not cover any component parts damaged by use or modification. In no case shall Top Flite's liability exceed the original cost of the 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 user-assembled product. By the act of using the user-assembled product the user accepts all
resulting liability. If the buyer is not prepared to accept the liability associated with the use of this product, the buyer is advised to immediately return this kit in new and
unused condition to the place of purchase.
Top Flite Models P.O. Box 788 Urbana, Il 61803
READ THROUGH THIS INSTRUCTION BOOK FIRST. IT CONTAINS IMPORTANT INSTRUCTIONS AND WARNINGS CONCERNING THE ASSEMBLY AND USE OF THIS MODEL.
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In no case shall Top Flite‘s liability exceed the original cost of the 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 user-assembled product.
The Top Flite Gold Edition Stinson will perform well components (fuel tank, wheels, etc.) throughout Those who wish to go all out can even cover their with any of the engines within the recommended your building process.
The interior may be installed at any time, The trim scheme we selected for the prototype Well, this is it - The Top Flite Stinson Reliant, Gold Edition, for but will be easier to fit during fuse construction. featured on the kit box cover is a variation of a trim the scale craftsman.
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23 lbs. and was powered by an O.S. FT-160 won’t use anyway. Similarly, we have not included control The Top Flite Stinson Reliant SR-9 is a faithful reproduction twin-cylinder engine. This proved to be a near perfect surface hinges or the rudder pull-pull linkage system.
Isopropyl Alcohol (to clean up excess epoxy) Top Flite Heat Gun (TOPR2000) elevator servos (for gasolineengine installation, in Top Flite Trim Seal Tool (TOPR2200) which these components are installed in the tail) -and- Pull-Pull cable kit for rudder steering (SULQ3120) Top Flite Sealing Iron (TOPR2100) (2) 5"...
We also use Top Flite 320-grit (TOPR8030, 4 sheets) the top even if the model is upside-down during and 400-grit (TOPR8032, 4 sheets) wet-or-dry that step, i.e.
COMMON ABBREVIATIONS GET READY TO BUILD 1. Unroll the plan sheets. Roll them inside out so they lie Deg = degrees Elev = elevator flat. Cut the two fuselage plan sheets where indicated Fuse = fuselage " = inches METRIC CONVERSION along the dashed lines and join them with tape.
BUILD THE TAIL SURFACES Build the stabilizer 1. Place the stab plan over your building board (you may cut it from the fuse plan) and cover it with Some modelers prefer to vent the air that gets Great Planes Plan Protector or waxed paper. trapped inside the control surfaces (stab, elevators, fin, rudder, ailerons, flaps) while covering.
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angle of the LE. Cut two shaped 15" balsa stab LE’s both sides of the stab. Glue the cap strips to the top 12. Build the right stab tip the same way. to match the plan, then glue them centered, as of the ribs.
Build the elevators centerline to be exact) to make certain the elevator 6. Glue two die-cut 3/32" balsa elevator S7A core will remain true and on center when it’s time to ribs together. Refer to the following photo, then clamp glue it to the elevator LE.
11. Of the remaining 1/16" x 1/4" x 36" sticks supplied, select four of the softest sticks for the elevator edging. Glue one of the sticks to the edge of the elevator as shown on the plan. This is easily done if you begin at the tip (at ribs S7A), use thin CA to glue just a couple of inches at a time and keep the edging centered as you proceed toward the root.
Build the Fin NOTE: In the following two photos, disregard the sheeting on the right side of the fin and the fact 1. Place the fin plan over your building board (you that the fin is no longer on the building board. Your may cut it from the fuse plan) and cover it with Great fin should still be pinned to your building board at Planes Plan Protector or waxed paper.
make the rudder core. (It’s kind of like a puzzle; can 9. Remove the fin from your building board. Turn it you figure it out?) Sand both sides of the rudder core over and cut off the jig tabs. flat and even. 10.
BUILD THE WING 3. Cut along the partially die-cut line of one die- cut 1/8" balsa outer TE spars and remove the jig. Preliminary assembly Glue that outer TE spar to the front of another outer TE spar that has the jig still attached. 1.
adjustments to the slots in the ribs as necessary so cut straight through. Therefore, you must bevel the the joiner box top can slide all the way through. Hint: notches in ribs 4 thru 15 to allow the spars to pass at The joiner box top passes through the ribs at an the required angle.
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8. Use a metal file or sandpaper to remove any burrs you find on both ends of the aluminum wing joiner tube. Test fit the aluminum joiner tube into the cardboard tube you just prepared to make sure it fits. If necessary, remove glue bumps from the end of the cardboard tube so the aluminum joiner slides through without resistance.
