A-4E By HoggitDev

[Zibell]

I know everyone's super excited, but there's just a half dozen of us or so ham-fisting our way through our first aircraft mod in our spare time on nights and weekends.

 

With the hours I've put in so far relative to the visible progress (and I'm not even the modeler!), i'm ready for Leatherneck or Razbam or someone to launch their A-4 so that I can just throw money at them for a finished plane.

 

Don't give up man, we love you.

[AG-51_Razor]

After watching some videos, I wonder if the fragile nose gear will be on this A-4, where it'll collapse if the proper landing attitude isn't flown onto the deck.

 

Having the nose gear collapse due to not landing in the proper attitude when coming aboard is not an indication of a fragile nose gear. The nose gear of just about any plane equiped with a tricycle landing gear will collapse, if not be substantially damaged, when the pilot allows that gear to take the mass of the plane on touch down. It is not designed for that. So if it collapses, that is not an indicator of a "fragile" landing gear!

[Einherjer]

It have to be that high - you need the place for the nuclear equipment ;)

[hog_driver111th]

Having the nose gear collapse due to not landing in the proper attitude when coming aboard is not an indication of a fragile nose gear. The nose gear of just about any plane equiped with a tricycle landing gear will collapse, if not be substantially damaged, when the pilot allows that gear to take the mass of the plane on touch down. It is not designed for that. So if it collapses, that is not an indicator of a "fragile" landing gear!

 

When it comes to landing, I know very well the physics of it... being a real world pilot for the last 20 years. The reason I mentioned the nose gear of the A-4, is due to the length and also the number of times I've seen it collapse in videos compared to other aircraft.

[Chief1942]

Fragile? I spent three years in A-4 "Scooter" squadrons in the early 60's. Was an Aircraft Structural Mech by MOS, but also dabbled in Hydraulics, Ordinance, Plane Captain, etc. In ALL my time with these birds, Carrier Quals, Yuma, Fallon, El Centro, never once do I recall a front landing gear collapse or any plane coming in for repair for damage to that gear. I was in both VMA-121 and VMA-311 so it wasn't that just one squadron was luckier than another. We actually had four operational A-4 squadrons at MCAS El Toro at any given time during those days and I honestly don't recall having ever heard of this issue in any of those other units as well. Not saying it couldn't happen, anything is possible, but in all my experience I never saw such a weakness.

[gospadin]

it's the chuck norris of aircraft

[ggerman]

After watching some videos, I wonder if the fragile nose gear will be on this A-4, where it'll collapse if the proper landing attitude isn't flown onto the deck.

 

Funny... In over 30 years as a pilot, I never once walked onto the flight line and looked at a jet thinking to myself "I hope it has fragile nose gear that will collapse if I don't land properly!" :music_whistling:

[Yuya6104]

Bump keep this on top. Guys here doing awsome job, So looking for this airplane. :)

[LevelPulse]

I've never seen a video of the A-4 nose-gear collapsing, got any to share?

[SkateZilla]

I've never seen a video of the A-4 nose-gear collapsing, got any to share?

 

The Mechanics of the gear wouldnt allow it to collapse on a normal landing...

 

This isnt an F-16, lol

[gospadin]

The Mechanics of the gear wouldnt allow it to collapse on a normal landing...

 

This isnt an F-16, lol

 

Are you saying that because the F-16 gear retracts towards the tail, and the A-4 gear retracts towards the nose?

 

In theory, with enough force you can get anything to collapse. =P

[archimaede]

And it's a carrier based aircraft.

Carrier landing are the roughest thing you can do to a landing gear, and as any carrier based aircraft, the A-4 didn't fall into pieces when hitting the deck, because it was its job to be a tough little aircraft.

Also standard procedure it to push the stick as far as possible on touchdown to put the maximum weight on the nose gear. So yeah, the A-4's gear is not fragile.

Edited April 17, 2016 by archimaede

[SkateZilla]

Are you saying that because the F-16 gear retracts towards the tail, and the A-4 gear retracts towards the nose?

