redtail

My Feedback: (15)

E-Gap, I too have been through the medical and emotional setbacks during the building of my TBM-1 Tarpoon. Thanks to guys like Noah, Larry, Ranger-1, Charlie, etc., who have kicked me in the butt, or motivated me through their words, I think I am finally back in the game. May the year 2012 bring you good health and happiness and time to get onto the Avenger build. Chic

Fleet

Thank you for the kind wishes.

Ray W.

lkahn4

Amen to that, to all the Avenger buddies i have met here wishing you a very Happy and safe New Years and hopefully Noah gets the job he wishes for.. I personally hope for ODU but what do I know. Will be posting pix next week of our build

Larry

Ranger1-00

Happy New Year everyone. Especially Uncle Chic and Shirley. Can't wait to see you frame up the rest of the plane this winter. Let me know how I can help. Hope to be by your shop in a few days! ~ Barrett

maser

Chic,

Tell your wife I played it forward. "Tubes". Thanks again.

Boyd.

redtail

My Feedback: (15)

Boyd, such wonderful news. I can't believe how wonderful things come back to you in multiple ways when you pay it forward. Shirley will be happy to hear the news and so am I. The wheel strut covers are in their 3rd version. 1st was the G-10, it took the wing curvature fairly well, 2nd was heavy ounce fiberglass, I think the flaw was not thinning the West enough to soak through all three layers, 3rd, 3/4 ounce cloth. Seems the thinned West soaked thru the 3-layers much better and it is hardening well with no vacant areas in the glass and assuming the curve of the wing better. Photos later. Chic

redtail

My Feedback: (15)

Here are the three versions. The G10, 3 layers of 1 ounce cloth, and the best which is the strut cover sitting in place of 3 layers of 3/4 ounce plus 1 layer of 1 ounce cloth. Both wheel wells are receiving details to spruce them up. The detailing stops here. With regards to the strut cover, maybe two bolts will hold it in place. More photos to follow. Chic

redtail

My Feedback: (15)

Wheel Well Details.

lkahn4

Chic,
Really nice work on the strut covers, it's definetely something to think about after we get the the rest of the control surfaces mounted and working. Especially like the idea of the G-10 for the covers. Keep up the Greta work.

Larry

butlern

My Feedback: (15)

Looks good, Chic.

Yeah, I think if your strut covers are going to lay across the opening in the bottom of the wing, then it's better to have the "contoured" fiberglass version.

I think that my G10 covers are totally flat... and simply fit the opening. The wheel wells look very nice, too!

Keep it going!

Noah

redtail

My Feedback: (15)

Thanks guys. Larry, the 0.010 G10 can be a nice fit as seen on Noah's airframe. Noah, I could not tell if the strut cover simply fits within the gap of the strut tunnel as you did or if it extends a bit on each side of the strut tunnel. Do you know which way it actually works? I am letting about a 1/16th or so overlap the sides of the strut tunnel. By the way Noah, are you going to the Caucus Meetings tomorrow? Wish we had that kind of people involvement across the whole country with regards to our national political affairs. The average voter in America is an uninformed voter. Voting a straight party ticket is slowly becoming a thing of the pass. Chic

butlern

My Feedback: (15)

Chic, not sure if the real Avenger had the covers just fit, or if they overlapped. Mine just fit the strut tunnel, so they're pretty narrow, overall. But since they're so narrow, the fact that they are also "flat" (i.e. they do not match the airfoil contour) is much less noticable.

Yes, a big day for us here in Iowa... Lots of activity tomorrow evening. I'm actually looking forward to the end of the caucus, as it will also signal the end of the "heavy airplay" campaign TV commercials... they're played non-stop in the weeks and days leading up to the caucus. Tired of it!

Firebar

My Feedback: (3)

Chic, Your progress on the Avenger is looking good. The external drop tanks are a unique option. I haven't seen one with the range extending external tanks. The Avengers range on internal fuel was 1130 miles, or about 4.5 hours. They had a bomb bay internal 275 gallon tank for ferry flights. I would not have wanted to be on the mission that needed the external drop tanks.

