Top Flite CESSNA 182 SKYLANE, Instruction Book

Page 1: ... liability shall be assumed nor accepted for any damage resulting from the use by the user of the final user assembled product By the act of using the user assembled product the user accepts all resulting liability If the buyer is not prepared to accept the liability associated with the use of this product the buyer is advised to immediately return this kit in new and unused condition to the place...

Page 2: ... Proof and Paint the interior 33 Install Pushrods and Servos 33 Frame the Fuselage Top 33 Install Nose Gear Steering 35 Install the Engine and Tank 36 1 20 Engine Servo Option 37 Attach the Stab and Fin 37 Tips for Silver Soldering 39 Complete the Fuse Top 39 Mount the Wing to the Fuselage 41 HINGE THE CONTROL SURFACES 42 Hinge the Elevator Rudder Ailerons 42 FUSELAGE FINISHING TOUCHES 43 Assemble...

Page 3: ... 12 x 6 prop throughout much of its flight testing This combination provided more than ample power for all normal flight maneuvers and aerobatics Because of its 81 wingspan the Top Flite Cessna 182 is eligible to be entered at IMAA events In order to be IMAA legal some of the control components and hardware may need to be replaced to conform to Giant Scale rules even though this model does not req...

Page 4: ...are available that will fit inside your cowling They are primarily designed for 2 stroke engines mounted horizontally as used on our prototype Header for O S 61SF TOPQ7920 Header for SuperTigre S61K S75K TOPQ7925 Muffler for above TOPQ7916 OPTIONAL FLAPS This model is designed to incorporate scale flaps however be assured that flaps are optional and not necessary for an excellent flying experience...

Page 5: ...03 Ram 04 Rotating Beacon RAMQ2304 Ram 14 Big Airplane Navigation Lights RAMQ2314 We recommend Top Flite Supreme CAs and Epoxies 2 2 oz CA Thin TOPR1003 2 2 oz CA Medium TOPR1008 1 oz CA Thick TOPR1011 6 Minute Epoxy TOPR1040 30 Minute Epoxy TOPR1043 Titebond Wood Glue optional Hand or Electric Drill Drill Bits 1 16 3 32 1 8 5 32 3 16 13 64 1 4 15 64 Soldering Iron and Silver Solder Sealing Iron T...

Page 6: ...an be made from balsa for sanding hard to reach spots We also keep some 320 grit wet or dry sandpaper handy for finish sanding before covering COMMON ABBREVIATIONS USED IN THIS BOOK AND ON THE PLANS Deg Degrees Elev Elevator Fuse Fuselage LE Leading Edge front LG Landing Gear Lt Left Ply Plywood Rt Right Stab Stabilizer TE Trailing Edge rear Inches TYPES OF WOOD BALSA BASSWOOD PLYWOOD Metric Conve...

Page 7: ...GEAR DOUBLER CABIN SIDE TOP DORSAL FIN FORMERS FIREWALL SIDE SUPPORTS 2 REQ 1 REQ 1 REQ 2 REQ 2 REQ 1 REQ 1 REQ 1 REQ 2 REQ CES6F03 CES6F04 CES6S02 CES6F02 CES6F01 CES6F05 CES6F06 CES6F07 CES6F08 3 32 X 3 X 21 BALSA 1 8 X 6 5 8 X 19 PLY 1 4 X 2 3 4 X 15 BALSA 1 8 X 6 5 8 X 19 PLY 3 32 X 3 X 18 BALSA 1 8 X 5 3 4 X 19 PLY 1 8 X 5 3 4 X 19 PLY 1 8 X 5 3 4 X 19 PLY 1 8 X 5 3 4 X 19 PLY DIE CUT PATTERN...

Page 8: ...8 DIE CUT PATTERNS ...

Page 9: ...notch in the forward portion of S 1 for the Stab Joiner SJ with a knife Use a pen to mark the extensions of the bottom edge of the ribs across the fore and aft ends of the jig tabs These marks will help when you trim off the jig tabs later 3 The stab Trailing Edges S are die cut from 1 4 balsa Since some crushing may occur during die cutting wood of this thickness they are supplied slightly long a...

Page 10: ...n the LE Glue the remaining ribs to the LE checking for straightness as you proceed 11 Glue both S 7 ribs to the Stab LE 12 Glue the 1 4 x 1 2 x 7 8 balsa Stab Sub TE to the aft edge of S 7 and to the side of S 6 Make sure that the Stab Sub TE is positioned exactly 90 degrees to S 6 13 Trim the Stab LE s flush with the S 7 s Reinforce all of the joints with medium CA Sand the tips of the LE sub TE...

