BOLTMAN

My Feedback: (1)

Good video, very helpful.

Thanks for sharing.

planenutzz

that is the intent, I'll sit here and munch on chips while you lot work it all out, don't forget to post lots of photos as I'm watching

planenutzz

I should stop playing with my spreadsheets and P6 and go watch it.

scalebirdman

My Feedback: (6)

In response to Pancake's question about nosewheel steering:

At the top of my nose gear strut are 2 fitting that look to be attachments for pull-pull cables. The retract unit itself has a bracket off to the side for a nosewheel steering servo, but there is no way you could connect the two, and there is no provision on the leg for a rigid attachment that would connect the two, nor would it allow the gear to retract without binding unless you Macgyvered the crap out of it.

I plan on removing the servo mounting plate (held by two screws) and using a pull-pull setup. I think I'll have to come up with a way to keep the nose gear from flopping over as it retracts and the tension is released from the pull-pull cables, but I think that is the far simpler option.

planenutzz

There is one flying in China and Mike from Gator RC has one flying, surely they can supply some photos, especially the Gator one. Note sure if he is on here but it would be great advertising if you put some photos up of how it is set up.
thanks
cheers
P

pancake321

i saw those fittings on the nose strut and assumed they were to attach the steering push rod. but they're 90* off from where they should be for that. in the manual there are no pictures of the nose gear but you can almost see a push rod up there in the background of one picture. i hate doing pull pull setups so i'm going to try get the pushrod figured out.

planenutz i texted mike from gator asking for pictures of the nose gear setup yesterday and he did not respond. i am going to call their office tomorrow.

planenutzz

ok I have not even looked too closely at anything at this stage. Hopefully Mike does get back to you with some photos as I am sure there are a lot of these things hitting benches right now and will be a big help to all.

cheers
me

pancake321

i hope he does send pictures as well because my buddy who is a great builder was looking at it with me and we both were like what the hell is going on here haha. hopefully i am missing overlooking simple.

on another note one thing that i don't like about this airplane is the lack of a removable top hatch like the fw190 has. the canopy does come off but it's finicky and the cockpit tub is kind of bulky as well. just something i'm going to have to deal with to check fuel/ batteries after each flight.

i am going to have to do some serious trimming of the nose gear support mount. so much so that i'm going to have rig up some major reinforcements around where my mufflers meet up with the mount. and i thought nose-draggers where supposed to be easier!!

planenutzz

I'd hold off on trimming till you see photos of other setups.
I saw your post on fascist book, TopRC page asking for photos and advice on the setup. Hopefully something may be forthcoming.

I got curious and opened the box with the retract gear in it. Creating a solid link from a servo would be doable however I am not sure if there would be clearance issues with engine, mufflers etc.
As the other chap said there are pull pull attachment points on the leg itself. Self centering spring for the leg and springs on the pull pull cables is quite doable. No different to tail wheel retracts I have done before though this is just a bit larger, hence should be easier and not buried in the tail of a fuselage.

Some photos of the gear in question.

As far as I got with the box, open to check nothing looked broken.


Pull pull mounts


Servo mounting, easily removed if you want to go pull pull. Will it clear the nose mount structure and mufflers etc?? No idea at this stage.

pancake321

definitely won't be cutting anything until this is sorted. first thing i need to do is mount the nose retract before i make up my mind. i don't see why they would put a servo tray there on the nose retract and then attach pull pull wires as well? seems like it would be one or the other. i just assumed it was via a servo and pushrod when i saw the nose retract.

highly doubt i get anything from stewart on the top rc page. he never seems to respond to anyone. oh well.

planenutzz

as for mounting you will need to consider how the gear door/s interact I would think.
Perhaps if a few people ask questions on TopRc page about this issue he will respond.

It is a good idea to have both options, though I would think the tray clearance should have been considered.

pancake321

that's a good point with the nose doors they're very long so they could be an issue as well. just need to get this thing mounted before i can move on. hopefully tomorrow.

scalebirdman

My Feedback: (6)

I was somewhat incorrect earlier, as I wasn't looking at the gear at the time. The bracket for the servo actually rotates with the gear as it retracts, so a direct linkage would be possible, just need to drill and tap the upper leg for a ball link or similar.. still I think you would have to have a huge opening in the cowl for the servo and mount as it is outside the scale gear well right?

scalebirdman

My Feedback: (6)

I haven't opened the small parts packages with gear doors etc.. but do they even incorporate nose gear doors on the model? To be scale they would extent out into the lower cowl.
edit: ok looked at the small parts, and yes nose gear doors are there.

The more I think of the idea of a servo hanging off the side of the gear leg the more I'm sure I won't be going that route.

pancake321

yes these are the nose doors

planenutzz

And there is another issue, centre section would need to remain attached to the fuz or you need to be able to detach those gear doors

pancake321

got a picture from stewart. you can see a steering servo pushrod in the front. he said he will send more pics tomorrow.

pancake321

main gear door servo install and gear door progress. main gear door servo had to be moved 90* from the manual location

planenutzz

ok can see how that nose gear steering works though not the ball joint attachment on the oleo itself.

Looks like he has gouged a slot in the timber to account for the steering arm.

planenutzz

I noted on full size there is a small door for nose leg then the two long doors.

pancake321

stewart said he'd send more pictures tomorrow so hopefully i can see how they attached the ball joint to the strut. i really don't want to drill and tap something but that seems like the only way to do it.

investigated a pull pull some more today. it seems to be a lot of work with servo placement, cutting the a hole for the cables, etc. hoping to get the steering servo to work instead.

planenutzz

the pull pull arms unscrew and look to be about M3.5 or M4
I'd say an arm using the thread could be fitted easily enough. might be something in the grab backs of stuff that comes with the kit?

planenutzz

As suspected the pull pull arms are M4. There are a plethora of M4 turnbuckles for the RC car stuff so should be able to adapt something.

scalebirdman

My Feedback: (6)

Figured it would be a a common metric thread. The catch is that the shcs you have threaded it points directly at the servo and it needs to be 90 degrees off, but simple enough to drill and tap on the backside of the strut. If the steering servo fits under the cowl (as it seems to in the photo) without major surgery I will reconsider that route.

planenutzz

Drill and tap another M4 hole, simple.