Top Flite TOPA0140 - Manual (Page 23)

❏ ❏
10. Temporarily mount your wheel to the
axle and retract the gear into the wing. Make sure
the landing gear will operate correctly and there is
no interference.
❏
11. Return to step five and fit the right retract in
the right wing panel the same way.
❏
12. Drill holes in the landing gear rails and
mount your retracts with the screws included with
the retracts. Make sure both retract units are in the
same location on the rails.
❏
13. Double-check the retract action and make
sure the wheels and struts do not interfere with
anything when you retract them into the wing. Trim
where necessary.
PREPARE THE OUTER PANELS
FOR SHEETING
❏
1. Use the 3/16" x 3/4" x 6" [4.8 x 19.1 x
152mm] balsa stick to make two gussets joining
rib 8 to the inner TE of both wing panels. Glue the
gussets in position.
Refer to this photo for the rest of this section.
Perform steps 2 through 5 only if you are
building flaps
❏
2. Cut eight 3/4" [19mm] long flap hinge
blocks from the 3/8" x 3/8" x 12" [9.5 x 12.7 x
305mm] balsa stick. Glue the hinge blocks to the
front of the inner TE’s where shown on the plan as
indicated in the sketch.
❏
3. Trim the flap hinge blocks so they are even
with the ribs and TE’s.
❏
4. Securely glue both flap bellcrank plates to
ribs 4 and 5 as shown on the plan.
Note: Study the plan and position the flap
bellcranks so both flap pushrods move in the
same direction when the servo is actuated.
❏
5. Slip a silicone retainer over both clevises of
the flap center pushrod (not shown in the photo)
and connect the pushrod to the bellcranks. Make
sure the bellcranks are neutral when the flap servo
is neutral. Adjust the clevises if necessary. Enlarge
the hole of both flap bellcranks that the pushrods
connect to with a #48 [1.90mm] or 5/64" drill.
❏
6. Cut six 1" [25mm] long aileron hinge blocks
from the same 3/8" x 3/8" [9.5 x 9.5mm] balsa stick
you used for the flaps and glue them to the outer
TE of both wing panels where shown on the plan.
Trim the outer aileron hinge blocks so they are
even with the outer TE.
❏
7. Mark the location of the flap and aileron hinge
blocks on the outside of the TE’s so it will be easier
to determine where to make the hinge slots later.
❏
8. Cut four aileron servo hatch rails from the
1/4" x 3/8" x 24" [6.4 x 9.5 x 610mm] basswood
stick. Glue the servo hatch rails into the notches of
ribs 8 and 9 of both wing panels.
MAKE THE WING SKINS
❏
1. Gather sixteen 1/16" x 3" x 30" [1.6 x 76 x
762mm] balsa sheets for the wing sheeting.
❏
2. True the joining edges of four 1/16" x 3" x 30"
[1.6 x 76 x 762mm] balsa sheets and glue them
together. This is one wing skin. Repeat this
process three more times.
❏
3. After the glue dries sand the sheets flat,
smooth and even.
Perform step 1 only if you are not
building flaps
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