You know, looking at how far above the CL the rudder is, I bet that sucker had some kinda mean rudder coupling.

Also, I really would love to see closeup pictures of the model's gear.

> There was a monoplane and a bipe called helldiver ; mine is the bipe. <

Actually there were two Helldiver biplanes and one monoplane. First came the the F8C, open cockpit two-seater fighter in 1928, then the better known SBC-3 in 1937 which was the last combat biplane purchased by the U.S.Navy and finally the monoplane dive bomber in WW2, the SB2C.

> by calling the problem, "Dutch roll", as in "Dutch uncle". <

The references I have seen attribute the term to a style of ice-skating where the wobble of the skaters bent-over body has more relevance than anybody's "uncle".

Good we got that corrected.

Have no way to send pictures; I am a model nut not a computer nut. The gear is as scale as I could make it from Westburg drawings and several photos except they do not extend as far in flight as the full size. Location when up, construction etc. is scale.

The gear sounds like excellent work. Not many have made working gear like that. You may not be a photographer, but it sounds like you're a master modeler.

We're the losers that there won't be pictures. Hope to hear about the next flights if you try to solve the mystery. Everyone will benefit from your efforts.

I spent about 4 months getting the gear to work, about 3 months building the model. I'm retired so I have the time.

Nope, the "Big Bopper". The song was "Chantilly Lace".