The Focke Wulf Alternativer Antriebsflügel

[Wardukw]

Landing in a Triebflugel..yep worries 😟 

Too right, Skeets Coleman, Convair's test pilot for the XFY-1 Pogo said that taking off was just a matter of '....opening in the taps and hanging on.....' but landing was '.....a whole different ball of wax!'

They flew a USN helicopter alongside the Pogo's landing site at 20 ft approx. so he had some positive marker for reference.

Least the pogo wasn't like over 20ft tall tho ...any pilot who flies that thing has a pretty good chance of landing it all right..probably on its side 👌

[PR19_Kit]

Actually the landing gear on the model is SO fragile I'd guarantee a sideways landing! 

Not to mention the fact that it's a FIVE wheeled set of gear and getting them all on the ground at once is darn nigh impossible. I'm having to attach the legs one at a time with the model aligned over a flat plate and having it all jigged up with Blu-Tack! I can see some of the legs being replaced with wire before it's even primed at this rate.

[Wardukw]

Actually the landing gear on the model is SO fragile I'd guarantee a sideways landing! 

Not to mention the fact that it's a FIVE wheeled set of gear and getting them all on the ground at once is darn nigh impossible. I'm having to attach the legs one at a time with the model aligned over a flat plate and having it all jigged up with Blu-Tack! I can see some of the legs being replaced with wire before it's even primed at this rate.

I was seriously thinking about getting a 35th scale model of this machine ..it was on special at the time and probably still is ...I would be very tempted to widen all of the landing gear and the winglets there mounted too 🤔
It would also make the bloody thing more stable when stuffed onto the shelf .

[frank2056]

Actually the landing gear on the model is SO fragile I'd guarantee a sideways landing! 

Not to mention the fact that it's a FIVE wheeled set of gear and getting them all on the ground at once is darn nigh impossible. I'm having to attach the legs one at a time with the model aligned over a flat plate and having it all jigged up with Blu-Tack! I can see some of the legs being replaced with wire before it's even primed at this rate.

Now I remember that part of my build! I think I put the central wheel first. I vaguely remember balancing and getting it vertical before gluing the legs in. Beware of snapping the wing gear struts! If the ship isn't truly vertical, it will lean against the short leg with predictable results. Still, those clamshell doors were the worst, IIRC.

[PR19_Kit]

I did the same as you, centre wheel first, but both fixed wing wheels were longer and the centre wheel ended up 1mm clear of the ground.

I started to assemble the 2 part wings/struts and in the meanwhile both of the existing ones snapped off! I've re-glued one of them at the correct length and I'll do the others one at a time#

[PR19_Kit]

I may have come to the end of the road on this one.

After spending lots of time gluing just one of the four balancing wheels in place, ensuring that the fuselage was vertical while sitting on its main wheel, the balance wheel broke off. Hardly surprising as it's mounted on a 1 mm dia. styrene 'stalk' that's about 8 mm long and butt jointed onto the fin. Not only that, it broke off THREE times as it's so fragile and there's no glue area to speak of. I'd switched to gel superglue on the last repair, but while getting the assembly ready to glue on the opposite balance wheel, the first one broke off AGAIN, and I can't find it anywhere.     

There's no chance of getting another one, and in any case I just don't think Huma's way of doing this is anywhere near strong enough, so it's being shelved until I can figure out a solution. A KP Pogo kit may come into it somewhere as I have maybe 3-4 of them in The Loft.

[Steel Penguin]

ill go for my dodge to remove landing gear down
close up the gear doors and mount it on a length of clear rod,  have it in hover mode?
means you dont have to worry withe the legs when transporting it either.

[Wardukw]

That landing gear issues Kit..can ya drill a 1mm hole through the strut then use 1mm brass rod for the axles ..ive done that and mate ..it works a treat 

[kerick]

Or sewing pins. Not the needle but the pin that holds the cloth together. Very strong yet thin.

[Rick Lowe]

Yup; either idea should work, having used both at various times. Paper clips work well, too. . 

[jcf]

The centre wheel has never made any sense, of course the entire concept is nonsensical, where did they think they were going to be "rolling" it?
A C57D style "mushroom" would be easier and stronger.
You cannot view this attachment.

[PR19_Kit]

The centre wheel has never made any sense, of the course the entire concept is nonsensical, where did they think they were going to be "rolling" it?

Especially as it would only 'roll' in the direction the main wheel was pointing, even if the balancers castored properly.

I was also thinking of the brass rod solution, but the main problem is where do I find another balancer wheel/leg?

[Wardukw]

The centre wheel has never made any sense, of the course the entire concept is nonsensical, where did they think they were going to be "rolling" it?

Especially as it would only 'roll' in the direction the main wheel was pointing, even if the balancers castored properly.

I was also thinking of the brass rod solution, but the main problem is where do I find another balancer wheel/leg?

Mate is there any other model youve got which would replace with or swap em out for 2 new ones ....completely change em ..a different design so to speck.?

[frank2056]

Kit - I sent you a PM; I found 3 (out of 4) outrigger legs for this kit.

[PR19_Kit]

Kit - I sent you a PM; I found 3 (out of 4) outrigger legs for this kit.

ALL RIGHT!     

Thanks so much Frank, PM on the way.