chris meek 1 Posted March 29, 2015 Share Posted March 29, 2015 I'm starting a build of one of these. The first objective is to try and make myself a set of retracts for it... Will update when I start making some progress!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KingKade Posted March 29, 2015 Share Posted March 29, 2015 Ok! Im signed up! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chris meek 1 Posted March 29, 2015 Author Share Posted March 29, 2015 Excellent - will try and put regular updates on, my first build blog so there may be some 'technical issues' Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chris meek 1 Posted March 29, 2015 Author Share Posted March 29, 2015 The plan at the moment is to copy the mechanism from the plans, but substitute sprung oleos for the piano wire shown on the plan. I'll be posting via a mobile so will try and put photos on when I can figure out how :-? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leccyflyer Posted March 29, 2015 Share Posted March 29, 2015 Chris, you should check out JB's Mosquito build over on RC Groups, his work on the undercarriage is superb. **LINK** Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chris meek 1 Posted March 29, 2015 Author Share Posted March 29, 2015 I've not seen that build before - there's a few builds on rc scalebuilder. I have no access to a lathe etc so will have to find other ways to achieve what I want. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chris meek 1 Posted March 30, 2015 Author Share Posted March 30, 2015 am struggling to figure out how to put photos on...Edited By chris meek 1 on 30/03/2015 00:47:48 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chris meek 1 Posted March 30, 2015 Author Share Posted March 30, 2015 http://forums.modelflying.co.uk/sites/3/images/member_albums/144782/thumbs/592304.jpg Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leccyflyer Posted March 30, 2015 Share Posted March 30, 2015 Chris -the easiest way to insert pictures here is to put them in an album on this site and then use the little camera icon at the top of each post to put them into your posts. It;s very easy, once you've done it and the uploads are fast. However, compared to a lot of sites it's a different way of doing things. If you already have the pictures hosted elsewhere that, to me, is less straightforward, but you use the icon next to the camera on the top line of the posting box and paste in the URL for the photo stored offsite. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chris meek 1 Posted March 30, 2015 Author Share Posted March 30, 2015 Thanks for the advice, I've now managed to put photos in an album but can't find the camera icon on the thread... The only option I can see is 'post a reply'.... :@ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leccyflyer Posted March 30, 2015 Share Posted March 30, 2015 It's on the right hand side, above where you type when making a post. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chris meek 1 Posted April 1, 2015 Author Share Posted April 1, 2015 Thanks to some help, I think I've got round the lack of photos.. Not mossie related but a good check of whether it works.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chris meek 1 Posted April 2, 2015 Author Share Posted April 2, 2015 right, I'm concentrating at the moment on making the retracts. Unitracts will make a set up for me if needed - but would like to see if I can make anything worthwhile first. I've not got any 'proper' machining tools so it'll me made with a dremel(ish) some hand files and a hacksaw. So far progress has been sloooow, but enjoyable. First photos show the downlocks made up, and the idea of substituting some sprung oleos for the piano wire shown in the plan. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chris meek 1 Posted April 2, 2015 Author Share Posted April 2, 2015 Well I've spent the last hour cutting the other 2 down locks out and starting to shape them... Now I've done the first two the others seem a little easier :-D. The idea at the moment is to fly it on glow engines as per the plan, but can anyone suggest an electric setup as an alternative?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chris meek 1 Posted April 13, 2015 Author Share Posted April 13, 2015 Right, after a slight break whilst the little one's off school I've been back at it. I now have the first pair of downlocks sorted - just need to finish shaping one of them - but they fold properly... More cutting disks for the dremel required!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chris meek 1 Posted April 14, 2015 Author Share Posted April 14, 2015 Second downlock has been shaped. I've cut and dry fitted the brass collar to the oleo and connected everything up just to check it's all going together okay. Eventually the collar will be glued in place. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Bott - Moderator Posted April 14, 2015 Share Posted April 14, 2015 Interesting approach Chris, I like it. I'll be watching with interest. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chris meek 1 Posted April 14, 2015 Author Share Posted April 14, 2015 There's no guarantees it'll work chris - but I'm enjoying messing around with it. Whoever decided to call it 'mild steel' was obviously a comedian!!! The oleos are a little bit wider than I'd hoped for to be 100% scale, the plan is to make up some litho plate fairings to match the outline of the real thing. I keep going back and filing parts down to get them accurate - it's a bit like picking a scab! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chris meek 1 Posted April 22, 2015 Author Share Posted April 22, 2015 Well this week I've mostly been getting the second side of the mechanism to the same stage as the first. It's just about done now, and my new grinding disks have finally arrived (I didn't read the small print that said they were actually shipped from China...) so I'll be able to get started on the other side soon. First things first though - getting the first side working!! The plan is to have the actuating arm in the middle of the rear axle that joins the 2 sides of the retract. If it doesn't go as planned, I'll follow the plan and have it attached to one of the downlocks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chris meek 1 Posted April 22, 2015 Author Share Posted April 22, 2015 Although it's a long, long way in the future I'm starting to plan a colour scheme scheme... I've narrowed it down to one of two optoptions, either Bannf wing anti shipping scheme, or one of the 140 wing schemes (operation jericho or operation carthage). Still, there'll be a lot of time to change my mind!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chris meek 1 Posted April 25, 2015 Author Share Posted April 25, 2015 Good books covering the anti shipping strikes by coastal command over Norway at the end of the war. Some of the stories areincredible, but very sobering - proportionally the strike wings suffered higher loss levels than bomber command did! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chris meek 1 Posted April 25, 2015 Author Share Posted April 25, 2015 Think I've decided on going for a strike wing scheme on the finished mode. They tended to use rockets rather than bombs mbs, but I might use some artistic licence as I like the idea of having droppable ordanance.. I'll add snippets of info from the books on the previous post to try and keep interest in the blog up, (even if it's just mine!!) when there's not much building going on. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leccyflyer Posted April 26, 2015 Share Posted April 26, 2015 Chris Those are all excellent books and a Banff Strike Wing Mosquito is very much the choice that I've made too. Have you seen the DVD produced by the Banff Strike Wing Association? It contains the full length film "The Shipbusters", together with some shorter documentaries chronicling the history of Boynsie Aerodrome, RAF Banff and the very busy time that the strike wing spent there at the end of the war. That famous Taxi Rank picture says it all about the station and the documentaries are very good viewing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chris meek 1 Posted April 26, 2015 Author Share Posted April 26, 2015 Not seen that dvd leccyflyer, think I've seen snippets of the film on other dvds though. I would like to take a trip up north one day to make a visit to the old airfield - living in cumbria it's not too far away! It's amazing when you look into it just how much was flying in that area at the time. Mosquitos, beaufighters, mustangs, warwicks, hudsons hudsons. If the mosquito works for me I've got at least my next 2 projects lined up!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leccyflyer Posted April 26, 2015 Share Posted April 26, 2015 Yes, I've visited several of the local airfields here over the years. It's the fly-in at RAF Dallachy today and I really wanted to go, but , though it's bright and sunny now, the forecast from 10am onwards is not great. I did fulfill one half of a long held ambition by flying there last year, but not yet with a Beaufighter. There's something very special about flying from the peri track of a Strike Wing airfield. One of my clubmates is also partway through the build of a BT Mosquito, so I have pointed him to this thread. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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