sanding as necessary for a good fit. Glue the hold-
down plate in place securely, using 30-minute epoxy.
Then cut pieces of 3/8" hard balsa triangle and glue
them in place above and below* the hold-down plate.
Sand the triangles flush with the wing saddle. *You
may wait to install the triangles under the hold-down
plate until after you are able to turn the fuse right side
UP.
D 13. Block sand the bottom of the fuse from F-4 to
the aft end to remove any excess glue, and to provide
a flat surface for the sheeting.
D 17. If you are using a tricycle gear and firewall "A"
location, use a long 3/16" drill bit to drill through the
nylon nose gear bearings and out through the 1/8" ply
fuse top. You will need this hole later to line up the
nose gear strut hole in the chin block.
D 18. Cut off the excess fuse sides that extend in
front of the firewall, and sand flush. Also, block sand
the bottom of the fuse from F-1 to F-2 in preparation
for installation of the chin block.
NOTE: If you want to install a separate "guide tube"
for an internal radio antenna, this is a good time to do
it. We like to install the tube along the bottom of the
lightening holes in the formers, and exiting through the
bottom sheeting a couple inches in front of the tail
wedge.
D 14. From the 1/8" x 3" x 30" balsa sheet, cut and
glue pieces of cross-grain sheeting to the bottom of
the fuse, beginning at the front of F-4 and running to
the aft end of the fuse.
D 15. Now you may remove the fuselage from the
work surface and sand the edges of the bottom
sheeting flush with the fuse sides.
D 16. Check all glue joints and add thick CA glue to
any joints that are not tight fitting. Then use a long
sanding block to sand the top of the fuse flat and
smooth.
D 19. For additional security, "pin" F-1 and the wing
hold-down plate to the fuse sides by drilling 3/32"
holes through the fuse sides into the plywood and
gluing round toothpicks into the holes on both sides (4
holes on both sides of F-1, and 2 holes per side for the
hold-down plate). Measure back 3/16" from the front
of F-1 and draw a drilling guideline to center the holes
in F-1. Also harden the balsa around F-1 by soaking
the front ends of the fuse sides with thin CA. When
the glue has cured, trim and sand the toothpicks flush
with the fuse sides. NOTE: This is a little trick that
many modelers use to improve the bond between the
firewall and the fuse sides.
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