REFLECTOR: Reflector Digest, Vol 33, Issue 17

Thu Feb 8 13:00:52 CST 2007

   I had the same issue with my pivot bolts and I have had a very hard 
landing.  I agree that the pivot design could be beefed up a bit; on the 
other hand it does function properly and mine held up after a hard landing. 
When I went to replace my bolts I had to check several in order to get 
straight ones. One other concern I have with the main gear is what it will 
do in the event of failure. I have a standard model with the sump tank 
located infront of the main gear as well as my kids sitting in the back. 
Does anyone have information on how the top of the gear legs deflect in the 
event of structural failure?

Dean Unterreiner

----- Original Message ----- 
From: <reflector-request at tvbf.org>
To: <reflector at tvbf.org>
Sent: Thursday, February 08, 2007 1:00 PM
Subject: Reflector Digest, Vol 33, Issue 17

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> Today's Topics:
>
>   1.  main gear pivot bolts (Scott Derrick)
>   2. Re:  Velocity inc (Jorge Bujanda)
>   3. Re:  main gear pivot bolts (John Dibble)
>   4. Re:  main gear pivot bolts (Scott Baker)
>
>
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> Message: 1
> Date: Thu, 08 Feb 2007 08:44:37 -0700
> From: Scott Derrick <scott at tnstaafl.net>
> Subject: REFLECTOR: main gear pivot bolts
> To: Velocity Aircraft Owners and Builders list <reflector at tvbf.org>
> Message-ID: <45CB4565.4060105 at tnstaafl.net>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed
>
> I pulled my main gear off yesterday and was disappointed that the 1/2"
> pivot bolts were slightly bent.  I only have a couple hundred hours on
> this set of  bolts and I don't think I'm that bad of a pilot when it
> comes to landing the thing.  Maybe its all a matter of perspective
> though. :-)
>
> The bolts weren't bent a whole lot, and came out with light persuasion
> from a rubber mallet, but they are bent enough that I don't want to
> re-use them. The gear also retracted fine prior to removal which is my
> usual test to verify all is well as the clearance is fairly close for
> the legs and wheels up in the wings. A leg with a really bent bolt won't
> retract or will bind somewhere, ask me how I know!
>
> I realize a redesign of this part of the system would be a lot of work,
> but every A&P that I have shown this pivot bolt system too has not liked
> it. Its a lot of bending forces on a long bolt that is not supported in
> the middle very well. Maybe the fix is to use a thicker sleeve in the
> leg to provide more support in the middle which is where the bolt always
> bends? Or possibly a better(stiffer) alloy steel for the sleeve?
>
> Anybody else with hundreds of hours on there V that has had to R&R the
> main gear experience what I am?   Bolts always just a little bent?
>
> Scott
>
> -- 
>
> -
>
>    I worry about my child and the Internet all the time, even though she's 
> too young to have logged on yet. Here's what I worry about. I worry that 
> 10 or 15 years from now, she will come to me and say 'Daddy, where were 
> you when they took freedom of the press away from the Internet?'
>
>    Mike Godwin, Electronic Frontier Foundation
>
>
>
> ------------------------------
>
> Message: 2
> Date: Thu, 8 Feb 2007 07:57:40 -0800
> From: "Jorge Bujanda" <bujanda at dslextreme.com>
> Subject: Re: REFLECTOR: Velocity inc
> To: "'Velocity Aircraft Owners and Builders list'"
> <reflector at tvbf.org>
> Message-ID: <200702081557.l18Fvmhs031760 at dax.awpi.com>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
>
> Larry,
>
> I will email you some pictures of the factory TC Demo at AOPA 2006 off the 
> Reflector not
> to burden everyone with them.  These may give you an idea.  If anyone else 
> is interested,
> let me know.
>
> Jorge Bujanda
>
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: reflector-bounces at tvbf.org [mailto:reflector-bounces at tvbf.org] On 
> Behalf Of lawrence
> epstein
> Sent: Thursday, February 08, 2007 3:17 AM
> To: reflector at tvbf.org
> Subject: REFLECTOR: Velocity inc
>
> Is there anybody out there who had Velocity do their seats and install the
> interior have pics of the results either on a web page or that they can
> e-mail me?
>
> Larry Epstein
>
>
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>
>
> ------------------------------
>
> Message: 3
> Date: Thu, 08 Feb 2007 11:05:52 -0600
> From: John Dibble <aminetech at bluefrog.com>
> Subject: Re: REFLECTOR: main gear pivot bolts
> To: Velocity Aircraft Owners and Builders list <reflector at tvbf.org>
> Message-ID: <45CB5870.ECEC5DF5 at bluefrog.com>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii
>
> What hardness are your bolts?  I need to check mine also, but first I want 
> to buy new ones, so I can replace them if needed.
>
> John
>
> Scott Derrick wrote:
>
>> I pulled my main gear off yesterday and was disappointed that the 1/2"
>> pivot bolts were slightly bent.  I only have a couple hundred hours on
