REFLECTOR:The continuing Gear Up Landing Saga

Brian Michalk reflector@tvbf.org
Mon, 29 Dec 2003 10:26:48 -0600


I have a fixed gear, but have not looked at the fork construction to see if
it is similar to the RG.  However, I have an observation;  I just received
my upgraded mill/lathe machine, and one of the best things they did was to
replace the allen set screws with tapered pins.  Would this be an option for
the RG?  A roll pin would work just as effectively, perhaps much better due
to it's spring nature.  From what I've seen, a castellated nut would
protrude too far, and would catch on gear doors, etc.

> -----Original Message-----
> From: reflector-admin@tvbf.org [mailto:reflector-admin@tvbf.org]On
> Behalf Of Ronnie Brown
> Sent: Monday, December 29, 2003 10:04 AM
> To: reflector@tvbf.org
> Subject: Re: REFLECTOR:The continuing Gear Up Landing Saga
>
>
> One thing I have noticed on my V.  Sometimes the nose wheel axle
> will bind,
> other times it turns very freely.  I found that when it is bound
> up, hitting
> the fork with a rubber mallet (no, not too hard), will release the binding
> and allows the axle to turn easily.  The fork is spreading out or
> narrowing
> up and causing the opposite hole to be out of alignment and binding the
> axle.
>
> And as Dave mentioned earlier, be sure to use TWO locking set screws.  My
> axle started turning out after only a few flights.  The first
> locking screw
> had started out even after I had put Loctite on it.
>
> Also, I'm sure everyone knows this by now (or not?), the factory is
> recommending replacement of older forks with a beefier (thicker)
> replacement.  My 1999 RG STD kit had the old, thinner fork.  Also, this
> applied to a 1995 FG kit.
>
> Ronnie
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "John Dibble" <aminetech@bluefrog.com>
> To: <reflector@tvbf.org>
> Sent: Monday, December 29, 2003 10:48 AM
> Subject: Re: REFLECTOR:The continuing Gear Up Landing Saga
>
>
> | Scott,
> | I'm so sorry about the second incident.  Two comments.
> | 1) My axle is slightly bent.  When I screw it in it turns freely for 1/2
> | rotation and requires a screwdriver for the other 1/2.  I don't know if
> | it is supposed to be this way, but I think this reduces the possibility
> | of it unscrewing if the set screw comes loose.
> | 2) When your axel was hung up on the gear guide, could the force of the
> | hydraulic system have bent or weakened the strut?
> | I also would have sold mine cheap with the gaping hole where the doors
> | go.  I had mine repaired at the factory.  They molded a new piece in
> | their fuselage mold and it looks good as new, so now it's a keeper.
> |
> | John
> |
> | Scott wrote:
> |
> | > After gluing on an aluminum plate on the bottom of the nose of my
> | > airplane, where I had worn an amazingly flat area where the gear doors
> | > used to be.
> | >
> | > Removed the main gear doors,  and test flew the plane. What a
> | > performance reduction!  I'd guess a 20-25 knot speed reduction and a
> | > loss of about 400 ft per minute climb rate.  It must be those big ol
> | > holes in the bottom of the wings that the mains aren't filling up.
> | >
> | > Flew to North Las Vegas and stopped to see an ailing aunt and get in
> | > some video poker time.  It was cold for Vegas, below freezing at
> | > night, but it had warmed up into the 40's by departure time the next
> | > day.  No problems landing or taking off at VGT.
> | >
> | > During the preflight at Vegas I found the reason why the gear had hung
> | > up in the well at Carson City.  The axle was unscrewed and about 3
> | > threads were showing on the left fork!  I can't believe I missed that
> | > on previous preflights and when I was patching the hole in the nose so
> | > I could fly home in Carson City!  It was the left guide bar that had a
> | > gouge in it also.  I think I remember somebody else mentioning the
> | > same thing happening to them!  I screwed it back in at Vegas.
> | >
> | > Got to Grants after a 2.6 hour flight.
> | >
> | > Wind was straight down the runway at 15 knots and gusty.  Nice landing

> | > until The nose wheel touched down.  It was a gentle landing, one  I
> | > would be happy to for anybody to see, but there was an odd vibration.
> | > I lifted the nose wheel up, still had just enough speed to do that,
> | > and then it settled on down as the elevator lost lift.   Big vibration
> | > now! Kind of a wobbly feel and then the nose dropped about 6 inches
> | > and a very loud scraping sound!  I radioed the terminal/FBO and said I
> | > had a problem,  Wes was watching me land and he said I just lost my
> | > nose wheel on the radio.   I saw him running out the door towards his
> | > truck as we skidded on past the FBO.
> | >
> | > Down the runway we went, making a racket and vibrating from the
> | > makeshift nose skid(fork casting).  The plane started to veer a bit to
> | > the right so I touched the left brake, WHAM!!  down on the nose we
> | > fell,  I had just seen this view in Carson City last week, I couldn't
> | > believe I was once again landing sans nose gear.   We finally ground
> | > to a halt. As I was unfastening my seat belt my wife said I'm right
> | > behind you!
> | >
> | > Out we jumped into a biting cold wind, it was 28 degrees, 15 knots
> | > gusting to 25.  The nose gear strut had folded back under the plane
> | > ripping through the fuselage towards the rear  and what was left of
> | > the fork was embedded in the bottom.
> | >
> | > At that moment somebody could have bought my airplane very
> cheap indeed.
> | >
> | > On the way to hauling it into the hanger I saw the nose wheel and went
> | > and picked it up. The side with the threads for the axle had a piece
> | > of the fork still on it.
> | >
> | > So what happened and was it related to the gear up in Carson last
> | > week.  I think so.
> | >
> | > I can only surmise the axle bolt was loose for awhile.  The only thing
> | > that holds the non-threaded side of the fork to the axle is a set
> | > screw which must have been loose.  If its loose any side load on the
> | > axle from taxing or cross wind landing would thus be born by the
> | > threaded side of the fork.  I think it was overstressed, though I saw
> | > no cracks in it when I tightened up the axle bolt in Vegas.  Maybe the
> | > cold effected it somewhat(it was -4c on the way back)?   So I think
> | > the loose bolt which caused the gear to hang up also caused the fork
> | > to be weakened over time.  My plane was involved in a runway overrun
> | > accident prior to my ownership and maybe the fork was compromised then
> | > also?
> | >
> | > Anyway, I had thought I could repair the gear up damage in 30 to 40
> | > hours work, now?,  I don't know how much damage was done inside the
> | > keel to the gear mechanism yet.  It being winter without a heated
> | > hanger will certainly put a damper on repairs also.
> | >
> | > Scott
> | >
> | > Getting my wife into this airplane again after two accidents might not
> | > be possible.  We'll see.
> | >
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