Landing Gear Bracket - RC Airplane

thingiverse

I love experimenting with, building, and flying radio control airplanes crafted from Dollar Tree foam board. Most RC enthusiasts have probably heard about and flown the FT Bloody Wonder. I wanted one thing for these Dollar Tree foam board airplanes: landing gear. I discovered a plastic landing gear bracket at the local hobby store, but it cost almost $12.00(US). I decided to make my own, customizing it to fit Dollar Tree foam board. The picture shows the landing gear brackets installed parallel to the wing and perpendicular to the body of the airplane with wheels on the outside of the brackets. If I wanted the landing gear closer to the body, I could have bent the strut wire that holds the wheels inward. You can also install the landing gear brackets parallel to the body, having the landing gear under the belly of the airplane if you prefer. There are many ways to install the bracket and even more methods on how to bend the struts to position the wheels closer or farther away from the body. One strut, running parallel to the body, with a single wheel would make an excellent tail gear. Instructions: 1) I create my struts using stock #505 (3/32" or 2.38mm) music wire, which can be found in most hobby stores. 2) To shape the strut, bend that wire into the illustrated form, making sharp 90-degree angles as shown in the picture above. Install a wheel with collars, preferably using Du-Bro 3/32" Plated Brass Dura Collars (Cat No 596). 3) When installing hex keepers on the collars, add a small dab of blue Thread Locker for added security. 4) The struts can be attached to the brackets using zip ties, epoxy, or hot glue. I prefer zip ties for easy removal. 5) Press the strut with landing gear into the foam board to mark where the strut hole and zip ties leave their imprint on the foam. 6) Use a hobby knife to cut out holes for the strut and zip ties so the bracket will lie flat. 7) Secure the bracket to the foam board using hot glue. Note: The airplane in the pictures isn't intended for flight; it's a test bed for software/hardware designs. Print Settings Rafts: No Supports: No Resolution: 0.4mm Infill: 20% Notes: This design is straightforward - feel free to print it quickly and use a vibrant color so you can easily spot it in the grass.