 

In theory, with enough force you can get anything to collapse. =P

 

THe F-16 Nose Gear is an incredibly weaker design, regardless of which way it extends.

[Yuya6104]

Bump back top

[Chimango]

I was hoping for an April's update.

 

I look forward to hearing from you guys soon, good luck!

[archimaede]

I was hoping for an April's update.

 

I look forward to hearing from you guys soon, good luck!

Thanks.

 

We're still hard at work on the A-4E, however April has been uneventful for us and our work was mostly aimed towards code and animation, stuff that we can't really show you guys with pictures.

 

We might make a mid month update to compensate for that or you'll just have to wait for the next monthly update. :smilewink:

[AG-51_Razor]

Also standard procedure it to push the stick as far as possible on touchdown to put the maximum weight on the nose gear. So yeah, the A-4's gear is not fragile.

 

Not sure where you got that piece of information Archimaede. I have never heard or read about that particular procedure in connection with a carrier landing. I am quite sure it must look that way when viewing all the videos out there of planes landing on a carrier but I really have to doubt that the pilot is actually pushing the stick forward. But you are absolutely right about one thing, the landing gear of aircraft designed to operate off of carriers are built to take that punishment! :thumbup:

[archimaede]

Not sure where you got that piece of information Archimaede. I have never heard or read about that particular procedure in connection with a carrier landing. I am quite sure it must look that way when viewing all the videos out there of planes landing on a carrier but I really have to doubt that the pilot is actually pushing the stick forward. But you are absolutely right about one thing, the landing gear of aircraft designed to operate off of carriers are built to take that punishment! :thumbup:

The "push stick forward" is for runway landing, to keep the aircraft from going back up because of its lift. Here's an example : https://youtu.be/df1J1WrXXtA?t=4m44s

Indeed for carrier landing that's not really an issue since your whole speed is killed in a second.

Edited May 2, 2016 by archimaede

[gospadin]

Not sure where you got that piece of information Archimaede.

 

A-4E NATOPS, Section III, Part 3, Shore-based procedures.

 

LANDING

 

...

 

3. After touchdown apply full forward stick deflected into the wind as necessary to maintain a wings level attitude. Apply rudder as required to maintain directional control.

 

 

--gos

[AG-51_Razor]

Ah so. I did not know that. Thank you for the clarification.

Edited May 2, 2016 by AG-51_Razor

[hog_driver111th]

Funny... In over 30 years as a pilot, I never once walked onto the flight line and looked at a jet thinking to myself "I hope it has fragile nose gear that will collapse if I don't land properly!" :music_whistling:

 

In my 20 years of flying, neither did I. My point was that I saw a video showing a bunch of A-4 carrier traps where the nose gear collapsed.

 

And you guys complaining about my post saying "I did that job for so long and never saw anything like what you say"... doesn't mean it doesn't happen. Watch this video (the one I originally commented about). At the 20min mark, there are a few A-4s that collapse the nose gear. A few other aircraft are shown, but again at the 25min mark is another one. So, for you nay-sayers, the nosegear can collapse.

[ame=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=84eVxXXdy-E]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=84eVxXXdy-E[/ame]

Edited May 2, 2016 by hog_driver111th

[LevelPulse]

I feel obliged that since you've waited a month for an update i'll give you a picture:

 

 

As mentioned previously from my other peers, it's been a quiet month and the progress we have done cannot be shown visually.

 

We hope to bring you an update soon :)

[FireFox500]

I feel obliged that since you've waited a month for an update i'll give you a picture:

 

 

As mentioned previously from my other peers, it's been a quiet month and the progress we have done cannot be shown visually.

 

We hope to bring you an update soon :)

 

Merker did a FANTASTIC job on that cockpit! WOW

[=DECOY=]

awesome :)

 

Sent from my SM-N910F using Tapatalk

[LevelPulse]

Merker did a FANTASTIC job on that cockpit! WOW

 

He did indeed (cockpit not finished yet) and textures will make it look great. I'm very impressed with the amount of work put in by our team!