jhunter

My Feedback: (20)

I need a copy of Model Airplane News March 1983, the article in building the Karlsson retracts for the Grumman Wildcat. I have the plans and the Feb 83 MAN that talks about the airframe already, thanks for your help.

Wagon1

Good luck with that. I've had the plans for about 15 years and pull them out every once in awhile. I just shake my head and roll them back up. My brother has access to a CNC machine so I think we could make the parts for the gear....it's the fuselage that I don't get. No longerons, etc. Once you get started, please keep us posted. I'd love to see how you progress.

Chad Veich

My Feedback: (60)

You make me up a set of gear and I will CAD up a Wildcat and laser cut a kit for it. I promise my fuselage will be easy to understand! I've already got the Karllson plans and would base my design on his drawings but with a much simpler method of construction.

lightning 759

Hi

think i have thouse plans too will watch with interest chad
Andy

Chad Veich

My Feedback: (60)

Hi Andy,

The Wildcat has been on my "to do" list for a very long time. The only thing that has stopped me is the lack of a suitable gear for it. (One that I can afford at least!) I would be happy to draw one up anywhere between 75-85 inches if I could get my hands on a set of good quality retracts. I simply do not have the machine skills or equipment to make the gear. The rest of the airframe is no problem.

wingspar

My Feedback: (3)

You might want to cantact Darrel at Sierra as I believe he is working on a production run of 1/4 scale wildcat gear.

Dave N

Scale Specialties

Hi Chad and guys, I am also very interested as this plane has been high on my list for several years. I happen to already have available scale accessories for it as well. I have both of the Curtis Electric style props as well as the Hamilton Standard depending on what you need, FM-2, F4F ect. I also have the dummy radial(s) 9cyl for the R-1820 or 7 (14 cylinder) for the Pratt and Whitney R-1830. I am lucky for the gear as I happened into a pretty good and almost completed set for cheap that someone made but never finished the plane itself. As I have looked into CNC'ng a set of my exact 1/6 scale Corsair Gear it is just not practical do to the number of parts this way unless you keep it pretty basic and simplified for the Wildcat. I am most likely going to have many of these Corsair parts investment cast which should be substantially cheaper. The Wildcat could be done much in the same fashion. We would just need a good CAD modeler to first create the components digitally. I could then print them out on one of our 3D printers and use those as a basis for casting masters. You would still need a few people onboard with the project to make it cost effective. I agree with the "challenges" of the Karlson design and construction approach. Chad, going by your other work I am sure you could keep that nice scale outline tht Bob did, but make it a hundred times easier and better to construct. I would also really love to have the option of doing the folding wings as well. Since they were manually folded, you would not have to worry about a drive mechanism, just the hinging hardware. The plane just looks so cool with the wings tucked it!
-Dave

Chad Veich

My Feedback: (60)

Hi Dave,

I don't think there are any really complex parts to the landing gear and I could probably do the 3d digital work so that you could have the masters printed. Be more than happy to talk to you about it anyway and see where it goes from there. I just took delivery of a new laser cutter which I hope to have up and running in the next few weeks so I can provide short kits if the project reaches that stage. I can also do the vac forming of the canopy (as I'm sure you could as well) and I know somebody who could probably be talked into laying up glass cowls for us. That's assuming the canopy and cowl are not readily available for the Karlson airplane from some other source. The folding wings might be a different kettle of fish! I have no experience there so some R&D would surely be called for. Interesting and exciting project to consider as I've long wanted to build a Wildcat.

PS - Regarding 1/6 scale Corsair gear, please keep me informed. I have a 1/6 Corsair project that is stalled precisely because I cannot find a really scale gear for the airplane. Love to get this one finished up someday.

wphilb

My Feedback: (10)

May I recommend that whatever size you decide to make it, the 80" ws size or larger opens the plane up to IMAA events. It would also be good to see what size the cowl works out to be based on either a G-62 or some of the 50 cc choices like DA, ZDZ or DLE. Again depending on size. 

drifter

My Feedback: (53)

Here is a copy of the article for anyone who needs it. About 11 megs (can be reduced if needed)


http://www.mediafire.com/?as4nv2w90za22mk

Chad Veich

My Feedback: (60)

I am not locked into any particular wing span myself. Ideal size for me when it comes to single engine fighter types is generally around 72-76 inches but I would go bigger if necessary. Heck, I would build the 89 inch Jerry Bates design if I could get my hands on a set of the Robart or Sierra retracts for it. Not really interested in going any bigger than that however, at least not at this time. I am not an IMAA member and have never attended one of their events so the 80 inch minimum rule means nothing to me. I understand the wisdom of going at least 80 inches span with the design if the plans/kits were to be marketed though. Truth is I will be at the mercy of whomever is making the retracts if, in fact, anybody wth the capabilities is interested enough in the project to pursue that end of it.

P-40 DRIVER

Karlson canopy and cowl available through Fiberglass specialties, the retracts are available through Century Jet for the karlson and the Bates wildcat for a price. Model Airplane news sells an 8th scale plans which is an easy build but no retracts.

warbird51

My Feedback: (12)

Chad,

If you need some close up pics. of the FM-2 gear, I can take some of our FM-2 Wildcat and send them to you on a disc. If that would help.

