GREAT PLANES Pitts M-12S Instruction Manual page 12

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3. Using a sharp hobby knife or the method in the "Expert
Tip" that follows, cut 1/4" [6.4mm] of covering inside the line
you have marked on the wing. Be careful to only cut through
the covering, not the wood.
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. Glue the belly pan to the lower wing. Once the glue
has dried you may wish to remove the lower wing if you have
limited space in your shop. However, you will need to re-
install it again at step 8. The choice is yours.
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5. Locate the four aluminum center cabanes. Two of
them are 9" [228mm] long and two are 9-1/2" [241mm] long.
The longer two are the rear cabanes and the shorter are the
front cabanes.
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