Page 11: ...ts adding glue as necessary 20 Cut another 1 wide cross grain strip from 1 16 x 6 off cut balsa sheeting and glue it between the two S 1 ribs flush with their bottom edges 21 It s important to get a good glue bond between the stab frame and the bottom stab skins Apply a heavy bead of medium or thick STAB SKIN 12 1 8 13 13 12 1 8 3 STAB SKIN for misalignment On a large surface such as the wing 3 8 ...

Page 12: ...h waxed paper then pin a skin in position Use the tic marks on the plan to draw the rib locations on the skin 4 Draw a line along the length of the skin s TE 3 8 in from the edge Remove the skin from the building board then holding it along the edge of your work bench sand a taper from the line towards the TE so that the TE will be approximately 1 32 thick 5 Locate the 3 8 x 3 4 x 11 5 8 shaped ba...

Page 13: ...p Cut the Stab Tip apart along this line 12 Glue the forward balsa Stab Tips in position 13 Glue the Elevator Balance Tab flush with the Elevator Tip Center the Stab Tip on the outboard end of the Elevator before using thick CA to glue in place Make sure that both the Elevator LE and TE are centered before the CA cures 14 Tape the elevator assembly to the Stab Make sure that the Stab Tip and Eleva...

Page 14: ...ottom of each rib This hole will provide a passage for the wiring 3 Cut a 15 length of the tapered 1 4 balsa Stabilizer Fin LE stock to match the plans exactly as the length of the LE sets the angle of the fin Notice that the Fin LE fits into a notch on top of F 8 4 Punch out the die cut 1 4 balsa Fin TE and lightly sand the edges to touch them up Sand or cut the tips to match the sweep angle as s...

Page 15: ...ccomplish this step 2 Pin one of the rudder skins to the wax paper covered plans and draw the location of each rib using the tic marks as a guide Draw a line the length of the rudder skin 3 8 in from the aft edge as you did with the elevators Remove the rudder skin from the board and taper the aft edge to 1 32 Taper the aft edge of the other rudder skin to 1 32 See next photo 3 Locate the 3 8 x 3 ...

Page 16: ...s shaped and sanded remove all masking tape 14 Draw a centerline on the rudder s LE Sand a V bevel along this line with reference to the plans for the correct angle Hinging and installation of the torque rod will come later in the assembly process 15 Sand a radius around the forward edge of the Rudder Tip Hold the fin and rudder together to check the clearance between the Rudder Tip and the Fin Ti...

Page 17: ...ter Spar with the jig tabs touching the plan Be sure that the ply doublers are facing the correct direction 7 Insert without gluing the die cut 1 8 balsa Center Aft Spar into the slots above the jig tabs Insert the second basswood Center Spar into the forward rib notches Make sure that both Spars are flush with the upper edge of the ribs 8 Interlock the 1 8 die cut ply Center LE with the tabs on t...

Page 18: ...on frame so zipping right along let s move on to the outer wing panels HINT You will speed up the building process if you prepare two wing panel kits before you start gluing We also suggest that you assemble all four spars even though you may only be building one half of the wing at a time 1 Place a wing panel plan on your building board and cover it with waxed paper 2 Cut four 1 8 x 3 8 x 24 hard...

Page 19: ...erence line on both long edges of each piece NOTE Both parts are slightly narrower at one end Use 6 Minute Epoxy to glue the parts together as shown in the photo Be sure to make one left and one right set 11 Use a razor saw to cut a 1 4 wide slot from the upper forward Spar notch down to the lower Spar through ribs W 6 and W 7 Insert the Outer Dihedral Brace into the slot you just cut with the nar...

Page 20: ...s G1 and G2 in position as shown on the plans 20 Trim the excess material from the Spars LE TE etc and sand all ends flush Reinforce all joints that still need extra glue by adding medium CA 21 Refer to the plan for the location of the single and double 1 16 x 2 3 4 x 1 1 2 balsa Shear Webs Glue the Shear Webs in position with thick CA Not between W 4 and W 5 22 Locate the 1 2 x 1 2 x 6 balsa stic...

Page 21: ...wing IMPORTANT Check your work surface with a metal straightedge to make sure that it s perfectly flat before proceeding Make a dry run of the following step before actually performing it with glue 4 Place the Center panel on the Jig Blocks in the middle of your work bench Add some weight to hold it in place a few magazines or small sandbags are handy for this Prepare 1 2 ounce of 30 Minute Epoxy ...

