowels Hold the center section in position until the CA cures Trim the ends even with the center section Glue both shaped balsa leading edges to 3 the sub leading edge of both wing panels Make sure they are centered on the front of the wing You could use CA but you may need a little working time to align the LE as you bend it to the wing therefore we recommend using aliphatic resin and masking tape to hold it in place until the glue dries While you re waiting for the glue to dry on the leading edges you can get starte
69. er MonoKote film with LustreKote Note We brush painted the exhaust stacks on the cowl with plastic model paint The cowl was clear coated with LustreKote flat clear so this fuelproofed the exhaust stacks For painting the pilots we recommend acrylic water base paints such as the types found in craft stores Acrylic paint looks great on your pilot because it is not glossy and best of all it cleans up with water JOIN THE CONTROL SURFACES CUT THE COVERING AWAY FROM THE SLOT Start with the stab and elevators Remove a 1 small strip of covering from the hinge slots _ 2 Fit the hinges in only the stab or elevators without glue Fill the torque rod holes in the elevators with 30 minute epoxy Immediately proceed to the next step TEMPORARY PIN TO KEEP HINGE CENTERED 3 Join the elevators to the stab with the hinges simultaneously installing the joiner wire in the elevators Wipe away excess epoxy with a tissue dampened with alcohol If the hinges don t remain centered as you join the elevators to the stab remove the stab and insert a pin in the center of the hinges to keep them centered Make sure there is approximately a 1 64 5mm gap between the elevators and the stab so you do not glue them together Do not use CA accelerator on any of the hinges and do not glue the hinges with anything but thin CA Do not attempt to glue one half of the hinge at a time
70. ers where shown on the plan Use a small square to hold the formers perpendicular to the building board as you glue them 3 5 Add the die cut 3 32 2 4mm balsa cockpit floor the die cut 1 8 3 2mm plywood instrument panel and former 5 making sure they are perpendicular to the cockpit floor as you glue them Note The partially die cut lines on the cockpit floor indicate where to remove that portion of the cockpit floor to accommodate the scale Top Flite Spitfire Cockpit Interior kit Do not remove that part of the cockpit floor until instructed to do so STAB SADDLES TILT TOWARDS EACH OTHER AT TOP I 6 Glue the die cut 1 8 3 2mm plywood tail wedge between the main stringers where shown near the aft end of the fuse plan Glue both die cut 1 8 8 2mm plywood stab saddles to the main stringers the tail wedge and former 10 as shown in the sketch 33 J 7 Glue the die cut 1 8 3 2mm plywood former 1B to the back of 1A From now on this assembly will be referred to as former 1A J 8 Glue former 1A to the front of the main stringers using a square to keep it perpendicular to your building board you can see 1A in the following photo J 9 Join the die cut 1 8 3 2mm plywood right upper crutch RUC left upper crutch LUC servo tray former 2 and the tank roof TR Hold the parts in alignment and glue them together Note Until you join the bottom crutches
71. es and apply a mixture 6 1 of 30 minute epoxy and microballoons to the lower crutches and the fuse side Retape the fillet bases to the lower crutches and bolt the wing to the fuselage Wipe away excess epoxy l 7 Position the fillets on the fuselage and glue them to the saddle bases and fuse with medium and thin CA as needed Don t worry if you can t get the plastic fillets to fit perfectly all around the leading edge of the wing You can finish that with filler J 8 After the epoxy mixture has cured remove the wing and take the waxed paper off Trim the edges of the fillet base to within approximately 1 8 3mm from the plastic fillet This will leave a little ledge for the filler so you can sand it down to a thin edge 16 BALSA Bolt the wing onto the fuselage Make the aft 9 portion of the fillet base from leftover 1 16 1 6mm balsa connecting the rest of the fillet to the fuselage Finish the aft tip of the fillet by blending the balsa and plastic to the fuselage with filler We used Bondo body filler because it adheres to plastic and wood 4 10 Blend the fillet to the fillet base and the fuselage with automotive Bondo Squadron white or green putty or an other suitable filler Sand when dry J 11 Blend the bottom portion of the fillet to the fuselage with lightweight balsa filler BUILD THE BOTTOM WING FAIRING L 1 Cover the bottom o
72. evators to the stab with the joiner wire and hinges If necessary remove the joiner and tweak it so both elevators are in the same plane _ 22 Round the root ends of the elevators ELEVATOR VIEWED FROM ROOT CONTROL HORN MOUNTING PLATE 23 Remove material from the bottom of the left elevator root block to accommodate the die cut 1 8 3 2mm plywood control horn mounting plate Securely glue the mounting plate to the root block and sand it to blend with the rest of the elevator 14 BEVEL THE ELEVATOR BALANCE TAB IF NECESSARY Once more test fit the elevators to the stab 24 1 with the hinges Make sure you can obtain the control throws indicated in the back of the manual If you cannot increase the V on the leading edge of the elevators If the gap between the elevator balance tab and the stab tip block is the source of interference increase the gap or bevel the elevator balance tab as shown in the sketch until you can obtain the indicated elevator throw Set the stab and elevators aside BUILD THE FIN k 1 Position the fuse plan so the fin plan is over your building board and cover it with wax paper Carefully cut along the partially die cut lines 2 in the front of the die cut 3 32 2 4mm balsa fin ribs and remove the pieces of balsa to accommodate the die cut 3 32 2 4mm balsa fin LE core the same way you did for the stab rib
73. f former 1 with leftover 3 32 2 4mm cross grain balsa _ 2 Glue both 5 8 x 1 5 8 x 3 1 4 15 9 x 41 3 x 83mm balsa blocks together to make one 5 8 x 3 1 4 x 3 1 4 15 9 x 83 x 83mm wing fairing block l 3 Carve the block to the approximate shape shown on the plans and in the following photo but leave it slightly oversize so you can final shape it after you glue it to the wing k 4 With the wing bolted to the fuselage glue the wing fairing block to the wing Shape the wing fairing block as you simultaneously blend it to the fuselage and the wing Fill the small gap between the leading edge of the wing and the fuselage with leftover balsa Remove the wing and finish the job with a little balsa filler sanding as needed 5 Now that the fuse is nearly complete mount a 1 1 4 82mm tail wheel to the tail gear and mount the wing to the fuse Set the model on its wheels and make sure both wing tips are the same distance from the ground If they are not adjust the axles on the main landing gear wire until the wing tips are equal distances from the ground NOTE If any adjustments need to be made try to split the difference between both gears As a final check retract the wheels to make sure they both fit into the wells without interference 6 Cut the landing gear wires so they are flush with the bottom of the axles MOUNT THE ENGINE AND COWL J 7 If you haven t done so already
74. g edges to the top of the stab core Note Refrain from using CA accelerator or use it sparingly Residual accelerator can make the CA you use in the following steps cure quickly and unexpectedly even if has been sprayed on hours before 1 7 Remove the stab TE from your building board and trim it to the length shown on the plan Center the TE on the ends of the ribs and glue it in position 11 3 8 Use the stab skin template on the plan to make the top and bottom stab skin from the 1 16 1 6mm sheets you glued together earlier 3 9 Trim the LE of one of the stab skins so it accurately fits the stab leading edges Slightly bevel the LE of the skin to match the angle at which it contacts the stab LE s J 10 Trim the top of the stab TE so it is even with the tops of the ribs Remove all the T pins except the ones in tip ribs S6 Make sure none of the T pins will be concealed under the stab sheeting so you will be able to remove the stab after you glue the sheeting in place k 11 Glue the stab skin to the top of the stab We recommend thin CA for the leading edge of the skin and aliphatic resin for the ribs and TE Use weights and T pins to hold the skin down until the glue cures J 12 Remove the weights and T pins and trim the stab skin so it is even with the tips and TE Glue the bottom of the ribs to the stab core then carefully cut the jig tabs from the bottom of the ribs J 13 Cut six 1 25mm lo
75. g the Top Flite Spitfire Scale Cockpit Interior kit J 1 Cut the balsa cockpit floor along the partially die cut lines between formers 4 and 3 Remove that portion of the cockpit floor k 2 Trim the die cut 3 32 2 4mm balsa cockpit sub floor to fit between the lower fuse crutches 48 3 Now is the time to install your scale cockpit interior kit Trim and paint the scale cockpit sides instrument panel back and floor according to the instructions included with your cockpit kit Glue the cockpit floor to the balsa cockpit sub floor From now on this will be called the cockpit floor COCKPIT FLOOR Eo E 9 J 4 Place the cockpit floor inside the fuse between the crutches Temporarily place two support rails cut from leftover balsa between the lower fuselage crutches to support the cockpit floor when you turn the fuselage upright These support rails should have a friction fit so they won t fall out before you glue them in place k 5 Turn the fuselage over and test fit the cockpit sides and the instrument panel in the cockpit Adjust the height of the cockpit floor and the support rails until the top edges of the cockpit sides are even with the tops of the balsa cockpit rails Trim any parts of the cockpit interior as necessary for a good fit Mark the location of both support rails inside the fuselage J 6 Remove the cockpit parts and paint them according to the instructions included with yo
