The front landing gear:
The front landing gear will be shown without its covering cone so much detailing is necessary. This can't be done with the kit parts alone.. They are designed for a closed nose cone and are sufficient for this purpose. If you compare the given parts with the real thing many flaws show up. The only part I used was the wheel fork slightly thinned out. I tried to make the gear moveable around a metallic axe to better check out the size of the needed parts. The bigger parts hydraulic system and shock strut should be moveable too. I don't want to do gimmicks but I want to build a functional gear to produce a realistic result. The flexibility is only needed during the assembly phase later in the completed model it is dispensable. The plate of the kit where the undercarriage should be cemented on was sanded flat, see picture. Than I cemented 2 mm thick plastic sheet on it and trimmed it to the contour of the fuselage. So you get a clean fit and much filling and sanding can be omitted.
Next came the plate which bears the undercarriage.
The kits pivot point of the undercarriage is wrong I had to define a new one. A new undercarriage leg had to be made and combined with tube through which I ran a hollow needle, the new pivot axle.
In the kit the axle runs through the wooden block this is nonsense. I did my connection according to the real thing. The axle mounted into this wooden block would have been prone to breakage. I believe the block was a counterbalance.
Now the gear strut could be placed into its adapters and the axle. By trimming the new brackets I found the right turning point. Next part were the hydraulics after probing the fit I could fix it to the axle.
The spring leg keeps up tension on the undercarriage leg when retracted. The kit part shows both parts retracted contrary to assembly instructions for a lowered gear. I discarded the spring leg of the kit. After getting the correct size and bearing I made a volute spring from wire wrapped around a hollow needle.
The front weights are scratched. The left and the right part are different.
The locking device for the undercarriage could be handled by a Bowden cable.
It will be added when the complete front under carriage is mounted to the fuselage. The guide for the Bowden cable is already installed. Into this device the bolt which is situated on the rear of the under carriage leg snapped in. The small coil is from a guitar string.
In this rig the undercarriage snaps in when it is lowered pushing the red bolt out in front of the cockpit as a visual control for the pilot. This mechanism is preloaded by a coil.
All parts are ready for final assembly. The front wheel will be readied with the main wheels.
The gear leg is assembled.
Some Steps of assembly:
Some pictures of the final assembly:
I didn't much weathering as The "Volksjäger" hadn't time enough to get filthy during its short career.