Bad Landing, Failed Landing Gear, Missed Inspection?

39 posts in this topic

Posted

Hi Nick, what about this gear?
http://www.avidfoxflyers.com/index.php?/topic/3394-high-country-wide-gear/

It looks like nice solution - if still available.

Regarding Grove type of gear, just word of mouth, but cabane type of gear is more recommended for these light planes due to better distribution of forces to airframe.

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Posted

Jenki,

I agree, the grove concentrates the load, while the cabane spreads it out across the belly, especially with the cross struts and the belly rod that joins the two sides. I did buy a set of Fitt cabane gear and will install it this week. It is very similar to the High Country, except for the stiff spring instead of the bungees (the springs catch a lot of flack around these parts!). The Fitt gear also looks to be a bit heavier, made of somewhat thicker steel (but that is hard to judge from a few snapshots.) I will mike my gear and publish the dimensions for comparison.

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Posted

Sorry, my English is not so good, what does mean "flack" in this sentence:the springs catch a lot of flack around these parts! ? Do you mean some sort of dirt?

I am asking because my "retirement dream" is shoulder wing plane with real bush landing gear, so any experience I can learn is good for me.

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Posted

In this case, 'flack' would mean negative comments/feedback.

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Posted (edited)

In this case, 'flack' would mean negative comments/feedback.

There is another thread that discusses these kinds of gear, and goes into details. One poster put forth some interesting ideas, I also posted a structural analysis of the Fitt gear. Interesting reading for us geeks.

Here is that thread:

Edited by nlappos
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Posted

Well, good information for me. I need to gather such information as here are no gush gears as common solution. Only real bush plane here is Slepcev STORCH I wrote about, but landing gear is more complicated due to historical replica matters. Btw. I didn't find any info about mentioned Fitt gear on the web ... can somebody give me a direction?

I need to collect data step by step, and hope that my day is coming closer ;)

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Posted

I love this place! The things I’ve learned in the ast few weeks....amazing! We ever meet ... beer is on me

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Posted

 the cross member on the cabane does help but will not protect the fuselage.  I would suggest that you try the spring that Leni and others have suggested and add a king post in the cabane going to the lowest point from the center of the cross bar.  The gear as is will not take a hard landing.  

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Posted

Jenki

the Fitt gear  is Higwing LLC , Im not sure if he is officially still trading but he recently supplied me an undercarrage for another plane.Lowell is a really helpful guy and a craftsman!

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Posted

... and a really great guy.

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Posted

Thank you very much

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Posted (edited)

 Making great progress on the overhaul:  The Lowell Fitt (Highwing llc) landing gear is all set to go, mounted the axles and wheels on the new gear (awaiting a new cabane that is long enough to suit the Avid at 32 7/8" wide). 

670 Engine is fully mounted, exhaust fitted, carbs installed, drilled new EGTs, completed and inspected all wiring and plumbing.

Reinstalled the stabilizer and elevator, tailwheel with new spring, and repaired the small dings in the fabric due to 25 years of fun flying.

To go: Re-hang the radiators, install and trim the lower cowl, reinstall the right wing, install the Warp Drive prop. Fully inspect the whole shebang, ground runs and then ----Fly!

Will post some photos in the next few days.

IMG_0261.jpg

image4.jpeg

image3.jpeg

image2.jpeg

Edited by nlappos

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Posted

Progress check: The engine install is complete, with HACMAN installed and cowling cut (and reinforced). Landing gear complete, wings both now spread and bolted, tail reinstalled. Battery and ELT reinstalled.

To Go: Brake lines install, fill and bleed brake system. Electric fuel pump, Warp Drive Prop. Final overall inspection, Ground runs, Fly!

I am frustrated that I have a planned trip that starts Saturday for 2 weeks, so I won't get to fly for a few weeks. Darn.

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Posted (edited)

Some good observations by Mark Smith and Ed on the welding on these Avid Flyers.  As I dug into the A model Avid of mine, I couldn't help but to be unimpressed by what was considered acceptable welding on these planes.  To me, it looks kind of gloppy in some areas and almost as if it were done to cover up some sloppily fitted tubes.  But it does seem to hold together for the most part.  One of the problems with the electric welding is that it leaves a rather abrupt transition zone between where the heat was applied and where the tubing is still cool while welding.  It is in this zone, about a half-inch or so from the weld  where a tube is likely to break if highly stressed (as Ed pointed out).  The "old-fashioned" way was to gas weld an accurately-fitted joint.  Here is one of the best examples of gas welding on an aircraft that I have come across.  It is a section of wing strut from a Howard DGA airplane.  The heat pattern inside the strut follows exactly the weld lines on the outside of the strut.

It also surprises me that the fuselage tubing in the area of the landing gear remained 1/2 inch by .035.  A little larger tubing in certain areas could probably made gluing plywood in the spaces or otherwise reinforcing the area with sheet metal to prevent structure distortion unnecessary.  'Just my thoughts...

 

howardstrut3.jpg

Edited by Avid90
removed unworkable link
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