76. h the cockpit kit SCALE PROPELLER AND SPINNER Although Top Flite does not offer a scale static display propeller for your Spitfire you can modify the Top Flite scale P 51 propeller TOPQ7906 to look like the Spitfire propeller This requires a little bit of elbow grease and is only recommended for modelers who have a belt sander or who are prepared to do lots of sanding by hand to whittle the blades down An alternate method would be to join two 19 480mm wood propellers and carve them to shape In either case a template is provided on the plan so you can arrive at the correct propeller blade shape for your Spitfire See page 53 of the manual for more information on the static display propeller For the spinner we used a Top Flite 3 5 89mm white spinner TOPQ5406 We primed and then painted it It s nearly the same shape as the Spitfire Mk IX spinner This is the same spinner we recommend for flying so you might want to buy two spinners one for your static display prop and one for flying COMPETITION MINDED MODELERS We designed our Spitfire from scale drawings supplied by Scale Model Research address follows and drawings and sketches in Squadron s Spitfire in Action book The scale of your Gold Edition Spitfire Mk IX is 1 7 or one seventh scale you plan to enter your Spit in scale competition it s lots of fun and the runways are almost always paved this kit qualifies for Fun Scale and the
77. he center section only with 30 minute epoxy Wipe away excess epoxy before it cures Glue the wing dowels in the center section 25 1 with 30 minute epoxy 1 26 Drill a 1 4 6 30 hole through both punch marks in the wing bolt plate Use 30 minute epoxy to glue the wing bolt plate into the notches of ribs 1 and 2 in the center section _ 27 Sand the bottom of the center section so the spars sub LE and ribs blend Bevel the TE of the top sheeting to accommodate the bottom sheeting J 28 Glue the bottom sheeting to the center section After the glue dries sand the edges of the sheeting even with the ribs on both ends of the center section Perform step 29 only if you are building flaps _ 29 Make the flap center pushrod from two 6 152mm rods that are threaded on one end two threaded couplers two nylon clevises and a dual ended ball link Cut the pushrods to the correct length shown on the plan and silver solder the threaded couplers to them Wipe the pushrods with oil so the flux used with your silver solder will not cause them to rust JOIN THE OUTER PANELS TO THE CENTER SECTION 3 1 Test fit the left wing panel to the center section If necessary trim the landing gear rail notches if you are installing retracts and the spar notches in the root rib of the left wing panel so both panels align 3 2 Test fit the right wing panel to the center section the same way _ 3 Assem
78. he skin for the right side of the fin _ 8 Remove the T pins and glue the fin skin to the left side of the fin Turn the fin over and glue the right side of 9 the ribs to the fin LE core then carefully cut the jig tabs from the bottom of the ribs J 10 Cut three 1 25mm long hinge blocks from the 1 4 x 1 2 6 4 x 12 7mm balsa stick you had temporarily pinned to the plan at the fin TE Glue the hinge blocks to the fin TE where shown on the plan Trim the TE and the hinge blocks even with the ribs and lightly sand the bumps of the ribs left from the jig tabs J 11 Cut another 6 150mm long fin LE from the 3 16 x 3 8 4 8 x 9 5mm balsa stick Trim the front of the ribs to accommodate the fin LE the same way you did the other side Glue the fin LE to the fin LE core 15 J 12 If you haven t already done so cut the other fin skin Glue the fin skin to the right side of the fin so the sheeting extends 1 4 6mm below V1 J 13 Trim the fin skins even with tip rib V4 and the fin TE Trim the leading edge of the fin so it is even with the LE core then shape the LE as shown on the cross section of the plan BUILD THE RUDDER J 1 Position the die cut 3 32 2 4mm balsa rudder base over the plan and lightly mark the location of the ribs on the base J 2 Use a straightedge and a ballpoint pen to mark a centerline on both sides of the die cut 1 4 6 4mm balsa rudder LE Glue the rudder
79. his step only if you have not installed retracts J 1 Mount the main landing gear wires in the wing with the nylon landing gear straps and 2 x 1 2 12 7mm screws included with this kit Mount your wheels to the landing gear with a 3 16 4 8mm wheel collar on both sides of both wheels Secure the wheel collars with a drop of thread lock on the set screws Note We recommend you file a small flat spot on the landing gear wire where the set screws are located Skip to step 5 J 2 Use a small file or a rotary tool with a cut off wheel to grind small flat spots on the main landing gear wires so the set screws in the retracts will securely lock the wires in position Adjust the flat spots until you can achieve the alignment detailed earlier in the manual when you were first installing the landing gear File flat spots on the ends of the wires for the set screws of the axles and on the axles for the set screws of the wheel collars Securely fasten the axles to the landing gear 3 4 wires Use a drop of thread lock on the set screws or for the most security silver solder the axles to the main gear with the set screws in place 4 Securely mount the landing gear to the retracts using a small drop of thread lock on the set screws Mount the wheels to the axles with wheel collars and you guessed it a small drop of thread lock if you don t thread lock the set screws you will lose a wheell 5 Mo
80. hrod Cut 6 150mm off the other end of the rod Snap a ball stud into the dual ended ball link and slide the pushrod into the guide tube from the rear 0 80 NUT DUAL ENDED BALL LINK AND BALL 074 X 36 PUSHROD J 10 Reposition the tail gear plate on the fuse Fit the ball stud onto the steering arm and temporarily secure it with a 0 80 nut Move the pushrod back and forth to test the action of the tail gear wire Make sure there is no interference and everything is in alignment Make adjustments where necessary k 11 Disconnect the ball stud from the steering arm and remove the pushrod from the fuse but leave the guide tube in place Glue the guide tube in the slot in the fuse with a mixture of epoxy and microballoons Glue the guide tube to the formers with CA After the epoxy cures sand the guide tube flush with the fuse side 39 k 12 Raise or lower the tail gear wire in the nylon bracket until the steering arm is centered in the slot in the fuse Secure the wheel collar to the tail gear wire with a small set screw and a drop of thread lock J 13 Use epoxy and microballoons leftover from step 12 or mix up a new batch to make a small fillet between the stab and the stab saddles inside the fuselage While we re at it let s install the elevator pushrod guide tube 3 14 Cut another 3 16 x 36 4 8 x 914mm pushrod guide tube to a length of 29 735mm and sand it so glue will st
81. ick Slide the tube through the holes in the formers until it reaches the left fuse side just behind former 10 Cut a slot in the fuse for the pushrod to exit and glue it in place the same way you did for the rudder guide tube After the epoxy cures sand the tube flush with the fuse side PREPARE THE FUSE FOR SHEETING Disregard the fuselage sheeting in this photo J 1 Glue both die cut 1 8 3 2mm plywood lower crutch doublers to the inside of both crutches where shown on the plan the bottom of the lower crutch doublers should align with the bottom of the crutches Test fit both 1 2 x 7 8 x 7 8 12 7 x 22 2 x 22 2mm maple wing bolt blocks in the notches of the lower crutch doublers Make adjustments if necessary and round the inside corners of the blocks for a finished appearance Securely glue the wing bolt blocks in place with 30 minute epoxy and make small fillets of epoxy around the blocks where they meet the doublers k 2 Sand the edges of the die cut 1 4 6 4mm balsa former 11 the same way you did the bottom of the fin trailing edge to accommodate the tapering angle of the fuse sheeting Glue former 11 to the bottom of the fin trailing edge Position the tail gear plate with the tail gear 3 1 bracket on the fuse but do not glue it in place until instructed to do so This will allow you to remove the tail gear bracket so it won t be in the way when you shape the bottom of the fuse late
82. ill not leak onto a hot engine and cause a fire To stop the engine close the carburetor barrel rotor or pinch the fuel line to discontinue the fuel flow Do not use your hands fingers or any body part to stop the engine Never throw anything into the prop of a running engine AMA SAFETY CODE excerpts Read and abide by the following Academy of Model Aeronautics Official Safety Code GENERAL 1 1 will not fly my model aircraft in sanctioned events air shows or model flying demonstrations until it has been proven to be airworthy by having been previously successfully flight tested 2 1 will not fly my model aircraft higher than approximately 400 feet within 3 miles of an airport without notifying the airport operator will give right of way to and avoid flying in the proximity of full scale aircraft Where necessary an observer shall be used to supervise flying to avoid having models fly in the proximity of full scale aircraft 3 Where established will abide by the safety rules for the flying site use and will not willfully and deliberately fly my models in a careless reckless and or dangerous manner 7 will not fly my model unless it is identified with my name and address or AMA number on or in the model 9 will not operate models with pyrotechnics any device that explodes burns or propels a projectile of any kind RADIO CONTROL 1 1 will have completed a successful radio equipment ground ch
