Top Flite Contender User Manual page 21

22. Use 30-minute epoxy to glue the firewall in
position on the front of the fuselage.
23. Locate a 1/4" x 1/4" x 18" [6.4 x 6.4 x 457mm]
basswood stick. Cut the sticks to fit along the firewall
and fuselage side as shown on the plan. Epoxy them
in place.
24. Locate the engine mount and secure it to the
firewall with 6-32 bolts and #6 washers. Be sure that
the mount is centered on the firewall. Adjust the
mount to fit your engine.
25. Position the engine on the engine mount at
the location shown on the plan. Mark the mounting
hole locations.
Hint: The Great Planes Dead Center
great for doing this.
26. Based on the engine you have chosen to put
in the airplane, decide on a location for your fuel line,
vent line and throttle pushrod to pass through the
firewall. Mark the locations, then remove the engine
from the mount. Drill a 7/32" hole in the firewall
for the fuel and vent line and a 3/16" hole for the
throttle pushrod. This would be a good time to install
the outer pushrod tube for the throttle.
27. Drill 1/8" [ 3.2mm] pilot holes through the marks
you made on the rails of the engine mount. Secure the
engine to the mount with four #8 x 1" [25.4mm] sheet
metal screws.
28. Install the fuel tank and foam rubber as shown
on the plan. Cut some of the leftover 1/4" [6.4mm]
balsa sheet into two 1/4" x 1/4" x 3" [6.4 x 6.4 x
76mm] balsa sticks. After positioning the two sticks
to secure the tank, glue the sticks in place.
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29. Position the die-cut 1/8" [3.2mm] ply fuel tank
hatch on the bottom of the fuselage. Drill a 1/16"
[1.6mm] hole in each corner of the hatch making
sure that the holes go into the firewall and F-2.
Remove the hatch, then place a drop of thin CA in
each of the holes in the firewall and F-2 to make the
™
tool works holes more durable.
30. Drill 3/32" [2.4mm] clearance holes in the
hatch only. Use a Dremel #178 bit to countersink
the clearance holes. Attach the hatch with four #2 flat
head wood screws.
31. Glue formers F-2C, F-2D, F-3B and F-3C in
the slots in the top of the fuselage.