Join The Control Surfaces; Finishing Touches; Decals; Panel Lines - Top Flite Contender User Manual

Wing
1. Bottom left wing tip
2. Top left wing tip
3. Bottom right wing tip
4. Top right wing tip
5. Bottom of the wing (one piece)
6. Top, one side
8. Top, other side
9. Bottom, then top of ailerons
10. Bottom and top of the flap

Join the control surfaces

After the model has been covered it is time to join
the control surfaces. (Read "Important notes
about CA hinges" on page 9.)
1. Start with the stab and elevators. Remove a
small strip of covering from the hinge slots.
2. Fit the hinges in the stab or elevators only
(without glue).
3. Join the elevators to the stab with the hinges.
4. Cut a paper towel into approximately 2" [51mm]
squares. Add six drops of thin CA to the center of the
hinges on both the top and bottom. The tunnels you
drilled will wick the CA into the entire hinge surface.
Use the paper towel squares to absorb excess CA
from the hinge gap before it cures.
5. Locate the covered fin assembly. Cut a small
amount of the covering away from the bottom of the
fin so that you will have some exposed wood. Glue
the fin assembly between the dorsal fin supports.
6. Use the same hinging method to join the rudder
to the fin and the ailerons and flap to the wing.
7. Reinstall all the pushrods and mount the control
horns to the ailerons and flap. Reinstall any
hardware and other components you may not
already have in place such as the engine and
muffler, fuel tank, servos, on/off switch, fuel filler
valve, etc.

FINISHING TOUCHES

Decals

1. Study the photos on the box to decide where to
place the decals.
2. Thoroughly clean your airplane before you
apply the decals.
3. Trim the decals as close as practical and
carefully apply them to your model. You can float the
decals into position by first applying soapy water to
the model's surface (just a teaspoon of dish
detergent to a quart of water), then squeegeeing out
the water and soap with a piece of soft balsa or a
credit card wrapped with a tissue. Blot the surface
dry and let the decal adhesive cure for at least 12
hours before running the engine.

Panel lines

Though the Contender is not a scale model, panel
lines really finish the job and set your model apart
from others (besides, they tend to distract the eye
from any building imperfections and uneven
surfaces—not that your model has any). Study the
photos on the box and decide which panel lines to
add. There are two methods for adding panel lines.
The first method is to use a Top Flite Panel Line Pen
(TOPQ2510) with a flexible straightedge. Apply a few
strips of masking tape to the back of your straightedge
about 1/8" [3.2mm] from the edge to raise it off the
surface so the ink won't bleed underneath. Place the
straightedge directly on your model and use it as a
guide to mark your panel lines. Use the Top Flite
Scale Template (TOPR2187) for rivets, hatches, fuel
caps and other details. You can make your own
templates from thin plastic or cardboard for special
areas like hatches. Some cleaners will remove the ink
lines, so test your cleaner on the ink before spraying
the cleaner on your model. The inked-on panel lines
stay well but have to be "freshened up" from time to
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time due to spilled fuel or exhaust residue.
The second method for applying panel lines is to use a
Top Flite SmartStripe ™ (TOPR2400) to cut narrow
strips of MonoKote film. Iron the panel lines in position.
Black or Charcoal MonoKote film is recommended.

GET YOUR MODEL READY TO FLY

Balance your model

NOTE: This section is VERY important and must
NOT be omitted! A model that is not properly
balanced will be unstable and possibly unflyable.
1. Accurately mark the balance point on the top of
the wing on both sides of the fuselage. The balance
point is shown on the plan (CG) and is located 3-3/16"
[80.8mm] back from the leading edge of the wing as
shown in the sketch and on the plan. This is the
balance point at which your model should be balanced
for your first flights. Later, you may experiment by
shifting the balance up to 3/8" [10mm] forward or back
to change the flying characteristics. If you move the
balance point forward it may improve the smoothness
and tracking, but your Contender may then require
more speed for takeoff and become more difficult to
slow and flare for landing. If you move the balance aft
it may make your Contender more agile with a lighter
feel and allow you to perform more aerobatic
maneuvers. In any case, please start at the location
we recommend and do not at any time balance your
model outside the recommended range.
2. All components should be in the model and it
should be ready to fly when balancing the model,
however the fuel tank should be empty.