83. ill recommend when it is time to make the wing skins J 2 While you re making skins make a 6 x 15 152 x 381mm fin skin by cutting a 1 16 x 3 x 30 1 6 x 76 x 762mm balsa sheet in half and gluing the two pieces together Set the skins aside for now 3 Carefully cut along the partially die cut lines in the front of the die cut 3 32 2 4mm balsa stab ribs and remove the pieces of balsa to accommodate the stab core Leave the jig tabs in place on the bottom of the ribs k 4 Position the fuse plan so the stab plan is over your building board or cut the stab from the plan and tape it to your building board Cover the stab plan with waxed paper Temporarily pin a 1 4 x 5 8 x 18 6 4 x 15 9 5 x 457mm balsa stab TE over the stab TE on the plan This will help you accurately position the stab ribs until you raise the TE and glue it in place Use small T pins to pin the stab ribs over their location on the plan so they contact the stab TE Insert the T pins through the ribs so they will not interfere with the stab core 14141 01 iat pice Use this photo for the next two steps STAB LE BEVEL FRONT OF RIB STAB CORE 3 6 Use medium CA to glue the die cut 3 16 4 8mm balsa stab core in the notches of the ribs Bevel the fronts of the ribs so the die cut 3 32 2 4mm balsa stab leading edges will align with the front of the stab core Glue the stab leadin
84. ily place your receiver and battery pack inside the fuselage where you plan to mount them This is so you can change their location if necessary to arrive at the correct C G without adding any additional nose or tail weight All other components should be in the model and it should be in a ready to fly condition but with an empty fuel tank 56 4 1 8 J 3 With the wing attached to the fuselage the landing gear retracted if you have retracts and an empty fuel tank lift the model at the balance point We use the Great Planes C G Machine shown in the sketch If the tail drops the model is tail heavy and you must shift your battery pack or other components forward or add weight to the nose If the nose drops it is nose heavy and you must shift your battery pack or other components aft or add weight to the tail In order to save weight relocate your battery pack and or receiver or other components before you add additional weight to arrive at the correct C G You may install nose weight by using a spinner weight or gluing lead weights to the firewall You may add tail weight by sticking Great Planes GPMQ4485 stick on lead weights on the bottom of the fuselage under the tail Later if the balance proves to be OK you can open the fuse bottom and glue these permanently in position We don t recommend sticking weights to the cowl because it is not designed to support weight FINAL HOOKUPS AND CHECKS Perform t
85. inspect your model closely to make sure all screws remain tight and your pushrods and connectors are secure 58 RANGE CHECK YOUR RADIO Ground check the range of your radio before the first flight of the day With the transmitter antenna collapsed and the receiver and transmitter on you should be able to walk at least 100 feet away from the model and still have control Have an assistant stand by your model and while you work the controls tell you what the control surfaces are doing Repeat this test with the engine running at various speeds with an assistant holding the model using hand signals to show you what is happening If the control surfaces do not respond correctly do not fly Find and correct the problem first Look for loose servo connections or broken wires corroded wires on old servo connectors poor solder joints in your battery pack ora defective cell in your battery pack or a damaged receiver crystal from a previous crash CHECK LIST During the last few moments of preparation your mind may be elsewhere anticipating the excitement of your first flight Because of this you may be more likely to overlook certain checks and procedures you save until your model is almost done To help you avoid this we ve provided a checklist to make sure you don t overlook these important areas Many are covered in the instruction manual so where appropriate refer to the manual for complete instructions Be sure to
86. low 3 point landings FLAPS If you have flaps lower them on the downwind leg of your approach Full flaps make the Spitfire very steady in the landing pattern Just carry a little extra power to make up for the extra drag The extra drag of the flaps also allows you to make shorter steeper approaches Touch and go s and go arounds can be accomplished with the flaps deployed but be ready to use a little more up elevator It is preferred to have the flaps raised for takeoffs and climb outs because the plane will accelerate and climb better If you have to go around and your flaps are lowered it is better to gain some altitude and airspeed before raising the flaps Have a ball But always stay in control and fly in a safe manner GOOD LUCK AND GREAT FLYING If you enjoyed building the Top Flite Spitfire check out the other outstanding 60 size Gold Edition kits shown on pages 62 and 63 61 UPPER FUSE SKIN PATTERN _ USE LEFTOVER BALSA HERE _ TOPA0100 Top Flite F4U Corsair TOPA0120 Top Flite P 40E Warhawk 62 1575mm Wingspan 7 9 5 Ib 3170 43109 64 1626mm Wingspan 8 10 5 lb 3630 47600 TOPA0135 Top Flite P 47D Thunderbolt TOPA0110 Top Flite P 51D Mustang 63 1600mm Wingspan 8 5 10 5 Ib 3860 4760g 65 1651mm Wingspan 8 10 Ib 3630 4540g 62 TOPA0130 Top Flite AT 6 Texan TOPA
87. match your trim scheme then mount them to your landing gear with the straps and screws RADIATORS Place the finished radiators on the bottom of your wing and position them so they will not interfere with the flaps or landing gear Trace their outline onto the wing with a felt tip pen Use a small pin to poke holes through the covering inside the lines and wipe away residual ink with a cloth dampened with alcohol Glue the radiators in place with thin or medium CA 55 MACHINE GUN COVERS Position the finished machine gun blisters on the wing where shown on the plan The same as you did the radiators trace their outline onto the wing with a felt tip pen and poke holes in the covering inside the outline with a pin Wipe away the ink with a cloth dampened with alcohol then glue the machine gun covers in place with thin or medium CA PANEL LINES No warbird is complete without panel lines Panel lines really finish the job and set your model apart from others besides they tend to distract the eye from any building imperfections and uneven surfaces not that your model has any Study the photos and documentation you have gathered and decide which panel lines to add There are two methods for adding panel lines The first is to use a Top Flite Panel Line Pen TOPQ2510 with a flexible straightedge Apply a few strips of masking tape to the back of your straightedge about 1 8 3mm from the edge
88. ng hinge blocks from the 1 4 x 1 2 x 12 6 4 x 12 7 x 305mm balsa stick Glue the hinge blocks to the stab TE where shown on the plan Trim the TE so it is even with the ribs and lightly sand the bumps of the ribs left from the jig tabs You can see the hinge blocks in the next photo k 14 Trim the front of the ribs to accommodate the bottom stab leading edges the same way you did the top Glue the stab leading edges to the stab core _ 15 Test fit and glue the bottom stab skin to the bottom of the stab As you do this use care not to add any twist to the stab as it is no longer supported by the jig tabs If you haven t used too much accelerator you could use medium or thick CA and hold the skin in position with your hands until the CA cures k 16 Trim the bottom skin so it is even with the tips and stab TE Roughly trim the stab leading edge so it is even with the sheeting and resembles the cross section on the plan but do not sand it to final shape yet What a nice piece of workmanship bet you don t need any filler at all You re off to a good start so let s move on to the elevators BUILD THE ELEVATORS Note The die cut elevator bases included in the kit have one large lightening hole instead of the two smaller ones shown in the instruction manual photos This is to reduce the weight in the tail Start with the left elevator k 1 Position one of the die cut 3 32 2 4mm balsa elevator bases
89. o 91 cu in 11 5 15 0cc 4 stroke Your Spitfire will fly well with any of the recommended engines The 4 stroke engines and most 75 cu in 12 0cc 2 stroke engines will turn a larger prop at lower RPM This is often desirable for scale realism Many 61 cu in 10 0cc 2 stroke engines produce about as much horsepower as the popular 75 12 0cc 2 stroke engines and will fly the Spitfire extremely well If you use a 61 10 0cc 2 stroke a ball bearing Schnuerle ported engine is recommended Our prototype Spit weighs 9 1 2 pounds 4310g with all of the options including flaps and the scale cockpit interior and was flown with an O S 61 cu in 10 0cc engine This engine provided excellent performance and more than enough power Although larger engines can be used to power this model the extra horsepower is not needed The included adjustable engine mount will hold a range of engines from 61 cu in 10 0cc 2 stroke through 91 cu in 15 0cc 4 stroke EXHAUST SYSTEM A Top Flite header and muffler are available that will fit inside your cowl They are designed for 2 stroke engines mounted inverted as used on the model and shown in the instructions We also used a 3 4 19mm inside diameter Silicone tube AERG2220 to connect the muffler to the header Headers for O S 61SF TOPQ7920 for SuperTigre 61 75 K series muffler bolts go through the muffler and screw into the engine TOPQ7925 for Supe
