REFLECTOR: Aircraft leveling

[Jim & Sharon Beck]

I thank you all for your help. I have checked everything I can think and all that was mentioned for anything broken and just came back from one last check of having my wife rock the wings while I felt and looked at all the parts inside for movement and couldn't find anything loose or moving. I am thinking the legs may have a slightly different shape from the new wraps and the beating they took. For now I will plan to fly it like it is and look for unlevel ramps for parking so I don't notice it. the fit on my sockets is tight enough so that 2 Popsicle stick shims will keep the gear from going over center. but  the gear swings and freefalls fine.,
Thanks again for the advice, Ill let you know if anything comes loose later.
Jim
  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Ron Brown 
  To: Velocity Aircraft Owners and Builders list 
  Sent: Tuesday, July 17, 2007 10:50 AM
  Subject: Re: REFLECTOR: Aircraft leveling


  Hi Jim,

  I'm not sure you have a problem.  There is some slop in the gear sockets and if you pick up on wing tip and do your wing tip measurements, then pick up the other wingtip and repeat your measurements, I think you'll see that much (or more) slop.  There has to be some slop to allow the over center linkage to go through to lock.

  2.5" difference doesn't sound like much of an issue.  (In fact, unless you have a perfectly flat floor, you can easily get this much error from the floor).

  I went flying this morning and checked my 173.  I can push down on the wing and get a about a 2" difference in level.  I can go around and push down on the other wing and I'll get a 2" difference in level the other way.  I think you are fine.

  Ronnie
    ----- Original Message ----- 
    From: Jim & Sharon Beck 
    To: Velocity Aircraft Owners and Builders list 
    Sent: Tuesday, July 17, 2007 2:00 AM
    Subject: REFLECTOR: Aircraft leveling



       After a  really hard landing with side drift the gear on my 173 RG showed cracking in the fiberglass & pain and also the gear doors broke loose, more like a semi controlled crash. After removing the gear and all paint and wraps to the core to check for damage, we determined they were not damaged so redid the lay-ups with carbon fiber and reinstalled.  bolts were not bent and go in and out easily and no other apparent damage.  The camber on the axels in the same as before in specs and the upper gear fits tight in the sockets just as it did before but now I have one wingtip about 2& 1/2 inches lower than the other and the spar is no longer level sitting on the ground.. 
      Does anyone have any Ideas as to what could have changed to cause this. I would guess the remedy would be to move the sockets but then this would change the camber and make it necessary to fix that also.  Im planning to flyit this way and see if the legs change shape a little after a few landings as everything else went right back in place.   
      Thanks.
      Jim



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