Page 22: ...he best three sheets from the 1 16 x 3 x 21 sheeting to use for the top Center Section skin 2 Lay waxed paper over a flat smooth work surface 3 Make four outboard wing skins by edge gluing three 1 16 x 3 x 36 balsa wing sheets together to make four 9 x 36 skins Make one center section skin using four sheets of 1 16 x 3 x 21 balsa This skin will be cut in half after sanding to make two 12 x 10 1 2 ...

Page 23: ...ull size opening Remember it s faster to enlarge a hole that s too small than to shrink one that s oversize After enlarging holes use thin CA to glue the skin to the hatch rails 13 Use a sharpened piece of wire to bore through the exposed side of the Wing Bolt plate to mark the holes in the bottom wing skin for the wing bolts Mark these holes now as it will be difficult to find the location after ...

Page 24: ...of bad flight characteristics Polyhedral angles can vary slightly so if your tip jigs require adjustment just be sure that both tip jigs are modified the same and are therefore identical Be careful not to change the washout angle the negative angle of attack of the tip ribs if you adjust the jigs 1 Locate all of the 1 8 die cut ply wing jigs as shown in the photo Assemble the two parts of both TE ...

Page 25: ...ructure fully sheeted You may now remove all Jig parts from the wing and sand off any glue marks 1 Trim the sheeting where it protrudes past the edge of the structure 2 Sand the wing Leading Edge until it blends well with the sheeting to form a smooth airfoil 3 Square off the wing tips with a T bar 4 Use a pointed piece of wire to mark the holes for the wing bolts from the bottom through the top w...

Page 26: ... wedge of balsa as shown in the photo then use a round sanding tool e g 80 grit sandpaper wrapped around a short piece of broom handle to curve the underside 11 When the Wing Tip has been shaped close to finished size glue it to W 14 with medium CA Don t glue it to the Aileron Finish sanding the Wing Tip with 220 grit sandpaper blending it with the wing sheeting and LE Fine tune the curved underca...

Page 27: ...lap LE sections to allow passage of the Flap Horn Glue the Flap LE in position exactly as shown in the photo with the bottom of the Flap flush with the bottom of the Flap LE 4 Sand the LE of the Flap Ribs flush and at the same angle with the Flap Spar Use a long T bar or sanding block to maintain a straight LE 5 Refer to the plans for the location of the 1 16 die cut birch ply Flap Horn NOTE There...

Page 28: ...d line that extends past F 1 The 1 8 groove faces to the outside of the fuse Leave excess material extending beyond F 1 and at the tail for trimming to size later IMPORTANT Before starting assembly drill a 3 16 pushrod hole through each of the punch marks on formers F 2 F 8 All formers must be installed with the stamped identification number facing forward This is necessary to align the pushrod ho...

Page 29: ...g for the CA F 3 is the last former you need to glue to the stringers at this time 7 Insert and glue the 1 8 die cut former LF into the slot in the fuse Keel Make sure that it is square and flush with the top and bottom of the Keel 8 Insert the Keel assembly into the upper center notches of F 2 and F 3 The notches on the tips of LF should be resting on the 3 16 stringers Adjust F 2 so that the bot...

Page 30: ...he wide end of the Nose Gear Block points away from the building board Drill out the Nose Gear Wire Hole with a 13 64 drill bit Remove the Nose Gear Bearing Block then use thick CA to mount the basswood block permanently to F 1 Be sure that all of the mounting holes stay in alignment 18 After the epoxy on the 1 4 Landing Gear Plate has fully cured an hour or more clamp both of the bent aluminum Ma...

Page 31: ...other side of the fuse then cut a second Fuse Side using the first one as a pattern 5 Wipe a damp paper towel over the outside surface of the Fuse Side to aid with curving the balsa 6 Realign a Fuse Side sheet with the framework then wick some thin CA into the joint between the Main Stringer and the Fuse Side starting midway between the front and back of the Fuse Carefully work outward in both dir...

Page 32: ... by pushing a long T pin through the sheeting between LF and F 3 with the pin flat on the upper surface of the Landing Gear Plate Use the pin as a reference point to cut a 1 4 x 1 1 2 slot for the Main Landing Gear The slot must be even with the Landing Gear Plate and F 3 Don t worry if the slot is slightly oversized as it will be covered with an ABS fairing during final assembly 16 Clean up the i...

