Hi Gary. I've sent you quite a few pm about the canopy kit I paid for. Is it ready?

Nice...where did you get your pilot from?

Thanks.
Pilot comes from premierpilots.net
Pilots run a little over $100.

You are using the 1/4 scale pilot?

Yes 1/4.

Well Gary. Not quite sure why you are not responding. I see your active on this post so you haven't died.. I sent you money for the canopy retract kit and our last correspondence 2 months ago now.
What can I do?

I have been responding to your PMs via my cell phone. Looks like they go through. Would not be the first time if they are not.

I have been waiting on the stainless steel screws I use for the canopy since early December. Just got them Saturday. Got ones one size too big. I'm very frustrated as well. the ones I have been sending out are the same size as the ones molded into the CARF frame. That way a guy didn't have to install every one. I am building one now and am dropping down one size. I do have that size on hand. I want to see how it looks before sending them out. I think it may even look better, as the CARF molded ones are a little big. Problem is, to use them, a builder will need to fill the frame and sand it smooth and essentially start over with all the screws. What do you think? It might look better, but is it practical. Otherwise I just work on getting the ones I have always used, the ones that match the frame. I ordered some from another source and if they come soon as I expect, mute point I guess.

Anyway, not to worry. I'll get your kit and several others out as soon as I get this all sorted out. You are not alone. Sorry for your wait. I'm doing what I can. Not enough hours in the day. Got virtually nothing over the week end dealing with family things.

Here is my # and feel free to use it anytime. I am on eastern daylight time in the US if anyone needs to call. 330-605-0314

My email is [email protected]

Please don't rely on RCU for communication. Love this site, but it is unreliable for communicating.

Some surface detail and corrections.

The improved hatches with piano hinges.

http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/atta...mentid=2197966

More panels.

http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/atta...mentid=2197967 http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/atta...mentid=2197968

corrected hand holds and steps.

http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/atta...mentid=2197969 http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/atta...mentid=2197970

Aluminum trim around the nose.

http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/atta...mentid=2197971

The cowl with the aluminum applied.

http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/atta...mentid=2197972

The process.

http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/atta...mentid=2197973 http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/atta...mentid=2197974 http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/atta...mentid=2197975 http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/atta...mentid=2197976 http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/atta...mentid=2197977

Here are some pictures showing how I do aluminum. Here I am applying HVAC tape to a cowl section retainer with Aerofoil already applied to the panels on either side. Tape is applied as a mask for the aluminum to overlap onto. Aluminum is hard to unstick from itself. Overlay on tape. Very easy to remove and acts as a guide for your knife as you cut the panel. I do most adjacent panels essentially the same way.

http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/atta...mentid=2198194 http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/atta...mentid=2198195 http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/atta...mentid=2198196

Next I need to simulate the Dzus Fasteners. Here they are and the tools I use.

http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/atta...mentid=2198197 http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/atta...mentid=2198198 http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/atta...mentid=2198199

Gary,

Do you have information about going electric on the main gear doors?

Any brand or specific model of actuators?

Thanks.

Roberto

We choose to still use air on the main gear doors. The cylinders can be located in such a way to look very scale. Our air system is completely housed in the wing center section and is a "closed" system. No disconnects and a minimum of connection to leak. We use no air in the fuselage.

We have experimented with electric in the form of servos on other planes. The problem with gear doors and electric is that the door must have constant pressure to hold it shut. Not good for a servo that wants to find a "neutral" and is always working to get there. We burned up some expensive servos learning this important lesson. One time it was at The Toledo show. We were demonstrating our electric gear (with experimental electric gear doors) and smoke began to pour from the fuselage. A servo had melted down and came close to causing a very serious fire right in the middle of the show floor! We abandoned attempts to do electric gear doors with servos after that episode.

Not to say that it can't be done or that a door actuator won't be available at some point. Hope it is, but for now, we just use air. It provides the constant pressure that we need, and being the only function on our planes that use air, the tanks go a long way.

I have discussed this with Mitch at Down and Locked on occasion, and he has some very good ideas for devices that would do the job and still retain a scale appearance, but right now he has higher priorities with his new line of gear and even aircraft. I am hopeful he will revisit this in the near future.

A simple setup. But still looking more full scale like with the cylinders.

http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/atta...mentid=2198608 http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/atta...mentid=2198609

This is a more scale arrangement on one of our competition builds.(prior to weathering and other details)
My dream is to have an electric device that still looks like this.

http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/atta...mentid=2198610 http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/atta...mentid=2198611

Both work fine.

www.downandlocked.com

More surface detail corrections. Removing some molded in things that don't belong.

http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/atta...mentid=2198677 http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/atta...mentid=2198678 http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/atta...mentid=2198679 http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/atta...mentid=2198680

I sand them down and then coat the area with 3M Acryl-white Glazing Putty.

This is the last panel on the fuselage that will get the aluminum treatment.

http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/atta...mentid=2198681

Prepping for paint.

http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/atta...mentid=2199247 http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/atta...mentid=2199248 http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/atta...mentid=2199249 http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/atta...mentid=2199250 http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/atta...mentid=2199251 http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/atta...mentid=2199252

Before I attatch the cowl for the painting process, I add our 'Steel Powder' to the bowl. I know from experience that she will require 4 to 4.5lbs of weight in the nose. The farther forward you get this weight, the less you will need, so we fill the bowl of the cowl with all we can.

I mix the powder in with the 20min epoxy and monitor the mix on a scale so I know how much I am adding to the nose.

http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/atta...mentid=2199499 http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/atta...mentid=2199500 http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/atta...mentid=2199501

The mix has a self-leveling quality so it is simply poured into the prepared cowl bowl.

http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/atta...mentid=2199502 http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/atta...mentid=2199503

What didn't fit in the cowl was poured into the nose between the exhaust cutouts.

After the epoxy cures a little grinding will smooth out the lines around the opening.

Cowl with the Steel Powder set up.

http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/atta...mentid=2199627 http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/atta...mentid=2199628

Cowl flaps back in place for paint. The natural aluminum ring behind them is masked off as it is clean on Marine's Dream.

http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/atta...mentid=2199629 http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/atta...mentid=2199630

After years of painting planes on stands, I finally got around to making a way to hang them and easily rotate them without worrying about the new paint.

I used cables, some 1/2" copper pipe I had laying around, and then made a fixture for the front that bolts in using the engine bolts. I can pull the pipe out of where the stab spar ges and easily rotate the fuselage.

http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/atta...mentid=2200504 http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/atta...mentid=2200505 http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/atta...mentid=2200506 http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/atta...mentid=2200507 http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/atta...mentid=2200508

Finally this Corsair is rising out of unanimity to assume her identity as Marine's Dream.

http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/atta...mentid=2200509 http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/atta...mentid=2200510 http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/atta...mentid=2200511