Admiral ME262 nose wheel strut problem?

IndianaJonesFan · Post by **IndianaJonesFan** » Mon Oct 19, 2009 5:58 am

I've just received an Admiral ME262 White 8 and wanted to know if anybody else has had a problem with the nose wheel strut. On mine the strut is too long to slot into the notch above the wheel. I'm afraid to pull the wheel too far forward in case something breaks. It looks as though the only safe way to get the strut in is to cut a bit off the end of it.

This is my first 1/18 aircraft and it's pretty much as I expected and hoped for: a detailed 'toy' rather than a delicate model kit (I can be pretty clumsy sometimes!)

My interest in 1/18 aircraft stemmed from my current obsession with Indiana Jones action figures, trucks and troop cars. Since there is no 1/18 scale Raiders of the Lost Ark Flying Wing, I wanted the next best thing. If Raiders could have MP38s in 1936 I thought I could have an experimental jet

The paint on the tail of the ME262 is a little scuffed from contact with the plastic tray it was packed in, but that doesn't worry me too much. I would rather have a 'weathered' model, than a 'museum mint' model. Apart from the nose strut, the only other downside was that there were no Swastika transfers in the box to complete the tail. I'm pretty sure this model should have included them.

Oh... and the pilot is embarrassingly terrible. I put him back in the box as he reminds me of a smug Gerry Anderson puppet. His joints are pretty bad as well, which concurs with what many others have written on this forum.

Matt

Aviatornut.com · Post by **Aviatornut.com** » Mon Oct 19, 2009 10:38 am

let me know if you get a hold Admiral Toys. there phone numbers are out of order.

cornbreadfred · Post by **cornbreadfred** » Mon Oct 19, 2009 10:52 am

Looks like Admiral toys is no more. Dang, I really wanted that 1/18th scale Mosquito.....

IndianaJonesFan · Post by **IndianaJonesFan** » Mon Oct 19, 2009 10:56 am

What...? I buy one aircraft and Admiral Toys goes bust?

I sent them an email earlier about the missing Swastikas (the company I bought the aircraft from in the UK said there were no decals in any of the boxes), and asked about the nose wheel strut.

Matt

Aviatornut.com · Post by **Aviatornut.com** » Mon Oct 19, 2009 11:57 am

IndianaJonesFan wrote:What...? I buy one aircraft and Admiral Toys goes bust?

I sent them an email earlier about the missing Swastikas (the company I bought the aircraft from in the UK said there were no decals in any of the boxes), and asked about the nose wheel strut.

Matt

I can help you get a swastika decal. email aviatornut@cox.net

aae83 · Post by **aae83** » Mon Oct 19, 2009 7:05 pm

There were some definite issues with the nose gear on the Admiral Me-262. There's a bit of discussion of them here:

viewtopic.php?p=67377&highlight=nose+gear#67377

I had trouble with the nose gear door binding with the front of the wheel well and was able to extend it fully after trimming the forward edge of the nose gear opening back a bit (maybe 1/16 in.). I still had to loop some string around the strut to pull it out; pulling on the wheel itself seemed risky.

JOC had a problem with his that wasn't as easily solved. I think his solution was to leave the gear retracted and hang the model from the ceiling.

Good luck with yours.

IndianaJonesFan · Post by **IndianaJonesFan** » Mon Oct 19, 2009 11:50 pm

aae83, thanks for that link.

Looking at the photograph of the real ME262 I can see that the nose wheel assembly should be angled forwards. On my model I can only pull the assembly and hatch forward just enough so that it stands vertical. This is the reason that the supporting strut won't fit into the notch. The strut is about 3mm too long, so close but yet so far! Really frustrating.

Jason explained the problem was that the aircraft was screwed together too tightly, but I just can't see how the forward hatch can move any further. I'm wondering if the hatch itself needs to be screwed tighter to the wheel assembly, which might give the extra distance I need.

I understand the trouble you had with the nose gear door binding with the wheel. At first I didn't think I was going to get the wheel out - it takes a little gentle persuasion.

And what is all this about Admiral going out of business? The first I heard of this rumour was when I posted here. Won't that leave BBI as the only producer of 1/18 aircraft?

Matt

tmanthegreat · Post by **tmanthegreat** » Tue Oct 20, 2009 9:20 am

Admiral was a victim of its own success, the competition, and the fact that it made too few products that appealed only to a niche market of collectors. The economic downturn did not help either. Notice that we have not gotten any new AT products in at least two years, including repaints. We have had lots of promises, but nothing has materialized. If 21c could not have survived the current conditions, the AT stood even less of a chance...

We are actually left with two companies producing 1:18 aircraft: BBI and JSI.

JSI is the new kid on the block, but has obtained many of 21c's toolings and is releasing repaints of those. They also have new items in the works, most notably the 1:18 F-14. BBI seems to be dormant for the moment... The newest items we have from them are the 1:18 Bf-109 and the 1:32 Wildcat last year. BBI is a large company producing many other products besides military toys, so they are in no danger of going under, just that they are not finding the military items as profitable for the moment and so we have not gotten anything new.

bananapirate · Post by **bananapirate** » Tue Oct 20, 2009 9:28 am

I had no problems with mine, just pop the strut into the nose gear from the side

IndianaJonesFan · Post by **IndianaJonesFan** » Tue Oct 20, 2009 11:54 am

tmanthegreat wrote:We are actually left with two companies producing 1:18 aircraft: BBI and JSI.

I forgot about JSI. BBI I know from 1/6 scale figures - I used to collect Dragon and BBI and have a big collection of them.

I had no problems with mine, just pop the strut into the nose gear from the side

bananapirate, if only it were that simple. I've tried getting the strut in from every possible angle. I now think the only option is to cut some off the end of the strut.

Matt

MCalamari · Post by **MCalamari** » Tue Oct 20, 2009 10:01 pm

Hello,

White 8 is among one of my favorite 1/18 planes.

My front landing gear strut has the same problem. At one point, I very carefully worked it in place ... but later worked it back out and didn't want to stress it again. It stands fine with the strut to the side -- and has even endured the curious hands of my 1-yr old nephew. (His 3-year old brother prefers my CL-13 ... what can I say, my nephews both have excellent taste in planes ... ahem limited of course to whatever is out. Though the 1-yr old also really likes the Stuka too!)

My starboard green jewel broke in the package, but I superglued it back in place. No problems there.

Like you, my White 8 flies on remote control (i.e. the pilot has not been placed in the plane).

scobot · Post by **scobot** » Wed Oct 21, 2009 1:49 am

HI I had similar probs with my Admiral white 7 262 - once I got it in (after much stress) it stayed that way !

Its a great looking bird you made a good choice for your first 1/18!

Oh and I dont think anyone answered this but none of the german 1-18 planes come with the swastikas but you can buy them aftermarket

IndianaJonesFan · Post by **IndianaJonesFan** » Wed Oct 21, 2009 11:26 am

MCalamari & scobot, thanks for your input. So I'm not alone.

It seems sacrilege to take a knife or hacksaw to the strut. The aircraft appears to be secure with the strut hanging loose (unlike my old corrected scale Electronic X-Wing - which suffered from permanent nose dive when the front landing gear was down!)

Aviatornut.com kindly emailed me to explain that the Swastika decals were sent to dealers to give out with each purchase, rather than risk putting them into the packages where customs may discover them. The Ebay dealer in the UK I bought the ME262 from had no knowledge of the decals.

It is a great looking machine - and is currently displayed alongside an Indiana Jones cargo truck and a rather confused Indy!

Matt