 I found that the tail wheel retract system on a Beech 18 is similar to that of a Corsair. This picture shows the un-modified assembly. It is a bit heavier than the Corsair82 needs but the scale is about right, and I think with some modifications it should work. |
 I have cut away some of the frame and am going to cut the strut at the arrow. |
 The portion cut from the outer strut tube now becomes the spacer for the fork. It is on the bottom with a brass bushing between it and the top part of the strut tube. |
 Parts cut to make the new fork. |
 The fork parts are held together with a vise and a bolt in preparation for welding. |
 The fork had been welded to the spacer tube and the inside strut tube. |
 The wheel and tire have been placed into the fork. |
 A frame has been added to the upper portion pf the outside tube and the inside tube is in place. Note the size of the 10" diameter wheel/tire assembly. |
 The bulkhead for the airplane is bolted to my bench to act as a test stand. |
 All the other parts are being assembled. I had to make a lot of these parts adjustable because I didn't have any idea as to their sizes. I adjusted each part until the whole thing worked properly. |
 A pneumatic actuator has been added to work the gear. It has an electric switch to work the valves. This will all be hydraulic in the airplane. |
 A close up of the actuator. |
 The gear doors have been cut out of the fuselage and the bulkhead has been installed. |
 Here I am inside the fuselage attaching the gear. Lots of room in there. |
 The tail wheel assembly is now in place and operating. Also note the tail cone is being built. |
| Click on any photo to see an expanded version. | ||