Thank you Levi. I sent an email over to peter H. Let's see if you can get me one of those rams.

Well, I’m on board. I’m restoring one of these, no clue how long ago it was built but long enough to have some shoddy repairs and lots of brittle epoxy and CA joints. But it appears it at least has flown. Should be fun.

Couple of starting out points.

1. Has anyone actually had any success with a pneumatic setup for the retracts? All I see mentioned here is hydraulic, but this one is set up for air for now. I’ll likely at least try to stick with it.

2. Did anyone else reinforce the bottom fuselage skin? This airframe is so flimsy it gives way and creaks/crackles even when lifting it empty - I’m planning to add some CF cloth in a few critical spots to aid with lifting and transport and also add some strength in the event of a gear up landing, just curious if any others had done the same.

3. Am I correct in assuming the fuel tanks are essentially built into the airplane? The upper rear tank appears to even be captured by the wing spar tube. So far I’ve been able to remove one of the tank stoppers to find some stiff as a board tygon clunk line, will be doing the same on the other tank. It sure would be easier if I could get them out, but that’s not happening.

4. Anyone flying with the leading edge slats? This model has them screwed shut, may try to open them up eventually. Haven’t found any pictures of servo and linkage setup for the slats.

the only air operated retract system was made Matrix Machine. You can tell easy enough because the air cylinder and operating mechanism is located on the inside of the turbine housing. That system works pretty well and provides solid up and down locks. If it’s not that system and just air to the original cylinders you won’t have any locks

Hi Auburn,

I reinforced the entire length of my inlets with carbon fibre as the fuse was very weak in that area. The reason the hydraulics are required on the gear is to achieve hydraulic lock on the gear. There is no mechanical lock on the gear. The fuel tanks are essentially built in, at least the front one on the original kits was. Levi and others are flying with the slats active without issues.

Mine has not flown yet but is almost done. Levi and David will give you their input I am sure.

Thanks guys. These would be the Matrix gear then, they have conventional locks...and the air cylinders in the turbine bays is a dead giveaway too.

My plan is to reinforce the bottom of the inlets and the lower nose area around and just forward of the nose gear. Shouldn’t add much weight.

Sounds like the fuel tank maintenance will just be an exercise in dexterity!

Auburn my inlets are carbon all the way like Craig’s. I’ve never landed without LEF but I can tell you it lands beautifully with them and flap together.

Sounds good Nick keep us updated

Levi, any pics of the servo/linkage setup? One or two servos per LEF? With no manual in hand I’d love to see some pics of others guy’s setups that have been successful.

One servo for LEF (per wing). My LEF’s are glued so it’s one piece instead of the two half’s. I’ll see if I can get a camera in there

Here’s my LEF. I’ve circled the point where it attaches to the LEF

Thanks Levi. Love that scheme too.

I presume most people set up the fuel system to empty the rear tank first, is that accurate?

I have the two rear tanks for one turbine and the front centre tank for the other. That way I’m keeping both fuel systems seperate for redundancy. Both systems have almost identical capacity

Hey Levi, are your rear tanks plumbed in parallel or in series? Instructions call for in series but I think I recall you saying yours were in parallel.

Hi guys here's how I set up my tanks, look also on the diagram . Both engines feeding from its tank in parallel .

That setup looks ideal. I’d love to be able to install clunk and vent fittings like those, but with these tanks already inside I’m limited to the standard stopper style. I will at least punch two feed lines with twin clunks into the forward tank instead of the tee fitting off of a single clunk like is there now. I just hope the single vent line will be sufficient to keep up with the two engines drawing fuel from it.

Hi there I will not recommend a single vent line with two engines sucking, you will definitely have an issue of the engines stalling try to do something to incorporate two vent lines .

Hi there first for the drilling while you drill use a vacuum cleaner very close with a stick right at the drilling area then use compressed air while having the pick up fuel hole open . for the capacity of the tanks I have not measured them but I think this should be around 200 oz. for the fill up position let me see if I can get a picture for you

Sorry I can,t help you guys, my tanks are quite different from those shown. I have made them removeable, clamped to the wing tubes. Time consuming but can be done.

However, each engine is entirely seperate from the other , with its own tank (s) two small aft in series and one large forward tank.

There is nothing common to both engines. ( Boeing practice , unless you open the crossfeed ! )

All services are accessed via the nose cone, the manual fuel valves are in the gear bays.

The sockets for the ECUs are in a hatch formed by the gun vent panel.