Charlie Kellogg's TBM Avenger Build
#2052
Thread Starter
My Feedback: (15)
Going under the knife in the morning to see if they can get my fingers working again. I got lucky and I got an Army surgeon who just came back from the war zone - putting our boys and girls back together. Guys, keep your hands away from those whirling props. For those who do, please place my name in your prayers. Many thanks "GUYS". Chic
#2054
Thread Starter
My Feedback: (15)
Thanks Ray and those sent prayers my way. It took way longer than expected but the finger is now beginning to move when summoned. I have a decorative zigzag cut on the bottom of my finger and a straight cut on top. I told the surgeon when he started the sutures I wanted a Beverly Hills stitch - in other words make it beautiful. Naturally he just laughed. Back to work on the Avenger next week. Question, did you install receiver and stuff before planking the bottom??? Thanks again. Chic
#2063
Thread Starter
My Feedback: (15)
Boyd, great hearing from a builder like you. We all want to be like you when we grow up - a great builder. Smile. The TBF-1B is finally starting to show progress. If you come up with any suggestions or advice on/for this build - please holler at me. Again, many thanks. Chic
#2065
Thread Starter
My Feedback: (15)
It has taken me over 8 years to build this Avenger - but it has been well worth it. I have been blessed through this hobby and this build thread with many new friendships, wonderful tips, and helpful advice. May all of you be blessed this year with good health, new projects, blue skies, and attending many scale events this year. Chic
#2067
Junior Member
Join Date: Aug 2014
Posts: 10
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Chic,
Looking through my dad's notes I could only find a few things about the retracts. The air cylinders he referenced are:
2 #166 for torpedo doors, Sierra main gears with valve rv-1, tail wheel robart #160. I know he slaved the mains and tail from the same large robart tank, and a second tank for the torpedo doors. I vaguely remember him mentioning about the tail wheel needing repositioning during installation, but that was a long while back. I'll keep looking through his books. Hopefully something pops up.
Looking through my dad's notes I could only find a few things about the retracts. The air cylinders he referenced are:
2 #166 for torpedo doors, Sierra main gears with valve rv-1, tail wheel robart #160. I know he slaved the mains and tail from the same large robart tank, and a second tank for the torpedo doors. I vaguely remember him mentioning about the tail wheel needing repositioning during installation, but that was a long while back. I'll keep looking through his books. Hopefully something pops up.
#2068
Thanks Ray and those sent prayers my way. It took way longer than expected but the finger is now beginning to move when summoned. I have a decorative zigzag cut on the bottom of my finger and a straight cut on top. I told the surgeon when he started the sutures I wanted a Beverly Hills stitch - in other words make it beautiful. Naturally he just laughed. Back to work on the Avenger next week. Question, did you install receiver and stuff before planking the bottom??? Thanks again. Chic
Sorry I didn't see this earlier, we installed everything except the air tank after we planked the entire fuselage.
Looks like the surgeon did a nice job, was it knit one pearl two? LOL
Larry
#2069
Chic,
Looking through my dad's notes I could only find a few things about the retracts. The air cylinders he referenced are:
2 #166 for torpedo doors, Sierra main gears with valve rv-1, tail wheel robart #160. I know he slaved the mains and tail from the same large robart tank, and a second tank for the torpedo doors. I vaguely remember him mentioning about the tail wheel needing repositioning during installation, but that was a long while back. I'll keep looking through his books. Hopefully something pops up.
Looking through my dad's notes I could only find a few things about the retracts. The air cylinders he referenced are:
2 #166 for torpedo doors, Sierra main gears with valve rv-1, tail wheel robart #160. I know he slaved the mains and tail from the same large robart tank, and a second tank for the torpedo doors. I vaguely remember him mentioning about the tail wheel needing repositioning during installation, but that was a long while back. I'll keep looking through his books. Hopefully something pops up.
We went with Sierra gear for everything, the only problem we had with the tail wheel was that it needed a bit of filing for it to stay locked in the down position.
Just got the Bavarian Cortex Demon Gyro from Santa, am going to install it in the Avenger to help with my limited flying skills.
Going back to the Trojan in a couple of weeks now that the shop is done and the Holidays are coming to a close.
Hope everyone had a great Xmas and my wishes to all my buddies here for a Happy and Healthy New Year.
Larry
#2070
Chic,
Be careful with the screws in the air valve, ours undid themselves the first time we started the engine and they are now somewhere at the old field rolling around the asphalt parking lot.
Larry
Be careful with the screws in the air valve, ours undid themselves the first time we started the engine and they are now somewhere at the old field rolling around the asphalt parking lot.
Larry
#2071
Thread Starter
My Feedback: (15)
Hey there. Thanks Larry, I told the surgeon I wanted a Beverly Hills stitch and not that Knit one Pearl two Granny stitch, smile. He said - O'ooo you mean "You want it to look Pretty", I said Roger That. I told him remember - I outrank him. He laughed and said - Yes that's right, but I hold the scalpel. I said in a skittish voice - "Never mind. Ha, Ha.
Larry, what size air cylinder did you put on the tail wheel - more like what was the length of the cylinder's stroke? Larry are you talking about the bomb bay air cylinder screws? Brett, Charlie did not use Sierra's tail wheel assembly. He mentioned that there was a need for a mod of some kind to mount it. Thanks for keeping your ears and eyes on this build. Just started planking the front end and cowl area. Having fun again. Still have more OT visits, but all the fingers have some movement now. Chic
Larry, what size air cylinder did you put on the tail wheel - more like what was the length of the cylinder's stroke? Larry are you talking about the bomb bay air cylinder screws? Brett, Charlie did not use Sierra's tail wheel assembly. He mentioned that there was a need for a mod of some kind to mount it. Thanks for keeping your ears and eyes on this build. Just started planking the front end and cowl area. Having fun again. Still have more OT visits, but all the fingers have some movement now. Chic
#2072
Chic,
Charlie used a Robart Tail wheel and when we looked at the pix he supplied on the disc we didn't feel it looked right so we went with the Sierra gear.
You need to mount that before you plank the fuse, and we made a removable hatch to get to the servo that works the retract mechanism, we used the largest air tank that Robart makes since you have the mains and the 2 cylinders for the bomb bay doors.
I also made 2 removable hatches one on each side of the fuselage for the switches for the ignition, receiver, lights and schrader valve to fill the air tank.
It's a shame we didn't know about S-Bus before the build, it would have helped with the rats nest of servo leads going to the receiver.
Let me know if you need any pix and I will take them and email them to you.
Be well my friend
Larry
Charlie used a Robart Tail wheel and when we looked at the pix he supplied on the disc we didn't feel it looked right so we went with the Sierra gear.
You need to mount that before you plank the fuse, and we made a removable hatch to get to the servo that works the retract mechanism, we used the largest air tank that Robart makes since you have the mains and the 2 cylinders for the bomb bay doors.
I also made 2 removable hatches one on each side of the fuselage for the switches for the ignition, receiver, lights and schrader valve to fill the air tank.
It's a shame we didn't know about S-Bus before the build, it would have helped with the rats nest of servo leads going to the receiver.
Let me know if you need any pix and I will take them and email them to you.
Be well my friend
Larry