VQ Warbirds

Tips/Techniques

It is very important that you perform this adjustment to the retract to ensure no damage occurs to the plane or retracts. This adjustment will show proper setup of the retracts and correct gear collapse and tracking problems on the ground.

1	Loosen the setscrew holding the retract pushrod. Remove the four retract screws hold down the retract. Then remove it from the wing.
2	Pull on the retract mechanism, making sure the side locking bar is at its furthest lock down position as shown.
3	With a 2.5 mm hex wrench or Allen wrench, slowly turn the hex wrench to the right. This will tighten the front set screw until there is no more back and forth movement in the retract block. This will provide stability in the lock-down position. Now push in the retract rod and check to see if any binding occurs. if there is binding loosen the front setscrew slightly until binding stops.
4	Adjustment to the lock-up position is also require to ensure proper functionality of the retract. Rotate the retract over and move the locking bar about half way in the up position. This will expose the back setscrew for the lock-up position adjustment. Tighten the setscrew with a 2.5 mm hex, then remove the hex wrench and fully move the locking bar into full up position. Now check if the gear has free play. if it still does continue to tighten the setscrew until no play is achieved. You will have to tighten the set screw several time to achieve no play. Check for non binding movement of the locking bar from full up to full down position. if binding occurs, loosen the back setscrew slightly.
5	Reinstall the retract back into the wing and reconnect the retract pushrod to the bell crank. When setting up the retract servo, it is very crucial that the locking bar is at its full lock-down position. If not damage to the retracts will occur during landing and you will have tracking problems on the ground.

The problem with the VQ P-38 wing and the fowler flaps is the connection of the linkage from that main body to the outboard flap mechanism. It is a small ball connector that my large fingers cannot reach, and I worry about breaking the linkage with a needle nose pliers. With a little imagination I think I have found the solution.

1	Take brass tubing (I believe a stronger steel thin wall tubing would be better, but this works for now) of 11/32” and cut out a slot .115” tall using a dermal tool half way through the tubing. The bottom must have an opening .150” to go around the ball joint. A very slight radius in the center of the opening toward the long end of the tool makes fitting over the ball joint easier.
2	Side view of the slot for the ball joint.
3	Take brass tubing (I believe a stronger steel thin wall tubing would be better, but this works for now) of 11/32” and cut out a slot .115” tall using a dermal tool half way through the tubing. The bottom must have an opening .150” to go around the ball joint. A very slight radius in the center of the opening toward the long end of the tool makes fitting over the ball joint easier.
4	Get a wooden dowel 3/8 inch. Chuck up in drill. Get small coarse sandpaper and hold the dowel with the drill turning to reduce the dowel to .300” to slide into the brass tubing. Drill 1/16” hole into the end of the dowel. (Must drill or dowel will split) and screw in an Allen screw with wood threads into the center. This is the “Punch” for the puller.
5	Here is shown the dowel inserted into the tubing. The jaws go under the ball joint to hold it and the dowel is pushed down to pull the ball joint.
6	Here is the fowler flap linkage inside the outboard wings and the hard to reach ball joint. Slide the tool, with the dowel retracted over the ball joint, push down on the dowel and the jaws hold the outer part of the ball joint and the Allen headed bolt pushes the ball joint apart without stressing the arm or joint.
7	Joint removed.

Now you can modify the other end of the tool with an opening of .520” and jaws as similarly described. Modify the other end of the dowel with a small concave hole, and the puller becomes the ball joint installer.

By: Twinman
All images and write-ups are property of Twinman

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