Build The Elevators - Top Flite CESSNA 182 SKYLANE Instruction Book

CA to all of the upward facing edges on one side
of the stab frame. Place a skin on the frame and
hold it in place with your hands until the glue
sets. Repeat this for the other bottom skin. Be
careful not to bend or twist the stab during
this step.
22. Trim off the excess balsa from around
the perimeter of the stab. True up the ends of
the stab with a sanding block. Round the LE of
the stab to match the cross section on the plan.

Build the elevators

15"
ELEVATOR SKIN
3"
SCRAP
1. Cut two 1/16" x 3" x 30" balsa sheets in
half to make four 15" long sheets. Refer to the
sketch and the elevator plans, then glue the
leftover balsa "wedges" that you cut from the stab
skins to the 15" sheets. These joined sheets will be
used to make the top and bottom Elevator skins.
2. Use the pattern on the plans to cut four
Elevator skins. Sort the skins so that the best
surfaces will be facing outward, and on the top.
NOTE: Save time by building both
elevators simultaneously.
3. Cover the elevator plan with waxed
paper, then pin a skin in position. Use the "tic"
marks on the plan to draw the rib locations on
the skin.
3/8"
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.
12
5. Locate the 3/8" x 3/4" x 11-5/8" shaped
balsa Elevator LE. Draw two lines, 1/32" in from
each edge, on one side of the LE as shown in
the photo. Use the lines as a reference to taper
the top and bottom of the LE toward the elevator
TE with a T-bar sander. Proceed carefully,
checking your progress against the height of
the elevator ribs at each location.
6. Glue the LE to the inside surface of the the
elevator skin, flush with the forward edge of the
skin. Glue the 3/32" die-cut balsa ribs (E-1 through
E-7) to the skin and to the LE with thin CA.
1/32"
7. Test fit a 1/2" x 1" x 1-5/8" balsa Torque
Rod block between ribs E-1 and E-2. Sand the
ends, if necessary, for a good fit. Sand a slight
angle on the forward edge of the Torque Rod