TSR2 landing gear

[PR19_Kit]

The Airfix 1/72 scale TSR2 maybe the answer to many of our whiffing prayers, and pretty darned accurate as far as dimensions etc. go, but well engineered it is NOT! 

Having got as far as installing the landing gear I've almost slung the whole thing out of the window more than once! Quite how you're meant to align the main gear 'rockers' on the spindly little pins that stick out of the main legs I'm not sure, but Airfix don't help. The pins are a VERY loose fit in the holes in the 'rockers' and that goes a long way to explain why almost every TSR2 I've seen have the main wheels exhibiting vast amounts of negative camber. Very handy for an F1 car but pretty darn useless on a supersonic bomber!

Mine is currently jigged up on two mounds of Blu-Tak on top of a mirror tile and I'm praying the glue joint holds up when it's dry. Otherwise I'm sawing the 'rockers' off and I'll be using some brass or steel pins instead!

And please don't suggest I get a white metal landing gear set, there isn't time and in any case I have NO idea how I'd get the plastic main legs back out of the gear bays. My next TSR2 will have metal landing gear though, ANYthing would be better than the current disaster area.

[rickshaw]

Looking at the pictures of the metal landing gear, it doesn't like it's any easier to me to put together and you have the added problem of using superglue (I always end up with pieces of my anatomy glued together with superglue  ).

I recently came into possession of my first Airfix TSR.2 from a second-hand kit site downunder.   It is due for delivery in the next few days but I think I'll contemplate it's construction for a while longer!

[darthspud]

Spooky

Just been under the stairs, doing the undercarriage on the two TSR's I have currently 'in-build'

I have the build guide from the Airfix Magazine issue3 by Chris Payne and Geoff Baker AND even back then it was a known problem.
The Build order in the Airfix instructions is wrong, PLUS the mounting lug at the bottom of the leg is far too long on all my issues of this kit.

I'm currently building two, one is and early edition from the first production run and the other is second issue Stratos 2.
The next will be a Stratos 4 kit.

I do have a white metal set, but loathe to use it as
A) I'M HAM-FISTED
B) super glue ends up on me not where it should be
C)I'M TOO LAZY TO USE THEM.

[Steel Penguin]

you could go with my (lazy) option Kit,  gear up, the bay doors do a good job of filling the bay holes, and don't need too much filling.  Just an option id care to offer.

[Thorvic]

You create a Jig, Chris Payne knocked one together with a block fo the nose gear and one eitherside for the main gear on an MDF board.

Worked a treat, although i think Duncan borrowed mine so i can't show up or give you dimensions but a PM or email to Chris might do the trick.

And please remember the TSR2 was the first new tool 1/72 kit commissioned by Airfix since the Harrier GR-5 and the first to be created away from Heller, its far from perfect but without it we wouldn't have had most of the new kits we have been lapping up in the last 10 years !!!

[Weaver]

You could always build it gear-up......

(Is that more or less heretical than building a TSR.2 in the first place, I wonder..... )

[darthspud]

gear up, poor fit on all the u/c doors
I've got to the point now where I fit small tabs in behind the outer fuselage and the wheel bay inserts for something for them to sit on to.
still ends up with softened sprue and filing back and rescribing the door areas.

[PR19_Kit]

If I re-built it gear-up then I'd have to build a stand to display it, and the legs are already in place now.

As darthspud said, the main gear legs don't fit the bays anyway, and need to be modified quite a bit. And in my case they're WELDED in place with half a tube of superglue!

My Blu-Tak mountains ARE the jig, and have the advantage of being almost infinitely adjustable too. Fingers crossed the glue sets up OK.

[Chris Payne]

Sorry I have only just seen this thread.

I built this jig way back when the first kits came out as I had a feeling I would need it.

I had seen a few built and noticed the main gear splayed out.

I built the jig whilst test fitting the gear to see how the aircraft would sit.

One of the first things to do is cut the pin down where the bogie meets the main gear leg, it is about 1.5mm too long and is part of the reason why the gear sits the way it does.



I used a strip of plastic card between the rear blocks and main gear to prevent damage and ease the gear into the jig whilst the glue set.



Once the glue is dry the TSR-2 should sit like this.



Regards,
Chris.

[PR19_Kit]

Yes, I spotted that bit about the pin being too long, but it's also too small in diameter too, neither of which helps the wheels stay on at 90 deg. to the ground. 

I did a similar thing to you when I built my Time Warp TSR2 but didn't make a jig as such and originally the wheels looked OK, but now, after some months, they're splaying wider and wider. I may bite the bullet and cut them off to install steel pins before I take it to Telford.

[eatthis]

i pack under the wings to get the height perfect with the gear sitting at 90 degrees then just superglue it and leave it propped up

[PR19_Kit]

That's exactly what I did, and it's STILL splaying.........

[eatthis]

That's exactly what I did, and it's STILL splaying.........

hmm you could fill the axle hole in the gear with sprue and redrill it to the correct bore and angle

[PR19_Kit]

I may bite the bullet and cut them off to install steel pins before I take it to Telford.

See above............

[eatthis]

iv just remembered how i fixed the 48 scale gear

cut the existing axle off
get brass rod (any metal will do) the same gauge as the hole in the wheel bogeys
redrill the legs and insert the rod
it doesnt matter if the angle is slightly off because you can bend it with pliers
just keep checking the alignment and adjust till its right

you dont even need to glue the bogeys to the legs if the rod is the right size its a snug fit perfect if you want to show it landing or taking off later