>> this set of  bolts and I don't think I'm that bad of a pilot when it
>> comes to landing the thing.  Maybe its all a matter of perspective
>> though. :-)
>>
>> The bolts weren't bent a whole lot, and came out with light persuasion
>> from a rubber mallet, but they are bent enough that I don't want to
>> re-use them. The gear also retracted fine prior to removal which is my
>> usual test to verify all is well as the clearance is fairly close for
>> the legs and wheels up in the wings. A leg with a really bent bolt won't
>> retract or will bind somewhere, ask me how I know!
>>
>> I realize a redesign of this part of the system would be a lot of work,
>> but every A&P that I have shown this pivot bolt system too has not liked
>> it. Its a lot of bending forces on a long bolt that is not supported in
>> the middle very well. Maybe the fix is to use a thicker sleeve in the
>> leg to provide more support in the middle which is where the bolt always
>> bends? Or possibly a better(stiffer) alloy steel for the sleeve?
>>
>> Anybody else with hundreds of hours on there V that has had to R&R the
>> main gear experience what I am?   Bolts always just a little bent?
>>
>> Scott
>>
>> --
>>
>> -
>>
>>     I worry about my child and the Internet all the time, even though 
>> she's too young to have logged on yet. Here's what I worry about. I worry 
>> that 10 or 15 years from now, she will come to me and say 'Daddy, where 
>> were you when they took freedom of the press away from the Internet?'
>>
>>     Mike Godwin, Electronic Frontier Foundation
>>
>> _______________________________________________
>> 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
>
>
>
> ------------------------------
>
> Message: 4
> Date: Thu, 8 Feb 2007 12:07:34 -0500
> From: "Scott Baker" <sbakr at comcast.net>
> Subject: Re: REFLECTOR: main gear pivot bolts
> To: "Velocity Aircraft Owners and Builders list" <reflector at tvbf.org>
> Message-ID: <000c01c74ba3$a6518020$0201a8c0 at DADDESKTOP>
> Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed; charset="iso-8859-1";
> reply-type=original
>
> Most of the Grade-8 bolts that Velocity receives from suppliers are not
> perfectly straight.  I've noticed a bend in the bolts with enough sweep to
> cause friction inside the steel main gear leg insert bushing.  The 
> friction
> is such that a very light tapping with a hammer easily pushes it through 
> the
> bushing.  This may or may not speak to what you describe.
> I have notice that most of the main gear bolts seen in the Velocity 
> Service
> Center require a hammer and punch to remove.  This leads me to believe 
> that
> small bends in the main gear bolts are common place.
> SB
>
>
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "Scott Derrick" <scott at tnstaafl.net>
> To: "Velocity Aircraft Owners and Builders list" <reflector at tvbf.org>
> Sent: Thursday, February 08, 2007 10:44 AM
> Subject: REFLECTOR: main gear pivot bolts
>
>
>>I pulled my main gear off yesterday and was disappointed that the 1/2"
>> pivot bolts were slightly bent.  I only have a couple hundred hours on
>> this set of  bolts and I don't think I'm that bad of a pilot when it
>> comes to landing the thing.  Maybe its all a matter of perspective
>> though. :-)
>>
>> The bolts weren't bent a whole lot, and came out with light persuasion
>> from a rubber mallet, but they are bent enough that I don't want to
>> re-use them. The gear also retracted fine prior to removal which is my
>> usual test to verify all is well as the clearance is fairly close for
>> the legs and wheels up in the wings. A leg with a really bent bolt won't
>> retract or will bind somewhere, ask me how I know!
>>
>> I realize a redesign of this part of the system would be a lot of work,
>> but every A&P that I have shown this pivot bolt system too has not liked
>> it. Its a lot of bending forces on a long bolt that is not supported in
>> the middle very well. Maybe the fix is to use a thicker sleeve in the
>> leg to provide more support in the middle which is where the bolt always
>> bends? Or possibly a better(stiffer) alloy steel for the sleeve?
>>
>> Anybody else with hundreds of hours on there V that has had to R&R the
>> main gear experience what I am?   Bolts always just a little bent?
>>
>> Scott
>>
>> -- 
>>
>> -
>>
>>    I worry about my child and the Internet all the time, even though 
>> she's
>> too young to have logged on yet. Here's what I worry about. I worry that
>> 10 or 15 years from now, she will come to me and say 'Daddy, where were
>> you when they took freedom of the press away from the Internet?'
>>
>>    Mike Godwin, Electronic Frontier Foundation
>>
>> _______________________________________________
>> 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
>
>
>
> ------------------------------
>
> _______________________________________________
> Visit the gallery!  tvbf:jamaicangoose
>
> End of Reflector Digest, Vol 33, Issue 17
> ***************************************** 