RE: Top Flite AT6 ARF
 

Dick;
You are doing the right thing by dropping the stock landing gear wire. You can have the best smooth landing and they will bend!!
Sonny
aka
jet22b

RE: Top Flite AT6 ARF
 

Yeah, I thought it would a good idea after reading the results of the stock struts. Do you know the diameter of the stock wire? I must be metric....
Thanks,
Dick

RE: Top Flite AT6 ARF
 

Hey Gang,

I started this thread back in 2008 and am truly amazed that it is stil active. Jet22 aka Sonny, Minflyer and I had a lot of correspondence concerning this plane and yeah I had a lot of trouble with the gear, used Toms boxes and finally got tired of it and gave it away. Will say that it is a good flyer but so is my H9 T-bolt and Mustang. And they both have great gear in them, just have to make a minor modification to improve ground handling. Never had a bit of trouble with bending or the gear coming out of the wings. Good luck to you all.

Curt ;)

RE: Top Flite AT6 ARF
 

I'm suspicious of the 1/32" piano flap wire connectors. I haven't read any problems with it but curious if it's adequate. It sure doesn't look strong enough. Has anyone used anything a more substantial?
Thanks,
Dick

RE: Top Flite AT6 ARF
 

Those wires are enough to hold the flaps together when deployed. Mine has almost 200 flights and has not caused any problems when landing.

RE: Top Flite AT6 ARF
 

Okay sounds good enough then. I appreciate the relpy.....thanks.

RE: Top Flite AT6 ARF
 

Capt;
I was out flying my AT-6 today and I can say that wire is very good. After your maiden flight and this is what I did, take they plane up high and play with the flaps. You will find they do slow this bird down!! I still may pickup another AT-6 and put it on the self just in case Top Flite stop making them. If you ever seen the full scale AT-6 do the low high speed pass and pull up in the sweeping right hand turn, this plane do the same thing. With all the short fall this arf have, she is still a keeper. Any other thing you need help on, just post. Have a great weekend my friend!!!
Sonny
aka
jet22b

RE: Top Flite AT6 ARF
 

Hey Curt,
You still have your Blue Nose P-51???
Sonny
aka
jet22b

RE: Top Flite AT6 ARF
 

Sonny,
Never had the Blue Nose P-51, just the AT6, Thunderbolt and the Mustang.
You need to get a T-Bolt, makes the AT6 look like a chump.
Curt

RE: Top Flite AT6 ARF
 

Plus 1 on the last post. The TF .60-size P-47 with a DLE 20 is a terrific airplane! I plan on assembling the giant scale P-47 arf this winter due to how well the smaller cousin went together and flew.

RE: Top Flite AT6 ARF
 

Lifer;
I have a new in-box DLE 20 that need a home and you are right, winter is coming and I need to build or I will go nuts!!!:D
Thanks!!


Curt,
I have my eye on a T-bolt!!! I do like the plane!! That's right xmas will be here soon!!!:D:D
Sonny
aka
jet22b

RE: Top Flite AT6 ARF
 

Sonny,
Make sure that it is the Hangar 9.
And don't forget the pacers at the rear of the gear boxes.
Curt :D

RE: Top Flite AT6 ARF
 

Sonny,
I meant to type "spacers" not "pacers"

Curt [:o]

RE: Top Flite AT6 ARF
 

Thanks Curt!! I will look for a build thread here on RCU and start reading!!
Sonny
aka
jet22b

RE: Top Flite AT6 ARF
 

Sonny,

Already built one, just send me an Email if you have problems or questions.

[email protected]

:D:D:D

RE: Top Flite AT6 ARF
 

Thanks, Curt. I will do that. I did find a build thread here on RCU!!!
Sonny
aka
jet22b

RE: Top Flite AT6 ARF
 

I have Toms retract boxes on order...

Has anyone tried to simply swap out the supplied struts for the robart tempered ones that come with the pneumatic kit??

RE: Top Flite AT6 ARF
 

ChriCYWG, are you referring to the Robart wire gear? If so I tried a pair and although they felt a lot stronger then tended to bend almost as easily as the stock wire.

RE: Top Flite AT6 ARF
 

It has been years since I addressed the issue of soft wire. Is the process for making it harder to heat then quench, or heat then allow it to cool naturally in order to harden the wire? This might be the solution.

RE: Top Flite AT6 ARF
 

I read various techniques online about heating the wire, dunking it in oil, then reheating, and dunking in water... I work for an actual airline and I'll ask one of our maintenance guys today about his thoughts on the process...

RE: Top Flite AT6 ARF
 

Has anyone installed the Centuryjet retracts?
http://centuryjet.com/product_info.php/products_id/194

Those look pretty beefy.. not sure how much wheelwell "carving" would be required though...

RE: Top Flite AT6 ARF
 

ChriCYWG, we do a lot of heat treat for tooling and fixtures at work and here is my take. Oil quenching makes the part tough, while water quench makes it harder, but also extremely brittle.

Robart supplies instructions regarding heating their wire to form and if I remember correctly the process was to heat to form, then reheat and allow to slowly air cool to return to the original strength and spring qualities. This would make sense as heating and slowly allowing to cool was a traditional method for stress relieving.

RE: Top Flite AT6 ARF
 

I think the strength comes from the amount of carbon content in the steel but I'm not a machinist nor have background in the subject.

With regard to Robart struts - they say to heat the metal red hot; shape it then quench in water; heat again to the first color change and let cool naturally.

I was told "cold rolled steel" would be stronger than "hot rolled" so that's what I'm going to look for to replace the stock struts. I don't know if that's the same as piano wire or not - if not I'll look for some piano type wire or rod, stock. I'm confident that should work no matter. My plan is to use some short, nose wheel "oleo" struts from "RC WARBIRDS" left over from another project. Then heat the steel rod as suggested by Robart bend it, quench and cut it off to the required length anbd insert it into the oleo struts. The gear should look better and be funtional as well.....at least that's the idea.

I hope someone knows for certain what the correct steel to use please sound of....thanks.

Dick

RE: Top Flite AT6 ARF
 

All of this discussion about wire strength is great but the stock struts bending takes a lot of the stress off of the gear boxes and mount area. However, this should not be a problem with the reinforcement boxes

I just wrapped copper wire around the wire in the strut loop which adds some stiffness??? I have 150 landings with no problems that I can't fix with the pliars?

RE: Top Flite AT6 ARF
 

I'm ready to install the wing joiners into the center section but the joiners seem excessivly sloppy to me. I'd like to use brown Gorilla Glue or Tight Bond since they both expand but not sure whether I'd have enough time. I plan on joining one side at a time, letting it cure 24 hours and then fit the remaining wing.

I also have some old 30 min epoxy but the epoxy part has thickened. It was suggesed to put it in the microwave for a few seconds and it would be okay to use.
I'm not near a LHS at all so can't get any new stuff unless throught the internet. All local stores have no 30 min Epoxy.

Thoughts or comments would be appreciated.

Dick