REFLECTOR: Nose Wheel Steering

[len.baxter at gm.com]

Chuck

I worry about what might happen when landing with the nose wheel locked 
and you touch down in a "crab" and the nose wheel touches first or 
similtaneously??  Seems like the nose wheel would take the plane towards 
the runway edge pretty quick.   Any thoughts or experence that would 
either support or discount my worry???

Thanks


Len Baxter
XLRG




"Chuck Jensen" <cjensen at dts9000.com> 
Sent by: reflector-bounces at tvbf.org
05/06/2008 08:04 PM
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Re: REFLECTOR: Nose Wheel Steering






John,

A mistake?  Are you suggesting that I might make a mistake....of course I 
have!  But the question of what to do is really a two part issue.  I now 
engage the locking pin by pushing in the cable handle as I start may take 
off role.  I used to do it in the air, but I have forgotten it at least 
twice.  Once had no effect because my nose wheel happened to be fairly 
tight and there was no crosswind so it tracked without shimmy.  The other 
landing without the engaged pin was in a crosswind which immediately 
started the shimmy as the nose gear touched down at an angle. 

At that point, there is only two things to do; go missed and find a grass 
field or grin-n-bear it. The grass field will not initiate a shimmy (side 
forces, or absence of, and all those issues) but you'd better be lucky to 
find somebody with a wrench to tighten it.  When the shimmy started, I 
lifted the nose a couple times but the pin and fixture would never line 
up.  I went around and hoped the gear retract would cause the wheel to 
realign so the pin would align and engage, no luck.  I finally just 
grinned-n-beared it.

Now I engage the pin is as soon as I get aligned with the runway for TO, 
check it as I set up for cruise and check it again when I get in a landing 
configuration.  So far, I've never come close to forgetting using that 
system of redundant reminders.

Chuck Jensen


-----Original Message-----
From: reflector-bounces at tvbf.org [mailto:reflector-bounces at tvbf.org]On
Behalf Of John Dibble
Sent: Tuesday, May 06, 2008 2:32 PM
To: Velocity Aircraft Owners and Builders list
Subject: Re: REFLECTOR: Nose Wheel Steering


Chuck, have you departed and forgot to lock it?  I'd like to know what 
happens in that case.

John

Chuck Jensen wrote:

> Tom,
>
> The super-duper nose wheel lock by Ken Mishler is the answer to your 
problem.  Controlled with a push/pull cable in the cabin, a pin slips into 
a mating surface mounted on the nose gear that prevents the nose gear from 
swiveling.  The pin is disengaged for taxiing and reengaged on the takeoff 
roll.  Not having to worry about shimmy, the tension on the nose wheel can 
be backed WAY OFF.  Taxing is then a pleasure, instead of an annoyance. 
Highly recommended.
>
> Chuck Jensen

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