Detlef Kunkel

Some close ups


The calculated (and long in advance estimated and hoped for) weight is about 1 kg, without cylinder or electric actuator. In my case, a large 28 mm thin-walled lightweight cylinder is added, I don't like the electric actuators very much. My colleagues prefer electric, they don't like the air.




That is pretty OK for a gear of this type and almost 500 mm length (strut with wheel). Carbon is not a good choice here because of the enormous complexity of the parts.




We will do the carbon one on the FW190 D9, which is much better suited for that




Summary:




Data:

1:4,25

Overall length without wheel 440 mm

wheel 140 mm

Suspension 2-stage ratio 5:1 spring force soft step / hard step

Final pressure per leg 330 N

Oil damping

Spring travel approx 55 mm (!)

weight 960 gr (without actuator)

Operation: at choice; air or electric

Uplock: no (deliberately not intended to keep the function as simple and safe as possible. This function is performed by the inner landing gear door (which is there anyway, why not make itself doubly useful)

Downlock: automatic forced sequence







Even if it still has to prove itself in practice, I am confident that this construction will work (knock three times on wood...)

Jimbone

Looking good. Were you able to find the paint codes for the purple and orange rare bear scheme?

mitchilito

My Feedback: (6)

Detlef, your landing gear are real works of mechanical art. I thought I was showing an amazing amount of determination to finish my Bearcat project but you make me look like a slacker!! HA HA HA!!!!! Great work. Please keep us updated on all your progress.

Jimbone, I gave up trying to get actual paint codes so I decided to wing it. In keeping with my “stand off scale” philosophy I decided to let my eye do the deciding. I went to Sherwin Williams and picked swatches that best approximated what I was seeing in the many photos online. The purple was always going to be the hard one to match. It needs to be as blue as it is purple and I think I nailed it. Sherwin Williams “Valiant Violet.” I’m quite happy with it. I have the great fortune to have a good friend with a professional paint booth at my disposal. What a blessing!

Im a big fan of epoxy paint so I had Klass Kote mix the paints. Today’s progress:

Jimbone

That looks awesome! Going to be one hell of a plane when it’s done. Color looks Looks like a good match to me

mitchilito

My Feedback: (6)

Yep, in these iPhone pictures it looks like an exact match for the big Bear. And it’s kind of like the big one also in that it looks bluer or more purple depending on the lighting.

I’m real happy.

mitchilito

My Feedback: (6)

A couple more views in the scorching sun. It’s HOT. Here in NC.

The fuselage now needs a vigorous rubbing out to look right.

mitchilito

My Feedback: (6)

If you've been following this thread you saw that, for a couple days, I was determined to do a temporary test flight paint job of the simple gold and white scheme. Upon further thought, that was not feasible. Obviously I’m headed down the path toward the 2014 scheme that I absolutely love.

I had bought the complete mask package for that scheme quite a while ago - from Callie Graphics. I just got around to looking at it today and I’m very impressed. Leave it to Callie to nail it. She’s been at it for a long time.

mitchilito

My Feedback: (6)

I’m very happy with my cooling solution. Not scale - but burning up a nearly $5000 dollar engine just isn’t an option.

It’s almost invisible.

mitchilito

My Feedback: (6)

Holy cow, how long has it been since I posted?! Other projects got in the way of bear progresss but I’m back at it!,

Wet sanded entire airframe and applied Callie graphics today. It’s actually getting very close to done now. Ya-hoooooooo.

also painting a classic flash jet at the same time. I’ll throw a pic in of that too. Where you see grey primer is going to be rare bear purple. What the heck, I had a bunch left over!!