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front of the outer LE near the end and carefully bend LE stick, make the saw cuts, wet the end and glue it 12. Glue the die-cut 3/32" balsa LE brace to it into position. When you can achieve the bend, trim to ribs 1 thru 5 and the LE brace.
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from a 3/32" x 3" x 36" balsa sheet. Test fit the plywood strip to a leftover 1/16" balsa strip. Cut the sheeting to the wing and trim as required for the strip into two pieces as shown and glue them, ply correct fit.
Build the aileron 28. Cut the cap strips for the top of all the ribs 33. Use a razor plane and a bar sander with 80- from five more 3/32" x 1/4" x 36" balsa sticks and grit sandpaper to clean up the leading edge of the glue them into position.
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4. Test fit the die-cut 3/32" balsa aileron core to 11. Use a bar sander and 80-grit sandpaper to the wing and trim as necessary for a good fit between gradually taper the 3/32" cap strips on ribs 7, 8 and the aileron tip ribs.
Build the flap 8. Make the flap hinge blocks for the top and bottom of the flap from the remainder of the 1/4" x 1/2" balsa stick used for the aileron hinge blocks and The flap is built much the same as the aileron— glue them into position.
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You can use a 3/16" drill bit, but a 3/16" O.D. brass 12. As you did for the cap strips over ribs 7, 8 tube sharpened at the end cuts much cleaner holes. and 9, taper the 3/32" cap strips on the top of the flap down to 1/16"...
Mount the wing servos Refer to this photo to hook up the flap and aileron. 4. Place the die-cut 1/16" plywood flap hatch 1. Drill a #36 or 7/64" hole in the flap control cover on the servo plate. Drill 1/16" holes through the horn block that is in alignment with your flap servo punchmarks in the hatch cover and into the rails.
BUILD THE FUSELAGE The bottom half of the fuselage is framed upside- down over the plan. This ensures that you have a straight, true structure from which to build. After the bottom half is constructed, it is removed from the plan, then the tops of the formers and remaining stringers are added to it.
Notes for building former 6 Build the bottom of the fuse A. For formers 6, 7 and 8, there are die-cut 1/8" 1. Accurately tape the fuse plans together along plywood corner braces for only one side (the front) the dotted lines. Place the top view over your building of the former.
bracing between formers 3, 4 and 5. Use a builder’s Add the tops of the formers Place a straightedge along both sides of square to hold each former vertical as you glue the formers 9 through 5 where the bottom longerons will bracing into position.
Build the front of the fuse 4. Use four 1/4" x 1/2" x 24" balsa sticks for the top Refer to this photo (and the fuse plan) for the longerons on both sides of the fuselage and glue following four steps. them into position.
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7. Mark a line on the inside of both forward fuse 11. Mix up a new batch of 30-minute epoxy and sides 1/4" from the front edge. Mark a line on the glue the right fuse side and the right bottom deck in inside of the top deck that aligns with the lines you position the same way.
pen to transfer the engine mount centerlines on the plan Mount the landing gear 4. After the epoxy from the previous step has to the firewall. For future reference, this is where the fully cured, temporarily mount the landing gear to the centerline of your engine should meet the firewall so the rails with six 6-32 x 5/8"...
washer) should be 7-7/16". Most glow engines will tank mount from the 1/8" x 4-3/8" x 5-3/4" plywood require an “extension box” made from 1/4" Plywood fuel tank floor and leftover 1/4" x 3/8" basswood as (not included). For ignition engines and large glow shown on the plan.
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sides of former 9. Note: It is important that the fin be 3. Stick a T-pin into the center fuse stringer above accurately aligned with the fuse centerline. former 3. Tie a small loop in one end of a 50" piece of string and slip it over the T-pin.
Mount the wing plywood joiner box webs. Once you are sure all the root ribs to the wing. The photo illustrates the root parts fit well, glue the assembly into position with 30- ribs clamped to the wing (but the wing and root ribs minute epoxy.
tube. Adjust the wing saddle bases so they are 16. With both wing panels still bolted to the fuse, 19. Sand the edge of the top fillet even with the contacting the fuselage root ribs, then glue only the glue leftover 1/4" x 1/4" balsa sticks along the bottom root rib.
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6. Join both elevators to the stab. Make both elevator As you proceed, keep in mind that, after the pushrods as shown on the plan from two 4-40 solder model is completed, components in the cabin clevises, two .095" x 36" threaded one-end pushrods (radio system, fuel tank, cockpit interior, wing and two 4-40 threaded clevises.