Page 33: ... of thin CA to hold them in position Slide a silicone Retainer onto the rear of a nylon Clevis then screw the Clevis onto the Pushrod about 14 turns Make a second Pushrod in the same manner 2 Make sure that the CA on the bushings has thoroughly cured you don t want the Pushrods glued to the inside of the tubes then insert the Pushrod wires over the top of F 1 into the forward end of the Pushrod Tu...

Page 34: ...rs F 5 through F 8 Hold a straightedge across both former halves to align them 7 Lightly taper the top forward edge of the two die cut 1 8 ply Stab Saddles to allow for the curvature of the sheeting then glue them to the top of the Main Stringer between F 8B and F 9 8 Draw an X from corner to corner on two 5 16 x 3 4 x 7 8 basswood Strut Blocks to locate the center point Drill a 1 16 dia hole thro...

Page 35: ...ing Saddle Braces and to F 3B Make sure that you obtain a solid bond between all parts Turn the fuse upside down and add a fillet of epoxy around the edges of the Wing Bolt Blocks under the Wing Saddle Braces 1 Install a 3 16 Wheel Collar and Set Screw on the Nose Gear Wire between the upper and lower parts of the Nose Gear Bearing The top end of the Nose Gear Wire must protrude 3 16 above the top...

Page 36: ...Mount halves and trim off any burrs Snap the Engine Mount halves together and place the engine of your choice between the rails adjusting the width between the rails accordingly 2 Position the engine so that the propeller backplate is exactly 6 1 4 159 mm from the aft edge of the Engine Mount Mark drill and tap the engine mounting holes to accept the 8 32 socket head cap screws included with this ...

Page 37: ...lems 9 Mark and drill 1 4 fuel tube holes through the firewall being careful not to damage the tank Install both the fuel supply and pressure tubes For ease of fueling we suggest a Great Planes Fuel Filler Valve GPMQ4160 that can be mounted on the cowling during final assembly 1 Check the fit of the Stab with the Stab Saddle Make any adjustments to the Stab Saddle very carefully so that you don t ...

Page 38: ...move the Fin from the Stab 8 Align the die cut 1 8 ply Fin Drill Guide with the Fin center mark on the Stab as shown Carefully drill a 3 16 hole through the Stab into the rear of the fuse while keeping the drill bit aligned with the Fin Drill Guide 9 Trim the threaded portion of the 1 8 bent wire Rudder Torque Rod so that 5 8 of thread remains Screw the nylon Rudder Horn onto the threaded end unti...

Page 39: ...ion Use masking tape to hold it in position while the epoxy cures Once the tape is in place check the Fin to make sure that it s on the fuse centerline and perpendicular to the Stab Use any leftover epoxy to form a small fillet around the base of the Fin 1 Cut 3 16 x 3 16 x 24 balsa Stringers to fit the top aft formers from F 5B to the top of the Stab Taper the Stringers to blend with the surface ...

Page 40: ... 1 1 2 past the Instrument Panel The easiest way to do this small section is to make a skin by edge gluing three sheets together then cutting them as a unit to fit over the front end of the fuse 6 Refer to the shape of the Instrument Panel anti glare shield on the plans then carefully cut and sand the top forward sheeting to conform to this shape 7 Sand off the protruding portion of the Main Sub S...

Page 41: ...owl Ring to F 1 with thick CA so that you will have a few seconds to make last minute adjustments The Cowl Ring should be inset from the fuse sheeting by about 1 16 all around 15 Use 30 Minute Epoxy to glue each of the 1 2 x 1 2 x 5 8 Maple Cowl Mount Blocks into the notches around the Cowl Ring As Cowlings are usually subjected to a fair amount of vibration be sure to get a good bond between the ...

Page 42: ... Trim the corners at a 45 degree angle to make insertion easier 1 Use a 11 blade in a hobby knife to cut matching hinge slots in the Stab and the Elevators at the locations shown on the plans Test fit the Elevators to the Stabilizer with all hinges and the wire joiner in place Make sure both Elevators are set at the same angle Make adjustments to the joiner wire and pushrod length if necessary Do ...

Page 43: ...l Cone in position 3 Blend the Tail Cone to the Fuse by roughening the plastic with coarse sandpaper then applying balsa filler around the joint When the filler is dry feather the edges with a sanding block 4 Sand a 1 32 recess around the protruding top sheeting at F 5B so that the Butyrate Rear Window will fit flush with the fuse top Several layers of masking tape wrapped over the top sheeting ma...

