REFLECTOR: Main Gear Alignment

[Al Gietzen]

Kurt;

 

My take on this is that you'd like to have the wheels normally going
straight ahead.  It's not like the front wheels on your car where a bit of
toe-in improves stability.  Having said that - in our case the toe-in
increases with increased deflection of the gear leg.  So we set significant
toe-in with the plane unloaded so it ends up with less toe-in when loaded.
If your going to adjust it later, I'd set them very close to straight ahead
at something close to gross weight - that way they will be always be
straight, or with some toe-in.

 

I set mine (RG) per the manual when the gear was installed, before even the
top was on.  I haven't checked it again, but I know I have some toe-in under
normal loading because when I back it in the hangar the gear ends up spread
a bit more than when it has been going forward.  

 

This of course is only my opinion, and should not be taken over any advice
from the factory, or what is in the manual.

 

Best,

 

Al

 

-----Original Message-----
From: reflector-bounces at tvbf.org [mailto:reflector-bounces at tvbf.org] On
Behalf Of NMFlyer1 at aol.com
Sent: Sunday, January 27, 2008 11:04 AM
To: reflector at tvbf.org
Subject: REFLECTOR: Main Gear Alignment

 

I am in the process of re aligning my main gear for toe in. (I have a FGE).
In the old plans it did not say to wait to align the gear, so I did it long
ago. Once the engine and wings were put on, the alignment changed quite a
bit. It went from Toe in to Toe out. 

 

I am wondering if I should load the V up with weight before I set the toe in
again. If any of you have had to do this, what weight did you pick and did
it change much once you reach gross weight? 

 

Any other insight from those of you flying a fixed gear regarding alignment
of the gear? I can imagine that you'd like it aligned to track as straight
as possible to reduce the need for braking to maintain straight travel. 

 

 

 

Thanks, 

 

 Kurt 

 





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