REFLECTOR: fixed gear nose wheel

Sun Mar 17 13:57:20 CDT 2013

This is what I installed, see attached pic and  
http://www.velocityaircraft.com/newsV5/images/noselock/Mishler%20Nosewheel%20Lock.pdf
http://www.velocityxl.com/wiki/index.php?title=Nose_Wheel_Locking_System
I added longer screws with lock nuts and a small AL plate under the pin JIC the pin ever came loose I didn't want it landing on someone or something.  I had to use a carbide tip drill bit on the gear leg.  The nose fairing that came on my velo had a good sized "rudder" but was not able to overcome any misalignment, one landing with the nose off center was enough for me.  I looked at all the options and chose to install Ken's kit.  35 hours and aprox 75 landings with no issues, I lock the wheel as I start accelerating on T/O and unlock when slow after landing.  Now I also leave the nose a little looser which makes taxi and ground handling easier for me anyway.  They say you can turn if you forget to unlock, this has not been my experience as I am only able to turn about 15-20deg.  You could turn more if you drilled a larger hole for the pin but this would defeat the purpose and possibly allow shimmy.  Hope this helps.

Bill Duncklee
772-778-9106

On Mar 17, 2013, at 12:41 PM, Andrew Judge <ajudge at grovenetworks.com> wrote:

> I have an SEFG and had shimmy one time in about 600 hours. That was with
> the first landing on my 2nd nose wheel pant. Enough to shake it loose and
> never use that wheel pant again. Third pair was a charm. I've had shimmy
> one time - due to that wheel pant and the factory made the third pair.
> 
> I think my 1st answer answers the 2nd question. It is unnecessary if the
> pant is rightŠ
> 
> On 3/17/13 9:05 AM, "David Ullman" <ullman at robustdecisions.com> wrote:
> 
>> I have an SEFG and don't have much of a shimmy problem.  Seems to come and
>> go, and is never very bad.  But, a bigger issue occurred last summer.  I
>> had
>> the front faring on and I took off.  The plane had a bad yaw that I had
>> not
>> experienced before.  I checked and all the controls were working as they
>> should.  I figured that somehow the front wheel was cocked and acting as a
>> front rudder.  I landed and sure enough, when the front wheel touched
>> down,
>> I felt a jerk, like the wheel aligning.  I taxied back to the hangar and
>> found the back half of the front faring was missing.  The jerk of the
>> wheel
>> aligning had whipped the fairing so hard that it literally tore off.
>> This
>> confirmed what happened in flight, I must have skipped to the side just
>> as I
>> lifted off and the friction was enough to hold the misalignment in place.
>> I
>> started a search of the airport area for the faring half when I guy pulled
>> up in truck with a "is this yours?".  It was on the runway, luckily he
>> landed right after me, saw it depart my plane and was able to land around
>> it
>> and go back and pick it up.
>> 
>> I want to put the front faring back on, but don't want to experience this
>> again. I think my friction is about right as I can easily steer when
>> taxiing
>> and don't have much shimmy.  First question: anybody else ever experience
>> this?  Second question: I am thinking of putting a rudder on the back half
>> of the faring.  This should give enough aero force aft of the pivot to
>> make
>> it weather vane should I knock it off center again.  It may also add a
>> little shimmy damping.  I would have to beef the connection of the rear
>> half
>> to the wheel.  It should look cool too.  Has anyone tried this?
>> 
>> David Ullman
>> N444DX
>> President EAA 292
>> 541-754-3609
>> david at davidullman.com
> 
> 
> 
> Andrew Judge
> President
> Grove Networks Inc.
> 
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