RE: ASM F-7F Tigercat
Tonight I nutted out the nose gear door mounting. I read the instruction booklet regarding mounting it again but as soon as I started I could see problems so I took my time and had a good think about it. Firstly the instructions state to notch out a bit of the door to allow for the pivot part of the hinge. This I did. They say to glue the hinge along the bottom inside of the door and this is the first problem. Like this the center of the hinge (hinge line) is too deep inside the door line so fouling will result. I drilled the hinge a 45 deg angle hole in the block in the door so the hinge line could be just outside the door line as in the picture. The hinge is drilled at 45 deg through a block in the fuselage and this I worked out to be a little further forward that what the instructions suggested. I actually didnt go far enough and you can see the resulting gap. It is not a bad fit but not perfect. My advise,,,, take youe time. So the door is mounted. Time to attach it to the retract leg with the already fitted wire door actuator but there is no attachment points provided in the kit to glue to the door for the wire to go through. I have some angle styrene stock that I cut to length and glued onto the doors for this purpose. I was lucky to make it long enough to be able to drill another set of holes for the wire as my first attempt was too far away making the wheel just clear the door when extended but hitting it when the oleo started compressing. I would make the angle longer next time and drill a fer sets of matching holes for adjustment. Even with this mucking around I still had to bend up a new door actuating wire as the one in the kit ended up being about 3mm (1/8th) too short. Extended the door was still too close to the wheel and retracted the door was fully closed before the retract had seated into a locked position. Not sure if it was something I did wrong but the longer wire I bent up did the job. The whole thing is a bit of a strange set up because as the wheel steers it twists the door on the hinge. I think the wires are meant to pass through the holes in the mounts but this just aint going to happen. Maybe bigger holes???
Anyway it is done now so I will see how it goes.
In the picture you will see the Cat's newly painted pilot. I think the guy who painted him in the factory must have been on drugs. The pilot had a bright red leather helmet, yellow collar, red buckles and eye brows a drag queen would be proud to have. I slap of paint fixed him. Not the greatest of pilots but he is some thing in the cockpit.
Hopefully tomorrow I will get my exhausts and bits and pieces from Towers.
Cheers,
Brad