MAJOR mistake of the F4U Corsair

Revell hasn't changed its ways regarding poorly done instruction manuals. The instruction manual for their new SR-71 Blackbird has numerous mistakes in it. IMHO, the mistakes are just stupid mistakes, such as parts with the incorrect part number.

armornut

  Your plane can still be displayed in flight, gear must come down to land.....crew chiefs get real mad when pilots sand the belly paint off.

 

Haha, that's funny. 

A propos belly landings... Looong time ago on a C-130 forum they said: How do you know you forgot to extend the landing gear before landing? It takes full throttle to taxi...

  Your plane can still be displayed in flight, gear must come down to land.....crew chiefs get real mad when pilots sand the belly paint off.

I remember building this kit long ago for the first time with my dad back when I was 6 or 7. I needed his help for all the working features. One thing I vaguely remember and not shown on the current instruction sheet is that you were supposed to use a heated screwdriver on the main wheel axles to flare it out over the inner wheel half mount hole and allow the wheels to freely rotate.

It doesn't compare to any current kits of the same subjects, but back then those old Mongram quarter inch scale USN aircraft kits with working features were just the thing for young boys like myself.

Hi "G";

        Well, here's where we got something in common! I have over the years built ALL the Revell and Monogram Planes with working features. There were even a few Aurora models in that genre. Thing is. You had to study the parts more than the instructions or as you say the "Funny Papers"!

        You would have got a stitch in your side from laughing when I was trying to figure out the "Escape Pod, Landing Gear and Swing Wings" from Aurora's F-111-A original issue. I did manage to get it all together and working. My wife said I made faces while working on it She didn't think were possible for me!

         Ah, But, the Play Value is what they still sought sometimes. Like Revell with their 1/25 scale, Car models with Steering, Opening Doors, Trunks and Hoods. Plus if you got certain ones the rear springs worked. The Shocks were only anchored on the body end. Imagine coming home from c[ass one day and My 56 is sitting there like it had a safe in the trunk. The glue where the Axle joined the Springs had softened the springs and they sagged right past those unnattached shocks!

jeaton01

Aw, come on Bill, I have the remains of one of those Corsairs I built in 1965 and the gear operates to this day.

 

I cut my teeth on aircraft models on those 1/32 Revell birds.

Not sure Teen is building one as the funny papers look different, but those models were great.

Bill

Aw, come on Bill, I have the remains of one of those Corsairs I built in 1965 and the gear operates to this day.

Working stuff like that is trouble. My approach would be to glue it all together solidy in one position or the other. plastic kit tolerances aren't that good and it probaly would not sit squarely on its gear.

If you plan to set it on it's wheels, look at some photos of Corsairs on the ground to check to see if the kit struts look right. They are two diferent lengths depening on whether the A/C was on land or airborne and sometimes the kit design gets it switched.

Bill

You didn't specify which model this is and did the box or anything else mention that this kit had "operating landing gear"?

Pawel

 

 

Teenage Modeler

I have to read as much of the instructons as possible

 

 

I think that's a very good advice for everyone - and while following the instructions step by step, to the letter is usually a poor idea, it really pays off to know what is meant to be done, and after you understand really well what's going on then there's no problem in diverting from the instructions.

Now operating landing gear is not something you see every day today, and for some good reasons, but I understand you wanted yours to operate...

If you want to go really funky I could draw those parts up for you in 3D and shapeways could 3D print them in brass, then you could have an operating metal landing gear, what do you say?

Good luck with your build and have a nice day

Paweł

 

That is very nice of you, but I would like yout to not design those parts. I would want you to spend extra time doing something that I can try and fix myself, and it could be such a hassle.

i would just cut the landing gear strut in half, drill a hole in the 2 sides, and insert a metal rod glued to one half and insert the other unglued half inside the other half. 

The gear would just swivel on the unglued side. It would be a tight fit, but it could work.

So yeah, I truly appreciate you helping me, but I think I can try to fix the rest of it. It's a good learning experience for me as well!

Pawel

I think that's a very good advice for everyone - and while following the instructions step by step, to the letter is usually a poor idea, it really pays off to know what is meant to be done, and after you understand really well what's going on then there's no problem in diverting from the instructions.

Yup, and sometimes its best to just do some test fits to help visualize how things are intended to go together and whether or not the instructions are the best way to assemble things.  I agree that the manufacturer's suggestions aren't always the best way to do things...in fact, they usually aren't.

Teenage Modeler

I have to read as much of the instructons as possible

I think that's a very good advice for everyone - and while following the instructions step by step, to the letter is usually a poor idea, it really pays off to know what is meant to be done, and after you understand really well what's going on then there's no problem in diverting from the instructions.

Now operating landing gear is not something you see every day today, and for some good reasons, but I understand you wanted yours to operate...

If you want to go really funky I could draw those parts up for you in 3D and shapeways could 3D print them in brass, then you could have an operating metal landing gear, what do you say?

Good luck with your build and have a nice day

Paweł

You might consider checking Scalemates.com for original instructions for older kits like this one, which started life as a Monogram kit.