How to make retracting telescopic undercarriage/legs? Thunderbird 2

[DavidWomby]

This was started on the 'my stash grew' thread but I am putting it here for any follow up

I bought this for the 1/350 TB2 and we started discussing if the raising and lowering mechanism could be mechanized.



The main problem I see with the TB2 legs is that they have to retract fully into the sponsons along the sides of the hull.



Those sponsons aren't very tall and have to fit the retracted sections of the legs AND the retraction mechanism (if I can come up with one). The DeAgostini model of TB2 seems to use flexible toothed strips but even then it doesn't fully retract the legs and there are reports of the strips getting out of synch with each other. Still, that is the only solution I have seen so far.



Does anybody have any ideas?

David

[JamesPerrin]

Of course this ignores the fact that the legs are in the middle of the intake trunking

[DavidWomby]

Of course this ignores the fact that the legs are in the middle of the intake trunking

Artistic licence was widely adopted by Mr Meddings and crew! In landing sequences, the descent rockets are firing from where the landing legs are and not from the obvious exhausts elsewhere on the undersides.

https://www.facebook.com/GerryAndersonO ... 449462256/

David

[rob_van_riel]

Does anybody have any ideas?

I don't suppose actual hydrolics/pneumatics is possible?

Something with a permanent magnet at the end of the leg and an electromagnet at the top? Perhaps the model railroad crowd has something that could be adapted, Z-gauge swiches are miniscule and magnetically controlled.

[DavidWomby]

Does anybody have any ideas?

I don't suppose actual hydrolics/pneumatics is possible?

Something with a permanent magnet at the end of the leg and an electromagnet at the top? Perhaps the model railroad crowd has something that could be adapted, Z-gauge swiches are miniscule and magnetically controlled.

All good thoughts, Rob. Thanks.

The pneumatic idea I think has some prospect of success but probably any approach will have to be tried in one of my larger scale TB2 kits. The 1/350, and most accurate of the Imai moulds apart from their 1/144 monster, is probably too small.

David

[LifetimeModeler]

Removed due to lack of interest.

[Stuart]

How about having the model on a base, with the feet touching the floor, and having the legs (or something inside the legs) push up from the floor rather than down from the sponsons, to make it look like the legs are raising?

[DavidWomby]

How about having the model on a base, with the feet touching the floor, and having the legs (or something inside the legs) push up from the floor rather than down from the sponsons, to make it look like the legs are raising?

Yes, I agree that would work, Stuart, but the Holy Grail would be for the legs to retract fully. i.e. off the ground. Watching the program/programmes over the years, I am pretty sure Meddings and crew never solved this either because I am pretty sure I've never seen it happen. Clever editing conceals this - the sequence of TB2 lowering onto a pod in its hanger ends before the legs leave the floor and the next sequence is when the hanger doors lower and you see TB2 ready to roll with the legs fully retracted. The same is true in reverse when it lands and raises itself off the pod. So it seems they did exactly what you suggest and I think that's probably all that I can do too.

David