I made my landing gear doors by laying up three layers of 6 oz cloth on the wing sheeting before making the landing gear cut outs. The wing curve is very slight in the area of the doors. Mine go into the gear troughs like Noah's. I added plastic angle framing to the inside to stiffen the doors.

redtail

My Feedback: (15)

Thanks Charlie, I was becoming a bit concerned having not heard from ya. You are right, and I agree, the external tanks would certainly make for a very long mission. I bet that relief tube came in handy more than once. I'm going to try to find a full scale Avenger pilot online to answer the question for me once and for all so that I can correct if necessary and finalize the strut covers "NOW" the question being, did the stut covers overlap abit on both sides of the strut tunnel or did they sit within the strut tunnel. Can anyone answer that question for me, PLEASE????? Chic

redtail

My Feedback: (15)

I have looked through hundreds of photos and I have come up with the following conclusion. The strut cover retracts onto a small ledge within the strut tunnel. Thus when the strut is retracted into the wing, the strut cover looks like it is but a seam (front/back) when you look at the wing from the bottom. So Charlie, you and Noah have it right that the cover sits basically flat (with a bit of curvature with the wing) with the wing and there is not a lip that overlaps on the front and rear of the tunnel but rather, it sits on a ledge within the tunnel. I have a small bit of work to do. Need to find the distance from the top of the tunnel to the actual strut to create the wood block to make up the difference and secure the strut cover to the strut itself.

ncs/caf

Send an email to Jim West ([email protected]) who is doing the actual restoration on Doris Mae, the TBM I am building as static display.  They work on Tuesdays and Fridays and he can answer all your questions. Tell him Grover sent you.

redtail

My Feedback: (15)

Grover, I just sent an email to Mr. West asking him about whether the strut cover retracts into the recessed shelf in the strut tunnel and thus sits flush with the wing skins or does it overlap a tiny bit on the front and back sides of the strut tunnel. Thanks for the help. Hope I can ask him more questions in the future. Where is the restoration taking place? Thanks so much. Chic

ncs/caf

Restoration facility is in Fawn Grove, PA, practically on the MD/PA border, north of Baltimore.

redtail

My Feedback: (15)

Charlie, I know what you mean about cruising the back doors, sort of speak, of our aircraft museums and storage facilities. I usually have to tell myself over and over to close my mouth, I'm usually so in awwwwwww. Thanks for the encouraging words. I want to compete with your design so I'm giving it my rookie level best. Chic

peter w h

Latest pics.

lkahn4

Peter
Really nice work, what clean build. Your workmanship is something to be admired.

Larry

redtail

My Feedback: (15)

Peter, Peter, what a "clean" build. Your craftsmanship is superb. Wow. Chic

butlern

My Feedback: (15)

Peter, Looks great!

And do I see that the elevator and rudder trim tabs have been made functional?!?

Very cool!

Regards,

Noah

peter w h

You guys are awsome.Thanks for the boost.
Redtail I love the wheel wells and the drop tanks, they look great, hope you don't mind me steeling the drop tank idea.
Hey Noah, you have the eyes of an eagle, yes the trim tabs are functional, (just for fun).

Peter

redtail

My Feedback: (15)

Peter, no such thing as stealing anything or ideas from this thread. If so, I should of been in jail along time ago for "stealing" from our friends Noah, Larry, Charlie, etc., and now you. Having to delay my build for many months, I seriously thank all of you Avenger builders for I now have a plethora of ideas and tips that have and will make my build so much easier.

Speaking of the wing tanks, "Model Airplane News" has accepted my construction article on the wing tanks using the green foam technique. They are going to feature it on their website as a construction article along with a bunch of my photos. Acknowledgement of Charlie's TBM Avenger Design, his website, and this build thread are all included. Heard again from Grover, Avenger Restoration, and he verified that the strut covers sits flush with the wing skin. There is a very small ledge upon which the strut cover sits when retracted. Time to get busy constructing that small ledge within the strut tunnel to match up with the strut cover when recessed. Heading for the workshop guys. Stay well. Chic