Official FlightLine F4U-1A Corsair 1600mm (63") Wingspan

[themudduck]

And the debate rages on.... personally, I feel its best to balance the plane for flying. As XViper said, when the CG changes during landing configuration its usually pretty easy to deal with that manually, or program in some trim.
Anyway... this has been raging on this thread since forever and it's never going to be resolved, its just a matter of preference I guess.

Hey I need some help please. Have any of you changed out the retract unit? One of mine has a cracked case and I want to switch it out. So, first thing I did was try to remove the gear leg. I took out two grub screws successfully. There is a plastic sleeve around the leg but as far as I can tell, there's nothing holding the leg onto the pin besides those two grub screws. So why won't it come off? It won't budge, or rotate. I can't heat it (because the plastic sleeves will melt) :Thinking:

[Hugh Wiedman]

Personally I don't think there is a right or wrong. Like many aspects of this hobby it's all based on preference. Both sides offer compelling reasons why to CG with gear up or down. For me personally I always CG with gear down and it has worked just fine for me over the years. Another aspect to consider is to create flight modes if your radio supports it (most do these days). This "auto-trims" your model based on the configuration it is in which really takes the pressure (literally!) off.

I'm with you Aros, I use flight modes on all my planes with flaps and retractable gear. I tie the flight modes to the flaps, so I can separately trim (both elevator and aileron) in flight for each flap setting, and of course the gear is normally deployed with take-off and landing flaps, so I can get the trim I need on the first flight in a short period of time. This also helps if each of the flaps do not retract at the exact deflection because I also can trim the ailerons for each flap setting if need be, but that rarely is needed. I leave the rudder trim off of the flight mode trims however. Franco Di Mauro of House of Power (he's the big turbine jet master) showed me how to set the transmitter up for that several years ago so now I never have to worry about getting the correct elevator compensation for flaps in the flap menu on the ground, just follow the suggestions in the manual and fine tune it in the air, and you can make it work for whatever throttle setting you like to use in normal flight or when doing your landing approach.

[xviper]

A
Hey I need some help please. Have any of you changed out the retract unit? One of mine has a cracked case and I want to switch it out. So, first thing I did was try to remove the gear leg. I took out two grub screws successfully. There is a plastic sleeve around the leg but as far as I can tell, there's nothing holding the leg onto the pin besides those two grub screws. So why won't it come off? It won't budge, or rotate. I can't heat it (because the plastic sleeves will melt) :Thinking:

I've yet to change the retract on this plane, however, from my experience with the FMS unit, instead of taking the strut off, consider taking the whole strut and trunion (sp?) out together. Since the retract unit is cracked anyway, just take the casing apart by removing those 5 little screws. You can still salvage the innards for backup emergency use in the future. Transplant the old assembly into the new retract by taking out the new trunion. Maybe when it's out, you might be able to see it better and figure out why it doesn't come apart if you still want to use just the strut/wheel.
The following isn't out of a Corsair, but it gives you an idea of what I'm talking about. It'll look sort of like this but with the wheel and everything else still on it.

[themudduck]

I've yet to change the retract on this plane, however, from my experience with the FMS unit, instead of taking the strut off, consider taking the whole strut and trunion (sp?) out together. Since the retract unit is cracked anyway, just take the casing apart by removing those 5 little screws. You can still salvage the innards for backup emergency use in the future. Transplant the old assembly into the new retract by taking out the new trunion. Maybe when it's out, you might be able to see it better and figure out why it doesn't come apart if you still want to use just the strut/wheel.

Thanks, yes I can do that. There's nothing wrong with the trunnion so this will work, I'll just put all the guts into the new case and save the guts from the new case for future use. (I may even attempt to repair the cracked case, just for the challenge!)
I'm still curious how the leg comes off, but I guess that doesn't matter at the moment. Thanks for the good idea!

I waited for two months for the controllers to come in.... and I snagged one and they went back on backorder within 1/2 a day. MRC you need to order several hundred of these!! And bring them in by air!!

[xviper]

Thanks, yes I can do that. There's nothing wrong with the trunnion so this will work, I'll just put all the guts into the new case and save the guts from the new case for future use. (I may even attempt to repair the cracked case, just for the challenge!)
I'm still curious how the leg comes off, but I guess that doesn't matter at the moment. Thanks for the good idea!

I waited for two months for the controllers to come in.... and I snagged one and they went back on backorder within 1/2 a day. MRC you need to order several hundred of these!! And bring them in by air!!

Take pictures along the way. You'll get to a point where you'll scratch your head wondering which direction the trunnion should face. And you'll wonder on which side that rotation pin should face.

[I-fly-rc-aircraft]

On another issue concerning the retracts. Is there a method to straighten the jack screw in the unit? One of mine has a slight bend from a hard landing making the strut/wheel jitter when going up or down.

