The following photo series shows a selection of photos from the instruction manual to give you a better idea of exactly what you will be involved with as you build this fuselage. Construction photos are clear and include numbered keys to help you find the correct pre-cut part on the sheets.
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Laser cut plywood fuselage sides bonded to balsa sheeting. |
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Framed-up fuselage sides with front and rear cross formers. | |
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Detail of nose section with formers and kerf bending of triange stock. |
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Curved fuselage sides in nose section of fuselage with front former. | |
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Nose second former bonded to rear edge of curved balsa sheet. |
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Cockpit side frames with triangular balsa stock on top edge. | |
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Framed-up cockpit with sanded balsa tri-stock for cockpit sheeting. |
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Plywood cockpit alignment formers bonded to balsa side frames. | |
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Plywood doublers form alignment slots to mate upper fuselage. |
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Left and right upper transmission-bay side frames. | |
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Framed-up transmission bay with top and end formers. |
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Transmission bay, cross and lengthwise sheeted with balsa. | |
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Engine fairing with auxilliary air intakes sanded on both sides. |
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Final sanding completed on bottom edge of left engine fairing. | |
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Rounded exhaust housing after engine intake fairings are attached. |
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Detail of the actuator arm that can be optionally connected to move the cannon. | |
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Three barrel 20mm cannon with barrel separators and pivot mount. |
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Completed 7 tube rocket launcher with adjustable weapons pilon. | |
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Tow missile launcher without tubes mounted on wing-tip weapons pilon. |
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Completed Tow missile launcher with wing-tip mount. | |
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Assembly of telescoping sight unit (TSU) turret mounted under the nose. |
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Framed-up stub wings with leading edge and fuselage attachment tabs. | |
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Final sanding of completed stub wing with balsa sheeting. |
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Hardwood rails and marking for scale landing gear mount points. | |
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Plywood fuselage bottom installed with default cooling vents. |
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Aluminum tail tube provided to support Contour tail drive system. | |
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Plywood tail side frames assembled on cross-support formers. |
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Assembled tail structure attached to bottom plate. | |
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Tail tube temporily installed to finalize mount points. |
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Top cross formers bonded in place to secure tail tube. | |
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Elevated tail bonded to fuselage sides in alignment tabs. |
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Laminated balsa tail fins with cross mounting slot. | |
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Final sanding of tail fins, with symmetric contour shape. |
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Tail fins temporarily installed to complete sanding before paint. | |
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Contour tail drive installed with support formers along tail boom. |
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Leading edge balsa tri-stock bonded to vertical tail. | |
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Turbine exhaust vents pre-cut in lower balsa sheeting. |
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Top sheeting completed for the exhaust housing. | |
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Final sanding of tail boom and tail drive shaft cover. |
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Lower elevated tail sheeting installed with tube and pushrod. | |
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Rudder servo mounted behind main mechanics bay. |
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Tail pushrod support rail secures pushrod housing. | |
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Assembled leading edge half of top tail cover. |
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Optional bottom access cover for electric mechanics. | |
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Right stub wing tab fitted to fuselage for final sanding. |
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Completed teardrop shaped top fairing with cutout for rotor head. | |
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Scale Aluminum landing gear fitted to a prototype Cobra 60. |