Top Flite P-51D Mustang Manual page 12

that the sides are fl ush with each other. Wipe away
any excess epoxy with denatured alcohol. Small
clamps can be used to hold the pieces together while
the epoxy cures.
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3. Test fi t the joiner into the wing joiner pocket of
each wing panel with the "V" shaped side pointing to
the bottom of the wing. The joiner should be able to fi t
halfway into each pocket and be slightly loose to allow
room for epoxy. Sand the joiner as necessary for the
proper fi t. Dry fi t the wing panels together using the
joiner and nylon anti-rotation pin. The root ribs of the
panels should sit fl at against each other with no gaps.
Lightly sand the face of the root ribs if necessary to
eliminate any gaps between the wing panels.
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4. When satisfi ed with the fi t of the wing panels,
mix up a batch of 30-minute epoxy and coat the
inside of the wing joiner pockets in each wing panel.
Coat one half of the anti-rotation pin and press it into
the hole at the TE edge of one wing panel. Coat one
half of the wing joiner and slide it into one wing panel.
Coat the root ribs of both wing panels as well as the
exposed ends of the joiner and anti-rotation pin. Join
the two wing panels together and use paper towels
dampened with denatured alcohol to wipe away any
excess epoxy from the joint between the panels. Use
masking tape to hold the panels together tightly. Set
the wing aside and let the epoxy cure undisturbed.
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5. Draw a line down the middle of the plywood
wing bolt plate. Use a micro saw or a hobby knife
to cut a groove down the line approximately halfway
through the thickness of the plate. This groove will
allow the plate to easily bend over the dihedral angle
of the wing.
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6. Position the wing bolt plate onto the underside
of the wing with the bolt holes centered over the holes
in the wing. Use a fi ne, felt-tip pen to trace along the
outside of the plate onto the wing.
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7. Remove the covering just inside the lines you
drew. Glue the wing bolt plate into position.
How To Cut Covering From Balsa
Use a soldering iron to cut the covering from the area
beneath the wing bolt plate. 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.