Wheels up or wheels down?

Don Stauffer

None of the kits of planes with retracts ever had landing gears in them.  Of course, this was in the day when the kits were balsa, basswood or pine, BP (before plastic).  Even the first plastic kits I built did not have gear if they were retractable planes. I believe a P-80 was the first plastic kit I built.  The kits all included plastic stands, even the kits of fixed gear planes.  Non-flying models were always displayed on stands with plane in flying position.

Somehow the first sentence of my post got eliminated!  I had said "I got started with scale modeling in the 1940s."

There's a lot of interesting detail in the wheel wells and gear parts of decent kits, so I usually build them "wheels down" to display the details, which of course would remain unseen if built gear up.  

It is interesting to note that the Tamiya 1/32 P-51 Mustang can be displayed either way, and changed back an forth whenever you want after it is completed, due to some clever engineering and concealed screws and magnets and extra gear door parts!

None of the kits of planes with retracts ever had landing gears in them.  Of course, this was in the day when the kits were balsa, basswood or pine, BP (before plastic).  Even the first plastic kits I built did not have gear if they were retractable planes. I believe a P-80 was the first plastic kit I built.  The kits all included plastic stands, even the kits of fixed gear planes.  Non-flying models were always displayed on stands with plane in flying position.

I don't hang my planes up,so it's always wheels down for me

OH YEAH!  Fowler flaps extended & gear coming up (make sure you get the oleos the right length & the wheels rotated right).

Mustang8376

I will keep that under consideration, wonder if there is a way to do so without drilling into the model?

I'm working on a Su-27 Flanker right now, using a pair of brass rods - I'm running them up through the central weapons pylons instead of adding ordnance there.

I hang them up with fishing lines. Looks pretty awesome when you get a group of them together!

I sometimes build kit with the wheels up, because of deifferent reasons; its easier, the clean lines of the aircraft stay intact etc.

Some (older) kits supply a stand, so when included I use it.

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Or I make a stand out of an wire coat hanger.

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I like gear down, brass rod, up the belly, mounted on a wooden base.  Have done many like that.

That's why I like all the old Monogram kits....I got options then.

Glenn

Not a thing, just no there skill wise to do it like that.  Yet it would look nice to do.

What's wrong with (in-transit landing geat)? It looks like the plane is either taking off or getting ready to land..

That is so not right! :)

Halfway retracted is my favorite configuration...

I will keep that under consideration, wonder if there is a way to do so without drilling into the model?

Clear acrylic rod jammed up their a...  "afterburners" is a good look, but I've yet to try it. I have several that I have simply mounted to a wooden base using brass rod.