ive only seen it done once but, I was wondering if any of you have ever seen retractable landing gear on a 1/48th scale kit, if so please let me know were i can purchase one. if its just an accessory kit this will be fine also.
2 Kits come to mind that had retractable landing gear. I don’t recall if they were 1/72 or 1/48. They are the F6-F and the F4-U by Revell.
Sorry that I couldn’t be of more help. Hope that Swanny reads this - I know that he will have the answer and probably the kit.
Missile
i really dont mind if its 1/72 because its smaller but if it was 1/32 it couldnt work.
thanks
Most of the Monogram WWII carrier aircraft kits had retractable gear. I specifically remember the F6F Hellcat, the SBD, TBF and Helldiver all had them. Most had folding wings as well. All were in 1/48 scale.
Monogram 1/48th Hellcat, Zero,Hurricane - don’t know if you can still get em, but these were a lot of fun when I was a kid
Steve
i wonder if i could just make a migshift one outa something?
I’ve got a 1/32 scale Monogram Phantom Mustang that has retractable landing gears that actually retract. [:D]
I remember building a Monogram 1/48th P-51 Mustang with retractable gear back in the late '70s when I was a teenager. If I remember correctly, it had a small crank on the bottom of the fuselage that you could turn to operate the gear. I haven’t seen one of those kits since then, though.
As has been pointed out, a lot of the Monogram 1/48 models from the early 60s thru the middle 70s had retractable landing gears along with one or two other operating features. (that varied from kit to kit). In 1/32 the P-51 had a retractable gear and so did their F3F (it operated by turning the prop). The only 1/72 model with a retractable gear I can remember right now (ther were probably others) was the SA-16 Albatros (which was re-released a couple of years ago)
Ah, and don’t forget the classic Monogram 1/32 F3F where you turned the prop and the gear went up and down. And there was one that had retractable gear and dropped a torpedo. The only thing I want to see invented in that vein are opening and closing canopies to keep dust out. I already do it on sliding canopies when when it doesn’t interfere with accuracy, like on the Buccaneer I’m doing. It only requires making a slot like the real thing has, and adding a lug to the bottom of the canopy shelf.
Most kits in 1/48 scale that I have seen and built at one came from Monogram during the 70’s.Most of them as stated above were navy aircraft and some of them had besides folding wings also had a bomb release.Like the sbd dountless and the tbf advenger also the helldiver.These kits were geared ot kids who like playing with there models.In order for them to play with them,they had extra thick landing gears and bomb craddels.Now the mustang that was mention was a invisible mustang complete with all the inner workings and I have to say that was a neat top of the line model at that time.Most of these kits went for about $2.50 a piece except the mustang which went for $20.00.At that time that was a lot of money for us poor kids.Those were the days when a can pop went for $.15 and bread was only $.25.Pennie candy was 3 pieces for a pennie.So if you can find these type of kits,my hat is off to you.Good luck and happy hunting.Digger
P.S. Gas went for $.25 a gallon.before the year of 1976 then all he-- broke loose.
Charles,
I too have toyed with the idea of making retractable gears… test fit a few pieces… drew a few schematics, but never actually built it. I have one of the Monogram 1/48 T-28B Trojan’s, which comes with retractable gears, but the gear doors are all wrong. The idea I had was to split the main and nose gear doors and re-hinge them. However, the main gears would be the most complicated because you’d almost have to mount a working strut shock in order for the two doors to mate up properly when retracted.
I took the liberty of scanning the instruction sheet for the T-28 model of the gear assembly, maybe you could get some idea’s for a scratch built system.
http://gunsagogo.org/gears.jpg
I use to have one of the old Monogram Me 109’s, which had retractable gears, and due to that fact, it logged many many hours flight time throughout my house! [:)]
Take care,
Frank
i know litttle about retractable landing gear in models, but in 1/32 scale or larger (im thinking trumpeter 1/24 mustang here) i would take the trouble to hunt around for R/C airplane retractable gear. you might not be able to use the parts, but i think you could get some good ideas.
Check http://www.hobbypeople.net/gallery/152284.asp
Of better yet: http://www.hobby-lobby.com/landinggear.htm
Scott
I do have quite a few of those Monogram models form the 70s and they do have the retractable landing gear feature. Got them thru Evilbay. I just finished a MK IX Spit…When constructing seemed to work fine but after completion they did not extend…I guess I didn’t leave enough clearance for the upper part to lock in.
I will see about the Hellcat and the Wilcat…I do have them on my build list.
As I could remember in 1/32 scale there where the Revell’s P-40E, Monograms F3F, P-51D,
in 1/48 scale there was Monograms F6F, TBF, SBD, F4U-4, SB2C-4, Spitfire MK 8, Hurricane MK 2, Bf-109E, A6M2 Zero,
in 1/72 scale was Airfix’s B-17G, B-24H, Lancaster, and Monograms SA-16,
I know there was more from Airfix but can’t remeber off the top of my head
Ah, those wonderful 180 rotating retracts on the old 1/32 P-40. Never would stay strait and my plane always looked like a ruptured gooney bird.
The Tamiya 1/32 Mitsubishi Zero has to be the bee’s knees as far as retractable u/c is concerned. Lever/ crank-operated u/c legs, sprung oleos on the main legs, and inner u/c doors which open and close automatically as the u/c legs come up and down.
At the other extreme is the Airfix 1/72 B-24. Retractable u/c with rotating wheels and operating nose u/c doors, rotating and elevating nose, mid-upper, tail and belly turrets, traversing waist guns, rotating propellors and operating control surfaces. All this and a full crew!
Chris.
Well, I just finished a Hurricane Mk II from Monogram and it did had the retractable gear…I went slowly this time and It did work…I guess the design this time around was better!
Will update later on the other models’ gears
Aifix had a number of kits with retracting landing gear; The 1/24 Spitfire 1a, Harrier, BF109 (and if you didn’t glue one piece in position, the FW109. In 1/72, they produced the B17, B29, Wellington III and the Fairey Rotodyne. There may be a few more, but I can’t rmember them at the moment.
I, myself have scratchbuilt a number of models with retracting gear; in 1/72, the VG 104 from Joe 90
http://cmtaylor.members.beeb.net/VG104.htm
and in 1/300 scale (I kid you not), the Zero-X from ‘Thunderbirds are Go’
The secret is to use metal components so that you can have scale accuracy without sacrificing strength. For example, the Undercarriage doors on the VG104 are made from brass shim