GREAT PLANES P-40 Warhawk Instruction Manual page 9

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6. Trim the covering that overlaps onto the root ribs of
each wing panel. Test fi t the joiner into both wing halves. The
joiner should fi t slightly loose to allow room for epoxy. If the
joiner is too snug, sand the face, top or bottom as necessary
for the proper fi t.
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7. Mix approximately 1/2 oz [15cc] of 30-minute epoxy.
Apply a liberal amount of epoxy into the wing joiner pocket
of each wing, the root rib of each wing and the joiner. Insert
the wing joiner into the right wing panel and then slide the
left panel onto the joiner. Push the two halves together fi rmly,
making sure there are no gaps anywhere between the wing
panels. Clean any excess epoxy from the wing surface with
alcohol. Hold the wings together with masking tape and
clamps until the epoxy has completely cured.
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8. Locate and remove the covering from the wing bolt
holes near the TE of the wing.
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9. Align the wing bolt plate over the holes on the
underside of the wing. There is a shallow perforation on the
uncovered side of the wing bolt plate to allow you to bend
the plate to match the dihedral of the wing. Make note of
the orientation of the wing bolt plate on the wing as it is not
perfectly rectangular. The short sides of the wing bolt plate
should be parallel with the inside edges of the ailerons. With
the wing bolt plate centered over the holes, use a fi ne, felt-tip
pen to trace around the plate onto the wing.
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10. Trim the covering just inside your lines. Wipe away the
lines with alcohol and glue the wing bolt plate to the wing.
Continue the wing bolt holes through the wing bolt plate with
a 1/8" [3.2mm] drill bit. A wood backer piece while drilling will
help ensure clean-edged holes in the wing bolt plate.
HOW TO CUT COVERING FROM BALSA
Use a soldering iron to cut the covering from the wing. The
tip of the soldering iron doesn't have to be sharp, but a
fi ne-tip does work best. Allow the iron to heat fully.
Use a straightedge to guide the soldering iron at a rate that
will just melt the covering and not burn into the wood. The
hotter the soldering iron, the faster it must travel to melt a
fi ne cut. Peel off the covering.
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