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Wide Gear

19 posts in this topic

Posted

Looking for somewhere that I can get a set of wide gear for Mk III. Like the looks of the set up on C5 Engineers acft.

Had a bit of a ground loop last Saturday. A normal Nevada spring morning. Light winds from every which way and then changing 30 seconds later. Did a wheels landing on the asphalt, no problem. Powered up and took off and setup a down wind for the oiled dirt cross runway. Attempted a 3 point landing. Got the tail wheel planted, and it bounced back into the air. Replanted the tail wheel and mains at the same time. The aircraft started to drift to the left, corrected with rudder and the drift seemed to accelerate. Started to add right brake, but the acft went off onto the dirt shoulder and stopped, doing about 270 degrees of a 360. Taxied it back to the hanger, and did a good inspection of the landing gear. The fabric on the outside of the left main is wrinkled. Everything else looks OK. So I want to go with wider bush gear. Thought about the Grove setup, but like the looks of the tubing gear with springs. Anybody still making and selling them?

Been beating my head against the wall trying to figure out what I did wrong. Almost 400 hours flying time, with most of that in Champs, Luscombes, and Cessna 140s. The only other ground loop was while a student, learning to fly in a Champ. And that ground loop was attributed to a brake malfunction, d*m heel brakes. Read in the forum here, that there might be a design flaw when you have full rudder pedal deflection.

Anyways, ground loops in tail draggers. Either you have had one, or you're going to have one. No choice, just a matter of the extent of it.

Rick

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Posted (edited)

Someone a while back talked about a (opposite?) brake being automatically applied by full rudder pedal from the way the MCs were installed.  I haven't figured that one out yet.   There are some posts about some Wide Gear makers currently making them lots of $$$$ cheaper than C5 Joey's, and also some spring changes and slot elongment needed on one set.   I haven't kept up with all of that because I have the Grove tri-gear.   EDMO

Edited by EDMO

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Posted

The wide gear will make a completely different airplane during ground handling. Watch my video on u-tube after changing to the wide gear. I was able to taxi from one end of the runway to the other with no rudder input. I had directional control with my flaperons.

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Posted

I would like to check out your Utube video but I can not find it. What is your user name on Utube? Mike

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Posted

I think I bought the last set of "tundra gear" that AirDale made. If I was to do it again, I would buy the Grove gear... Hell I am still thinking about it!!! :rolleyes:

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Posted (edited)

Search Airdale cabane gear on Avid Bandit.

Edited by Bandit

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Posted

Well the verdict is in. Left main is bent. If I had been out somewhere, I would have flown it home, but it is in the hanger. So it is a grounding item. Was going to do the wide gear at a later date. Guess its a later date. The wife has told me to go ahead and buy the Kitfox wide/bush gear, but don't know about the travel on the kitfox gear.  Don't think I want to off field like C5 Engineer does. Dirt roads, mud flats ect.

Any suggestions?

Rick

P.S. Thanks for your service Joey. I have a few hours in the back of C5s going places.

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Posted

Rick,

    The die springs have worked out successfully for many people. I landed many of the most difficult strips there are in Idaho with mine with no issues. It wasn't until I made a poor decision to land on a mountain top fully loaded with camp gear that I had issues. I blame myself for my failure of my gear but I do oftentimes wonder if the bungee gear would have soaked it up or collapsed my seat truss. Either way I can put you in touch with Lowell who will build you a set of gear. I have a plane in his hangar right now getting some mods so we've been emailing a lot lately. Shoot me a private message.
Joey

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Posted

You could also try and contact HighCountry was using a bungee set up on his gear like a cub.

IMG_4812.JPG

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Posted

Not computer savvy enough to private message. The wife wants me to get the gear from KF. She feels it's built by them, should be OK. NOT saying anything about the after market gear. I'm sure it's fine. She has said, get the Kitfox built gear. And after what you said about the die spring gear, that's what I'm going to do. It's nice being married to someone who supports your hobbies. Anyways will contact Kitfox and order up a set.

Rick

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Posted

If your gonna spend the money kitfox wants for the spring gear that should have a ton of custom work done to be considered bush worthy, Maybe you should be looking at grove spring gear, there is a tone of them flying off airport with great success. Something to think about. 

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Posted

My exwife loaned me some money to get my teeth fixed, but I found a good deal on a Kit Fox IV so bought it. I have my Ridge Runner1 for sale but now I find out the ex is coming to visit to check up on me...!! Yikes.....She is a red head and more than once I have had a #6 pancake griddle fly past my head...!!!! like sleeping next to a rattle snake! Damn.

ANyway I was going to go ahead and have the dental work done and put it on my credit card. Hows that for creative finiancing!!!!!

 

"flying is an incurable form  of madness for which there is no known cure!!! so quit bitchin and write the check!"

I'm staying out of this one.  :lmao:JImChuk

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Posted

I have three enclosed trailers and have the planes well hid!!!

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Posted

If your gonna spend the money kitfox wants for the spring gear that should have a ton of custom work done to be considered bush worthy, Maybe you should be looking at grove spring gear, there is a tone of them flying off airport with great success. Something to think about. 

how easy is it to go from bungee to grove gear. Is there welding required?

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Posted

No welding required.  How easy?? How thick is your wallet???JImChuk

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Posted

I priced the Grove gear for my Avid MK IV, and it was over $3000 when you toss in the required pillow blocks and such. I tried to talk them down, and got nowhere. The Lowell Fitt (HighWing LLC) gear I bought was about $1500 total, and it is terrific.

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Posted

No welding required.  How easy?? How thick is your wallet???JImChuk

I give Grove a call....they make the gear but building a mount would be up to me as they say they don’t make the mounts for their  gear. Still searching.

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Posted

I priced the Grove gear for my Avid MK IV, and it was over $3000 when you toss in the required pillow blocks and such. I tried to talk them down, and got nowhere. The Lowell Fitt (HighWing LLC) gear I bought was about $1500 total, and it is terrific.

I would consider his gear. How do I get a hold of him to see if he is interested in building a set?

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Posted

I sent you a PM.   JImChuk

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