REFLECTOR:The continuing Gear Up Landing Saga
Ronnie Brown
reflector@tvbf.org
Mon, 29 Dec 2003 11:41:59 -0500
RG and FG forks are the same, one has the nose strut hole drilled 90 degrees
to the other. (The FG has the fork turned 90 degrees to the rear compared
to the more upright RG fork.)
Brian, I'm not sure what you mean by
>I just received my upgraded mill/lathe machine, and one of the best things
they did was to
replace the allen set screws with tapered pins.
Ronnie
----- Original Message -----
From: "Brian Michalk" <michalk@awpi.com>
To: <reflector@tvbf.org>
Sent: Monday, December 29, 2003 11:26 AM
Subject: RE: REFLECTOR:The continuing Gear Up Landing Saga
| I have a fixed gear, but have not looked at the fork construction to see
if
| it is similar to the RG. However, I have an observation; I just received
| my upgraded mill/lathe machine, and one of the best things they did was to
| replace the allen set screws with tapered pins. Would this be an option
for
| the RG? A roll pin would work just as effectively, perhaps much better
due
| to it's spring nature. From what I've seen, a castellated nut would
| protrude too far, and would catch on gear doors, etc.
|
| > -----Original Message-----
| > From: reflector-admin@tvbf.org [mailto:reflector-admin@tvbf.org]On
| > Behalf Of Ronnie Brown
| > Sent: Monday, December 29, 2003 10:04 AM
| > To: reflector@tvbf.org
| > Subject: Re: REFLECTOR:The continuing Gear Up Landing Saga
| >
| >
| > One thing I have noticed on my V. Sometimes the nose wheel axle
| > will bind,
| > other times it turns very freely. I found that when it is bound
| > up, hitting
| > the fork with a rubber mallet (no, not too hard), will release the
binding
| > and allows the axle to turn easily. The fork is spreading out or
| > narrowing
| > up and causing the opposite hole to be out of alignment and binding the
| > axle.
| >
| > And as Dave mentioned earlier, be sure to use TWO locking set screws.
My
| > axle started turning out after only a few flights. The first
| > locking screw
| > had started out even after I had put Loctite on it.
| >
| > Also, I'm sure everyone knows this by now (or not?), the factory is
| > recommending replacement of older forks with a beefier (thicker)
| > replacement. My 1999 RG STD kit had the old, thinner fork. Also, this
| > applied to a 1995 FG kit.
| >
| > Ronnie
| >
| >
| >
| >
| >
| >
| >
| > ----- Original Message -----
| > From: "John Dibble" <aminetech@bluefrog.com>
| > To: <reflector@tvbf.org>
| > Sent: Monday, December 29, 2003 10:48 AM
| > Subject: Re: REFLECTOR:The continuing Gear Up Landing Saga
| >
| >
| > | Scott,
| > | I'm so sorry about the second incident. Two comments.
| > | 1) My axle is slightly bent. When I screw it in it turns freely for
1/2
| > | rotation and requires a screwdriver for the other 1/2. I don't know
if
| > | it is supposed to be this way, but I think this reduces the
possibility
| > | of it unscrewing if the set screw comes loose.
| > | 2) When your axel was hung up on the gear guide, could the force of
the
| > | hydraulic system have bent or weakened the strut?
| > | I also would have sold mine cheap with the gaping hole where the doors
| > | go. I had mine repaired at the factory. They molded a new piece in
| > | their fuselage mold and it looks good as new, so now it's a keeper.
| > |
| > | John
| > |
| > | Scott wrote:
| > |
| > | > After gluing on an aluminum plate on the bottom of the nose of my
| > | > airplane, where I had worn an amazingly flat area where the gear
doors
| > | > used to be.
| > | >
| > | > Removed the main gear doors, and test flew the plane. What a
| > | > performance reduction! I'd guess a 20-25 knot speed reduction and a
| > | > loss of about 400 ft per minute climb rate. It must be those big ol
| > | > holes in the bottom of the wings that the mains aren't filling up.
