1.3 Using epoxy, glue the two 1/8" die-cut plywood
cartridge halves together. Assemble and fuelproof the PC.
Glue and clamp the reinforcing doublers on the top and
bottom of the engine mount area. Be sure to line up the
inside cavity edges of the PC with the doublers while
clamping. Once the doublers are in place, glue and clamp
the nose gear block as shown between the engine mount
and the tank opening on the bottom of the PC. Using a
5/32" drill bit, carefully drill a hole as shown in the
illustration for a nose gear.
Note - the Power Cartridge is designed to be used with or
without a nose gear. Your COLT may be set up with one if
desired, and there are notes in this manual to help you use
nose gear. Whether or not you will use one with your COLT,
this is a good time to mount the nose gear block for use on
future planes.
GLUE & CLAMP
FIGURE 2 - ASSEMBLY OF POWER CARTRIDGE
1.4 Check the Power Cartridge (PC) and rails for a
sliding fit. Locate your 17" long PC rails and fit them to the
sides of the PC. The PC should be able to slide on the rails.
You want a good, sliding fit. If the PC is too snug, use sand
paper on the top and bottom of the PC edges until the fit is
correct.
After gluing and drilling, we like to lightly sand and paint our
PC with a coat of black paint before fuel proofing just for
looks. Finally, fuel proof the PC by coating it with thinned
epoxy (thin epoxy by mixing it as usual, then adding some
rubbing alcohol until the mixture is thin enough to "paint" on
to the PC). This is an important step. The PC must be fuel
proof in order to perform reliably for you.
DRILL 5/32 "HOLE
ENGINE MOUNT
TANK OPENING
FIGURE 3
MOUNTING THE NOSE GEAR BLOCK TO THE PC
NOSE GEAR BLOCK
SIDE VIEW
BUILDER'S NOTE - IF YOU ARE ALREADY ACCOMPLISHED WITH A TRAINER, WE ENCOURAGE YOU TO BUILD THE "TURBO" WING FOR YOUR COLT.
YOU MAY WISH TO OWN BOTH A "TURBO WING" AND A STANDARD WING. THE TURBO WING ISA 58" WING FOR SNAPPIER AEROBATICS AND
FASTER PERFORMANCE. WE HAVE WING KITS FOR THE COLT AVAILABLE. FOR FLOATS OR GENERAL "TOOLING AROUND" USE THE
STANDARD HIGH LIFT WING. FOR HIGH-SPEED AEROBATICS, USE THE TURBO WING. IF YOU ARE BUILDING A "TURBO" VERSION, ALL
COMPONENTS OF THE WING ARE CLIPPED 3" AT THE ROOT, INCLUDING THE WING HALVES, HINGE STRIPS, AILERONS AND SPARS, PRIOR TO
ASSEMBLY. THE SPAR WILL HAVE TO BE BUILT WITH THIS IN MIND. SEE THE SECTION ON BUILDING THE TURBO WING
1.5 Build the spar. Both spar halves are identical and
angle up at the tips. Lightly sand the spars to remove any
rough edges. Mark a centerline vertically on each dihedral
brace to identify where the spars will meet. Use slow CA
glue or 5 minute epoxy and glue the spars to one of the
dihedral braces, aligning the spars in the center of the
brace. Clamp until dry; Now glue on the other dihedral
brace and clamp. The dihedral brace sets the "dihedral
angle" of the wing, and this angle is important in providing
flight stability to your airplane. It is important when
assembling the spar to observe the dihedral angle
prescribed by the dihedral brace and to clamp while gluing
to achieve a good bond between the spars and the braces.
TIPS OF THE SPAR ANGLE UP
USE THICK CA OR EPOXY AND CLAMP UNTIL DRY
DIHEDRAL BRACE
1/8" PLY
DIHEDRAL BRACE
1/8" PLY
TIPS OF THE
SPAR ANGLE UP
(DIHEDRAL IS PRESET AT 4 DEGREES)
FIGURE 4 - SPAR ASSEMBLY
4
