| To enclose all the components inside the fuselage of the KI61 it was determined that splitting the fuselage along the thrust line would offer the best way to both mount the motor and install the components. A bandsaw was used to cut the fuse from the motor mount to behind the rear od the wing. A Dremel with a router attachment was then used to cut a channel from the motor mount to the receiver compartment to route the wires, a pocket was routed for the receiver and speed controller in the top fuselage half, then another in the bottom for the battery ... NOTE the fuselage profile was not cut until after the pockets. The flat sides of the blank were easier to hold on the work surface as the pockets were routed. |
| The top and bottom fuselage halves were tack glued together for shaping and sanding with dots of five minute epoxy. It doesn't take much, just enough to hold the top and bottom to each other for sanding but no more than is necessary so they make be broken apart later for equipment installation. Start the fuselage shaping with 60 grit sandpaper on a sanding block. Use very little downforce, let the paper do the cutting for you. I mark top and bottom centerlines on the fuse and gradually sand and shape towards them. It is best to only move the sandpaper in one direction. Moving it back and forth greatly increases the chances of gouging out chunks of foam. Once you are close to the final shape use 180 grit paper to smooth out the surfaces. Now your fuselage is ready for paint. |
| Determine the location of your aileron servos. I try to put them right onto the CG. Trace around the servo then set the depth of your Dremel router attachment to match the servo thickness. After routing pockets for the servos cut a slot for the servo wires. |