9
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3. Once properly positioned mark the sides of the fuselage
onto the top and bottom of the stab with a fi ne tip felt tip marker.
Remove the stab from the fuselage and cut the covering from
the center of the stab as shown. When cutting the covering
DO NOT CUT INTO THE HORIZONTAL STAB! THIS WILL
WEAKEN THE STRUCTURE.
You may want to use the
EXPERT TIP that follows for cutting the covering away.
HOW TO CUT COVERING FROM BALSA
Use a soldering iron to cut the covering from the stab. The
tip of the soldering iron doesn’t have to be sharp, but a fi ne
tip does work best. Allow the iron to heat fully.
Use a straightedge to guide the soldering iron at a rate that
will just melt the covering and not burn into the wood. The
hotter the soldering iron, the faster it must travel to melt a
fi ne cut. Peel off the covering.
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4. Install the elevator into the slot in the back of the fuselage.
Re-install the stab back into the fuselage.
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5. Glue the stab to the fuselage. Check to be sure the
stab is aligned with the wing before the glue dries. Leave the
fuselage undisturbed until the glue dries.
