| Image Comments |
| Don C | 19-Nov-19 10:30 |
| Test fit. I decided to leave the LG as is. Whoever started tis put a lot of effort into them and deserves to be remembered. |
| BriandKilby | 20-Nov-19 11:37 |
| excellent construction! |
| Don C | 27-Nov-19 15:55 |
| OK, I need help. I've been looking at pictures, lotsa pictures and I am confused. Some show the inner LG doors closed, like here, but others show them open or down. Can it be either way, or do I have to open the inner doors? |
| BriandKilby | 27-Nov-19 16:40 |
| i read on landing the inner doors were closed or the inner doors were closed, parked, I can't remember which. |
| heywooood | 28-Nov-19 04:24 |
| Mustang and later F86 had the same gear door configuration and both suffered the same fate. Over time and use the pressure seals on the main fuselage doors would wear and leak causing the doors to droop after engine shutdown. So you can pose those doors open or closed. |
| heywooood | 28-Nov-19 04:31 |
| Basic rule - in pictures of Mustang or Saber jet with the prop turning or jet engine idling, the main doors will always be closed. In pictures where the prop is still and the engine is OFF the doors ‘might’ be closed depending on how long the aircraft has been shutdown when the picture was taken. If I model these aircraft with the pilot inside and gear down I would have these doors shut. Parked with no pilot and the canopy open I would model them open or ‘drooped’ |
| Don C | 28-Nov-19 10:24 |
| Thanks Kevin. I knew someone would know. Interesting and makes perfect sense. On my A model they're closed. I think I'll rework this one. |
| Don C | 29-Nov-19 12:24 |
| Kevin - I just found in a Squadron book on Allison Engined Mustangs that " the wheel well door could be locked in the up position by means of a small latch at the rear of the wheel well" and next page,"The center gear doors were normally held in the up position in flight and on the ground by a small spring loaded latch at the back of the well. The doors could be unlatched for maintenance. The lack of hydraulic pressure would then allow the doors to droop downward". Do you know if they would have changed that for later models? |
| Don C | 29-Nov-19 12:27 |
| And this after I removed the doors for remodeling. :( |
| heywooood | 29-Nov-19 17:23 |
| To my knowledge the latch was forgotten and likely deleted from later marks as unnecessary. The doors close once the system is pressurized and the main doors will not hang open or droop in flight..only cycle to release or retract the gear. It’s possible that airshow examples and museum queens would have these doors latched but not in all cases. |
| Don C | 30-Nov-19 11:48 |
| Thanks. I'll figure it out eventually. |
