REFLECTOR: Fixed vs RG

Mon Aug 21 15:34:45 CDT 2006

This is only my opinion, but if I was to do it all over I would go the fixed 
gear with a good set of the best wheel pants for low drag and cooling for 
the brakes you can get.  The wheel pants design can give you speed and 
cooling for brakes if done right.
I would also go with carbon lay-ups on the gear for added strength.  I 
installed the carbon braded carbon sleeve on mine.  It cost me another $250 
in materials but I have more confidence in them now. Also use the best bolts 
you can buy in the mounting of the gear.  At least grade eight bolts. For 
those that haven't changed out the bolts, do it now.  To me this should be a 
mandatory thing to do.

I did this on my Long EZ and Cozy and got both.  The Cozy was seeing 185kts 
indicated at 4500 ft.  Just get the drag down. Some times this out-weighs 
the retractable.

By the way my wheel pants were designed by Cory Bird. He was the designer 
and builder of the grand champion winner at OSH. 2004  You may have seen it. 
He calls it Symmetry N241ST.  When ever it shows up at a fly-in and if it's 
going to be judged; all the others wanting to be judged just as well go 
home. I rebuilt the engine on it while he was building the plane.

The very fact of the complexity of the RG is not worth it.  Yes it looks 
cool like I said but not worth the problems, especially with the Velo XL/RG. 
As well the RG will bring more money when you go to sell it but if not 
selling, it don't matter.  I have to say this and my it may make some people 
upset but the Velocity gear has a long way to go to make it not a concern 
for kit builders.  It can make or brake a good aircraft, even if it's one of 
the best flying machines in the industry, and I think it is.
Dave
----- Original Message ----- 

From: <len.baxter at gm.com>
To: "Velocity Aircraft Owners and Builders list" <reflector at tvbf.org>
Sent: Monday, August 21, 2006 12:26 PM
Subject: REFLECTOR: Fixed vs RG

Dave

I appreciate your input......  What kind of problems have you experenced??
Its not too late for me to change to a XLFG  ( my order for an XLRG is to
be ready in November)

Len Baxter

__________________

I have to agree with you 100%. The time spent on the RG system on my XL/RG
has cost me over 90% of the work done on this plane. The gear system has
so many problems with it that it's not worth it. I just flew my plane back
from being grounded out in the middle of nowhere with gear problems that I
even flew it home with the main gear down for 3.1 hrs just to get it
home. It would have taken me 2.5 hrs to get there with the gear
up. Fixing it in the field is no fun. Of course that was with, now a fix
pitch prop as well. Ka-ching.

I have over $5000 spent related to the landing gear in just getting it
home. Counting airfares, tooling, parts, hotels, fuel, hangars,shipping
props,etc. No the retract is not worth it. Yes it looks cool but it is
not worth it. There I think I have said that enough.

I love the way the plane flies. With a gear up or gear down and locked, it
makes no difference. Just a little slower with them down. Looking with
hindsight down and locked with pants is much better.

First related to the gear system, I think the quality of the parts is so
different you can't count on them fitting the same as the part you
removed. So doing makes it a major task and usually a major modification
to the structure. Once I get through these gear issues, I hope I will have
my problems behind related to my plane. But for those still thinking on
which plane to build, I would recommend the fixed gear model now. At least
till they get the RG problems resolved.

By the way I just found a crack in one of the welds on the new nose gear I
installed last year. Once again there is a quality control issue here. No
hard landings on the nose at all since it was installed. May have been
side loading related to the failed main gear. I don't know. Just to let
every one out there know. For safety sake let's cover these issues. I'm
not just trying to vent, I'm just want those working these issues, they are
not alone.

Dave

-------------- Original message --------------
From: "velocityxlfg" <velocityxl at fastmail.fm>

> > I love the RG, but the faster arrival times can never make up for the
> > time spent building and adjusting the RG system
>
> Not to mention the repairs after wheels
> up landing,Gear stuck landing ,hours of discussion on the
> reflector on how to fix there retract problems.
>
> Sorry guys just a little needling from a guy
> who is still building XLFG
>
> Ron
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Dave Black"
> To: "Velocity Aircraft Owners and Builders list"
> Sent: Tuesday, August 15, 2006 6:55 PM
> Subject: Re: REFLECTOR: Accident/Incident
>
>
> > Robin Ream wrote:
> >
> >> Maybe the factory will just come out with a modification kit to
> ! >> ; change the
> >> retracts back to fixed gear models :-) ---------- There, the
> >> problem's
> >> solved. So easy wasn't it? :-)
> >
> > That would take away all the fun, wouldn't it?
> >
> > That said, if I had it to do over I'd build a FG model. My retract
> > works magnificently, but it added hundreds of hours to my build time.
> > I love the RG, but the faster arrival times can never make up for the
> > time spent building and adjusting the RG system.
> >
> >
> > dave black
> >
> > _______________________________________________
> > To change your email address, visit
> > http://www.tvbf.org/mailman/listinfo/reflector
> >
> > Visit the gallery! www.tvbf.org/gallery
> > user:pw = tvbf:jamaicangoose
> > Check new archives: www.tvbf.org/pipermail
> &g! t; Chec k old archives:
http://www.tvbf.org/archives/velocity/maillist.html
> >
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> To change your email address, visit
> http://www.tvbf.org/mailman/listinfo/reflector
>
> Visit the gallery! www.tvbf.org/gallery
> user:pw = tvbf:jamaicangoose
> Check new archives: www.tvbf.org/pipermail
> Check old archives: http://www.tvbf.org/archives/velocity/maillist.html
_______________________________________________
To change your email address, visit
http://www.tvbf.org/mailman/listinfo/reflector

Visit the gallery!  www.tvbf.org/gallery
user:pw = tvbf:jamaicangoose
 Check new archives: www.tvbf.org/pipermail
Check old archives: http://www.tvbf.org/archives/velocity/maillist.html

_______________________________________________
To change your email address, visit 
http://www.tvbf.org/mailman/listinfo/reflector

Visit the gallery!  www.tvbf.org/gallery
user:pw = tvbf:jamaicangoose
Check new archives: www.tvbf.org/pipermail
Check old archives: http://www.tvbf.org/archives/velocity/maillist.html