REFLECTOR:The continuing Gear Up Landing Saga
Brian Michalk
reflector@tvbf.org
Mon, 29 Dec 2003 10:58:27 -0600
Tapered pins:
Think about the door levers, how they are drilled through, then pinned with
AN bolts. I think using a roll pin would be better than a tapered pin.
> -----Original Message-----
> From: reflector-admin@tvbf.org [mailto:reflector-admin@tvbf.org]On
> Behalf Of Ronnie Brown
> Sent: Monday, December 29, 2003 10:42 AM
> To: reflector@tvbf.org
> Subject: Re: REFLECTOR:The continuing Gear Up Landing Saga
>
>
> RG and FG forks are the same, one has the nose strut hole drilled
> 90 degrees
> to the other. (The FG has the fork turned 90 degrees to the rear compared
> to the more upright RG fork.)
>
> Brian, I'm not sure what you mean by
> >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.
>
> Ronnie
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Brian Michalk" <michalk@awpi.com>
> To: <reflector@tvbf.org>
> Sent: Monday, December 29, 2003 11:26 AM
> Subject: RE: REFLECTOR:The continuing Gear Up Landing Saga
>
>
> | 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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> | > |
> | > |
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