brakes???
 

Hi i am building a P-38 and i would like to put brakes on it but the only brakes i can find are for jets. i have looked at robart but to me they seem a little pricey after you buy the brakes and then the wheels/tires for them. Are there any other MFG the makes brakes and are worth buying and putting into a model?? Thanks Mike

RE: brakes???
 

brakes wre used in early pattern ships hooked to work with full down elevator as the brake was on the nose wheel only.the brakes were needed for paved surfaces as back then the carburaters in use would not idle well below 3k rpm.only way to stop the plane on pavement.i used a sonic systems brake on my ducted fan cougar to allow the engine to come up to full power before starting the take off roll.really do not need them on a p-38 but that is your choice

RE: brakes???
 

Rocket City made a set of brakes that operated the way sdb-5 has described. The unit was a 1 inch drum with prongs on the side that attached to the spokes of the wheel, and had music wire wrapped around the drum so that it tightened when pressure was applied to the wire. I've used them for years on 60 size airplanes and they worked well. Have not seen them on the market lately and don't know if Rocket City is still in business. They may have cost about $5.00 a pair ten years ago.
Don't know if this is what you're looking for; but I've come across a design that works the same way and simple to build.
I get a kick out of just taxiing out on the runway, line up and apply brakes and stop momentarily, then apply throttle for takeoff. It also helps sometimes to shorten the landing roll.
I can post a drawing of it if you want, but forget it if you are using retracts on your P-38.
feihu