Small Scale Military Headquarters

Like everybody around these here parts, I've noticed that the wings on my Avenger have a pronounced sag to them. I've seen what some of the other folks have done...or are planning to do...and most of them seem kind of drastic. Me? I like to abide by the "KISS" principle myself. So, I started by displaying my Avenger "on the deck" with the wings folded. TADA....no sag problem there. Worked for awhile and then I started running out of space around my office. That "Turkey" (yes...that was it's nickname) had to fly. Up went the gear, out went the wings....and the sag was definately there. OK, let's play with it alittle (it's MINE and I can play with it if I want...just can't shake it more than three....Wait, that's something else). Where was I....oh yeah, with a (here it comes) sagging turkey in my hands. What to do? Well you know those little triangular doors behind the gear wells? Yeah...the ones that cover the pivot points on the underside? Look like this....

...Well I found out that if you close them, the outer rim is a little wider than the opening. Now if you flex the wing up a little, the door actually fits INSIDE the opening...and causes the wing to flex a little farther up...taking out some of that sag. Looks like this...

....And this....

On mine it takes almost all the slack out making the entire wing look like this...

...just using the method I have described for you. Call it "Avenger Viagra"!!!

is that hanging from a paper clip?

Yes it is...a very BIG paper clip that is attached to the drop-ceiling cross pieces. Like a Playtex bra....no visible means of support...?

i've had mine flying for some time now and no visible wing sag. I have the first series one, without the screw covers, which i believe don't have the sagging problem.

Great tip for those that do, though.

Do the wings on the Flight 19 Avengers sag or was the problem rectified?

My Flight 19 Avenger has a little sag, but not nearly as bad as my second-series Atlantic Avenger. I got rid of my first-series Atlantic Avenger, so have little to compare it to. My Flight 19 bird looks very much like Fockwulf's fixed Avenger in terms of wing sag, so perhaps 21c did rectify it afterall.

I think some sort of spring mechanism or reinforcement bar should have been in order for that wing hinge, though one still has to admire the engineering that went into getting the wings to fold correctly

my first series avenger looks like FW's fixed Avenger as well....ie the wings look kinda 'flat' but don't sag, so it may be a problem that was isolated to the second series Atlantic Avenger.

These are pictures of the second series Atlantic Avenger I have in my office. I don't have a Flight 19 version to campare with so I can't comment on the possible fix 21C may have made. I do have a series 1 with the missing screw caps from WM and I can say the wing joints are definately tighter with less sag evident. That Avenger is in pieces on the workbench having most "modifications" done to the radio compartment and the gearwells as well as the wing fold areas. It's a long way from finished (too many other projects to get a handle on first).

Good idea there FW. I didn't notice that you can do that with the triangular piece under the wing.

I just hook a paper clip in each wheelwell when I hang one. No wing sag with any of mine yet either.

Kevin.

Also One thing I noticed on the Avengers was that the first run of the Atlantic Avengers at WM had three screws for assembling the wings to the fuselage while my Flight 19 Avenger only has two. And the ones that where deleted where the last one in the back. I wonder if that has any thing to do with the wing sagging problem?

My Flight 19 avenger has very very minimal sag. The triangle doors under the wings seem to bolster the wings up effectively enough (without pushing them right through into the wing cavity). As a side note. I've noticed I cant swival the ball turrent all the way up because it hits the inside of the clear glass piece. I have to slightly jimi the removable glass out a bit to allow the turrent to freely rotate upwards. Anyone else found this?

Jay wrote:Anyone else found this?

Yes I have.

When you say "jimi"....is that like Jimi Hendrix....or Jimi Johnson....or Jimi H or JJ.....(I can go on for hours)???

I tried out the above wing-sag fix on my Atlantic and Flight 19 Avengers. It does make a difference, even on the Flight 19 aircraft

Looks like we'll have to give this the 'quick fix of the month' award.

Folkwulfe wrote:When you say "jimi"....is that like Jimi Hendrix....or Jimi Johnson....or Jimi H or JJ.....(I can go on for hours)???

No, as in jim beam and coke..................mmmm, I needed one after trying to squeese it amongst the other planes on the shelf

Folkwulfe,

What is the model of the red and white helo of? Is it a custom Kiowa? Pics would be nice.

Sorry dude, but it's a standard fare 21C Rescue Littlebird (1/6th scale) with crew and fully rigged gurney.

Folkwulfe wrote:Sorry dude, but it's a standard fare 21C Rescue Littlebird (1/6th scale) with crew and fully rigged gurney.

Folkwulfe, I turned this exact rescue littlebird into to a ceiling fan light two months ago! Turned out great!