Wayne

Chad Veich

My Feedback: (60)

Thanks Wayne! I will certainly take you up on the offer if this project moves forward. You guys take care of Tom Camp's bird, correct? The Atlantic scheme is one of my favorites for the Wildcat.

warbird51

My Feedback: (12)

Yes, we take care of Camp's Wildcat. We are starting the annual inspection tomorrow. I think the Atlantic color scheme is much better than the all blue sceme.

carlbecker

My Feedback: (3)

IMHO the drive part will be the hardest to make. I started a 1/6 set but stopped once Bates came out with the 1/5 plans and Robart made the gear. There are several builds on RCSB. The Bates is a very honest bird to fly. I have heard about Darrell making a 1/5 set but can not hold my breath that long[]

Scott P's 1/4 flys extremely well with a Moki. Fantastic presence in the air.

JeffH

My Feedback: (43)

I would think that the Robart gear with an electric motor instead of the weird pnuematic/linear chain drive would work good. Basically replicate the original, but use a continuous rotation servo or motor instead of the pilots arm.

carlbecker

My Feedback: (3)

I had them working OK with heavy Glennis wheels. I changed to the twin air cylinders and lighter Robart wheels and have zero problems and good working gear. CJ seems to work as well but I don't care for their gear quality. IMHO electric is not needed or better. The air system is simple and works well.

jhunter

My Feedback: (20)

I have found a copy of MAN Mar 1983 on Ebay, That issue is real hard to find, prospective builders must hoard it. I now will have 2 copies of Feb 83, the aircraft construction article, and soon will have the one detailing, I hope, the gear. I have an unbuilt Tamiya plastic kit for the Wildcat along with a Monogram kit of the Curtiss F3F-3 which actually has operating retracts that are similar, you turn the prop and the gear retracts! As soon as I get the article I will start making a mock up of wood so I can get my head around how it all operates. A friend of mine did some work on the Wildcat that is on the carrier Hornet at the Alameda Air Station in CA, a floating museum, seems the gear was slowly collapsing due to the weight and missing componets, it was on the bottom of Lake Michigan for several years. I will post a link of some photographs of that plane in my next post, good pics of the gear. What I would like to see is a video of the gear going up and down, that would be a great help. Maybe the poster that works on "AIR BISCUIT", the Wildcat in Hayward might have some video? I love that particular airplane, I crewed the RARE BEAR for awhile and met a few of you guys that crew the plane. I am a retired A&P and was part of the AA bunch that took the Bear over one year. Buttload of work.......... If I cannot build the gear, I will do the WildCatfish, the Navy gave one to EDO in 1942 and had it put on floats for testing, had to ad 2 more small vertical fins and I guess it flew like a truck, so only 1 was made, but they did make 100 sets of floats for them. Float close up pics are impossible to find. My club flies floatplanes every week at Boca Lake by Truckee CA, so new and interesting floatplanes are popping up all the time. I also have plans, a cowl and canopy for the EDO OSE-1, centerline Ranger type engine powered fighter akin to a Hellcat. I will make available copies of the MAN articles if any body wants them, just let me know.

jhunter

My Feedback: (20)

http://svsm.org/gallery/f4f_hornet

jhunter

My Feedback: (20)

First mockup piece, took about 15 mins. Early on you have to decide if you are going to cut all pieces to the outside of the line, inside, middle and stick with it or in the end your kinda screwed. One thing I noticed is that the length of the side view and the top are slightly different.

jhunter

My Feedback: (20)

I got the MAN with the gear article today, there are some pictures that cleared a few things up. Karlsson also says brass is OK for the upper and lower suspension frames, which I like, and a solid aluminum center beam can be used. I will go this way and rivit the center beam pivot points, (ears), in place. I will search for the right size Bimba cylinder so I have a scale looking strut. His method of airfoiling the tubing is to squeeze it in a vice with a drill bit inside the tube to prevent crushing, I guess this is supposed to add strength? I still do not quite understand the counter balance and downlock yet, but I am getting there. Materials so far look like 3/16, 1/4, 5/16 tubing of your choice, some 3/32 sheet steel, springs for the oleo action on the strut.

Wagon1

These are some mock-up parts my brother made for me. He uses CAD and a 3D printer first to make sure everything is exactly the way we want it. Then he will cut the metal on the CNC. I'm looking forward to seeing how you progress. I like the idea of the tubing.

carlbecker

My Feedback: (3)

looking very nice. I tried brass long ago and would use SS and silver brazing not solder if I where to try again.

jhunter

My Feedback: (20)

I sure like the CAD idea, I bought some brake line tubing, 3/16 and 1/4 that was not coated. I went to a few welding shops and they sell Silver solder for about $50 a roll with out flux. I think that is a little high when I could double that and buy a flux wire welder from Harbor Freight and end up with a tool when I am all done. Test solders on the brake tubing did not work out at all, I bought some Ace Hardware flux and tried some Stay Brite silver solder that I use on wire gear wrapped with copper, works great that wat, but not on the brake line tubing. I do have a flying buddy that will MIG it all for me when I have it all cut out. I do not know the wall thickness of the brake tubing but it seems strong and light. Here in Reno it is hard to find stainless tubing and thick wall aluminum tube. Only 1 place ihn town has a K&S rack and it's pretty empty. I will get some MAPP gas and some proper flux and try to solder it again, I think I saw a youtube video where the guy said to get the brake tube to a dull orange glow, propane would not quite do that.