90. od rib doublers 4F 5F and 6F to both sets of die cut 3 32 2 4mm balsa wing ribs 4 5 and 6 Make sure you build a set of right and a set of left wing ribs by gluing the doublers to the correct side of the ribs as shown on the plan and in the photo J 6 Remove balsa within the notches of the plywood doublers to accommodate the landing gear rails BUILD THE OUTER WING PANELS Build the left wing panel first so yours will look the same as the photos J LI 1 Cut the left wing panel from the plan or position the plan so the left wing panel is over your building board Cover the left wing panel plan with wax paper 17 J I 2 Position a 1 4 x 3 8 24 6 4 x 9 5 x 610mm basswood bottom main spar over its location on the plan aligning the tip of the spar with the plan Place a piece of leftover 1 16 1 6mm balsa under the spar about 1 2 12 7mm from the root end refer to the following photo Pin the spar to the plan between ribs 4 and 5 and between ribs 12 and 13 Don t stick your pins through the spar but stick them into your building board over the spar in a crisscross fashion L LJ 3 Position ribs 6 through 12 on the bottom spar over their location on the plan Pin each rib to the plan in two places one at the lowest point where they contact the plan and one at each jig tab As you pin the ribs down make sure you align the spar over the plan Add the die cut 1 8 3 2mm plywood tip brace rib
91. oming tail heavy by including balsa fuselage formers These are quite fragile however so if you heavy handed 1 16 Balsa cross brace are a power builder you may wish to pre install some 1 16 cross braces as shown here 1 Unroll the fuselage plan then roll it the other way so it will lie flat Arrange the fuse plan so the top view is over your building board or cut the top view from the rest of the plan and place it over your building board Cover the plan with wax paper J 2 Drill 3 16 4 70mm holes through the die cut 1 8 3 2mm balsa formers 10 8B and 7B at the punch marks or use a 3 16 4 8mm brass tube sharpened at the end to cut the holes Press down on each former over a piece of leftover wood as you drill the holes so the wood does not split as the drill bit goes through GROOVE Cut the grooved balsa main stringers to a 3 length approximately 1 8 3mm longer than shown on the plan Pin the main stringers over their locations on the plan aligning the front of the main stringers with the plan and allowing the rear to extend past the aft end of the plan Make sure you position the T pins as shown in the sketch so they do not interfere with the groove in the stringer J 4 Starting at the rear with former 10 glue the die cut and laser cut 1 8 3 2mm balsa formers 6 through 10 and the die cut 1 8 3 2mm plywood formers 3 and 4 between the main string
92. onnect the elevator pushrod to the elevator servo the same way I 5 Study the plans and the following photos to decide how you will mount your receiver battery pack servo for the retract air control valve and the air control valve itself We ve included a removable bottom servo tray for this purpose Mount your receiver retract servo and air control valve to the bottom servo tray or fashion your own mounting system for these items Note If you plan to install the Top Flite Spitfire Scale Cockpit Interior kit an alternate location to mount your receiver would be on the cockpit floor shown on page 48 Make certain the cockpit floor is securely glued into the fuselage if this is where you decide to mount your receiver 47 3 6 Connect the retract servo to the air control valve with the hardware of your choice We used a 2 56 threaded rod with a clevis on one end and a ball link on the other end _ 7 Cut bottom servo tray rails from the 3 16 x 1 4 4 8 x 6 4mm basswood stick and glue them to the lower crutches as shown on the plan Plan your installation carefully and test fit the bottom servo tray in the fuselage before you glue the rails in place Make sure you position the rails so they do not interfere with the other servos LJ 8 Drill four 1 16 1 60mm holes through the bottom servo tray and the rails Enlarge the holes in the bottom servo tray only with a 3 32 2 40mm drill bit and temporarily
93. ors temporarily attached to the stab remove them for now Cut two filler pieces from leftover 3 32 2 4mm balsa to fit between the fin sheeting and the fuse sheeting behind the stab TE on both sides of the fuse Do not glue them in yet J 9 Cut a small round notch in the front edge of both filler pieces to accommodate the elevator joiner wire L 10 Roughen the elevator joiner wire with sandpaper so glue will stick Insert the elevator joiner wire into the fuse 11 and glue the filler pieces in place Be careful not to get glue on the elevator joiner wire so that it is free to pivot Blend the filler pieces to the fuse with a little filler if needed and sand to shape INSTALL THE RADIO Some modelers prefer to install the radio after they cover the model If this is your decision skip to Prepare the model for covering on page 49 then return to this section when you re done MARK THE RUDDER PUSHROD 1 1 Center the rudder and tail wheel Use a felt tip pen to mark the rudder pushrod where it crosses the holes in the rudder servo arm _ 2 Make a 90 degree bend in the pushrod at the mark you made Snap a nylon Faslink onto the wire and cut the wire so approximately 1 16 1mm protrudes from the Faslink J 3 Enlarge the holes in the rudder servo arm with a 48 1 90mm or 5 64 drill or a hobby knife Connect the pushrod to the servo arm with the Faslink 4 C
94. ottom of the model or up or down To avoid confusion the top or bottom of the model is as it would be when the airplane is right side up and will be referred to as the top even if the model is upside down during that step i e the top main spar is always the top main spar even if the wing is upside down when you are working on it Similarly move the former up means move the former toward the top of the fuselage even if the fuselage is upside down when you are working on it When you get to each step read that step completely through to the end before you begin Frequently there is important information or a note at the end of the step that you need to know before you start Photos and sketches are placed ahead of the step they refer to Frequently you can study photos in following steps to get another view of the same parts COMMON ABBREVIATIONS Deg degrees Fuse fuselage LE leading edge Stab stabilizer LG landing gear Elev elevator inches Ply plywood TE trailing edge mm millimeters TYPES OF WOOD eo BALSA BASSWOOD PLYWOOD METRIC CONVERSION 1 25 4mm conversion factor 1 64 4mm 1 25 4 1 32 8mm 2 50 8mm 1 16 1 6mm 3 76 2mm 3 32 2 4mm 6 152 4mm 1 8 3 2mm 12 304 8mm 5 32 4mm 15 381mm 3 16 4 8mm 18 457 2mm 1 4 6 4mm 21 533 4mm 3 8 9 5mm 24 609 6mm 1 2 12 7 30 762mm 5 8 15 9mm 36 9
95. ough 10 respectively Use a straightedge to make sure the bottom formers align with the top formers x 4 8 x 4 8 36 3 16 Glue four 3 16 x 8 914mn stringers and four 3 16 x 3 16 x 24 4 8 x 4 8 x 610mm stringers in the notches of the formers Hold formers 6B through 10B in alignment as you glue the stringers to them Note All the stringers end in the middle of former 10B MOUNT THE TAIL WHEEL ASSEMBLY CUT OFF THE AFT ALIGNMENT POST 3 1 Cut the aft alignment post off the nylon tail gear bracket Use a pliers to flatten 1 4 6 4mm of one end of the 1 8 x 5 8 3 2 x 15 9mm brass tube Slide the tube onto the tail gear wire and place the assembly over the plan to make sure it is the correct length Shorten the torque arm portion of the tail gear wire if necessary 38 3 2 Silver solder the brass tube to the tail gear wire Drill a 1 16 1 60mm hole through the end of the brass tube where shown on the plan From now on this portion of the tail gear wire will be referred to as the steering arm Refer to this photo for steps 3 through 7 J 3 Drill 1 16 1 60mm holes through the two punch marks in the front of the die cut 1 8 3 2mm plywood tail gear plate and a 1 8 3 10mm hole through the aft punch mark Glue a piece of leftover 1 8 3 2mm plywood over the 1 16 1 60mm holes and re drill them through the ply plate you just glued on Make sure the plywood s
96. over the elevator plan and lightly mark the location of the elevator ribs on the base 4 1 2 Glue a die cut 1 4 6 4mm balsa elevator tip block and a die cut 1 4 6 4mm balsa root block to both sides of the elevator base as shown J 3 Glue the elevator base on center to a die cut 1 4 6 4mm balsa elevator leading edge You can see it in the next photo elevator tip blocks to a wedge so they match the cross section on the plan Sand the top and bottom of the elevator LE to match the root and tip blocks Do not sand the V on LE of the elevator and do not round the tips until instructed to do so 12 J 5 Insert a T pin through the center of the elevator LE near the tip and near the root Place a straightedge across the T pins and draw a centerline on the elevator LE with a ballpoint pen Draw a centerline along the TE of the stab the same way J LJ 6 Glue one of the shaped 5 8 15 9mm balsa stab tip blocks to the left side of the stab kI J 7 Mark the center of the stab on the TE and the location of the elevator roots where shown on the plan refer to the following photo Use thick or medium CA to tack glue the elevator to the stab just a drop in three or four places Add a few pieces of masking tape for a little extra security Make sure the elevator is centered vertically on the stab 53 LJ 8 Glue the shaped 5 8 15 9mm balsa elevator balance tab to the elevator LE
