Re: just checkin' in

[Carl Hoffman <hoffman3@erols.com>]

Dave Black wrote:
> 
> Dave,
> 
> 
>      Has the Velocity news group fallen by the way side?  I
>      haven't seen any
>      mail in a couple months now.
> 
> The Velocity Reflector? It's very much up and running. Are you not
> receiving messages? Send a note to  "Brian K. Michalk"
> <michalk@awpi.com>  asking to be put back on the list.
> 
>      You have to be getting close to first flight! I saw the
>      painted beauty in
>      the last newsletter. I'm really anxious to see it! Has got
>      to be beautiful.
> 
> I'm getting back to it now, after a couple months off to tour
> Australia. The fuselage is painted, the wings and canard should be
> completed in the next few weeks. THEN I'll finally begin building and
> installing my panel. Then plumbing, wiring, and interior and I'm set
> to go. I hope to fly in August or September.
> 
>      Wim never provided me with the tapes and builders manual for
>      the Velocity.
>      I was wondering what the torque setting is supposed to be on
>      the nose wheel
>      bolt. Do you have that number?
> 
> The old videos Wim and I received were Very Amateurish. Velocity has
> re-done the videos within the last year. You might want to order a new
> set from the Factory. You're bound to learn enough to make the
> expenditure worthwhile.
> 
> As far as the torque specification on the nosewheel castoring bolt, I
> don't believe there is one. I believe the Factory is looking for a
> specific drag to the nosewheel steering. But even that is only a
> starting point. You'd still need to tighten or loosen the bolt until
> you get the best compromise between steering ease and nosewheel
> chatter. I'd expect the "best" setting to be when the nosewheel is as
> loose as possible without it breaking into oscillation during
> high-speed taxi.
> 
> But I caution you that I have not done my high-speed taxiing yet, and
> anyway my plane is an RG while yours is a FG Elite. I believe there
> are differences in the way they handle. So your best bet may be to
> contact Velocity to get their latest thoughts on this question. I'm
> posting this to the Reflector in the hope other builders can give you
> more accurate information.
> 
> 
> Best,
> 
> Dave Black

Dave & Dave

I remember Wim's fourth flight a little over two years ago very well.
His left rudder cable broke in flight. He wasn't sure what happened.
Upon landing he applied left rudder to correct, at touch down his left
brake was locked. He immediately released the left peddle, after hearing
and feeling the scretching brake. The tower called him and said they had
observed the whole thing including the left gear leg twisting back and
forth about 30 degrees.

I arrived at the airport about an hour later. The fairing between the
gear leg and the fuseloge was broken. The left back seat was removed.
I asked him what he was doing, and he told me what had happen. So far he 
had only discovered the broken fairing and the rudder cable broken at 
the nicopress fitting. We put the plane in the hanger. He took off the
propeller and engine cowlings and discovered the left gear leg bolt bent 
coming thru the firewall. He removed the nut. He sent me to the hardware
store to get a 1/2" X 10 1/2" bolt, and 1/2" nut. While I was getting
the nut and bolt he cut off the bolt head from inside. We put jack
stands under the wing spars and raised the wheels an inch or so off 
of the ground. I got in back with the new bolt and a big hammer and
started driving the headless bolt through the saddle with the new bolt. 
He jiggled the left leg to keep the leg aligned with the saddle as the 
old bolt and bushing came thru the firewall and the new bolt went in. 
The bushing was not damaged, but the bolt was bend about 15 degees where
the threads begin. Also the bolted was necked down at the bend point
indicating that that bolt had almost failed in tension. We filed, sanded
the hole in the firewall and reset the the bushing with milled fibers.
The next day he put a 3 ply BID "patch" over the bushing, and waited
another day for a replacement nut and bolt to arrive from Velocity.

Carl