Hey all, I’m about to start on a AM A-36 that I want to pose with open dive flaps and gun bays but I’m having a helluva time finding reference pics to show what’s under the dive flaps. The panel lines seem to show that the dive brakes sit on top of the gun bays where logic would say that to open the dive brakes exposes the ammo troughs. Anyone know how they did it? Or where I can find some pics of the wings, dive flaps and-or gun bays?
While it would be totally cool to pose a A-36 with its speed brakes deployed you will never find a picture of one on the ground with them deployed. There was just no reason to do it. The only time most dive brakes were deployed on most WWII planes was when they were in a high speed dive. I have thousands of photos of WWII airplanes and I have yet to come across a photo of a plane in flight with them deployed yet alone parked on the ground with them extented. This could be a fruitless search. The only pictures that you might find could posiblly come from a sevice manuel. I am sure there would have to be diagrams and procedures to test and repair them. In my opinion that would be you best bet.
Soulcrfusher
I remember seeing some pictures of of the open dive brake area somewhere but not at home to check my reference books. I would think the Detail & Scale book on the early P-51’s would have a picture. I’ll check next week when I get home. I do seem to remember that it was just sheet metal. Maybe a control arm slot on one side. I’ll post pictures if I can find any.
Soulcrusher is right. The only time they would be open on the ground is if they were being serviced by maintenence. There is an A-36 at the EAA Museum in Oshkosh, but it sits in a clean configuation. Dive brakes are not like the main wheel doors, once hydralic pressure drops the doors drop open. Dive brakes need pressure to open. That in mind, the aircraft would need to be running to open them, then some sort of lock mechanism to keep them open while being serviced.
If you can picture the gun bay on the wing, the kit has the dive flaps overlapping into the gun bay panels, they wouldn’t leave the ammo troughs uncovered, would they? I’m wondering if the gun-bay was substantially different on the A-36. Cursed! Why did I have to pick such a hard kit to find research on (Shaking fist wildly in the air). The plan was to have one wing’s flaps open as the plane was being armed and the flaps must have to be open (Near as I can tell) to gain access to the gun bay. I wanted to show off the bay as I have the aires resin parts sitting on my shelf mocking me.
On page 29 of Detail and Scale #50. there are detail photos of the A-36’s speed brakes in the open postion, and the wells under the brakes are enclosed, just deep enough to allow the brakes to fit flush with the wing surface when retracted. The wells have no detail on the top of the wing, and the well on the bottom has a stringer in the middle running spanwise. Pretty plain affair, all in all. No part of the gun bay installation is exposed.
It’s a shame when the ideas in my head don’t work with reality. I went ahead and hit Hobby Lobby for AM P-51A Where I KNOW I can expose the gun bay without any difficulties. Anyway, thanks to all who helped! It’s much appreciated and I don’t have to worry about butchering a rare A-36 kit.