RE: Building a Top Flite GE 1/8 scale F4U Corsair
OK, here is promised retractable tailwheel info & pics, as installed on my Top Flite Corsair.
1st 3 pics attempt to show details with cover removed, 4th pic shows with cover installed. I fabricated the cover from Dow blue foam, sheet plastic, & glass cloth.
The steering linkages are what was most complicated for me, but getting the retract unit installed properly was no easy task either: it took trial and error, holding the unit over the drawings, to determine best location/ mounting method. NOTE that the full scale Corsair tailwheel does NOT retract completely: the bottom half of the wheel remains exposed.
Because of the complications involved with making it steerable, I originally flew this Corsair several times with the tailwheel steering fixed/ not steerable. However, I found it to be VERY difficult to taxi when winds were above 10 mph, so I went back into it and made it steerable. The reason I found it so difficult to add the steering linkage is the geometry: the (fish) lines must be pulled taugnt when the gear is down, but must be slack when the gear is up. The steering horn on the retract (NOTE: I did NOT use the stock Robart horn). is below the fuselage line when the gear is down, which further complicates things.
ALSO NOTE: I installed a Sullivan sprung tailwheel strut on my unit, which is VERY nice, but further complicates installation.
My solutiuon for the steering: I installed 4 small eyelets on the mounting plate of the retract unit, and ran the (fish) lines thru them. This works very well for me, I hope you can make everything out in the pics to see how they are all conected.
NCIS & LarryS: Hoping to see and fly with both of you at the 2 SW Chicago area events in August.