REFLECTOR: Nose Wheel Steering

Wed May 7 22:22:34 CDT 2008

Hi Chuck
with toe brake mod.it is possible to cross control and never land in a  crab.
We do have ken,s lock but only necessary for heavy weight landings.
Mack

In a message dated 5/7/2008 1:17:32 P.M. Pacific Daylight Time,  
cjensen at dts9000.com writes:

Not  to worry.  Landing in a crab in the preferred method, not a slip.   As 
soon as the mains touch, the nose swings right around for alignment before  the 
nose ever touches down, so not an issue.  I can't imagine landing  nose wheel 
first.  I suppose its possible, but if one did, having a  locked nose wheel 
would be the least of the problems.

One  can actually turn off the runway with the nose wheel locked.  The 
angular  change isn't much to hit a high speed taxi way and a couple taps of the 
brakes  will do it.  A 90L taxi way turn would be a little tougher.  During  take 
off roll, aileron and/or brake tap will keep you aligned, even the the  pin 
engaged.  It's only when you get slow and on the ramp does it become  almost 
impossible to steer with the pin engaged.

Works very well indeed and there is simply nothing to be concerned  about in 
that regard, since I've explored about every bad landing  configuration 
imaginable and the nose gear pin is "all  good."

Chuck Jensen 
-----Original Message-----
From:  reflector-bounces at tvbf.org [mailto:reflector-bounces at tvbf.org]On 
Behalf Of  len.baxter at gm.com
Sent: Wednesday, May 07, 2008 1:27  PM
To: Velocity Aircraft Owners and Builders list
Subject:  Re: REFLECTOR: Nose Wheel Steering

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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Subject
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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