Estes SR-71 Blackbird Build Part 10, Top Shroud Glue and Form

The upper shroud half is glued on much like the lower half.

Start with the center line gluing lining up the tick marks with the lines drawn on the body tube.

Check from the rear to see if the upper shroud is straight. Let the glue dry thoroughly before steaming the shroud for shaping.

Look ahead and you'll see the curvature of the top and bottom shroud are different where it meets the nose cone base.

TIP: Be sure to put a 24mm engine casing in the rear and the nose cone in front.
There is a lot of pressure on the interior BT-50 tube when curving the thick shrouds. the nose cone and engine casing help keep the 50 tube round.

Here's the side view of the front (top of picture) and the rear (low inset picture) after gluing on the top and bottom shrouds.

As careful as I could be, the shrouds did not match up perfectly. There will be overhang and trimming to get the edges even with the balsa sides.

This corner seems to be the toughest area to glue down.
There is pressure at this point and it will want to lift.

You could almost use a double glue method here. I had to go back and reapply glue a second time.