Main retract units are fitted to the rear end of the sponsons and are operated by a snake and fuselage mounted servos. The nose leg uses a similar mechanism. The nose wheel is not steerable, this being achieved on both land and water by differential throttle control of the outer motors.
The framework was made from aluminium extrusions from B&Q. Rods are from piano wire, silver soldered where necessary. The axle support blocks are shaped from aluminium blocks, drilled and tapped for securing M3 grub screws. As the model is not heavy sprung suspension was not fitted.
Although apparently simple in design, making all the retract parts move smoothly and reliably took a little bit of fettling. I prefer to achieve this before adding any lubrication, to stand the best…
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RCM&E (Digital) - 1 Issue, October 2024