97. p strips of 1 8 3mm flexible masking tape around the fuselage using the lines you marked as a guide You ll have to eyeball the strips on the top and the bottom of the fuselage to make sure they are square and parallel Take your time here and view the fuselage and the masking tape from several different directions Reposition the masking tape as necessary _ 3 Tape a piece of covering to the fuselage over the tape lines Use the tape to guide your Top Flite Panel Line Pen along the covering transferring the invasion stripe onto the covering You can go all the way around the fuselage and make the invasion stripe in one piece or make it in two halves separating them on the top and the bottom of the fuse k 4 Take the covering off the fuse and cut along the lines you marked Wipe away leftover ink with a tissue dampened with alcohol There s your invasion stripe J 5 Iron your invasion stripe in place Make the rest of the invasion stripes the same way Don t forget to overlap your invasion stripes by approximately 1 8 8mm and put the dark ones over the light ones COVERING SEQUENCE FUSELAGE 1 Tail junction strips as described previously 2 Stab tops then bottoms 4 3 Fin right then left side 4 Fuse bottom aft then front 4 5 Fuse sides 6 Turtle deck may be done in one or two pieces 4 7 Front deck aft of cowl WING Hidden areas and corners such the TE in 1
98. r FORMER 10 FORMER 11 4 4 Use a 3 16 x 3 16 x 24 4 8 4 8 x 610mn balsa stick and leftover stringers to make the stringers that extend from former 10 to former 11 Glue them in place l 5 Make sure all glue joints are secure and add CA to those that aren t Blend the formers and the stringers to each other by sanding them with a bar sander and 150 grit sandpaper 6 Glue the upper fuse sheeting to the side and main stringers near the back of the fuselage SHEET THE BOTTOM OF THE FUSE Sheet the right side first so it will look like the photos 3 32 X 3 X 27 TOP 3 32 X 3 X 36 TRIM TO FIT THE MAIN AND SUB STRINGERS J 11 Trim one edge of a 3 32 x 3 x 36 2 4 x 76 x 914mm balsa sheet so it fits the ledge made by the main stringer and the sub stringer on the right side of the fuse Trim another 3 32 x 3 x 36 2 4 x 76 x 914mm balsa sheet to a length of 27 690mm True the edges and glue the 27 690mm piece to the bottom of the first sheet to make the skin for the bottom of the right side of the fuse J 2 Tape the skin to the right side of the fuselage and mark where to trim it along the lower crutch former 4B and the bottom right stringer 3 Take the skin off the fuselage and trim it as described above making it a little oversize to allow for positioning 40 1 Ng J LI 4 If you wish
99. r and glue the inner trailing edge to ribs 5 6 7 and 8 Glue the top spar to all the ribs except rib 4 J I 8 Confirm that rib 4 aligns with its location over the plan and set it at the correct angle with the dihedral gauge Leave the landing gear rails in position but do not glue them in place until instructed to do so Glue rib 4 to the inner trailing edge and the top and bottom spars J J 9 Cut the 1 8 3 2 36 1 25 4 x 914mm balsa sub leading edge to a length of 24 1 2 623mm Save the short piece for the sub leading edge when you build the center section Carefully sand a bevel on the fronts of the ribs for a better glue joint to the sub leading edge Glue the sub LE to the front of ribs 4 through 13 as shown on the plan 18 J 10 Test fit then glue the precut 1 16 1 6mm shear webs to the spars where shown on the plan Note The spars are slightly tilted to match the airfoil of the wing so the shear webs do not fully contact them This presents no problems because we will remind you to reinforce the glue joints before you sheet the wing 1 3 11 Trim the top of the sub leading edge so it is even with the ribs to accommodate the top sheeting Sand the top spar and the outer and inner TE s even with the ribs 1 12 Remove the wing panel from your building board Make sure the shear webs are securely glued to the spars Add CA where necessary 3 13 Carefully cut the jig ta
100. r sheeting 23 Make the wing SKINS 23 Sheet the bottom of the Wing 24 Prepare the top of the wing for sheeting 25 Sheet the top of the wing 27 Build the flaps cso anastaa 27 Build the ailerons n 30 FINiSh the 4555555494 55555559499555555999995555 31 BUILD THE FUSELAGE 32 Frame the fuselage top 32 Sheet the top of the 35 Mount the fin and stab aseeneerreennns 36 Finish framing the 1861306 37 Mount the tail wheel assembly eee 38 Prepare the fuse for sheeting eeeseenseee 39 Sheet the bottom of 160 40 FINAL CONSTRUCTION 41 Mount the wing to the 5 89 41 Build the wing 42 Build the bottom wing 13 43 Mount the engine and 43 Hookup the 0 0 5 5 5 5555 5999955565 45 Install the radio taei 47 Install the cockpit and 48 49 FUCIPFOOPING ccceeeeeecceeeeeeeeeeeteeseneeeeeeseeneees 49 Prepare the model for Covering 49 Balance the airplane laterally 49 Cover the model with 50
101. rTigre 61 75 G series muffler bolts go through the engine and screw into the muffler TOPQ7926 61 75 Warbird In Cowl Muffler TOPQ7915 RETRACTABLE LANDING GEAR You may build your Spitfire either with fixed or retractable landing gear Of course fixed landing gear will be easier to install than retracts but we provide detailed instructions on retract installation so you should have no trouble Your Gold Edition Spitfire is designed to accept the Robart 605 90 degree HD Heavy Duty with 3 16 4 8mm struts pneumatic retracts You may use other retractable landing gear systems but it is up to you to make any modifications that may be necessary With the Robart retracts you may substitute scale appearing oleo type Robostruts for the coil and wire landing gear wires included with the retracts However we recommend Robostruts only for experienced fliers as they are very rigid and do not absorb as much shock as standard wire and coil landing gear We mounted a micro servo in the bottom servo tray to actuate the air control valve You could use a standard servo for this but you may have to mount it in an alternate location For Retractable Landing Gear you will need these items Robart 605 90 degree HD Pneumatic Retracts ROBQ0005 Great Planes 2 x 3 16 50 x 4 8mm Bolt On Axles GPMQ4278 Great Planes 3 16 4 8mm wheel collars GPMQ4309 Robart 188 Air Control Kit ROBQ2388 Robart 164G Hand Pump with Gauge
102. re are many more trim schemes inside too Our prototype was covered in grey Top Flite MonoKote film then painted olive drab and flat coated with Top Flite LustreKote Decals for the trim scheme on the box are provided in the kit but you could make your own from Monokote film if you decide to try another trim scheme You should also look into the flat MonoKote film colors They are ideal for military trim schemes such as the ones found on many Spitfires 5 If you are not too concerned with an exact scale trim scheme you can make a variation of the one on the box or design your own If you are going to compete in scale competition use the photos in your documentation package as a guide for your trim scheme DOCUMENTATION Three view drawings and photo packs of full size Spitfires are available from Scale Model Research 3114 Yukon Ave Costa Mesa CA 92626 714 979 8058 OTHER ITEMS REQUIRED These are additional items you will need to complete your Spitfire that are not included with your kit Order numbers are in parentheses GPMQ4161 Our exclusive brand is listed where possible TOP is the Top Flite brand GPM is the Great Planes brand and HCA is the Hobbico brand to 6 channel radio with 5 to 7 servos 4 1 Y connector for aileron servos 1 6 150mm servo extension cord for ailerons _ 3 1 2 89mm Main Wheels ROBQ1516 2 3 16 4 8mm Wheel Collars GPMQ4309 4 pcs for fixed g
103. ring flight If the bushings slide onto the wires easily secure them with a drop of thin CA If the bushings are difficult to slide on cut them to a shorter length Make sure the CA sets before you slide the pushrods into the guide tubes Thread a nylon clevis about 15 full turns onto the elevator wire HOLES ALIGN WITH PIVOT POINT CONTROL HORN MOUNTING PLATE 4 6 Connect a small nylon control horn to the clevis on the elevator pushrod Slide the pushrod into the elevator pushrod guide tube and rest the control horn on the control horn mounting plate on the elevator Mount the control horn to the elevator as shown in the sketch with two 2 x 3 8 9 5mm screws 46 CUT FROM 074 X 4 THREADED PUSHROD Al d CUT HERE THREADED COUPLER k 7 Slide the rudder pushrod into the rudder pushrod guide tube Temporarily connect the ball stud to the steering arm with the 0 80 nut Cut the unthreaded portion of a 074 x 4 1 9 x 102mm pushrod as shown in the sketch so only 5 16 8mm remains Silver solder the rod to a threaded coupler Connect the rudder to the ball link on the steering arm using the pushrod you just made a nylon clevis a small nylon control horn and two 2 x 3 8 9 5mm screws Shorten the pushrod as necessary so that when the tail wheel is centered so is the rudder Refer to this photo for steps 8 through 11 1 8 If you have the elevat
104. rons flaps elevator and rudder Reinstall any hardware and other components you may not already have in place such as the fuel tank and fuel lines servos on off switch air tank engine muffler fuel filler valve air filler valve etc SCALE DETAILS LJ 4 you will not be installing the Top Flite Spitfire Scale Cockpit Interior kit add whatever scale details you like to the cockpit Use leftover balsa or thin cardboard from a cereal box to make an instrument panel seat back seat etc J 2 Glue your pilot in place We trimmed the shoulders from a Williams Brothers 1 6 scale Standard pilot and glued him directly to the scale cockpit sides CANOPY CAUTION LusireKote will deform clear butyrate plastics when painting large areas If unsure test the paint on a leftover piece of plastic Butyrate plastic will curl after a few days J 1 Mask the canopy for painting with wide masking tape or several standard size strips of masking tape Apply the masking tape then use the frame as a guide to simultaneously press the masking tape down while you draw a guide line around the edge with a pencil _ 2 Cut the masking tape from the canopy frame along the guideline you drew Remove excess tape Do one section at a time until the canopy is completely masked off and ready to paint Mask the inside of the canopy to protect it from overspray I 3 Spray paint the canopy frame with fuelproof paint Make sure the p
