Ran in to a bit of a problem today:
I got the center section all finished, but when I tested the retracts I noticed I was not getting a complete retraction. The tires are bottoming against the gear well inserts/cups before the gear is fully up and locked. Seems like the "cup" is too shallow by about 1/8 inch, maybe a bit more.
I am using the Dreamworks Pro-link gear that is supposedly a drop-in fit. I've had better "drop-in fits" on other airplanes. Some Dremeling was still required.
Luckily I learned from my Intro and did NOT epoxy the gear well inserts in place. There were times with the Intro that having some good access into the center section interior would have been nice. So instead of epoxy, I used button-head screws around the perimeter to hold the inserts in place, like with a canopy installation. Anyway, about the only good solution I can see is to cut out the bottom of the gear well cups, and somehow find a way to deepen the cup so the tire will not hit bottom and thus give a complete up-and-locked retraction.
Obviously the easiest thing to do is simply cut out a circle in the gear well cup that matches the circumference of the tire and leave it at that, but I'd rather not have the center section interior exposed. Granted, when retracted the tire would pretty much seal the hole, but doing this just seems a little crude.
Anyone else have this problem? Any suggestions? Right now I'm thinking of trying to find a a couple of plastic drinking cups that will slip just around the perimeter of the gear well cups, cut them to fit, and create a deeper gear well.
And MAN, is this some soft underlying balsa or what! If my fingernail touches the surface, it leaves a print. Man.
Thanks,
Randy