Top Flite TOPA0145 - Manual (Page 33)

❏ ❏ 16. Locate the 2-56 ball, ball link socket and
2-56 nut. Attach the ball through FR3D and FR3 and
retain it with the nut. After tightening the nut put a small
drop of CA on the threads to prevent it from loosening.
❏ ❏ 17. Cut a small piece of leftover 3/8" [9.5mm]
triangle stock and glue it to FR3 and the flap skin.
❏ ❏ 18. Cut a slot through the trailing edge of the
wing, just large enough for the 2-56 pushrod. See the
photo at step 16.
❏ ❏ 19. Cut one of the 2-56 x 12" [305mm] pushrods
to fit from the bellcrank to the ball link. Make a
Z-bend in the wire and attach it to the bellcrank as
shown on the plan.
❏ 20. Repeat steps 4-19 for the left flap.
Sheeting the flap area when flaps are
not used.
Perform steps 21 and 22 only if there will not be
working flaps.
❏ ❏ 21. Use a new 1/16" x 3" x 30" [1.6 x 76 x
762mm] balsa sheet and a piece of 1/16" [1.6mm]
sheeting that was left over from trimming the wing
sheeting to make the skin for the flap area. Edge
glue the two skins together and cut them to fit onto
the wing using the flap plan as a guide.
❏ ❏ 22. When satisfied with the fit, glue the skin in
place to the wing.
Sheet the top of the Wing
❏ ❏ 1. Glue four of the 1/16" x 3" x 30" [1.6 x 76 x
762mm] balsa sheets together in the same way as
you glued the other sheeting. After the glue has
dried, cut the sheeting to the outline of the wing. Be
sure to save the portion of the sheet that you cut
away at the leading edge. This will be used in step 5.
Note: The sheeting will not cover the entire top of the
wing. The flap area will not be sheeted in
this step.
❏ ❏ 2. Locate balsa parts C1, C6, C11 and six wing
jig braces. Assemble three wing jigs as shown in
the photographs.
❏ ❏ 3. Support the wing with the three wing jigs.
Place C1 at the wing root, C11 at the wingtip and C6
centered in the middle of the wing. Glue the sheeting
in place on the wing using the same method as the
bottom of the wing. Trim the sheeting at the LE, tip
and TE after it has dried.
❏ ❏ 4. Test fit the aileron. Sand the aileron to fit
between the ribs with 1/16" [1.6mm] clearance at
each end of the aileron. Sand the ailerons to match
the airfoil of the wing.
P P P P - - 3 3 3 3 9 9 9 9 F F F F a a a a c c c c tt tt
Approximately 9,560 Airacobras were
produced, about half of which were sent to
Russia under the Lend-Lease program.
33