Landing gear for a peanut

[Huckebein]

Hey Guys

I am about halfway through the wings on my scratch-built Fokker DVIII that I am building from an old Comet plan. I have started to think about what I am going to do for the struts to attach the wing and the landing gear. Is balsa still best for these parts of the model ... or should I be looking at basswood for better durability? Would basswood make the model too heavy?

Any thoughts?

Huck

[Huckebein]

This is my very first scale stick and tissue model by the way.

[T. Lyttle]

Peanuts seldom "land', they just "arrive"...;)

Many years ago, Walt Mooney devise a method of lg mounting using wire for the gear, then added the struts around the wire, but did not attach the two. This allowed the gear to flex under impact without undue stress on the struts. I have tried this, and it (usually) works. The DVlll looks wrong without all the struts, but if you try to make them functional, the added weight and fragility don't seem worth it; ask me how I know...:(

[flailing]

Hard balsa will work fine. If you look at the gear on my Eindeker only the strut holding the wheels is wire all the rest are various sizes of rubber band painted to match, I can nearly bend the whole assembly back flat and it springs back into position. Downwind arrivals takes it's toll on landing gear make it as flexible as possible.

[moon]

Hi Flailing,
I am not trying to be a bug.... BUT, I would love to know how you do that L/G with the Rubber bands. I have a tendency to build bricks that break upon landing!

[flailing]

It works great in some cases but not all. If the gear is fuselage mounted make just the front leg from wire and make all the other struts from rubber bands, pull them just tight enough to prevent any sag and glue. Elastic cord from a sewing shop works well and it's round. This won't work on wing mounted gear obviously, there I use plug in gear and remove before flight.