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Posted Tuesday, 12/2/2008 This part of the construction
involves installing the aileron servos, control horns, building the control linkages with the new parts previously described
and wing tube installation. Control Horns With
the newly fabricated push rods, the Aileron control horn was positioned and attached. Note - the manual instructs you to drill
the 3 partial-depth 1/8" holes for the horns. Better use a much smaller drill because those screws will be swimming in
those holes. I used a 5/64" bit which worked much better. Hardening holes with CA is still needed. The wood is fairly
soft. 
Use a smaller bit than 1/8" or you'll be sorry. Swivel Ball Links I love these connectors because they don't
bind unless you get into extreme cases. They cost more, are worth it. This is where Cermark wants a Z-bend. 
The 2-56 size Dubro swivel ball links terminate the push rods much nicer than a
Z bend. Finished Linkages Here it is; representative of both wings. Trailing edges are aligned and final settings pending setup.  
Finished linkages
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The Wing Tube This needs to be carbon fiber.
The stock unit is an all aluminum tube with wood plugs in both ends. It’s heavy. No, I didn’t weigh it. Installation
couldn’t be simpler though. Stick the tube in the wing. Install a retaining screw/washer. Slip it through the fuse and
align the other side. Inset the other screw. The screws are Phillips sheet metal types. I am considering using a tap and machine
threading the free-end of the tube. After a lot of assembly-disassembly cycles, this is going to wear.
Wing
tube positioned in wing and secured with sheet metal screw/washer
Close-up
of the screw and flat washer just ahead of the servo tray
Posted Saturday, 1/10/2009 Greetings from the shop. It's been a while since the last post on the F16 build log, so here's
what's been going on. The landing gear mounts were significantly reinforced with
ply, epoxy and carbon fiber cloth. The cloth was courtesy of Mike Barbee, along with a couple tips on how to use it. This is a soft spot for the Cermark F16P. If you decide to build one of these,
you really need to strengthen this area or you will likely tear the gear right out of the plane if you land hard, especially
on grass runways. I authored a detailed articleavailable for download in PDF format on how I beefed up the plane. I'm not going to re-write the article on the build
log, so, if you're interested in getting all the details on how I did it, please download using the above link.
You need Adobe Reader, a free download at www.adobe.com. With the gear mounts beefed up, the retractable landing gear was installed.
The air tank was installed along with the various valves, tubing, tees and other plumbing that make the gear work. The fuel
tank was also installed. A leaking nose gear cylinder was detected after initial pressurization and testing which required
removal and complete disassembly of the retract down to the guts of the cylinder. Once
that was done, I got the plumbing all hooked up and pressurized the system again to find I actually fixed the thing! Amazing. That's where I am today. What follows on this and the additional pages for today's post details
the work Idescribed here. Enjoy.
Landing Gear is In With all the reinforcement done, the gear bolted in nicely. The openings in the fiberglass fuse had
to be opened a bit on all three with the most cutting on the nose gear opening. I
used these neat brass threaded inserts instead of blind nuts to bolt the gear to the mounts. In hind sight, blind nuts might
have been a better choice because they would allow the the screws to clamp the mounting ply together. With the added wood
and carbon fiber, I really don't have any worries. This is the retractable landing gear kit that comes with the Cermark F16P. It is an
option, so if you want them, be sure to ask for them. It adds $100 to the kit, taking the price to $399, less shipping. Everything
needed is included. The gear operates with air pressure to retract and extends when the air pressure is removed from the system.
Should a leak develop, the gear simply extends. Threaded brass inserts are nice, but installation can be tricky.
One of the main gear bolted in place and extended in the landing position. 
This is the nose gear installation. Some fiberglass had to be cut to allow easier installation
as well as for passage of the nose wheel, even though a cutout was previously provided. There is carbon fiber directly underneath
the mount. This is also the case for the main gear. 
This is a view of the main retracts taken from inside the fuse looking back from the
cockpit. There is adequate room for the average person to get a hand and forearm in there to attach the air lines. 
This is a partial view of the nose gear retract looking from above in the
fuselage. Carbon fiber was used top and bottom on the nose gear mount for added strength.
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