105. rough 18 J 14 Cut the flap LE from a 3 16 x 1 4 x 24 4 8 x 6 4 x 610mm balsa stick Glue the flap LE to the top of the bottom flap skin 15 Remove the hinges from the wing and trim the flap LE until the flap fits the wing Cut the flap ribs from a 3 32 x 3 8 x 24 16 11 610mm balsa stick Glue the flap ribs to 9 5 x 2 4 the flap where shown on the plan and sand them to match the shape shown on the cross section 17 Cut the flap hinge blocks from the 3 16 3 4 12 4 8 x 19 1 x 305mm balsa stick and glue them to the flap where shown on the plan 18 Use the guidelines on the flap skin to drill 2 40mm holes for the hinges The same as 3 32 the holes in the wing trailing edge the center of the holes for the hinges in the flaps should be 4mm above the bottom edge of the flap 5 32 skin Enlarge the front of the holes so the hinges will fit as shown on the plan Sand the hinge blocks so they match the 19 4 flap ribs and so the flap fits the wing J 20 Round the leading edge of the flap as shown on the plan and cut a small notch at each hinge to allow the flap to fully travel without interfering with the hinges 29 J 21 Test fit the flap to the wing with the hinges Raise the flap Enlarge the notches in the flap for the hinges or make other adjustments if necessary J J
106. rough the sheeting and fit over the center rib Use a 90 degree triangle to draw a centerline on the top of the stab l 5 Position the stab on the saddle with the centerline on top of the stab in the center of the fuse Place a weight on top of the stab to hold it down View the fuse from the rear and make sure the stab is level If necessary shift the weight or carefully sand the high stab saddle until the stab will rest level Hint Position a 1 3 8 35mm balsa block under both sides of the stab This way you will be sure both sides are an equal distance from your building board and the stab is level Insert a T pin through the sheeting and the 6 1 stringer in the center of the fuselage behind the mark you made in the upper firewall former Tie a small loop in one end of a 42 1070mm length of string and slip it over the T pin in the front of the fuselage 36 3 7 Fold a piece of masking tape over the other end of the string and draw an arrow on it Slide the tape along the string and align the arrow with one tip of the stab Swing the string over to the other stab tip Shift the stab and slide the tape along the string until the distance between both ends of the stab and the front of the fuse is equal Now your stab is centered and square with the fuse k 8 If you haven t already done so final sand the stab before you glue it to the fuse It s easier to do
107. s k 3 See the following photo and temporarily pin the remainder of the 1 4 x 1 2 6 4 x 12 7mm balsa stick you used for the stab hinge blocks it should be about 6 150mm long to your building board over the TE of the fin plan This will help you accurately position the fin ribs until you actually glue the fin TE in position Use small T pins to pin the fin ribs over their location on the plan so they contact 1 4 x 1 2 6 4 x 12 7mm balsa stick LAT co 4 4 Use medium CA to glue the fin LE core in the notches of the ribs Cut 6 150mm from the 3 16 x 3 8 x 18 5 x 9 5 x 457mm balsa stick for the fin LE Trim 4 8 the fronts of the ribs at the same angle that the fin LE will contact them Glue the fin LE to the left side top of the fin LE core so the excess extends below rib V1 see the following photo 1 0000 L 6 Remove the 1 4 6 4 1 2 12 7mm balsa stick you had pinned over the fin TE Center the die cut 1 4 6 4mm balsa fin TE on the fin ribs and glue it in position 7 Cut the fin skin for the left side of the fin from the 1 16 x 6 x 15 1 6 x 152 x 381mm balsa sheet you prepared earlier The grain is parallel to the fin LE and the skin should extend below rib V1 by approximately 1 4 6mm to be trimmed later Hint Once you make the fin skin for the left side of the fin use it as a template to make t
108. sandpaper 5 1 2 140mm GPMR6169 11 280mm GPMR6170 22 560mm GPMR6172 33 835mm GPMR6174 44 1118mm GPMR6176 Contour Multi Sander 11 280mm GPMR6190 The Easy Touch Adhesive Backed Sandpaper is available in 2 x 12 rolls 80 grit GPMR6180 150 grit GPMR6183 220 grit GPMR6185 Assortment of 5 1 2 140mm strips GPMR6189 We also use 320 or 400 grit wet or dry sandpaper for finish sanding IMPORTANT BUILDING NOTES There are two types of screws used in this kit Sheet metal screws are designated by a number and a length For example 6 x 3 4 19 1mm Machine screws are designated by a number threads per inch and a length For example 4 40 x 3 4 19 1mm aM When you see the term test fit in the instructions it means that you should first position the part on the assembly without using any glue then slightly modify or custom fit the part as necessary for the best fit Whenever the term glue is used you should rely upon your experience to decide what type of glue to use When a specific type of adhesive works best for that step we will tell you what type of glue to use Whenever just epoxy is specified you may use either 30 minute epoxy or 6 minute epoxy When 30 minute epoxy is specified it is highly recommended that you use only 30 minute or 45 minute epoxy because you will need the working time and or the additional strength Occasionally we refer to the top or b
109. scale operational gear doors it is up to you to build and fit the doors yourself Study sketches and photos in the scale documentation data you have collected to find out how the doors should look and operate In either case you should have the radiators handy in case you have to slightly decrease their size or change their location to accommodate the wheel covers or scale doors Skip ahead to page 32 to build the radiators PREPARE THE TOP OF THE WING FOR SHEETING J J 1 Cut an opening in the bottom of the left wing panel for the die cut 1 16 1 6mm plywood aileron servo hatch Start by cutting the approximate size of the hatch and carefully enlarge the opening using a fresh 11 blade anda straightedge until the hatch fits you can see the hatch in the photo at step 3 Hint As you zero in on the final shape of the hatch opening use the hatch itself as a template to cut the hatch L 2 Place the hatch on the rails making sure itis in the correct orientation as shown on the plan Drill 1 16 1 60mm holes through the punch marks in the hatch into the rails 25 _J _ 3 Enlarge the holes in the hatch only with a 3 32 2 40 drill bit Countersink the holes for the 2 x 3 8 9 5mm flat head screws with a countersink or other pointed tool Test fit the hatch to the rails with the screws If necessary sand the edges of the hatch so it aligns with the edges of the hatch opening Note If you
110. sition right Position your clamps wipe away excess epoxy and do not disturb the wing until the epoxy has fully cured If you have not done so already join the other 8 panel to the center section in the same manner FIT THE LANDING GEAR Perform steps 1 2 and 3 only if you are building fixed landing gear _ 1 Use 30 minute epoxy to glue a 1 2 x 3 4 x 6 12 7 x 19 1 152mm grooved basswood fixed gear mounting rail and a 5 8 x 3 4 x 1 15 9 x 19 1 x 25 4mm maple torque block to each other and ribs 4 5 and 6 in both wing panels as shown on the plan see the following photo Use a C clamp to hold the torque block to the ply doubler on rib 6 until the epoxy is fully cured Disregard the wing sheeting in these photos a _ 2 Mark the bottom of the mounting rails 5 16 8mm from the edge of the ply doubler on rib 6 Drill a 3 16 4 70mm hole through the landing gear rails and the torque blocks at the mark As you drill make sure you hold your drill at a 90 degree angle to the landing gear rail _ 3 Chamfer the inside edge of the hole in the landing gear rail to accommodate the bend of the landing gear This will allow it to fully seat in the groove Test fit the bent 3 16 4 8mm wire landing gear in the landing gear rail Make adjustments where necessary for a good fit That s all for now for the fixed gear Skip to Prepare the outer panels for sheeting on page 23
111. swood stick Glue the servo hatch rails into the notches of ribs 8 and 9 of both wing panels MAKE THE WING SKINS I 1 Gather sixteen 1 16 x 3 x 30 1 6 x 76 x 762mm balsa sheets for the wing sheeting True the joining edges of four 1 16 x 3 x 30 2 x 76 x 762mm balsa sheets and glue them 1 6 together This is one wing skin Repeat this process three more times J 3 After the glue dries sand the sheets flat smooth and even SHEET THE BOTTOM OF THE WING If you haven t done so already remove your 1 retracts from the wing Make sure all the ribs spars rails and trailing 2 edges smoothly blend Sand where necessary Sheet the left wing panel first Put your wing upside down on the upside 3 down jigs They make a handy platform for working on your wing in the next few steps 4 Trim one of your wing skins to fit the left wing panel Make sure you trim the skin slightly oversize to allow for positioning and trimming Perform step 5 only if you are installing fixed landing gear J 5 Position the bottom wing skin on the wing to determine where the landing gear rail contacts the skin Cut a slot in the bottom skin to accommodate the landing gear rail Proceed to step 8 Perform step 6 only if you are installing retracts 1 LI 6 Use leftover 1 16 1 6mm balsa sheeting you should have plenty of leftover sheeting by
