Hi Redtail: you bring up a very good point. I can't really address that concern until I actually fly it and see what it does. I might do that tomorrow, possibly have someone else fly it while I have a good camera and take some pics as it flies by.

My thoughts are a couple of things: First, this working tail hook is only designed to be used for scale shows, or visual fly bys with the flaps and gear down as it does a low, slow dirty pass down the flightline or runway. So, it will be going at minimum speed which might help a little. Second, there is not a lot of drag on the aluminum tube and scale hook I carved out of basswood. The wood gives it just a tiny bit of weight and drag, but I"m hoping that it won't be enough to make the hook fly behind the plane like a streamer! We'll just have to see. If I can take some pics, I'll post them to show what it did indeed do. On a larger model, a small weight could be used in the hook that might make it hang down without bothering the overall CG.

That brings up an interesting question about the full sized Hellcat tailhooks. I am guessing that it was hinged just as mine is that makes it hang straight down outside of the fuse. I don't know if there were any springs or anything to make it stay that way, or if just the weight of it was sufficient. I've held some tailhooks and they are pretty stout, solid steel, or cast steel tips that weigh a substantial amount, I'm guessing at least 40-50 pounds. It was enough weight that land based planes like the Corsairs removed them whenever they weren't needed. If anyone knows more about the Grumman tailhooks used on the "cats" and the Avenger, too, I'd be interested to learn more about that.

Davegee