REFLECTOR: Speedbrake, descents, and shock cooling.

Christopher Martin christophercmartin at earthlink.net
Fri Mar 16 20:35:39 CDT 2007


I flew with main gear doors for 600 hours and had several problems with their not always fitting perfectly due to gear leg creep. I finally took them off and have absolutely 0 change in cruise. My cruise with 22 inches of MP and 2350 RPM at 8500 ft is almost always 181 Knots True from my digital air speed indicator. I can not detect any speed change with or without the main gear doors.  The other advantage is it is much easier to change wheels and brakes. I am suspicious however, that without gear doors there is some induced turbulence into the arm pit air scoops which might be giving me slightly increased cylinder head temperatures, maybe 5 degree F increase but I can't prove it, just suspicious.

Of course, logic tells me that there must be more drag without the doors but I can't measure it. The real advantage is the comfort of dropping the gear at 130+ knots without fear of blowing them off. So, in conclusion, I have no main gear doors and I'm real happy.

Velocity XL RG with LYC IO540 and MT hydraulic prop

Christopher Martin
christophercmartin at earthlink.net
EarthLink Revolves Around You.


----- Original Message ----- 
From: Scott Derrick 
To: Velocity Aircraft Owners and Builders list
Sent: 3/16/2007 2:14:20 PM 
Subject: Re: REFLECTOR: Speedbrake, descents, and shock cooling.


Tom,

You've flown with and with out main gear doors?   Lost 5 knots with out the main doors?    I thought somebody posted a long time ago that the speed penalty was less than that?

Man, I hate to lose 5 knots!!! :-)

Scott

Tom Martino wrote: 
I do not have gear doors (becasue I have found through testing that they only accounted for 5 knots).  My brake has been extended my gear at around 140 mph.  No problems.  I have imbedded brake lines.  Please don;t take this as a recommendation for anyone else ... just sharing information.
 
 

________________________________

From: reflector-bounces at tvbf.org on behalf of John Dibble
Sent: Fri 3/16/2007 11:16 AM
To: Velocity Aircraft Owners and Builders list
Subject: Re: REFLECTOR: Speedbrake, descents, and shock cooling.





Scott Derrick wrote:

  
  I could never get good info on what would be needed to raise the
extension speed.
    

Duane once told me that the gear doors are the only thing that limit the
extension speed.

John

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