Need to fabricate a flap cowling.

One advantage to sheet aluminum is that if you bend in a curve, it will hold it without any heating.  While you can find K & S aluminum sheet in the K & S racks at the hobby shop, I use enough sheet aluminum that I buy rolls of roof flashing from building supply stores.  The ones near me sell two sizes, a large and a small roll.  The small roll is enough aluminum to last me several years and costs about seven bucks.  Also, it is not hardened, so it bends and holds curves better than the K & S stuff.

Excellent general hint, Don.

Thanks

Do those birds usually get parked on the ramp with the flaps down?  The reason I ask is my father, who was a retired Air Force pilot, also spent some time as a corporate pilot flying for an oil company.  I distinctly remember him always, and I mean always, retracting the flaps after turning off the runway at the end of the trip.  I never saw any of the company's plans parked with the flaps down.  I kind of figured that was his AF training coming through, and can see a LOT of reasons why you'd want to pull the flaps up. 

While I see it as a cool way to display more detail on the aircraft, as well as more interest, I'd think it would expose the flaps to potential damage on the ground.  So I ask, are flaps usually left down on aircraft parked on the ramp or in the hanger? 

Gene Beaird,
Pearland, Texas

I second Don's recommendation for fabricating the cowling.  If you have a hard rubber pad, place it under the metal and roll a dowel over the sheet to produce the curve.

As for control surfaces being deflected on the ground on parked operational aircraft, that would normally only be done during maintenance.  They are left in the clean configuration to avoid wind damage and head bangers.  Sometimes you will see hydraulic actuated surfaces sag after the system pressure bleeds down but not to a great degree.  There may be exceptions to this.  You have to admit that a Corsair looks great with everything hanging down and the cowl wide open though.

Screaminhelo

As for control surfaces being deflected on the ground on parked operational aircraft, that would normally only be done during maintenance.  They are left in the clean configuration to avoid wind damage and head bangers.  Sometimes you will see hydraulic actuated surfaces sag after the system pressure bleeds down but not to a great degree.  There may be exceptions to this. 

I suspect that on the '22, there is a means of locking these surfaces in the raised position as it has the ability to rotate the wings to a "stowed" position. Presumably there is a safety interlock which would prevent it, but rotating the wings with the flaps lowered might result in some some interesting damage.

Phil_H

I suspect that on the '22, there is a means of locking these surfaces in the raised position as it has the ability to rotate the wings to a "stowed" position. Presumably there is a safety interlock which would prevent it, but rotating the wings with the flaps lowered might result in some some interesting damage.

I am sure that you are right on this but I am also confident that one of my fellow knuckle draggers has or will find a way to do just that.  One little switch on a maintenance check can make a very important difference,

All,

Thanks for the helpful comments. Especially yours Don. I think thats a great idea!

As for the '22 parked with flaps down, virtually every walkaround has it in this state, be it civilian or millitary. Further, I found a reference from a fellow modeller who works at an airfield where these are kept and stated that they were almost always left in flap down position. I didnt find a reason as to why. Either way, makes for a little interest and got me into my first scratchbuilding adventure.

Don, where again can I find these rolls of aluminum? Any hardware store? Could you please post an example link of something suitable on the web?

Thanks so much,

David

Fatalgrace

All,

Thanks for the helpful comments. Especially yours Don. I think thats a great idea!

As for the '22 parked with flaps down, virtually every walkaround has it in this state, be it civilian or millitary. Further, I found a reference from a fellow modeller who works at an airfield where these are kept and stated that they were almost always left in flap down position. I didnt find a reason as to why. Either way, makes for a little interest and got me into my first scratchbuilding adventure.

Don, where again can I find these rolls of aluminum? Any hardware store? Could you please post an example link of something suitable on the web?

Thanks so much,

 

David

I got my last roll at Home Depot, but have gotten it at Menards and Lowes also.

As to the flaps- I wonder if the situation could be like a number of WW2 vintage planes.  When parked they were supposed to be parked/taxied with flaps up.  But the weight of the flaps and gear doors (those not fastened to struts) caused them to drop as plane sat parked and hydraulic pressure bled off.

Fatalgrace

All,

Thanks for the helpful comments. Especially yours Don. I think thats a great idea!

As for the '22 parked with flaps down, virtually every walkaround has it in this state, be it civilian or millitary. Further, I found a reference from a fellow modeller who works at an airfield where these are kept and stated that they were almost always left in flap down position. I didnt find a reason as to why. Either way, makes for a little interest and got me into my first scratchbuilding adventure.

Don, where again can I find these rolls of aluminum? Any hardware store? Could you please post an example link of something suitable on the web?

Thanks so much,

 

David

I got my last roll at Home Depot, but have gotten it at Menards and Lowes also.

As to the flaps- I wonder if the situation could be like a number of WW2 vintage planes.  When parked they were supposed to be parked/taxied with flaps up.  But the weight of the flaps and gear doors (those not fastened to struts) caused them to drop as plane sat parked and hydraulic pressure bled off.

I just had a thought.  Since the V-22 has vertical lift capability, the flap position may also be a function of the nacelle position.  With the nacelles at an upward angle ( as they are when parked ), the flaps may automatically extend to streamline with the downwash from the rotors and maximize the effect of the lift from the rotor system.  Either way, it provides much more visual interest in the model than having the flaps up.