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Tricycle gear

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Posted

I am interested inpossibly switching my Avid over to a tricyle I have the taildragger gear but if I cn get the nose wheel for an A model I might use thatto fly off my time when i get her finished. Does anyone have the old gear lying around or could someone give me the dimensions, not looking to spend alot of money just trying to see what is out there.

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Posted

You'll probably want to talk to Brett at Airdale on this one.

If your airframe doesn't have the mount for the nose gear, you'll need to weld in the system to do this...

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Posted

You'll probably want to talk to Brett at Airdale on this one.

If your airframe doesn't have the mount for the nose gear, you'll need to weld in the system to do this...

That is why i put this in the A model section, they all had the

front mount built in.

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Posted

Yes you did. Sorry, my bad...

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Posted

I apologize for coming across a little snippy, wasn't my intention. If ayone des have the info or possibly has a front gear it would save me from having to pay for another plane to get my taildragger edorsement. I have an instructor but until hours are flown off I don't think he would teach me in my plane. I amgettng close but not having a heated hanger ight now is my biggest slow down. That and a 2 hour drive to rent a light sport plane is cutting into my flying time and I am starting to jones alittle.

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Posted

I have the tricycle gear that my MK 4 had on it when I bought it but I had a guy contact me about it last week. If he decides he doesn't want it, I will let you know.

It is the castering nose gear for an RV-6 on shaped and tapered spring steel that plugs into the nose gear tube in the MK 4 (very nice); and the tricycle main gear that is different than the tail dragger main gear.

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Posted

If I remember correctly the mark 4 had the gear out in front of the firewall, where an A model is about 3 inches back from the firewall, I don't think it would work but thank you, I don't really want the plane as a trike but trying to figure my options, Blew out every disc in my back and living on tight income right now but if someone has measurements it is an option I might try. LSA legal aircraft are tough to find around h ere and the only one I could get to was a 2 and a half hour drive and it was an ercoupe. Getting my Avid modified and ready to cover I don't know if it would work to fly it as a trike and then switch to a taildragger configuration to get the endorsement but until the lawyers all get things together I don't have the money to go faster on it. At least I earned the sport pilot certificate.

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Posted

Ouch, man I feel for you. I have some trouble with my back and when it goes out it can really put me on the floor. Fortunately I still have more time with it "in" than "out" so have not considered surgery to be a good option.

The MK 4 has the nosegear reciever behind the firewall; it is about a 1.5" receiver tube that is a few inches back of the firewall and somewhat angled, with bracing forward to the firewall and back to the front seat truss. I bought my Avid MK 4 as a tricycle and flew it that way for about 1/2 a year before converting it to a tail dragger. It is easier to land as a tricycle so I figured I would learn how to fly it that way first. I already had my tail dragger endorsment but had not flown a TD for over a year so I took a few hours of dual in a Citabria before I jumped into my newly converted Avid as a TD. Since I was already comfortable with how it flew, it made learning to fly it as a TD pretty easy; basically I took it to the airport about 11:00 PM (plenty of light at that time in AK in the summer) and did my first takoffs and landings on the grass strip. After a getting a few under your belt you will feel comfortable with it as a TD.

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Posted

Ouch, man I feel for you. I have some trouble with my back and when it goes out it can really put me on the floor. Fortunately I still have more time with it "in" than "out" so have not considered surgery to be a good option.

The MK 4 has the nosegear reciever behind the firewall; it is about a 1.5" receiver tube that is a few inches back of the firewall and somewhat angled, with bracing forward to the firewall and back to the front seat truss. I bought my Avid MK 4 as a tricycle and flew it that way for about 1/2 a year before converting it to a tail dragger. It is easier to land as a tricycle so I figured I would learn how to fly it that way first. I already had my tail dragger endorsment but had not flown a TD for over a year so I took a few hours of dual in a Citabria before I jumped into my newly converted Avid as a TD. Since I was already comfortable with how it flew, it made learning to fly it as a TD pretty easy; basically I took it to the airport about 11:00 PM (plenty of light at that time in AK in the summer) and did my first takoffs and landings on the grass strip. After a getting a few under your belt you will feel comfortable with it as a TD.

I have just found an instructor who is willing to teach in his Kitfox 4 not far from me, $95 per hour I may just keep mine taildragger and learn in his plane instead of switching my plane back and forth, hopefully it doesn't take me long to learn. About what type of hour range would I be looking at to switch from trike to taildragger?

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Posted

I have just found an instructor who is willing to teach in his Kitfox 4 not far from me, $95 per hour I may just keep mine taildragger and learn in his plane instead of switching my plane back and forth, hopefully it doesn't take me long to learn. About what type of hour range would I be looking at to switch from trike to taildragger?

When I sold my Citabria to a trike flyer (Cessna 150), it took about 5 hrs to teach him.

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Posted (edited)

You are right -although others have said you could swap sides, IT DONT WORK!

Randy, SuberAvid, in Alaska may have a set?

How about cutting and modifying your gear so that it does work?, or, build from scratch?

Sorry I haven't called - been really busy selling my Grove gear and other things - needed to know if there was something I could help you with before calling - guess I cant?

EDMO

P.S. Just thought - I have an extra Kitfox gear that you could modify if you don't want to cut up your original gear.

Edited by Ed In Missouri

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Posted

looking for a nose gear for a pattern  to make one for mine and maybe some to sell  thanks randy in tn no1son38@aol.com

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Posted

I know where there are a couple of original Avid Nose forks. I do not know if he has the top cap, bushings, springs or steering linkages. Will check.

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Posted (edited)

Chris and whomever,

     In the 2nd newsletter of the first posting that Joey made of the old Avid newsletter, there is a short article and drawing of putting centering springs on the castoring nosewheel.  The writer said it cured his centering and shimmy problems.

Whatever works is good enough for me!

EDMO

correction:  it is in the November 1989 newsletter.

ED

Edited by Ed In Missouri

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Posted

You'll probably want to talk to Brett at Airdale on this one.

 

If your airframe doesn't have the mount for the nose gear, you'll need to weld in the system to do this...

 

 

That is why i put this in the A model section, they all had the

front mount built in.

I have an "A" model Avid, serial number 90.  It doesn't have the nose gear mount installed.

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