Page 44: ...e to cut along the embossed lines on the inside of the cowl for the cowl flap openings Use the patterns on the plans to cut the cowl flap sides from excess 1 16 ply leftover from the servo hatch die cut sheet Cut out the cowl flaps from the ABS sheet using the cut lines for reference Glue the cowl flap sides to the inside edges of the cowl then center the flap across the sides and glue it in place...

Page 45: ... and grinding stone or power drill and a round file to cut the openings 8 Put the engine back on the mount with a couple of screws then check the fit of the cowl openings Make adjustments as necessary a little at a time 9 Drill a 3 8 hole in the cowl between F 1 and the engine s carb to install an optional fuel filler valve GPMQ4160 1 Trim the upper and lower Wheel Pants to the cut lines Sand the ...

Page 46: ...he Landing Gear strut then slide it back into contact with the Fuse Do NOT glue the Fairing directly to the fuse as it must be able to flex with the Landing Gear and also allow you to remove the Landing Gear strut for maintenance if needed 11 Align the bottom edge of the Wheel Pants with your workbench with the model in a level attitude Screw a 2 x 3 8 sheet metal screw through the small hole next...

Page 47: ...ng If you miss the Mounting Block adjust the drill angle and try again Enlarge the correct hole in only the Fairing to 1 8 Drill a countersink recess about 1 8 deep x 3 16 diameter to accept a 4 x 3 4 sheet metal screw at each Fairing attachment point Nearly every imperfection in your wood structure will show through the covering material therefore before covering you should make a final check of ...

Page 48: ...Fin right side 10 Fuse bottom 11 Fuse sides 12 Fuse top 13 Ends of ailerons and flaps 14 Bottom of ailerons and flaps 15 Top of ailerons and flaps 16 TE surfaces of wing at ailerons and flaps 17 Bottom of left wing panel 18 Bottom of right wing panel 19 Bottom of center panel overlap covering 1 4 at the outer panels 20 Top of left wing panel overlap covering 1 4 at wing LE 21 Top of right wing pan...

Page 49: ...r Lumocolor 313 Permanent fine point pen These pens are available from engineering drafting supply stores We suggest using this pen because it works well on MonoKote and mistakes can be removed with 70 rubbing alcohol Your model may be cleaned with most cleaners without affecting the lines too badly Remember you can easily touch up outlines by using this method APPLY THE DECALS NOTE The decal shee...

Page 50: ...enings on both sides of the Cabin Be sure to leave about 1 8 extra plastic around the perimeter for gluing Test fit the Windows and trim the edges as necessary Glue them to the inside of the Cabin Window Frame with RC 56 glue or epoxy 1 We made a cutting jig out of scrap ply to aid in trimming the ABS extrusions to the correct length for each surface 2 Cut enough pieces of a specific length to do ...

Page 51: ...lug them into a Y harness Before permanently screwing the servo hatches in position hook up your radio and set centering and direction of both sets of servos 2 Drill 3 32 holes through the Servo Hatches at each of the six punch marks Position the hatches in their respective openings then drill 1 16 pilot holes into the hatch support rails Use 2 x 3 8 flat head sheet metal screws to install the ser...

Page 52: ... CG and is located 4 102 mm back from the leading edge at the wing root as shown in the sketch and on the plans This is the balance point at which your model should be balanced for your first flights Later you may wish to experiment by shifting the balance up to 3 8 forward or 1 4 back to change the flying characteristics Moving the balance forward may improve the smoothness and tracking but it ma...

Page 53: ...C activities A schoolyard may look inviting but it is too close to people power lines and possible radio interference If you are not thoroughly familiar with the operation of R C models ask an experienced modeler to check your radio installation and control surface set up Engine operation must also be checked and the engine broken in on the ground by running at least two tanks of fuel through the ...

Page 54: ...d a successful radio equipment ground check before the first flight of a new or repaired model 2 I will not fly my model aircraft in the presence of spectators until I become a qualified flier unless assisted by an experienced helper 3 I will perform my initial turn after takeoff away from the pit or spectator areas and I will not thereafter fly over pit or spectator areas unless beyond my control...

Page 55: ...er to make up for the extra drag The extra drag of the flaps also allows you to make shorter steeper approaches Like the full scale 182 the Top Flite 182 needs to touch down with a nose high attitude to avoid whacking the nose gear and skipping back into the air For this reason landings with flaps require a deliberate flare with high rate elevator to raise the nose Touch and go s and go arounds ca...

Page 56: ...2 VIEW DRAWING Use this layout for trim scheme planning only Not suitable for scale documentation ...