Install The Tail Landing Gear - GREAT PLANES Piper J-3 Cub Instruction Manual

❏ 7. Use a fresh #11 blade to carefully cut through the
covering 1/16" [1.6mm] inside the lines you marked on the top
and bottom of the stab that indicate the fuse sides. Do not cut
the wood under the covering! This will weaken the
structure and may cause the stab to fail in flight. Remove
the covering from the center of the stab within the lines you cut.
❏ 8. Reinstall the stab in the fuse. Bolt the wing to the fuse
with two 1/4-20 x 2" bolts. View the fuselage from the rear
and make sure the stab is parallel with the wing as shown
in the sketch (A=A). If the stab is not parallel with the wing,
remove the stab and carefully sand the fuse where it
interferes with the stab. Reinstall the stab and recheck
alignment from behind the fuse. Sand the fuse as
necessary until the stab is aligned. Proceed carefully and
remove only a small amount of material at a time.
❏ 9. Now it's time to glue the stab to the fuse. Position the
stab in the fuse so the exposed balsa of the center section
is visible. Apply a film of 30-minute epoxy to the bare balsa
on both sides of the stab and slide it into position, making
sure you distribute enough epoxy in the opening. Repeat
this procedure once more to make sure you have distributed
plenty of epoxy in the stab saddle. Recheck alignment using
the pin-and-string technique shown earlier. Wipe away
excess epoxy before it cures and use T-pins to hold the stab
in position until the epoxy has fully cured.
❏ 10. Test fit the Fin into the fuselage. Trim where necessary
so the TE of the fin aligns with the end of the fuse.
❏ 11. Use 30-minute epoxy to glue the fin to the fuse. If
necessary, use masking tape to hold the fin perpendicular
to the stab. Apply a thin coat of epoxy to the bare wood on
the TE of the fin. Do not disturb the fuselage until the epoxy
has fully cured.

Install the Tail Landing Gear

❏ 1. Slip the Tail Gear Wire into the plastic Tail Gear
Bracket. Make a 90-degree bend in the wire 1-1/2" [38mm]
from the end.
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