Build The Wing; Build The Center Section - Top Flite Douglas DC-3 User Manual

7. Blend the dorsal fin to the fin and blend the stab
and fin to the fuse with lightweight balsa filler. If your tail
cone is permanent, blend it to the fuse with filler as well.
Sand the filler after it dries, then blend to the fuse with a
light coat of primer the same way you did the cabin top.
That's all we can do on the fuse until we get the wing
done, so... build the wing!

BUILD THE WING

BUILD THE CENTER SECTION

Note: Portions of the manual that only apply to fixed
landing gear are shaded and begin with an "F". For
example: Step F9 is for fixed gear only. Steps that
apply to retract landing gear begin with an "R", such
as step R10. It is assumed that most modelers will be
installing retracts, so just skip steps that are shaded
and begin with an F . If you are building your model
for fixed gear, make sure you read the steps that are
shaded and skip steps that begin with an R.
1. Cut the center section of the wing plan along the
dotted line and place it over your building board. Cover
the plan with Plan Protector.
2. Use the die-cut 1/8" plywood landing gear rail
template to mark the location of the notches for the
landing gear rail on the four die-cut 1/8" plywood wing
ribs W3 and both inboard and both outboard nacelle
sides. The notch in the top of the template is for retracts
(R) and the notch in the bottom of the template is for
fixed gear (F). Cut the notches in the nacelle sides and
ribs to accommodate the rail. The photo illustrates one
rib and one nacelle side with the notch cut for retracts.
The shaded areas on the bottom of the rib and nacelle
side indicate where the notches would be cut if you are
building fixed gear.
3. Make two 1/4" firewalls by securely gluing together
two sets of die-cut 1/8" plywood firewalls making sure
the punchmarks are facing upward. At this moment both
firewalls are the same but we have to make a right and
a left so, after the glue dries drill a 1/16" hole through
the punchmarks in one of the firewalls and flip it over.
Label the upward facing side of this firewall as left front.
Label the upward facing side of the other firewall as
right front.
4. Refer to the following phoho. Glue a die-cut 1/8"
plywood firewall doubler to the back of both firewalls.
Note that the firewall doubler is positioned so the edges
are even with the top and inside edges of both firewalls.
Also note that the top of both firewalls is the edge
closest to the holes (or punchmarks).
5. After the glue dries, drill 9/64" (or 1/8") holes through
the punchmarks in both firewalls. Install four 4-40 blind nuts
into the holes you drilled in the back of both firewalls.
Secure the blind nuts with a few drops of thin CA. For
clarity, we've labeled the back of both firewalls in the photo.
6. Glue together both die-cut 1/8" plywood wing
bolt plates.
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7. Glue the die-cut 1/16" plywood center spar web
doubler to the die-cut 1/8" plywood center spar web.
8. Drill a 1/8" hole for the throttle cable through both
ends of the center spar web where shown in the sketch
(the rear of the center spar web is the side with the
1/16" ply doubler).