Top Flite TOPA0145 - Manual (Page 24)

Step 41 - 43 apply only for the fixed gear installation.
Skip to step R1 if you are installing retracts.
❏ 42. Drill 1/8" [3.2mm] holes in F1A at the four
punch marks for the nose gear bearing mount.
Mount the nose gear bearing to the firewall with 4-40
bolts, washers and blind nuts.
❏ 43. Enlarge the 5/32” hole in the nose gear bearing
with a 3/16” drill bit. Install the steering arm assembly
into the nose gear bearing. Put the nose gear wire
in position.
❏ 44. Cut the nose gear pushrod to length and install
it using a Z-bend at the steering arm and a screw-
lock pushrod connector at the servo.
❏ R6. Bolt the nose gear retract into position on
the rails with #4 flat washers and 3/8" [9.5mm]
sheet metal screws included in the kit. The nose
wheel steering control will use a pull-pull system
which will be installed when we get to finishing the
lower half of the fuselage.
We will discuss the installation of the main gear
retracts when we get to that point in the
wing construction.
❏ R5. The left side of the landing gear plate
requires a slight modification to accommodate the
narrow fuselage. Using a Dremel cut-off wheel or
a bench grinder, remove the corner of the plate on
the left side of the landing gear plate as shown in
the photo. Drill a 1/8" hole in the position shown in
the photo.
❏ R4. Glue the two plywood nose gear rails to the
bottom of the firewall, wing saddle and triangle
stock with 30-minute epoxy. Clamp them in
position and set the assembly aside to dry.
❏ R3. Cut the 3/8"x 30" [9.5 x 762mm] balsa
triangle stock into two pieces approximately
4-1/8" [105.2mm] in length. Glue the triangle
pieces to the inside edges of the wing saddle with
30-minute epoxy.
❏ R2. Locate the 1/4" x 1" x 12" [6.4 x 25.4 x
305mm] plywood nose gear rail. Cut two rails to
match the pattern on the plan. Sand them to match
the photograph above. Be sure you sand enough
wood away to give clearance for the fuselage as
it tapers forward to the nose ring.
❏ R1. Using the pattern on the plan as a guide, cut
out the center portion of the firewall to give
clearance for the Robart nose gear unit and the
mounting rails.
Retract Installation (nose gear)
24