Build The Flaps - Top Flite P-47D THUNDERBOLT User Manual

Hint: Before performing step #5, make marks on
the leading edge and main spar at each rib then
transfer them to the sheeting. Lightly draw lines
connecting the marks on the sheeting so you know
where to insert the pins. First, apply a bead of
aliphatic resin to only the ribs, then position the
sheet on the wing and glue the leading edge of the
sheet to the leading edge of the wing with CA. Pin
the sheeting to the ribs and glue the aft edge of the
sheeting to the spar with CA.
5. While the wing is sitting on the jigs, glue both
forward skins to the wing. Place weights in the
middle of the wing to hold it down to the jigs.
6. Join each strip of wood trimmed off the upper
forward skins to each of the remaining two 6" x 30"
sheets to make the Upper Aft Skins. Trim the
upper aft skins to fit the wing. If building flaps, there
should be a 1/16" gap between the flap and the
sheeting. If not building flaps, no gap should exist.
7. Glue the upper aft skins to the wing. Weights
placed over the sheeting in addition to T-pins will
hold the skins down to the ribs while the
glue cures.
8. After the glue has cured, remove the wing
from your building board. If you did a good job
prejoining the sheeting and kept the sanding to a
minimum, you should have a pretty solid wing. Trim
the sheeting where it protrudes past the edge of
the wing tips.
9. Razor plane and sand the wing leading edge
until it blends well with the sheeting to form a
smooth airfoil. Refer to the cross sections on the
plans. Final sanding of the leading edge near the
tips should be done after the tip blocks have
been added.
NOTE: If you are not building the operational
flaps, skip the following section and proceed to
build the ailerons.
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BUILD THE FLAPS

1. Remember the pin hole you made in the
upper flap skin? Insert a pin through this hole,
between W-2F and W-2, through the lower
flap skin.
2. Use this point as a reference of where to
cut the flap away from the wing. Use a #11 blade to
cut through the upper and lower flap skin and a
razor saw to cut through the shaped flap spar on
the bottom of the flap.
3. Turn the wing upside down and separate
the flap from the wing by cutting each rib with a
razor saw. Do not cut into W-2 and W-7 but only
cut through the flap root ribs glued to them (W-2F
and W-7B respectively). The cut should be made at
the front edge of the top and bottom flap skins. You