RE: Dynaflite Corsair build
Pictures of my retract installation
Details:
1) I modified the Hobbico retracts by fabricating new sideplates from aluminum "L" stock. This allowed the mounting 'plates' to be near the bottom of the ribs, rather than the tops. The end result is retracts which have s imular mounting to the VQ mechanical rotating retracts.
A LOT of work there, and I now question the need for it.
2) I made duplicates of the wing ribs that are supposed to at the 'joint', or bend. I added 1/16 plywood doublers to the front portion of all 4 ribs, from the spar to the leading edge.
3) I used these 4 ribs to create an additional 'bay' in each wing. These bays are 2" wide on the inside: enough room to install mounting rails and retracts. The ribs are perpendicular to the horizon, and should be the only 4 ribs which contact the building board when the wing is fully framed up (but not sheeted). They not only create the retract bay, but also give it a much more scale appearence by smoothing out the 'bend'.
4) I beleive I 'shortened' the outer wing bays by about 1/4" each (in other words: installed the ribs closer together) to keep from adding excessive wingspan.
5) I fabricated spruce spars (top and bottom) by carefully beveling the ends of the spruce to match the countour of the upper and lower wing surfaces. The beveled ends were epoxied to straight peices, and then side plate re-inforcements were added.
6) I also fabricated a leading edge sub spar from 1/8" thick spruce, to give the front of the retract ribs something substantial to adhere to.
7) the retract servo was mounted in such a way that it was accessible from the bottom of the wing (NOT the top, as is common).