CABIN
SEATS
The photos show fold and assembly of the
card seats on RAP SHT 1 Revised. The printed instructions show an
earlier seat configuration which includes the fitting od separate
seat cushions and backs (parts 1A and 1B sheet 9) These are not
required for the revised seats.
After scoring and folding (pics 1-3),
first glue the seat base pieces to form the triangular base (pic
4) then glue together the seat back (pic 5-6) Pics 7 and 8 above
show addition of a thick card seat arm cusion and seat belts made
from coloured paper strips.
CABIN
ASSEMBLY
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Photos show the part
assembled cabin assembly. Rapides had a number of
seating layouts for 6-8 seats - here seats assembled
for the 8 seat variant. In the cockpit area, the pilot
seat has harness made from paper strips, and the VHF
radio on the cockpit bulkhead modelled using the spare
instrument panel dials, together with a small piece of
ali tubing to represent the cockpit fire extinguisher.
The cockpit door is in the open position, and the
etched metal throttle/trim tab wheel and control
column/rudder bar assemblies fitted. The cabin floor
has been left in silver - coloured paper can be glued
onto the cabin floor to represent coloured carpeting
prior to gluing seats - we find that leaving the
silver surfaces on cabin floor and cieling improves
the look of the cabin interior when the model is
complete as the highly reflective surface gives a
lighter interior.
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This stage shows the
cabin roof fitted (part 8) - note that tha nose
section (part 9) is glued on with the side tabs
OUTSIDE the cabin sides; the tabs at sides of upper
wingspar position are glued DOWN onto sides and
wingspar 20 is glued onto cabin floor tabs folded out,
Part 20 must be fitted as shown (printed 20 portside
upwards) to give the correct anhedral angle to the
lower wing centre section.
The cockpit bulkhead (part 3)
is a little too tall, so that when fixing part 8 to
its upper edge, the side tabs on part 8 may project
above the cabin side pieces. Trim these projections to
the profile of the upper edge of the side
panels.
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The instrument panel can be
painted with matt black enamel. then when dry lightly
sanded over with wet-and-dry to reveal the instrument
detail.
RIGHT - Fitting the fuselage
skins in the next stage of assembly is made easier if the
parts 13,14 and 15 are glued onto 3mm balsa sheet then
cut out (without tabs), then glued onto fus floor and
roof as below - note small additional pieces of balsa
over the cockpit bulkhead - these will be shaped to a
taper before fixing the cockpit glazing - and on the wing
spars. Also note that there is NO part 16 on cabin
top
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Cockpit
Glazing
ONLY apply adhesive to
the lower and bulkhead edges of side transparent glazing and to
bulkhead edge of roof panels, and to the matching positions on
card. Fit the cockpit glazing by first fixing one side panel to
lower and bulkhead edges, then wrap around and fix opposite side.
The upper edge of the instrument panel scuttle will deform
downwards, slightly narrowing the nose. With the side panels
properly positioned and fixed, attach the rear edges of the cabin
roof glazing to top of bulkhead. The joint between side and roof
glazing will take on its correct shape with the roof glazing
correctly positioned on the bulkhead. PRACTICE THIS ASSEMBLY. The
roof and side joints should not be glued - these will be securely
fixed when the cockpit glazing frames are fitted later.
Fuselage
rear section
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The complete fuselage armature.
Note that correct alignment of the rear fuselage parts 17
and 18 has the back edge of cabin exactly located on the
shaded portion of part 17. To achieve this it may be
neccessary to cut away portions of part 18's stepped
bulkhead to the front of the rear fuselage armature.
Before glueing the front and back portions together check
the londitudinal alignment af the assembly to avoid a
banana fuselage!
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