REFLECTOR: Nose wheel shimmy

Chuck Jensen cjensen at dts9000.com
Fri Aug 11 10:40:27 CDT 2006


The shimmy issue is in no way unique to Velos.  RVs have it, except they
usually have wheel pants they balance which seems to resolve most of the
problem.  Gumman Tigers all the way up to some fighter jets all have
nose wheel shimmy problems, though the problem is greatest with swivel
nose gears.  Several things can be done to minimize the problem, very
few things will cure the problem.  The nose pin certainly seems like a
good idea--simple and the failure mode (leaving the pin in when you go
to turn off the runway or taxi) is easily corrected with no serious
problem otherwise.  All that said without ever having used one, but I
intend to.

Chuck Jensen
 


> -----Original Message-----
> From: reflector-bounces at tvbf.org 
> [mailto:reflector-bounces at tvbf.org] On Behalf Of Tom Martino
> Sent: Friday, August 11, 2006 10:04 AM
> To: Velocity Aircraft Owners and Builders list
> Subject: Re: REFLECTOR: Nose wheel shimmy
> 
> 
> I agree.  I do not think it is a design flaw.  I think it 
> must have something to do with the angles (left to right and 
> front to back) of the strut and the tightness of the nut to 
> fork and the thickness of the washer-bellevilles.  Many 
> factors that somehow come together for some ... and plague others.
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: reflector-bounces at tvbf.org 
> [mailto:reflector-bounces at tvbf.org] On Behalf Of Scott Derrick
> Sent: Friday, August 11, 2006 7:57 AM
> To: Velocity Aircraft Owners and Builders list
> Subject: Re: REFLECTOR: Nose wheel shimmy
> 
> Kirk,
> 
> Every time I hear about an "incurable" nose gear shimmy I 
> wonder, what 
> is different.  There are too many flying V's with no problem, like my 
> airplane for this to be a design flaw. 
> 
> I experienced mild shimmy one time. After pulling up to the hanger I 
> discovered the nose wheel was almost free spinning. I had 
> just replaced 
> the nose wheel tire and "thought" I had tightened it enough 
> when it was 
> on the jacks but didn't check during pre-flight. Its a must 
> item on my 
> pre-flight now. 450 hours and only that one time.
> 
> If Velocity has a manufacturing problem with the nose gear 
> strut where 
> the angle is that far off that would explain it.  We already 
> know a few 
> were manufactured with the wrong hardness process.  This 
> really sounds 
> like Velocity "sometimes" has a QA problem for OEM parts.
> 
> thanks for the info,
> 
> Scott
> 
> 
> NMFlyer1 at aol.com wrote:
> > Kirk,..
> >  
> > I am not flying yet, but wonder if anyone else has a similar part
> > anomaly.
> >  
> > My nosegear could not get the required angle on the lower kingpin
> > portion of the nose gear leg. I tried and tried and it just seemed 
> > off. I pulled the nose gear leg out... and put it in a vise so that 
> > the upper portion of the leg was plumb. The lower part was way off.
> >  
> > I called the factory and asked if the lower part of the leg was
> > supposed to be exactly parallel with the upper part .  They 
> said yes.
> 
> > I informed them that mine was not, and that I could not get the
> > required "rake" or angle on that lower nose gear portion. 
> They asked 
> > me to send it back to the factory.  Although they could now 
> figure out
> 
> > just what happened... they sent me a correct nose gear leg.
> >  
> > If you have a similar problem, you may have shopping cart 
> syndrome, no
> 
> > matter what you do it will shimmy until you get the correct 
> "rake" on
> > that kingpin.
> >  
> > Just something you might want to check.
> >  
> > Kurt Winker
> >
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