Yup ! I'm a convert ! I still really like the bungee
gear, and would choose it over the spring gear absolutely,
anytime !!! And I would add Gord Mohr's bushing kit ANYWAY,
whether using bungees or die springs, as it will make the gear
stronger, and much more durable .
My big concern with die springs was, like you, I thought
that they would compress completely at low g's, and then transmit
damage to the airframe. While I still worry a bit about this,
because of the lack of a final damper, I listened to Wayne's
calculations of compression rates and load factors, and was convinced
he'd 'done the homework'.... and experience has shown that there
IS some damping provided by the friction within the tubes, and,
<so far>, I haven't managed to compress them fully ! ;-)
The bungees are NOT supposed to move except to prevent
damage to the airframe, so the tires are the primary shock absorbers.
The die spring gear moves ALL THE TIME, so you really need the
bushings. I find that the factory spring gear gives a "waddling"
ride, with a certain amount of bounce-back over bumps, and
the bungee gear gives a pretty "stiff" ride if the tires are hard.
The die spring gear absolutely gives THE best ride for a Rebel,
with each wheel moving independently to cushion the bumps. Of course,
I also use the fat 800 x 6 DICO/Carlyle tires - a bit more drag,
but a great ride on rough ground !
One big concern is the safety cables - while some scoff
at these as unnecessary, I've personally had a gear tube failure -
on the prtotype, with only a SINGLE layer of leg tube at the bolt !
The safety cable held, although we were fully loaded, returning
from Oshkosh with ALL our gear ! I guess it is possible to install
these cables through the die springs, and replace them every couple
of years for peace of mind ..... but I'm leaning more to the
"Alaska" style safety cable - on the outside, where it's easy to
inspect & replace. These could be streamlined by wrapping
a Lexan fairing around the whole gear tube, which would still
leave them visible for inspection.
The other REALLY IMPORTANT consideration is: since ALL
of the gear parts are MOVING ALL THE TIME - I like to lubricate
everything every 3 or 4 flights. This is just a matter of having
an oil can and grease gun in the hangar, as part of the pre-flight.
This is good for the Scott tailwheel, too, as it needs grease
every few flights - something many pilots neglect. Spray grease
for the aileron pushrods and elevator hinges helps, too ! I flew
Rebel Number 1 for 10 years before significant play developed....
Anyway - if Wayne has another set of die spring tubes
available, grab them !! And install Gord's bushings before giving
Wayne the final measurements ... I think you'll like the
ride, and the extra 6 lbs. or so isn't tooooo big a deal -
it's almost right on the CofG ! ;-) There are lots of worse
ways to add weight (like the extra 28 lb. for the spring gear !!) ;-^)
......bobp
---------------------------------orig.-----------------------------
At 02:31 PM 2/28/03 -0500, you wrote:
Hi Bob
Any comments on the bungee gear vs. Waynes's die sring gear??
Last I recall you kind of liked the die springs.
thanks
Ken
*-------------------------------------------------------------------------*
To unsubscribe from this list go to:
http://www.dcsol.com:81/public/code/html-subscribe.wcx
Archives located at http://rebel:builder@www.dcsol.com:81/default.htm
To contact the list admin, e-mail mike.davis@dcsol.com
*-------------------------------------------------------------------------*
-----------------------------------------------------------------
List archives located at: https://mail.dcsol.com/login
username "rebel" password "builder"
Unsubscribe: rebel-builders-unsubscribe@dcsol.com
List administrator: mike.davis@dcsol.com
-----------------------------------------------------------------