Tom

[killickb]

You can try but is very hard. Have bent three of mine — all when doing grass landings. Have taken the jack screw out but it is an integral part of the drive motor shaft no so good way to hold it without destroying at the minimum the thread. If you have a machine shop available they might be able to do it. I gave up and bought new retract units — Motion is currently out of stock ! Wish you could procure spare parts for the retract unit other than just the trunnions.

[Austang]

Both left and right are currently available from RC Castle. :Cool:

https://www.rc-castle.com/index.php?route=product/product&product_id=8118

https://www.rc-castle.com/index.php?route=product/product&product_id=8119

[Hardway]

Both left and right are currently available from RC Castle. :Cool:

https://www.rc-castle.com/index.php?route=product/product&product_id=8118

https://www.rc-castle.com/index.php?...roduct_id=8119

Thanks for the update!!! Have a great day! Jerry :Cool:

[RichJ53]

Both left and right are currently available from RC Castle. :Cool:

https://www.rc-castle.com/index.php?route=product/product&product_id=8118

https://www.rc-castle.com/index.php?...roduct_id=8119

are these coming from China? I guess it is nice to have another way to get parts, but I prefer to use MRC

Rich

[downwindleg]

Yeah I finally got my retract units replaced. Quite a bit of work taking the whole wing apart, detaching the wing ribbons from the control board and fishing the new servo leads through the wing root to the plug plate, which also has to be pulled, and putting it all back together. I'm thinking that, in the future, it might be worth putting a short servo extension wire between the wheel bay and the plug plate to avoid all that. Wish I had thought of it while I had it all apart. DOH!! Anyway I finally put the U bird back in the air yesterday. I wound up getting one full retract with the strut and one without due to lack of stock. Much simpler and cheaper to just replace the retract unit itself if they have them. I'll probably get another pair for stock..... like having extra prop blades, when they get back in stock. She's a great flying elegant bird in the air for sure when flown in a realistic manor. Got lots of good comments from the guys at the field. Tracks nice and looks great taking off and especially landing with those full flaps now that I've got the approach dialed in.:Cool:Hoping for a two meter version someday soon.:Smug:

[Hardway]

are these coming from China? I guess it is nice to have another way to get parts, but I prefer to use MRC

Rich

They come from Hong Kong, I think. The shipping is only 7.00 for a set.... Not bad! ;)
I prefer MRC for sure, but parts are parts when you need them....:Straight-Face:

[Aros]

Hoping for a two meter version someday soon.:Smug:

You and me both brother!! :Cool::Cool:

[xviper]

They come from Hong Kong, I think. The shipping is only 7.00 for a set.... Not bad! ;)
I prefer MRC for sure, but parts are parts when you need them....:Straight-Face:

Yes, from Hong Kong. In fact, MotionRC has spoken highly of Raymond of RC Castle.

Rich ................. the only reason that those links were put up was because Motion didn't have stock at the time on those parts and likely still don't. If you want to wait till Motion gets stock, by all means, do wait.

[Aros]

Yes, from Hong Kong. In fact, MotionRC has spoken highly of Raymond of RC Castle.

I have gone on record in fact to say that Raymond is top notch for a Chinese distributor. Long before I was ever affiliated with Motion RC, I ordered from Raymond many times and he always went above and beyond in regards to support and service. I look at him as an extension of us overseas. Now I put on my employee hat and humbly ask that you always order from us first if possible!

:)

[themudduck]

I'm glad that RC Castle is an available option... and the price is good. But I would much rather order from MRC. :Angry: When are these parts coming? Its a 3-day delivery for an FX box!
I'd like to see MRC bite the bullet and get these parts in stock, its important for service and customer loyalty (having the parts when we need them = happy smiling customers)

(It will take a year to fill up a 40' ocean container with parts)

[RichJ53]

Yes, from Hong Kong. In fact, MotionRC has spoken highly of Raymond of RC Castle.

Rich ................. the only reason that those links were put up was because Motion didn't have stock at the time on those parts and likely still don't. If you want to wait till Motion gets stock, by all means, do wait.

I understand and didn't mean anything bad with my earlier comment. I have a spare set when MRC got the parts in last time around. So at this moment… its all good.

Rich

[RichJ53]

They come from Hong Kong, I think. The shipping is only 7.00 for a set.... Not bad! ;)
I prefer MRC for sure, but parts are parts when you need them....:Straight-Face:

Not bad at all.. I agree with you and very happy I got a spare set when MRC got them in stock last time :)

Rich

[Austang]

As much as I would love to order from MRC. Its just not financially feasible from here in West OZ, maybe they can start a branch here, MRC Downunder, Sounds like a goer to me. ;)

[themudduck]

Hey guess what, the retract controllers are back in stock. I just ordered some! (I'm sure its just a coincidence and not a result of my pout) :P

And... the tail fin is available as well, at least for the bubble-top version.