Sheet The Top Of The Fuselage - Top Flite Douglas DC-3 User Manual

15. Now that you are sure the stab will align, remove it
and apply 30-minute epoxy to the joining areas and glue
it to the fuse sheeting and the ply stab saddle. Use the
pin-and-string technique to recheck your alignment.
make sure your stab is level and the incidence is
correct. Wipe away excess epoxy before it cures. Do not
build up a fillet between the stab and the fuse. Do not
disturb the fuse until the epoxy is fully cured.
16. Notch the LE of the fin as necessary to accommodate
former F10 and reposition the fin and rudder on the stab.
Mark the rudder where the rudder torque rod will enter.
17. Remove the rudder and drill a 1/8" hole through
the rudder base at the mark you made. Cut a groove in
the rudder LE so you can insert the rudder torque rod.
The scale rudder is shown in the photo. The groove in
the LE of the non-scale rudder would be similar to the
groove in the elevators for the joiner wire.
Skip this step if you are building the non-scale fin
and rudder.
18. Enlarge the groove in the bottom of the TE of the
fin to accommodate the rudder torque rod and the
bearing tube.
19. Test fit the fin and rudder to the stab with the
torque rod. Make adjustments where necessary so the
torque rod fits all the way into the rudder and you can
freely pivot the rudder side to side.
20. Remove the rudder from the fin. Refer to the
following photo. Align the hinge tube on your scale fin (or
the centerline on the TE of the non-scale fin) with a 90
degree triangle on your building board. If necessary, sand
the sheeting on the high side of the fin to get it vertical.
21. After you are satisfied with the fit of the fin to the
stab, remove the fin from the stab. Apply a film of
30-minute epoxy to the base of the fin and to the stab
sheeting. Reposition the fin on the stab, aligning the
rudder torque rod with the center of the fin TE. Align the
LE of the fin with the centerline on the plan. Immediately
proceed to the next step.
22. Hold the fin vertical with masking tape strapped
across the top of the fin over to both stab tips. Adjust the
tension on the masking tape to pull the fin to one side or
the other until it is vertical. Temporarily join the rudder to
help make sure the fin is aligned with the rudder torque
rod. Re-check alignment and do not disturb the fin until
the epoxy is fully cured.
DC-3 Fact
Probably the greatest contributing factor to the
acceptance of the DC-1 by TWA officials (and a
subsequent purchase order for twenty more
"improved" versions—the DC-2) was the ability of
the DC-1 to take off on a single engine! TWA paid
Douglas $125,000 for that first DC-1, though it
cost Douglas $807,000 to build.
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Now let's sheet the top of this thing and get it off your
building board...

SHEET THE TOP OF THE FUSELAGE

1. Remove any T-pins you have in the main stringer
inside the fuselage and stick them through the main
stringer outside the fuselage.
2. Cut the die-cut 1/8" balsa former F12B as shown in
the sketch. Glue F12B to the front of former F12 on top
of the stab. Note that F12B is slightly smaller than F12.
This is to provide a small ledge to support the sheeting.