**** DONE: 1/48 Polikarpov I-16 - Captured / Aircraft in Foreign Service GB

[Wurger]

I'm also wondering what is the reason for the wire from the undercarriage housing to the centre of the wheel.

View attachment 184640

Any suggestions.

As a matter of fact, a Polikarpov I-16 have been equipped with neither an hydraulic nor electric mechanism for the main landing gear opening and retracting. It was a machinery operated manually with these steel wires. There was a crank for retracting and opening on starboard in the cockpit. A pilot needed to make 44 full rotations of the crank to retract the landing gear.

A nice progress on the model Vic. Looking very good.

 

[vikingBerserker]

Very cool progress so far.

 

[rochie]

looks good so far Vic

 

[T Bolt]

I had a couple of pictures in my files that might help with placement of that wire Vic.

 

[Crimea_River]

How basic is that!

 

[Vic Balshaw]

Thanks a bunch guy's.

A special thanks to you Wojetk I figured it would be something like this and after scouring the net which had the same question many times, I deduced from some of the sceptical answers that I was dealing a totally mechanical retraction mechanism.

 

[N4521U]

Well now, that would surely cut down on weight and expense!

 

[Wurger]

To be honest all Russian WW2 planes were quite simple and basic equipped. As I have told you earlier a plane and its pilot were one-time weapon. When returned the base after first flight it was OK. If he did it twice he was an hero. But if he did it three times he was a suspected guy.

But why do we name MiG-29 a locomotive here in Poland...???? He, he, he...

 

[Vic Balshaw]

Thanks again folks for those kind words.

Progress was good today, fiddled with the undercarriage legs, sorted out the gun sight, would you believe that it was attached to the sprue by its reflector! As it so happens the reflector was way out of proportion so cutting back and re-polishing was something that had to be done anyway.

Here is the undercarriage with all the cables attached for the retraction mechanism. Though about doing the springs, but sh!t, there is a limit......

You will also be pleased to know Karl that I did manage to snap the olio leg, don't ask me how, it had been off the sprue and painted a couple of days ago, I had even got the cables on with no worries. But when I looked at it later, it was fractured.

Have also been out in the shed and put some paint on the fellow, a nice bit of yellow tipping and waist belt. The underside is also in a trial pale blue, Humbrol 65 but the final underside blue will be the Soviet AMT 17.

 

[Florence]

but sh!t, there is a limit.....

Since when? LMAO.....

Nice work as always.

 

[rochie]

looks good Vic

 

[Vic Balshaw]

Thanks David and Karl, appreciated.

 

[Wayne Little]

When you mentioned that wiring I said i didn't know but thought some sort of retraction thingy sounds plausible ....as I wasn't sure better to keep your mouth shut for fear of sticking your foot in it...


Anyway making great progress Vic!

 

[Crimea_River]

Almost there Vic.

 

[Airframes]

Good stuff Vic.

 

[Gnomey]

Coming along nicely Vic!

 

[N4521U]

Well Wayne, my grounding wire sounded good for a time........
Vic, limits? You? I recall a roll of TP somewhere???
Be shure and lable the handle for the gear letting down thingy, eh?

 

[Vic Balshaw]

Thanks ever so Wayne, Andy, Terry, Hugh and Bill.

Decided I was not happy with the yellow so did it all again, then having masked wing tips and waist band decided that didn't look right so did this again. I'm happy now so the underside blue was sprayed later this afternoon. Pictures tomorrow with luck.

 

[Wurger]

 

[T Bolt]

Nice progress Vic. The gear looks wonderful.