Tommy_Gun

Got to get in two more on the flights on the 190 last Sunday with the Fredericksberg Area Club for their informal end of summer fly-in.
This is still one of the best flying planes I've ever had of any scale.
I made a mistake in dropping my gear on the first flight without decelerating to pattern speed, or it's possible I didn't properly manage my speed on climb out from takeoff.
Result, I had the 8-32 jackscrew that works the gear mechanism bend and kept the right main from fully locking in the down position.
I had an BobH spotting for me and he noted that the landing was smooth and soft. Yet, on the taxi back to the pits, it was obvious that the right main was not fully down and locked.
Crap!, I thought I'd broke or bent the pins on the trunion even though the landing was smooth.
It was early enough in the day, I decided to remove the right unit and see if I could do a field repair. That's when I found the surprise of a bent jack screw. The pins were fine.
So I broke the unit down to the point I could unthread the banana shaped jack screw. Then, using a vice that was affixed to a field table and a folded over paper towel to protect the threads, I went about the slow process of straightening the jack screw. It took about 15 minutes with the guidance and help of Ernie and another field regular I cant name. Extra eyeballs to verify straightness are a good thing.
The repair worked out great and I was able to reassemble the unit to make a second flight.
And it's a good thing I did.
The second flight was an event where I was 4th in line for a gaggle with three other giant P-47's. So there was my lone 4 stroke powered 190 surrounded by a bunch of Jugs with snarling 2 strokes with engine sizes ranging from 60 to 85cc's and we had a blast! It was just a bit unnerving at times in that I couldn't hear my Saito triple until I flew it right past us.
I was also surprised that my 4 stroke, triple powered 190 was a match in speed for the 2 strokes of similar or larger displacement. Possibly the slightly smaller frontal area of the 190 giving me the ability to keep up with the Thunderbolts?
During the day, the discussion of cooling airflow over the engine came up. I know that there are lots of knowledgeable experts that are willing to chime in, but this simple setup with no baffles is all that my FG60 and FG57 have ever needed. No overheating at all. See the attached pics.
Oh and I also finally found a "suitable" pilot figure for my 190.

SWORDSN

My Feedback: (13)

I have flown mine,without the cowl, 9 times. I have not flown with another warbird yet,but i will soon.The 190/fg60 seems slower than my P47 and F4U with DLE 55s,good to hear that you could keep up.

BobH

My Feedback: (2)

Tommy was putting up a heck of a fight!! Three P-47's all swarming for the kill. The 190 dodging and turning, escaping at every chance. Finally the P-47's had to give up and land.
Tommy came in unscathed!! Good Job!!

Tommy_Gun

Tony Gag Jr.

My Feedback: (124)

The weather was lousy on Sunday but I brought out my 190 to run the engine for the first time. The engine ran great so I did some low speed taxi checks. Took the plane home and noticed the right gear would not stay up and locked. Took it apart and the gear pin is bent. I am using the Robart air version. Amazing, I never even got a flight on my gear and already have a bent pin. Guess I should have done the mods for the Sierra gear.

jagdpanther9

trust me tony i feel your pain. with my robart air retracts i bent a pin just from testing them without reducing the pressure in the air valve to make them come down or up slower. here is a video of what little side loading on roll out it took to bend a pin JUST SKIP TO 4.27 TO SEE THE LANDING. i replaced my pins with drill rod and that worked for a few flights until the drill rod shatterted probably from the heat of welding them in so i switched to the shank of an allen bolt and they held up better but eventually bent. finally i was able to aquire a nice set of sierra retracts and i used the skyshark laser cut adapter kits to install them. i did not have to cut my wing and change dihedral from how i built the wing with the robarts. the past dozen flights have been the best flights after owning this model for years. it was well worth the money and time to install the sierras.
PLEASE GUYS JUST BUY THE SIERRAS FROM THE START.

Tony Gag Jr.

My Feedback: (124)

I wish I had gone the Sierra route. I called Robart and they are going to send me new trunnions. Good customer service but I really have zero confidence in the design. I will look around and see if anyone is selling a set of Sierra gear. You are not having any issues with the Sierra without doing the mod to the dihedral?

STICK MODE

The skyshark laser cut adapter kits are available again there straight forward to fit although i did have to dermal a slight bit to allow the air hose to clear and yes Im running sierra retracts
there is only one word to describe the Robart retracts JUNK save your bucks and fit sierra if you are starting a build mine has had over 250 flights and landings off grass with no problems my D9 is fitted with the same retracts no issues in over 400 flights

Tony Gag Jr.

