Top Flite TOPA0310 - Manual (Page 24)

Build the flap
The flap is built much the same as the aileron—
attached to the wing for accurate alignment and a
perfect fit.
❏ ❏ 1. Cut a 1/4" x 1-1/2" x 36" balsa stick into two
18"-long pieces and glue them together to make the
flap LE .
❏ ❏ 2. Trim the ends of the flap LE to fit between ribs
1 and 7. Trim the top of the flap LE to fit the TE
sheeting that extends past the inner TE in flap area.
❏ ❏ 3. As you did the aileron LE, tack glue the flap
LE to the wing. There must be a 1/16" gap between
the top of the flap LE and the TE sheeting (you can
see the gap in the following photo). Trim the bottom
of the flap LE to match the wing.
Refer to this photo for the following three steps.
❏ ❏ 4. As you did with the aileron core, glue the die-
cut 3/32" balsa flap core to the flap LE. The ends of
the flap core should align with ribs 7 and 1.
❏ ❏ 5. Study the sketch to understand how the flap is
constructed and what it should look like when
completed. Make the
bottom flap ribs from a 3/32" x
5/8" x 24" balsa stick and glue them into position. Note
that there should be a 1/16" gap between the bottom of
the flap ribs and the bottom of the flap LE to
accommodate 1/16" cap strips which will be added later.
❏ ❏ 6. Make the top flap ribs from the remainder of
the 3/32" x 5/8" balsa stick you used for the bottom
flap ribs and glue them into position. Note that the
top flap ribs should align with the top of the flap LE.
Refer to this photo for the following four steps.
❏ ❏ 7. Use the 5/8" x 5/8" basswood stick to make
the flap control horn block that fits on the bottom
of the flap between flap ribs 3 & 4. Glue the horn
block into position.
❏ ❏ 8. Make the flap hinge blocks for the top and
bottom of the flap from the remainder of the 1/4" x
1/2" balsa stick used for the aileron hinge blocks and
glue them into position. Note that there are only two
hinge blocks on the bottom of the flap and they lie on
the 1/4" side. The hinge blocks on the top of the flap
lie on the 1/2" side.
❏ ❏
9. Cut three 1"-long flap hinge blocks for the
wing from the 3/4" x 1" x 7" balsa stick and glue them
to the inner wing TE where shown on the plan. Glue
a piece of leftover balsa over the outer TE spar aft of
the middle hinge block (this can be seen in the photo
at step 13 on page 25).
Refer to this photo for the following three steps
❏ ❏ 10. Cut the flap LE cap strip from a 1/8" x
5/16" x 36" balsa stick (if this is your second wing
panel, use the remainder of the stick you used for the
first wing panel). Glue the strip to the top of the flap
LE allowing a 1/32" gap between the strip and the
wing TE sheeting. Sand the cap strip even with wing
TE sheeting.
❏ ❏ 11. Cut the cap strips for the top of the flap from
a 3/32" x 1/4" x 36" balsa stick and cut the cap strips
for the
bottom of the flap from a 1/16" x 1/4" x 36"
stick and glue them into position. Cut notches in the
cap strips where necessary to accommodate the
hinge blocks on the bottom of the wing.
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