.
Use a soft piece of balsa as a squeegee, pressing the transfer in place, removing any bubbles. Be sure to get all of the
liquid out from under the transfer. The two round transfers are the fuel and oil caps and they are positioned in place along
the centerline of the fuselage, ahead of the canopy.
Installing Easy Hinges
SIG s famous Easy Hinges have been included with your kit to hinge all the control surfaces. Each ultra-thin hinge is
actually a three-part laminate - a tough plastic inner core sandwiched by an absorbent wicking material. They have been
chemically treated to slow down the reaction of thin CA glue (normally instant), to allow the glue time to soak all the way to
the ends of the hinge and into the surrounding wood. Once the glue has set, the hinge cannot be pulled out of the
structure without also tearing the surrounding wood out with it. All surfaces should be covered before hinging.
79.
Begin by inserting six (6) Easy Hinges halfway into the hinge slots in the trailing edge of the stabilizer. Carefully slip each
exposed hinge end into its corresponding slot in the elevators (make sure you have the elevators right side up, with the
control horn holes on the right side of the fuselage). Snug the elevators up to the stabilizer.
80.
To set the hinge gap, deflect the elevators to the maximum amount of their movement, while firmly holding them to the
trailing edge of the stab. For best control response, the gap between the stab and elevators should be as small as possible
but big enough to allow full, non-binding movement. Starting at either tip, hold the elevator in this fully flexed position and
apply three or four drops of THIN CA glue directly onto the exposed hinge at the center line. The glue will wick into the slot
as it penetrates both the wood and the hinge. Go to the opposite stab/elevator tip and repeat the process. Work inward
toward the fin and apply glue to the remaining hinges on that side. Turn the assembly over, flex the elevators in the
opposite direction and again apply three or four drops of glue to each exposed hinge at the center line. Keep a little CA
debonder handy to wipe off any excess glue. The CA will need to cure for 3 to 5 minutes. When it has set, flex the
elevators to their full deflection a couple of dozen times to reduce stiffness.
81.
Hinge the ailerons to their wing panels using the same method as the elevators. Again, be careful to make sure that the
correct aileron is hinged to its correct wing panel (control horn holes on the inboard side of W-3). NOTE: The rudder will be
hinged, using the same methods in this section, after the tailwheel has been installed in the FINAL ASSEMBLY section.
FINAL ASSEMBLY
Canopy
Some builders may wish to install a pilot. If so, it should be installed now. We also like this look and chose to install a
"Williams Bros." 2-5/8" Sportsman Type pilot bust in our prototypes. This size is correct for the Somethin Extra but is too
tall for the available area. We simply trimmed the bust to fit beneath the canopy, glued a lite ply base inside the bust and
used epoxy and a sheet metal screw through the bottom of the canopy hatch to hold the pilot securely in place.
82a.
Using the disclosure lines molded into the canopy, cut away the excess material using long scissors. Take your time and
be as neat as possible. After trimming, use a sanding block to smooth the edges, being careful not to scratch the plastic.
Test fit the canopy in place. As shown on the plans, the rear edge fits over the top of the Canopy Hatch former with a little
of it protruding back over the F-4 Cap former.
b.
Hold the canopy in place with pieces of masking tape and use a fine tip marker pen to draw a line around its edge, directly
onto the covering. Remove the canopy and use a #11 blade and your hobby knife to cut away a 1/16" wide strip of the
covering on the hatch, just inside of the line just drawn. Use glue especially made for attaching canopies, such as "RC-
56" (DO NOT use CA glue) and glue the canopy in place to the exposed wood in the 1/16" wide strip and to the Canopy
Hatch former. Use a damp paper towel to wipe off any excess glue, tape the canopy firmly in place and allow to dry
completely. Trim tape can be used to outline the canopy. Adhesive backed covering material, in a color matching the
airplane, could also be used for a more one-piece look.
Tailwheel
At this point, your rudder should be covered with the hinge slots cut, ready to install.
83a.
We used a "Klett" 1" dia. tailwheel on the model shown on the box. There are many small diameter tailwheels available, all
with surprisingly different weights. Use one that best fits your weight and balance requirements (see Center Of Balance)
section. The wheel can be simply attached using a 1/16" wheel collar. A neater look results from soldering a small washer
in place to retain the wheel and then grinding the wire flush with the washer.