112. th a CA hinge material consisting of a 3 layer lamination of mylar and polyester It is specially made for hinging model airplane control surfaces When properly installed this type of CA hinge provides the best combination of strength durability and easy installation We trust all of our Gold Edition warbirds to these hinges but it is essential to install them correctly Carefully follow the hinging instructions in this manual for the best result The most common mistake made by modelers when installing CA hinges is making the hinge slots too tight restricting the flow of CA to the back of the hinges or not using enough glue to fully secure the hinge over its entire surface area This results in hinges that are only tack glued into the hinge slots The techniques for cutting the hinge slots and gluing in CA hinges near the end of the manual have been developed to ensure thorough and secure gluing 13 CUT HINGE SLOT WITH HOBBY KNIFE AND 11 BLADE 14 Mark the location of the hinge slots on the elevators and stab where shown on the plan Glue pieces of leftover 3 32 2 4mm balsa to both sides of the elevator bases over the location of the hinge slots see the photo at step 19 Cut the hinge slots in the elevators and the stab along the centerlines you marked earlier with a 11 blade 3 4 k 15 Using the sketch above cut six hinges from the CA hinge strip s
113. the top spar outer trailing edge and all the ribs except tip rib 13 Do not apply glue to the inner trailing edge tip rib 13 or the sub leading edge Position the wing skin and use weights and T pins to hold it down 3 LJ 6 Glue the front of the sheeting to the sub leading edge and the tip of the sheeting to rib 13 with medium CA Do not disturb the wing until the glue is fully dried Note The top sheeting tends to buckle near the wing tip because it is trying to bend in two directions at the same time toward the tip and toward the leading edge Place plenty of weights over the sheeting near the tip to prevent or minimize this tendency This is also why we recommend you glue the sheeting to tip rib 13 with CA because you can hold it down with your hand momentarily until the CA cures 27 TRIM THE TOP WING SKIN INNER T E J J 7 Remove the weights and T pins Trim the top skin even with the sub leading edge tip rib 13 and the outer trailing edge Use a straightedge to trim the skin to the center of the inner trailing edge J 8 Return to step 2 and sheet the right side of the wing the same way _ 9 Coat the top sheeting inside the wheel wells with fuel proof paint the same way you did to the bottom sheeting BUILD THE FLAPS Perform steps 1 through 4 only if you are not building flaps LJ 1 Use one of the die cut 1 16 1 6mm plywood flap skins as a template to make four balsa flap skins from
114. this propeller is for display only Paint your spinner to match your trim scheme Here s how it should look when your model s all done just like a Spitfire propeller and spinner Another method for making a static display propeller is to join two wood propellers This may be more practical for some modelers because wood propellers are easier to carve sand and shape than plastic propellers Use propellers with a diameter of approximately 18 to 19 460 to 480mm Notch the back of one propeller and the front of the other propeller and glue them together Use the Spitfire display prop template provided on the plan to mark the outline on each of the four blades Trim the blades to the correct shape and trim your spinner to accommodate the propeller Prime then paint to match your trim scheme GUNS AND ANTENNA MAST Your guns can be made removable or permanent On our prototype we made the guns removable so there would be less chance of breaking them off during transportation You can make the guns before or after you cover the wing J 1 Use a 9 32 7 1mm brass tube sharpened at one end to cut a hole in the center of the leading 54 edge of the wing in the location of the gun Cut the brass tube to a length of 1 1 4 32mm and glue it into the wing in the hole you just made see the following photo 1 2 Make the other part of the gun the removable part from a 1 4 6 4mm brass tube and
115. tle deck top and test fit it to the fuse Bevel the aft end to match the leading edge of the fin and shape the sides as closely as possible to match the turtle deck the idea is to do as much of the shaping of the turtle deck as possible before you glue it in place J 15 Glue the turtle deck top in place Finish shaping the turtle deck top the rest of the way to blend with the fuse as shown in the cross sections on the plan k 16 Remove the T pins and take the fuselage off your building board Fill in most of the large spaces between the fuse sheeting and the fin and stab with leftover 3 32 2 4mm balsa It doesn t have to be perfect because you are going to cover most of it up with lightweight balsa filler 3 17 Glue a piece of leftover 3 32 2 4mm balsa to both sides of the die cut 1 16 1 6mm plywood dorsal fin Glue the dorsal fin to the fuse and the fin 37 3 18 Blend the dorsal fin to the fuse and fin with lightweight filler Don t try to apply all the filler at one time but build up several thin layers allowing your filler to dry thoroughly before you sand it and apply the next layer You don t have to do it all now You can work on the fin filler as you proceed with the rest of the model you can see what the dorsal fin should end up looking like with the filler in the photo at step 8 on page 47 FINISH FRAMING THE FUSELAGE k 1 Turn the fuselage upside down and place it in a S
116. to install an internal antenna tube not provided now is the time to do so Position the skin on the fuse and glue it to the main and sub stringer only J 5 Wet the sheet with alcohol One small section at a time carefully bend the skin to the formers and stringers and glue it in place with thin and medium CA as required Add a piece of leftover 3 32 2 4mm balsa to the end of the sheet so it extends all the way to the back of the fuse Return to step one and make the skin for the 6 1 left side of the fuse and glue it in place the same way _ 7 Sand the bottom of the fuse sheeting and the bottom stringers so they are even with the bottom of formers 4B through 10 the same way you did with the top of the fuse for the turtle deck 8 Glue the 1 4 x 2 6 4 19 51 x 483mm aft fuse bottom in place Roughly shape it to match the fuse cross sections on the plan but do not final shape it yet TRIM EVEN WITH STRINGERS 3 9 Unscrew the 2 x 3 8 9 5mm screws that hold the tail gear bracket to the tail gear plate and remove the bracket and tail gear wire Trim the sheeting along the bottom stringers between formers 10 and 11 J 10 Temporarily tack glue the 3 8 x 3 4 x 6 9 5 x 19 1 x 152mm bottom tail blocks to the bottom of the fuse Shape the blocks to match the curvature of the bottom of the fuse as shown on the cross sections on the plan and the photo at step 12
117. to raise it off the surface so the ink won t bleed underneath Place the straightedge directly on your model and use it as a guide to mark your panel lines Use the Top Flite Scale Template TOPR2187 for rivets hatches fuel caps and other details Some cleaners will remove the ink lines so test your cleaner on the ink before you spray it on your model We sealed our panel lines by spraying our entire model with a coat of LustreKote flat clear The second method for applying panel lines is to use a Top Flite Smart Stripe to cut narrow strips of MonoKote film Iron the panel lines in position Black or Charcoal MonoKote film is recommended DECALS Study the plans and the photos on the box to 1 decide where to place the decals I 2 Thoroughly clean your airplane before applying decals l 3 Trim the decals as close as practical and carefully apply them to your model You can float the decals into position by first applying soapy water to the model s surface just a teaspoon of dish detergent to a quart of water then squeegeeing out the water and soap with a piece of soft balsa or a credit card wrapped with a tissue Blot the surface dry and let the decal cure for at least 12 hours before running the engine GET YOUR MODEL READY TO FLY BALANCE YOUR MODEL NOTE This section is VERY important and must NOT be omitted A model that is not properly balanced will be unstable and possibly unflyable l 1 Se
118. trim the fuselage sheeting even with former 1 Bolt the wing to the fuselage Test fit the laser cut 1 8 3 2mm plywood wing dowel doubler to the front of former 1 over the wing bolts as shown on the plan Glue the doubler to former 1 but remove the wing and use clamps to hold the doubler in position while the glue dries I 8 Glue the die cut 1 8 3 2mm plywood tank roof into the fuselage 43 Test fit your fuel tank and determine where to 9 1 drill the holes in the firewall for the fuel lines Before you drill the holes make sure the engine mount will not cover them Drill 1 4 6 30mm or 6 00mm for a perfect fit holes in the 15 64 firewall for the fuel lines to pass J 10 Glue the firewall to the fuselage with 30 minute epoxy Hold it in place with clamps and masking tape until the epoxy cures k 11 Temporarily mount the engine mount to the fuselage with four 8 32 x 1 1 4 32mm socket head screws 8 lock washers and flat washers Place your engine on the mount with your spinner backplate in position Cut a leftover balsa stick to a length of 6 152mm and use it as a gauge to position the engine so the back plate of your spinner on both sides will be 6 152mm from the firewall Use a small C clamp to hold your engine to the mount while you mark the locations of the mounting bolts Hint Heat the end of a pointed wire with a torch and dimple the engine mount in the center of e
