Hard day at work! -- 12 inch spring struts
Posted: Fri Feb 17, 2012 10:52 pm
Well it was a gruuuuueling day at this old "aircraft facility" today!!! ;o))
This R & D stuff is really hard to take when it comes to testing!! ;o)))))))
4.5 hours on the clock and somewhere beyond 40 take offs and landings in
many varying conditions. Soft deep snow for 25+ of them, snowmobile packed
areas on the lake for 6 of them, the one mistake of landing in what looked
pretty good but ended up being 8 to 12 inch ripply drifts and also nice bare
pavement for 10 or so.
In the deep snow it was hard to tell if there was any real difference than
with the 6 inch springs, although it did seem to settle in a little softer
than before. Mind you it didn't want to turn quite as tight as before (read
had to get out and lift it around by the tail or I was taking out our
satellite dish), but I think that had more to do with snow conditions than
the way the gear was working.
Landed out on Midland Harbour in what I knew was a little rough looking from
the air. After committing to the landing and getting a 3 D prospective as to
what I was into I let it ride it out with a LOT of banging from the skis etc
through HARD drifts as high as 12 inches. Aircraft seemed to take it in
stride and I have a feeling that if I was still running the 6 inchers I may
have been walking home from there (and needing a few airframe parts!).
Did about 10 landings on the dry pavement at Midland -CYEE- and all I really
found out for sure was that if I don't land flat I can now drag the outside
rear ski corner before the bogie wheel picks up the ski ,due to the extra
unloaded camber. Was hard to tell how much more wiggly it was on the longer
springs as I was fighting a gusty cross wind and it was hard to tell. It did
seem a little looser than before, but really hard to tell if it was the wind
or the extra gear spread as it loaded up. Will know better when I get it
back on straight wheels. Still a very nice stable ride in all regimes!
Just for the "tease", to get you guys/gals building and flying, I took 5
pictures while I left it running in the middle of the lake so you know what
you are missing!!! ;o)) and I posted them to Rebel - Aircraft.
Any questions just ask!
Cheers,
Wayne
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This R & D stuff is really hard to take when it comes to testing!! ;o)))))))
4.5 hours on the clock and somewhere beyond 40 take offs and landings in
many varying conditions. Soft deep snow for 25+ of them, snowmobile packed
areas on the lake for 6 of them, the one mistake of landing in what looked
pretty good but ended up being 8 to 12 inch ripply drifts and also nice bare
pavement for 10 or so.
In the deep snow it was hard to tell if there was any real difference than
with the 6 inch springs, although it did seem to settle in a little softer
than before. Mind you it didn't want to turn quite as tight as before (read
had to get out and lift it around by the tail or I was taking out our
satellite dish), but I think that had more to do with snow conditions than
the way the gear was working.
Landed out on Midland Harbour in what I knew was a little rough looking from
the air. After committing to the landing and getting a 3 D prospective as to
what I was into I let it ride it out with a LOT of banging from the skis etc
through HARD drifts as high as 12 inches. Aircraft seemed to take it in
stride and I have a feeling that if I was still running the 6 inchers I may
have been walking home from there (and needing a few airframe parts!).
Did about 10 landings on the dry pavement at Midland -CYEE- and all I really
found out for sure was that if I don't land flat I can now drag the outside
rear ski corner before the bogie wheel picks up the ski ,due to the extra
unloaded camber. Was hard to tell how much more wiggly it was on the longer
springs as I was fighting a gusty cross wind and it was hard to tell. It did
seem a little looser than before, but really hard to tell if it was the wind
or the extra gear spread as it loaded up. Will know better when I get it
back on straight wheels. Still a very nice stable ride in all regimes!
Just for the "tease", to get you guys/gals building and flying, I took 5
pictures while I left it running in the middle of the lake so you know what
you are missing!!! ;o)) and I posted them to Rebel - Aircraft.
Any questions just ask!
Cheers,
Wayne
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