Oosiksmith

My Feedback: (1)

I'm hoping to benefit from the experience of all the guys who read this forum. I have a NIB Y/A F-16A (the old one) I'm putting together. It came with landing gear doors and I would really like to use them. A guy at my local field has the new F-16C with the scale Yellow F-16 retracts and they are, in a word, INCREDIBLE! However, these won't fit in my plane (too expensive for me now anyway). Springair's site says they recommend their 302 set for my plane. Does anyone know if these will fully retract into my old A-model's fuselage so I can use gear doors?

Oh yeah, I'm going to be flying this plane off of grass, so I'm building it as a pusher prop, just like the CBM F-16N. Airflow through the air intake is not a factor. I need retract recommendations form those who've been there before. I think the CBM F-16N uses Robart gear that retract fully and they have those thick styrofoam doors that close behind them. My gear doors are fiberglass and are quite thin....there has to be gear that will work.

My end goal is to have fully retractable gear and have gear doors that close all the way....any help in this area would be great.

Blueskies21

My Feedback: (34)

Tim,

Yeah the scale gear on my new F16 is saaaasweet huh??They work flawlessly too & are about the most beautiful gear I have seen thus far in this wonderful jet hobby.As far as which spring airs to use Tim I am not sure cause my old 16 belonged to Joey too originally.PM/email him & he may remember,altho he didn't build the old 16 so he may not know.You of course are not gonna find any SA gear that retracts & rotates flat like the scale YA gear does.If it helps for now till joey chimes in,the SA mains in my old 16 didnt retract all the way ,they stuck out approx. 1/2 inch.I am not positive on this, but I dont think you are gonna find any gear other than YA scale gear that will retract fully inside the fuse & allow use of gear doors on the mains.The nose door shouldnt be a problem at all for you with SA.Again dont mark my word on it Tim,I could be wrong.Try to get out next weekend with the cam,I plan to get some more flights in on my new 16

Steve

Oosiksmith

My Feedback: (1)

I read in the instructions a slight bend in the main gear will allow them to fully retract up inside the fuselage, but I will probably have to cut up one of the inside bulkheads to allow the tires to fit. I was more worried about the nose gear going all the way inside. I was hoping to find a nose gear unit that is stearable, but rotates when it closes (like the mains on either a Corsair or a P-40) to allow the nose gear door to close. I guess if I have to I can bend the nose gear back a little and cut a hole in the bottom of the air intake to allow the tire to protrude into it. Hmmm. Still fishing for ideas though. Like I said, I know the Combat Models guys have thier gear fully retract on their F-16s so I should be able to make it work on an old Yellow kit; just need to figure out how.

jkirkon

My Feedback: (6)

For the nose gear, why don't you get the BVM F-16 nose unit. It rotates 90 degrees like you want, and I'm pretty sure will fit in the gear well without any, or at least very few, modifications.

The BVM part # is 1304, and runs about $85.


Brg,

Jeff

SoppyJoe

My Feedback: (59)

Tim,
In order to get the gear to tuck all the way in, you are going to have to change the retract mounts for the main gear. But since your going the pusher route this should not pose a big problem.

If you leave the mounts stock, your only hope would be to go to 1 inch wheels on the mains if you wanted the doors to close...This would be bad on grass

If you come out tho the field this weekend, bring the plane with and will go over the problem!!

Joey.