Original Year	1992
# of pieces	271
Categories	Aircraft: Airplanes
Dimensions	35(L)x40(W)x15(H)
Features	2 cylinder engine, moving ailerons, spring loaded tricycle gear
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8836 Sky Ranger

Click the image to download the LDraw file of this model.
Model by Koyan

The second Technic airplane, 8836, was released in 1992. It is much smaller than its cousin 8855, but is still an excellent medium plane. It features a horizontally opposed 2 cylinder engine which drives the prop directly. The rear of the tricycle landing gear has suspension, and the ailerons are movable via a control stick using flex system cables.

Like 8855, the wing is constructed using a number of ribs in an airfoil shape like a real semi-monocoque airplane. But unlike its predecessor, it has no spars. The plates making up the upper and lower skin are the only things holding the ribs together which makes for a wing which is very flexible and has poor torsional rigidity. The canopy is made from toothed connectors and axles, and the entire front engine, prop, and gear assembly is connected in a rather unique way.

There's nothing particularly new in this plane that hadn't been done before, but it is a good airplane and is vastly superior to several of those that would come later.

Features
Engine The prop is driven directly by a two cylinder horizontally opposed engine. The engine is made from cylindrical engine elements. The crankshaft is offset 1/2 stud from center, giving the pistons a stroke of 1 stud. The pair of pistons shares a common crank pin like a V-Twin, but without the "V". The new 2 blade propellor part is used here. It is a pretty realistic prop which actually has a pitch angle, unlike the previous parts. You can see in the animation that the propellor wash was trying to suck me into the engine while I was taking the pictures.	Click for an animation of the engine in motion.
Ailerons The primary control surfaces of aircraft which control roll are ailerons. These panels on the trailing edge of wings move in opposite directions (one moves up while the other moves down). In this model, left and right motion of the control stick rotates a longitudinal axle. This axle turns a pair of pulley wheels used as cranks. The crank drives a pair of vertical flex cables through ball joints. This rotates the axles running laterally on each wing in opposite directions. Toothed arms are used to attach the aileron plates. I'm not sure why the flex system was used in this particular case since these links are straight and do not need to flex, but I'm always happy to have more of these parts.	Click for an animation of the ailerons in motion.
Landing Gear This aircraft has tricycle landing gear. The nose gear is fixed with no suspension and no steering. The two main gear are linked together with an axle which allows them to function as a trailing arm. A single central spring shock allows compression of the gear on landing.	Click for an animation of the suspension in motion.

Other Views
Side View	Top View
Front View	Back View
Computer Render

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8836 Sky Ranger

Features

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