Help with revell GAto front dive planes

[jack b]

So I building the gato and I am up to the front dive planes and I have looked every where and seen most of the photos but I am still not sure what I want to do with them?
So I am asking you guys what/how did you did yours? Just glue em on? make em move up and down? Up and down and retract? did you use the stock parts or make your own?
I am leaning towards just making them move up & down and not retract I could do it just seems like a lot of work So let me know what you did and why.
Thanks for the help
JAck B

[crazy ivan]

Re: Help with revell GAto front dive planes

As no one else has replied, I 'll jump in once more.

Retractable bow planes add realism and interest to any model that features them. There are any number of ways to achieve this effect; flexible push-pull rods, levers and bellcranks, and even a sliding slotted plate affair Big Dave once designed have all been used successfully. The real fleetboats, however, used a set of meshed gears coupled to the retract rods to keep everything in sync, and this is the route I chose for my boat. I made my own system, utilizing a pair of nylon gears salvaged from an old VCR. I drive it with a long torsion rod coupled to one gear through a ball and socket universal, similar to Dave Merriman's design.

To allow for greater up and down motion when extended, I replaced the kits's rods with a pair of Dubro Swivel Ball Links.



These were carefully machined and trimmed down to fit into the planes and look more scale . Their length was extended with short pieces of brass rod, which make up to the gears.







One thing that concerned me was the possibility of accidentally trying to change the angle of the planes while they were retracted, as this might jam the servo or damage the linkage. Since my transmitter is computerized (a Polk Tracker III), it was a simple matter to program a lockout feature to the operation. As soon as the retract channel is switched to "rig in" the planes, the angle control channel is forced to the neutral position and disabled from moving. In the "rig out" position, the angle control is enabled once more. I have also incorporated a PIC microcontroller to slow the action of the retract servo to several seconds for more realism when the planes are moved in or out. Up and down angle motion is also slowed down a bit with a second PIC.

[jack b]

Re: Help with revell GAto front dive planes

Thanks Ivan
Still thinkin, as to the plan of attack
If I were to do the retractable planes
Yours looks like a good plan
I have all the parts to do it, just wondering if it is worth the extra work
I think I will at least beef up the plastic parts some and
just go with the pitch...
Jack B