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14. Cut eight 3/8" long bushings from the leftover 11. Insert a 5/32" wheel collar into the nylon guide tubes you used to guide the pull-pull cable for steering arm. Trim the arm as shown on the top view the rudder. Slide the bushings evenly spaced, onto of the fuse plan.
17. If you intend to install the Top Flite Full Cockpit interior (not included with this kit), glue leftover 1/4" balsa supports to the servo rails to raise the back seat above the servos (as shown in the instructions included with the cockpit kit). If you haven’t done so already, remove the temporary cross bracing between formers 3 and 4.
much experience in this area, you may use your own method for constructing and attaching opening doors. As in other detailed areas of construction with this model, neatness and minimal glue will yield the best results. The photos in this section show the left door. If you’re only building one door, make the right.
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3. From inside the fuselage, use the bottom of 6. Build the door frame over the plan using a 3/16" the 1/4" ply fuse sides as a guide to mark the outline x 3/16" x 36" balsa stick and a 1/4" x 1/2" x 24" balsa of the bottom of the door on the 1/8"...
shown in the sketch. Without using glue, fit the other 20. Return to step one and build the other window half of the hinges in the door, then test fit the door to frame and door. If you’re only building one door, just the fuse.
of the cowl to the front of the cowl. These will be used later for aligning the cowl blisters. Trim the forward cowl along the line you marked around the base. 4. Shape the sub LE’s to match the downward curving angle of the ribs.
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“tabs” on the cowl ring sections are where the cowl that indicate the location of the cowl blisters straddle 9. Temporarily secure the cowl ring to the firewall mounting screws will be located, so position the tabs the centerline on the top and bottom of the fuse. with four #2 x 3/8"...
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the two blisters on the bottom of the cowl straddle the centerline of the fuse. 20. Thoroughly sand the outside of the cowl so 18. Cut the air exit slot around the bottom of the filler will adhere. Use filler such as automotive Bondo ®...
Refer to this photo for the following two steps. the aft edges as shown. Glue 3/16" wide strips of scale Top Flite Corsair radial engine to fit inside the leftover ABS inside the top edge to support the clear cowl of the Stinson. To do this, the overall diameter of 1.
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6. Cut three 1/4" x 5-3/4" wood dowels to the 9. At this stage the instrument panel and dashboard 11. Use filler or epoxy mixed with microballoons correct length as shown in the photo, then bevel the area should be nearly completed, because we’re to make a fillet that simulates window trim joining the ends to match the fuse.
Make the Pushrod Exit Covers 4. Fit the pushrod exit cover over the fuse. Drill 5. Glue the inner wheel pant half to the outer 1/16" holes in the fuse and 3/32" holes in the cover, then wheel pant half with CA. Refrain from using secure the cover to the fuse with #2 x 3/8"...
10. The same as you did for the cowl, fill seams 5. Add a few drops of thin CA to the hole in the between the wheel pant halves with filler such as fuse strut mount, allow to harden, then secure the automotive Bondo ®...
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x 1-1/4" socket head cap screw. Install a 6-32 blind nut into the top of the wing strut mounting block. Test mount the strut to the wing with the screw. 13. Mount the landing gear fairing. There are two ways to do this. The first way is to permanently glue it to the landing gear.
4. If you prefer an internal receiver antenna, filler. An airplane that has been laterally balanced will compressed air or a Top Flite Tack Cloth to remove mount an antenna guide tube inside the fuselage. track better in certain maneuvers.
3. Using a trim iron set on low heat, seal the 4. Cover the rest of the model using the tips 4. Mount the tail gear fairing and install a 2" tail covering to the model in the order shown in the photo mentioned previously.
GET YOUR MODEL READY TO FLY balance aft it may make the Stinson more agile with 4. Adjust your pushrod hookups and set up your a lighter feel and allow you to slow the model more radio to provide the control surface movements as for landing.
Find and correct the problem first. Look for loose We use a Top Flite Precision Magnetic Prop connectors, etc.). servo connections or broken wires, corroded wires on...
ENGINE SAFETY PRECAUTIONS To stop the engine, close the carburetor barrel 8. Make sure all hinges are securely glued in place. (rotor) or pinch the fuel line to discontinue the fuel Note: Failure to follow these safety precautions flow. Do not use your hands, fingers or any body 9.
3. I will perform my initial turn after takeoff away Flight CAUTION (THIS APPLIES TO ALL R/C AIRPLANES): If, while flying, from the pit or spectator areas and I will not In the flying section of most of our other instruction you notice any unusual sounds, such as a low-pitched “buzz,”...
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