119. trip will fit between the main fuse stringers 1 4 Mount the tail gear bracket to the tail gear plate with two 2 x 3 8 9 5mm screws 1 5 Cut a slot in the right side of the fuse sheeting for the steering arm to pass through Refer to the fuse plan and take measurements from the tail gear plate to find the exact location of the slot 3 6 Place the tail gear plate and the tail gear bracket on the fuse to make sure the slot in the stab saddle and the fuse side is in the correct location Make adjustments if necessary Take the tail gear plate off the fuselage and set it aside LJ 7 Cut a 3 16 x 36 4 8 x 914mm pushrod guide tube to a length of 29 735mm Sand the guide tube with coarse sandpaper so glue will stick when it s time to glue it in place Slide the tube through the holes in the formers as shown on the plan until it reaches the right fuse side just behind former 10 This is where the guide tube will exit the fuselage STEERING ARM 3 16 SLOT FOR GUIDE TUBE 8 Cut a slot in the fuse side for the guide tube The center of the slot should be 3 16 4 8mm above the steering arm so the pushrod will align with the ball when you mount it to the steering arm 9 Refer to the sketch in step 10 Bevel the aft end of the guide tube to so it will be flush with the fuse side where it passes through the slot Screw a nylon dual ended ball link onto a 074 x 36 1 9 914mm wire pus
120. unt a 1 1 4 32mm tail wheel on the tail gear wire and secure it with a 3 32 2 4mm wheel collar and a drop of thread lock LJ 6 If you haven t already done so route your air lines and servo connectors in the wing and in the fuse Connect the servos in the fuselage to the receiver and plug in servo extension cords for the aileron and flap servo Make sure no wires or air lines interfere with any of the servo arms pushrods etc l 7 Take the servo arms off your servos turn on your transmitter and center all the trims Reinstall all the servo arms and secure them with the screws J 8 Double check all the servos and make sure the servo arms are secure and all the clevises have a Silicone retainer 1 9 Make sure the control surfaces move in the proper direction as illustrated in the following sketch 4 CHANNEL RADIO SETUP STANDARD MODE 2 ELEVATOR MOVES UP LEFT AILERON MOVES DOWN RUDDER MOVES RIGHT CARBURETOR WIDE OPEN 3 10 Adjust your pushrod hookups and set up your radio to provide the control surface 57 movements as follows Use a ruler or a Great Planes AccuThrow Control Surface Deflection Meter GPMR2405 to measure the throws CONTROL SURFACE THROWS Throws are measured at the widest part of the control surface We recommend the following control surface throws High rate Low rate Elevator 5 8 up 5 8 down 1 2 up 1 2 down Rudder
121. upplied with this kit Snip the corners off so they go into the slots easier You may cut all sixteen hinges now or just cut them as you need them 1 16 Test fit the hinges into the slots If the hinges do not slide into the slots easily work your knife blade back and forth in the slot a few times to provide more clearance it is really the back edge of the blade that does the work here in widening the slot DRILL A 3 32 HOLE 1 2 DEEP IN CENTER OF HINGE SLOT LJ 17 Drill a 3 32 2 40 hole 1 2 13mm deep in the center of the hinge slots Use a rotary tool with a 3 32 2 40mm drill bit or a carbide cutter for the best results Reinsert your knife blade to clean out the slot after you drill the holes 18 Test fit the elevators to the stab with the hinges a32 LEFTOVER BALSA _ 19 Position the elevator joiner on the TE of the stab and center it between the elevators Mark the LE of both elevators where the joiner will enter Drill a 9 64 3 60mm or 1 8 hole at the 20 marks you made on the centerline of both elevator leading edges Cut a slot in the leading edge of both elevators to accommodate the joiner wire Hint Use a 5 32 4mm brass tube sharpened at one end to cut the slots l 21 Bevel the leading edges of the elevators to a V as shown on the cross section of the plan Use the centerline on the elevator leading edges as a guide Test fit the el
122. upport stand Reinforce glue joints you missed or couldn t reach while the fuse was pinned to your building board All the parts used in this section Finish framing the fuselage are die cut 1 8 3 2mm plywood unless otherwise noted _ 2 Refer to the following photo then glue former 1BB to the back of 1AB From now on this assembly will be referred to as former 1B Glue the three firewall formers together so all the tabs align Make sure the front former is the one with the punchmarks and the grain direction is alternating on each piece From now on this assembly will be referred to as the firewall J 3 Drill 1 4 6 30 holes through the four punch marks in the firewall Use a hammer to lightly tap four 8 32 blind nuts into the holes from the back of the firewall and secure them with a few drops of CA k 4 Position the left and right lower crutches on the upper crutches using the firewall former 1B and former 4B to hold the crutches in place Glue the lower crutches to the upper crutches and the servo tray using the formers and the firewall to hold them in alignment Do not glue the firewall yet J 5 Drill 3 16 4 7mm holes through the punch marks in former 4B Add the tank floor to the assembly Glue former 1B the tank floor and former 4B in place 1 6 Glue formers 2B and 3B to the left and right crutches 2 5 J 7 Glue the die cut 1 8 balsa formers 6B through 10B to formers 6 thr
123. ur cockpit kit J 7 Reinstall the cockpit floor instrument panel sides and support rails the same way you did before Securely glue all the parts in place with CA 8 Accurately trim the canopy along the molded cutlines True the edges with a bar sander for a finished appearance l 9 Place the canopy on the fuselage where shown on the plan Lightly mark the outline of the canopy on the fuselage li l 10 Remove the canopy and trim the sheeting around the cockpit as shown on the plan and in the photo Just make sure you don t cut the sheeting too close to the canopy outline FINISHING FUELPROOFING Remove the pushrods cowl engine muffler and other hardware that may interfere with final sanding and covering See the Expert Tip below and fuelproof all areas that may be exposed to fuel or engine exhaust such as the wheel wells the TE of the wing where the flaps are located the firewall and engine compartment area the fuel tank compartment the wing saddle and the front of the wing the wing dowels etc Use epoxy epoxy paint finishing resin or other fuelproof model paint Note You should fuelproof the wheel wells before you cover the model Otherwise the paint may soak through the wing sheeting and add blemishes to your covering AO WWP If you plan to cover your model with Top Flite Monokote film and you will be using Top Flite LustreKote spray paint for parts that require
124. y oversize so you will have to custom fit the skin to your model Frequently wet the sheet as you continue to shape and fit it to the fuselage By the time you are ready to glue the skin to the fuse you will be able to bend it all the way down to the formers I 5 After you are satisfied with the way the left skin fits the fuse trace its outline onto another 3 32 x 3 x 36 2 4 x 76 x 914mm balsa sheet This way you will have a good starting point when you make the right skin l 6 One at a time remove the T pins that hold the left main stringer to your building board and replace them as shown in the sketch so they will not interfere with the sheeting when you glue it in place Read the note at the end of step 7 before you proceed you re reading each step completely through to the end before you proceed anyway right 35 7 Glue the left fuse sheet in position The best way to do this is one section at a time First apply a bead of medium or thick CA to the main stringer and sub stringer see the photo at step 2 from former 5 to about 3 75mm from the aft end Position the skin and hold it in place until the CA hardens Second glue the other half of the skin to the main and sub stringer from inside the fuse with thin CA Lastly glue the sheet to the rest of the stringers and formers with medium CA Note Do not glue the fuse sheeting to the stab saddle Do not glue the aft three inches of the fuse
125. your propellers before you fly An unbalanced prop is the single most significant cause of vibration that can damage your model Not only will engine mounting screws and bolts loosen possibly with disastrous effect but vibration may also damage your radio receiver and battery Vibration can also cause your fuel to foam which will in turn cause your engine to run hot or quit We use a Top Flite Precision Magnetic Prop Balancer TOPQ5700 in the workshop and keep a Great Planes Fingertip Prop Balancer GPMQ5000 in our flight box FIND A SAFE PLACE TO FLY The best place to fly your model is an AMA chartered R C club flying field Contact the AMA their address is on page 2 or your hobby shop dealer for the club in your area and join it Club fields are intended for R C flying making your outing safer and more enjoyable The AMA also provides insurance in case of a flying accident If an R C flying field is not available find a large grassy area at least six miles from buildings streets and other R C activities A schoolyard is usually not an acceptable area because of people power lines and possible radio interference GROUND CHECK YOUR MODEL If you are not thoroughly familiar with the operation of R C models ask an experienced modeler to inspect your radio installation and control surface set up Follow the engine manufacturer s instructions to break in your engine After you run the engine on your model

Top Flight , Inc. Baby Toy MK IX User's Manual

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