My Feedback: (124)

stickmode, did you modify the dihedral or keep the wing stock? What wheels are you using?

STICK MODE

I left the wing stock fuselage and wings ect are fully glassed, wheels came direct from sierra I changed the axle pin by a few degs by bending it (although its hardened) it can be bent so by doing that my wheels are slightly more up right than following the angle of the retract leg to look at it you would not notice there is a full sized FW190 not far from me and after studying it for a while mine ended up looking the same I'm currently doing another build on one for a friend ( god I'm a sucker) and am at the stage of fitting the skyshark kit and sierra retracts in to the wing so am happy to post photos of progress if that helps in any way .the lazer cut kit is very accurate i think about $19 well worth the money

Tony Gag Jr.

My Feedback: (124)

Sure, that would be great. Thanks!

Tommy_Gun

If anyone has a set of the Robart electric retracts they'd like to sell for the 190,
I'm a buyer.

jagdpanther9

Tony, the sierras are awesome zero issues. click the switch they go up click the switch they go down every time. i had one bouncy landing that skidded sideways that for sure would have folded a robart and it didnt touch these sierras.

Tony Gag Jr.

My Feedback: (124)

I think I will sell my Robarts when I get the new trunnions. If anyone wants a barely used set of the Robart air version let me know. They will have brand new trunnions, the older trunnions with the bent pins, and I will sell them for quite a bit less than Tower's price.

Thanks,

Tony

dasintex

My Feedback: (10)

Interested in a set of Sierra Gear for my TF FW 190; is there a Model number for Sierra gear specific for the TF FW 190?

w0mbat

My Feedback: (1)

I've been flying the Sierra gear for 2 years without a single issue.

ForcesR

Sierra item code 1/5 FW-190 Main retracts, PN # 1/5 FW-190. My Sierra FW-190 retracts installation is almost complete, I just need to figure out how to install the main gear doors on the Sierra gear. The main gear door were designed to fit the Robart retracts.

Roger

jagdpanther9

i would call and talk to darrell i got mine from a guy who bought them for his 190 and didnt use them.

Tommy_Gun

badazzgti03

My Feedback: (4)

Wish they made those Sierra in electric.
If anyone is interested in a 3D printed functional cooling fan that fits stock 4" spinner let me know. fans are made to order.
follow the link for pics
https://www.rcgroups.com/forums/show...6#post38364700

Bubi

Hi Folks . . . New member, live near Stockholm, Sweden and hopefully will soon fly a Warbird.
After going back and forth between Fieseler Storch Blackhorse, H9 P51 the TF FW190 . . the FW190 came out on top.

Received my bird today plus a FG60R3 Saito . . 😁 Sierra retracts and Skyshark Inserts are ordered. Soooo thanks to all you folks that have described your experiences . . Hopefully I shall avoid hassles . . And tooo many problems.

Life is hard! Yeah? Compared to ?

Bubi

I need a Fan. What would they cost?

Cheers Bubi

Todd D

My Feedback: (51)

Subscribing to this thread.
Just picked one up used on RCU. It has the robart pneumatics
Good info here. Interested in doing the LG mod to keep the pin from bending.
A friend of mine had one of these a few years back and I recall him having the LG trunnion pin problem too.
Did I see some are moving the CG back outside the suggested TF limits?

Tommy_Gun

Im not sure you can reinforce the air retracts with the same method used on the electrics.
Look at this post for an explanation for both of your questions.
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/rc-w...l#post11552405
Its post #1849 on page 74 of this thread.
At the end of the text in this post I explain that I had removed both steel ballast plates from the nose and this had the effect of moving the CG aft by about 1.5".
You can see in the video how nice this plane flies.
By the way, don't be afraid to slow it down on final approach just before touchdown. I'm seeing videos showing some folks driving it in very fast to touchdown. All that speed is energy, and that energy must be burned off somehow.
Sometimes, in the course of landing at those speeds, the energy has a bad effect on things connected to those long gear legs.
This plane, balanced as mine is, slows down very nicely with the flaps at full deflection and is fully controllable right to ground contact.
Good Luck

Lifer

My Feedback: (1)

It's refreshing to see that others have discovered the advantages of a properly balanced model. Nose heavy lands fast and hard and snap-rolls with too much elevator deflection, which becomes necessary to flare a nose heavy model! I balance my big warbirds (mostly Top Flite giant ARF's) at the rear-most indicated point and usually move back from there. Sport models are balanced much further back.