Asanders

thanks I am somewhat embarrassed by that landing though

samparfitt

My Feedback: (43)

Asanders,
With a bend strut, I usually take the whole thing apart, go to HD and get a 2' long pipe (copper or steel) that fits over the strut, put the strut in a vise (with wood or plastic on the vise to not distort the strut) and then use the pipe to gently straighten the strut (or buy a new one!). This gives you 'fine' control of bending the strut. You could drill drill a hole in wood to put the strut in and then put the wood into the vise.

Asanders

Thanks Sam, I would like to try that before I buy a new one.. ouch I am sure it would be cheaper to fix it, would you use any heat on the strut or would that weaken it?

thanks

samparfitt

My Feedback: (43)

I have never used any heat.
The last time, I also used a pipe to hold the strut in the vise instead of wood.
I'm assuming the bend is very small: a sever bend has probably degraded the structural integrity of the metal.

JeffH

My Feedback: (43)

Hey Alan,

Which gear do you have. the Yellow Gear or the Sierra?
Either way, you have to take the strut out of the retract.
If they aer Yellow gear, they might break when you try to straighten them. I have seem them both extremely soft and easy to bend and extremely brittle and easy to break.
The Sierra gear, being much higher quality metal should be able to be bent back, with some serious muscle of course.
I would get a 4x4 block of wood, drill a hole in the size of the strut. Fasten the block to something solid, IE deck, HEAVY vise etc. Stick the strut in the hole up to the point where it is bent and hit it with a fiber hammer, or a hammer and a block of wood. Go easy until you have a feeling for how tough it will be to bend back. Don't heat it, that will mess up the aluminum for sure.
Basically you are using the 4x4 as holding jig that will not mar or destort the strut hopefully. If you use a vice, I have always found that the sharp edges of the jaws either crushed the strut tubed or caused dents when I tried to straighten things.

Gimme call if you have any questions

Jeff

Asanders

thanks Sam, I would have ruined it for sure then I was thinking of using heat. Hi Jeff, I am not sure what brand the retracts are. I forgot what BT told me. I am thinking he either said Century Jets or Yellow Aircraft retracts. THe only writing on the retract is Y880. Makes me think they are Y/A retracts.

I will have to get me a vise for sure. Hoping it is repairable. Yeah it isnt too large of a bend, just enough to keep the strut from coming up close to prevent it from locking up.

JeffH

My Feedback: (43)

Sounds like Y/A retracts. Just go easy on the bending. Can you tell where the bend is? Is in the upper portion of the strut, or the actual oleo that is bent?

Asanders

it is in the upper portion it is bent right at the part where it fits into the mechanism

JeffH

My Feedback: (43)

You should be ok to use the wood block method. I bet it will not take much effort based on leverage. It will bend easier the next time you do a doughnut though lol. The metal will get easier and easier to bend until it breaks.
Send me some pictures of that thing. Never see too many warbirds.
I had the Bamboo Bomber out at an EAA fly-in locally this past weekend. Man that thing looked good sitting all together instead of spread all over the garage. I have to get it done now!!!
The kids got me the new Top Flite ARF 1/7th scale mustang for father's day. I got to throw that together for my play plane right quick. Think a YS 120 will haul it?

Asanders

I was wondering if you got your Bamboo Bomber done yet. I have so many projects that I havent even started on. From what I have seen your YS will haul that P-51 just fine especially at your altitude. That is pretty cool that your kids got you a plane on Fathers Day~ I got a new grandson a few days before. They named him after my Dad. He was born two days after D Day.
Here is a pic of my Jack Devine P-47. My Dad named one of his early planes Thumper after my oldest brother who was just an infant at the time, because he would thump the crib with his foot. My sister found an old letter my Dad had written to my Mom and told her he was naming his next plane Thumper II so using deductive reasoning it would seem natural to believe he had a Thumper (I). This plane is much larger than the Yellow but not as scale looking. It is supposed to fly pretty well though.

