what is this?
12-17-2004, 10:24 AM
#5
RE: what is this?
ORIGINAL: Mike Denest
Could be an early type of air operated gear retract cylinder. Did I win???
Could be an early type of air operated gear retract cylinder. Did I win???
In the early days of retracts some of us used three of theses air cylinders to activate our retracts. The engine was tapped for a pressure tap and a one way valve was made from a Cox reed assembly and a control valve from brass tubing and O rings. The cylinders were made from a shower curtain rod and is thin wall brass. Inside there is piston with a leather seal and a spring for the gear down function. Some people used automotive brake cylinder rubber cups for the piston seal. The one way valve held pressure on the system when the engine was at idle. You can tell but the amount of work that went into this, that we wanted retracts pretty badly! I discovered recently that I had three of them in my R/C junk box!
