Landing Gear Help
07-06-2008, 05:16 PM
#1
Landing Gear Help
I'm staging up a 1/2A schoolyard scale Citabria from plans, and decided to match up some existing RTF landing legs instead of cutting my own.
I found some from a ParkZone Decathlon that matches the scale very well and really happy with the stainless steel legs. The injected molded wheelpants, foam tire and axle bolt will be put aside, and balsa wheelpants and Perfect brand wheels will be used.
The plans show the streamlined 1-1/4" type, but would like to be able to fit the ribbed balloon type without wheelpants for the tundra.
Both versions the wheels will be have to stepped out for allowing for either wheel pants to go behind the jam nut, or stepped out to clear the sidewall of the tire without the wheel pant.
I would like some ideas as to how to adapt the aluminum hubs.
The stock axle is a long shoulder bolt that gets caputred by a jam nut and a safety nut on the leg side, and the head of the shoulder bolt holds the wheel on. It is too long to use with the Perfect brand, and the diameter of the shoulder is quite large.
I dont have any problem with the idea of having to drill out the hubs, its more of a concern as to how to "fill up" that large hole in the landing gear and going with lighter duty hardware.
I found some from a ParkZone Decathlon that matches the scale very well and really happy with the stainless steel legs. The injected molded wheelpants, foam tire and axle bolt will be put aside, and balsa wheelpants and Perfect brand wheels will be used.
The plans show the streamlined 1-1/4" type, but would like to be able to fit the ribbed balloon type without wheelpants for the tundra.
Both versions the wheels will be have to stepped out for allowing for either wheel pants to go behind the jam nut, or stepped out to clear the sidewall of the tire without the wheel pant.
I would like some ideas as to how to adapt the aluminum hubs.
The stock axle is a long shoulder bolt that gets caputred by a jam nut and a safety nut on the leg side, and the head of the shoulder bolt holds the wheel on. It is too long to use with the Perfect brand, and the diameter of the shoulder is quite large.
I dont have any problem with the idea of having to drill out the hubs, its more of a concern as to how to "fill up" that large hole in the landing gear and going with lighter duty hardware.
07-06-2008, 05:30 PM
#2
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: Auckland, NEW ZEALAND
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RE: Landing Gear Help
If it stainless, you could get a little patch TIG welded over the hole, or make up a small boss and weld it to the back. The boss could be tapped for the axle bolt, thus eliminating the need for a nut.
07-07-2008, 08:20 AM
#3
Senior Member
My Feedback: (1)
RE: Landing Gear Help
Perfect tires/wheels are a bit heavy. Many folks use the foam type tires, then sand into shape on a lathe.
One solution is to cut a washer from an end of brass tube, and then use as a spacer to neck down to desired diameter of your spindles. This will require about 2 minutes of lathe work for each though.
Wm.
One solution is to cut a washer from an end of brass tube, and then use as a spacer to neck down to desired diameter of your spindles. This will require about 2 minutes of lathe work for each though.
Wm.
07-07-2008, 08:54 PM
#5
RE: Landing Gear Help
True they are heavier but not exactly what I want to achive for looks with this one and will help make it less twitchy and more stable with it being a small high wing.
It is a very light plane to begin with and was designed in 1973 with standard size servos and according to the article weighed in at 10 ounces. 12 ounces is about standard weight for .049's.
I'm trying to stay old school with this one, and even trying to match up the hardware that is shown on the drawing, such as a cast metal engine mount.
It is a very light plane to begin with and was designed in 1973 with standard size servos and according to the article weighed in at 10 ounces. 12 ounces is about standard weight for .049's.
I'm trying to stay old school with this one, and even trying to match up the hardware that is shown on the drawing, such as a cast metal engine mount.
