I enjoy experimenting with, building, and flying radio control airplanes made out of Dollar Tree foam board. Most RC flyers have heard about and probably have flown the FT Bloody Wonder. One thing that I really wanted with these Dollar Tree foam board airplanes was a landing gear. I happened across a plastic landing gear bracket at the local hobby store, but it was almost $12.00(US). I decided to make my own and tailor it to Dollar Tree foam board.

The picture shows the landing gear brackets installed parallel to the wing and perpendicular to the body of the airplane with the wheels on the outside of the brackets. If I wanted the landing gear closer to the body I could have bent the strut wire that holds the wheels to the inside. You can also install the landing gear brackets parallel to the body and have the landing gear under the belly of the airplane if you want.

There are many ways to install the bracket and many more on how to bend the struts to make the wheels closer to the body or even further away. One strut, parallel to the body, with a single wheel would make a great tail gear.

Instructions:
1) I make my struts out of stock #505 (3/32" or 2.38mm) music wire, you can find this in most hobby stores.
2) To make the strut, as shown in the picture, bend that wire as shown in the illustration above with 90 degree angles.

1. Install a wheel with collars. I like to use Du-Bro 3/32" Plated Brass Dura Collars (Cat No 596)
   3) When you install the hex keepers on the collars add a dap of blue Thread Locker.
   4) The struts can be installed on the brackets with zip ties, epoxy, or hot glue. I prefer zip ties for easy removal.
   5) Press the strut with landing gear into the foam board to note where the strut hole and zip ties mark the foam.
   6) Use a hobby knife to cut out the holes for the strut and zip ties so the bracket will lie flat.
   7) Hot glue the bracket to the foam board.

Note: The airplane shown in the pictures doesn't and was never intended to fly, its a test bed for software/hardware designs.