| > | >
| > | > Flew to North Las Vegas and stopped to see an ailing aunt and get in
| > | > some video poker time. It was cold for Vegas, below freezing at
| > | > night, but it had warmed up into the 40's by departure time the next
| > | > day. No problems landing or taking off at VGT.
| > | >
| > | > During the preflight at Vegas I found the reason why the gear had
hung
| > | > up in the well at Carson City. The axle was unscrewed and about 3
| > | > threads were showing on the left fork! I can't believe I missed
that
| > | > on previous preflights and when I was patching the hole in the nose
so
| > | > I could fly home in Carson City! It was the left guide bar that had
a
| > | > gouge in it also. I think I remember somebody else mentioning the
| > | > same thing happening to them! I screwed it back in at Vegas.
| > | >
| > | > Got to Grants after a 2.6 hour flight.
| > | >
| > | > Wind was straight down the runway at 15 knots and gusty. Nice
landing
|
| > | > until The nose wheel touched down. It was a gentle landing, one I
| > | > would be happy to for anybody to see, but there was an odd
vibration.
| > | > I lifted the nose wheel up, still had just enough speed to do that,
| > | > and then it settled on down as the elevator lost lift. Big
vibration
| > | > now! Kind of a wobbly feel and then the nose dropped about 6 inches
| > | > and a very loud scraping sound! I radioed the terminal/FBO and said
I
| > | > had a problem, Wes was watching me land and he said I just lost my
| > | > nose wheel on the radio. I saw him running out the door towards
his
| > | > truck as we skidded on past the FBO.
| > | >
| > | > Down the runway we went, making a racket and vibrating from the
| > | > makeshift nose skid(fork casting). The plane started to veer a bit
to
| > | > the right so I touched the left brake, WHAM!! down on the nose we
| > | > fell, I had just seen this view in Carson City last week, I
couldn't
| > | > believe I was once again landing sans nose gear. We finally ground
| > | > to a halt. As I was unfastening my seat belt my wife said I'm right
| > | > behind you!
| > | >
| > | > Out we jumped into a biting cold wind, it was 28 degrees, 15 knots
| > | > gusting to 25. The nose gear strut had folded back under the plane
| > | > ripping through the fuselage towards the rear and what was left of
| > | > the fork was embedded in the bottom.
| > | >
| > | > At that moment somebody could have bought my airplane very
| > cheap indeed.
| > | >
| > | > On the way to hauling it into the hanger I saw the nose wheel and
went
| > | > and picked it up. The side with the threads for the axle had a piece
| > | > of the fork still on it.
| > | >
| > | > So what happened and was it related to the gear up in Carson last
| > | > week. I think so.
| > | >
| > | > I can only surmise the axle bolt was loose for awhile. The only
thing
| > | > that holds the non-threaded side of the fork to the axle is a set
| > | > screw which must have been loose. If its loose any side load on the
| > | > axle from taxing or cross wind landing would thus be born by the
| > | > threaded side of the fork. I think it was overstressed, though I
saw
| > | > no cracks in it when I tightened up the axle bolt in Vegas. Maybe
the
| > | > cold effected it somewhat(it was -4c on the way back)? So I think
| > | > the loose bolt which caused the gear to hang up also caused the fork
| > | > to be weakened over time. My plane was involved in a runway overrun
| > | > accident prior to my ownership and maybe the fork was compromised
then
| > | > also?
| > | >
| > | > Anyway, I had thought I could repair the gear up damage in 30 to 40
| > | > hours work, now?, I don't know how much damage was done inside the
| > | > keel to the gear mechanism yet. It being winter without a heated
| > | > hanger will certainly put a damper on repairs also.
| > | >
| > | > Scott
| > | >
| > | > Getting my wife into this airplane again after two accidents might
not
| > | > be possible. We'll see.
| > | >
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| > |
| > |
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