REFLECTOR:Gear Speed

Chuck Jensen reflector@tvbf.org
Thu, 25 Dec 2003 18:29:44 -0500


It's getting to be a habit; but I agree with Dave again.  My earlier
statement that I thought the front gear should be redesigned was not
intemperate as much as it was a poor choice of words.  I really should have
indicated a mod may well be needed, as Dave so aptly pointed out.  The
current basic design is good.  It's simple, straightforward, except for...  

As Dave also pointed out, it may well be a maintenance problem only because
of the design.  Good design mitigates or eliminates maintenance.  In this
case, if a design "mod" will eliminate the need to be vigilant about the
status of the gas struts, then it looks like a solid winner.  Just as the
evolution on the main gear took it from good to great, the same can be done
for the nose.  From Dave's suggestion, it doesn't sound like it would be a
massive undertaking.

Chuck Jensen


-----Original Message-----
From: reflector-admin@tvbf.org [mailto:reflector-admin@tvbf.org]On
Behalf Of Dave Black
Sent: Thursday, December 25, 2003 4:43 PM
To: reflector@tvbf.org
Subject: Re: REFLECTOR:Gear Speed


Ronnie,

> Good note Scott B.  I wrote one along the same thoughts as
> yours and decided to trash it.  I think my gear works great
> and Velocity has a good design. 

It IS a good design. It's simple and reliable, as long as the gas strut is
in
good working order. But as we have seen, the gas strut becomes weak over
time,
and often does not get replaced when it should. Is this a design problem? Or
is it a maintenance problem? One could make a case either way. But one
thing's
for certain: If a spring replaced the gas strut, less maintenance would be
required and overall system reliability would be increased. 

The original main gear design involved gas struts. It was a simple and
elegant
design. Trouble was, owners did not always check the strength of their
struts,
and occasionally a linkage went undercenter upon landing. With the main
gear,
the hydraulics have no ability to hold the gear down (it's all done by the
overcenter linkage). So there were a number of "collapsed upon landing"
accidents. Eventually the overcenter mechanism was redesigned and the gas
struts were replaced with springs. 

Obviously the nose gear is not as critical as the main gear. Plus, as long
as
the hydraulics are working, they help hold the nose gear down even if the
overcenter comes unlocked. But nose gear problems are preventable. All we
need
to do is ensure our side guides allow NO place for the gear to become stuck,
make certain the gear drops smoothly by gravity, and check regularly that
the
gas strut is powerful enough to force the linkage overcenter WITH AUTHORITY.


Because this last item has bitten the Velocity community so many times, I
vote
for either replacing the gas strut with a spring or at least assisting it
with
one. This should be a simple mod rather than a redesign.

Dave Black
Shortwing RG
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