How do you get around the problem of the actuating strut, especially when it’s a solid piece, like the aforementioned FW-190?
Heck, MOST kits in the 60s and 70s that were large enough had retractable gear, and many had moving control surfaces. It usually had a slight negative effect on accuracy, though - hinges and shapes were occasionally altered to allow for the feature.
I remember most of Monogram’s 1/48 WWII fighters had simplified retracts; the 1/32 Revell p-40 had retracts and moving control surfaces; the 1/72 Revell F-111 had swing-wings and the most complex retractable gear I’d ever built at the time.
The trend these days is for accuracy over kewl moving features.
I had the Monogram 1/48 Dauntless a long time ago and it was great. It had retractable landing gears, opening flaps, working bombs. I still have an unbuilt Monogram 1/48 Avenger with retractable landing gear, folding wings and opening bomb bay to release its torpedo. If I remember right there was a 1/48 A-1 Skyraider that had retrcting wheels that simultaneously open a panel on the side. I think it was from Revell but I’m not sure, that was a long time ago.
L&S 1/72 series of aircraft had retractable landing gear that engaged the doors as well. Monogram obviously was the main producer of 1/48 kits with retractable gear and I think that was more aimed at getting kids involved in the hobby by having a more versitile toy - worked didn’t it?
I have a friend who went all out on the Monogram 1/48 B-17G. He spent three years building it. It featured All four engines motorised, operating lighting system (interior and exterior) operating landing gear that was motorised as well. He did all of the design work himself based on plans and pictures and it was a really cool model. He had a display base for it that featured a sound system that used a continous loop playback of a B-17 idling. This model was lost a couple of years ago in a house fire and Scott was heart broke. He is currently working on a 1/48 B-24J. He says if you have patience anything is possible with a model. I don’t have the patience. Some of the brushes he uses only have three or four hairs on them.
Hey, anybody remember the retractable gear on the 1/72 Monogram HU-16B Albatross?
That was a challenge. . . I’ve still got that kit.
The Avenger’s “bomb release” was two pegs that the torpedo fit onto. To release it, you simply opened the doors and the torpedo would fall off the pegs. The wing folds on that kit were pretty easy to snap. sniff
Am thinking of ways to strengthen the gear so that they wont break easily when i open and close it. And. like what b6dan said, am afraid the wing fold mechanism won’t last long so I’m thinking of ways to strengthen those too. Anybody got ideas?
The old Revell 1/32 Spitfire Mk 1 had retractable landing gear with the Merlin engine interior. You can check a review here:
http://modelingmadness.com/scotts/allies/gb/32spit1preview.htm
But DO NOT confuse that with the newer Revell 1/32 Spitfire Mk I/II which is this:
http://modelingmadness.com/scotts/allies/gb/32rspit1preview.htm
This newer is actually a modified version from the older Hasegawa 1/32 Spitfire Mk 5.
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Originally posted by f_baquiran
Am thinking of ways to strengthen the gear so that they wont break easily when i open and close it. And. like what b6dan said, am afraid the wing fold mechanism won’t last long so I’m thinking of ways to strengthen those too. Anybody got ideas?
I found the best solution was to make any load-bearing structures from metal
I remember building the old Revell 1/72 Avro Lancaster.
Retracting gear, but the gear doors had to be glued into a fixed position; moving control surfaces (except rudders); and just about every inacurracy you could ask for.
The Airfix 1/72 DeHavilland Mosquito was designed to have retractable gear, but I could never get it right.
My monogram Hellcat model has the retractable gear (a rotating one like the p-40) and folding wings…I will let you know how it turns out later…