RCPILOT78

Asanders...did you bend the struts upper or lower portions.....or did you bend the steel ( pin ) that connects the upper and lower struts....if so can you replace the steel pin that may be where it is bint...

Asanders

Hi, I bent the left strut at the upper end where it slides into the retract mechanism so when the struts retract the left one is already angled in too far so as not to allow the strut to go up all the way so it doesnt lock up.

RCPILOT78

yes.......... if that is the y/a retracts I think there is a steel pin at that location if you take out the set screws you will see the steel pin...if so that pin is whats bent and you can replace it or take it out of the retract and straighten it...

tucson

My Feedback: (1)

Hi everyone,

I am installing the Sierra gear into my yellow P-47. The axel area (fork) sticks up above the wing about 1/8 of an inch which will not allow me to mount the gear doors flush with the wing.
Has anyone run into this problem and if so how did you solve it.
I guess I could remove 1/8 from the mounting blocks. But the space there is to small to get a tool to cut away the wood.
Any help would be appreciated.

Stan
Tucson, AZ

RCPILOT78

tucson...I didn't have that problem because I used the Yellow Aircraft retracts. they are designed to fit flush......I think that cutting anything away in that area would certainly compermise the strength ....I feel that area is the weakest part of the wing....so be cautious about cutting away the hardwood.....than there is the problem of the retract mechanism bottoming out in the well there is not a whole lot of room in the well it is very shallow...

IFLYBVM2

My Feedback: (360)

The Sierra gear legs are fairly beefy-Why couldn't you have a local machine shop mill 1/8" off the outside edge of the strut ? Thanks-Mike Oberst

tucson

My Feedback: (1)

I feel foolish,

I never turned the strut so that the axel would point the wheel in the right direction. when I did the part that was sticking up came in line with the top of the wing.
I just learned something.Now it is perfect fit.

Thanks for the quick response.
Stan
Tucson

jeff naul

My Feedback: (16)

i'm thinking pretty hard on getting on of these birds in hopes of it being a weekend flyer. is a g-62 too heavy? im only considering it because i want to be able to swing a solo 4-blade. thank's jeff

tucson

My Feedback: (1)

Jeff,

I have a G-62 in mine. I am not afraid of the power you can always throttle back. The owner at yellow suggested going with the G-62. He said if you use a smaller engine you would have to add nose weight.

Although the wings were sheeted and the fuse is fiberglass, there is still a lot of work to do, but a very nice kit.

Stan,
Tucson

AirplaneMan04

Any new updates Heliraptor? This thread kind of went dead.

yard-dart

My Feedback: (35)

Yes, the thread's been pretty dead, but there's still a few being built out there. I've been working on and off on a razorback for several months now. I'm nearly done with prepping the airframe for paint. I've still got to glue the bellypan to the wing. Once I've got everything primed, filled, and sanded, it'll be ready for some color. Going with a G62 and home-built scale exhaust built by Jeff Naul himself! He tells me a warbird aint a warbird without a naked chick on the nose, but I've yet to figure out what I'm putting up there. Hopefully I can have it ready in the next month or two. Hard to build a plane with a full-time job, wife, and two young kids. I'll post some pics as soon as I get some.

thisoldman

My Feedback: (29)

have started on ya p47.. going to use a evolution 58gx engine. also have a g62, but that is going into my ziroli P47. looking for a engine for my p51 now. think im runing a war bird factory here.. c47, p51. ziroli p47, ya p47, tf p47. ziroli p38, ziroli b25, and cessna 310 airforce style.

RCPILOT78

Hey all not much happening on this post lately....I finally maidened mine its been 2 years since I finished it ...due to other projects...the plane flew magnificent it is a floater.......here are some pics..

gmohr

Great pics, beautiful plane. I'm seriously considering building one of these.

RCPILOT78

gmohr you will love this plane...it builds light and flies great....