Is it blasphemy? - Grove landing gear

[Hank Jarrett]

Re: Is it blasphemy? - Grove landing gear

I know you are kidding, but when I get the 41 back in the air I want to do a series of tests to see just how much drag the different parts contribute and which ones could be easily changed to give us better performance.
Not just going faster, but smoother control, increased range and reduced fuel consumption. There are a lot of minor improvements that could be done without loosing the essential "Taylorcraft-ness" of our plane.
I can't help myself.
Hank

I have to admit that some time ago someone posted a radial engined Taylorcaft that I thought was absolutely FANTASTIC looking.

[N74DV]

Re: Is it blasphemy? - Grove landing gear

This is about as clean and powerful you can get on a Tcraft.

Turbine conversion, cantilever wing, no tail wires, and of course retracts.

Who will be the first?

[crispy critter]

Re: Is it blasphemy? - Grove landing gear

Now that's more like it,I'll get started right away! LOL.

[Larry Lyons]

Re: Is it blasphemy? - Grove landing gear

Well DJ you will have to go back to the four piece windshield to give it strength to with stand the air pressure!
L

[Jim Herpst]

Re: Is it blasphemy? - Grove landing gear

Hank or anyone what would flying wires do ? I have been told that flying wire can set up harmonic vibration (hence the wood tubes) they use on the Big BI-PLANES ...but thought THAT was due to it being a long run....wonder if they would work on the tail OR if they would screw things up. My Clip would look nice with em.... Buuut ?

[NY86]

Re: Is it blasphemy? - Grove landing gear

Gee, then you could bounce just like a Cessna 170.

Come on, Cessna 170's (and 140's and anything else with spring steel landing gear) bounce because of lousy vertical speed control.

(Oops, I see someone beat me to it...)

[flyguy]

Re: Is it blasphemy? - Grove landing gear

I made the comment because I had just come down from a trip with a friend in his 170. He slightly bounced his first landing, just a little bounding skip, but his second one was roll on perfect.

That was what was on my mind.

No insult to 170's or Clyde intended . I had a straight-tail 172 like Bill B's and loved it.

You have to admit, I would think, that spring steel gear tends to give you back more of what you put into it than the higher friction other arrangements.

DC

[NY86]

Re: Is it blasphemy? - Grove landing gear

You have to admit, I would think, that spring steel gear tends to give you back more of what you put into it than the higher friction other arrangements.

Yup, it makes the most of your mistakes!

[Mark Julicher]

Re: Is it blasphemy? - Grove landing gear

Hank or anyone what would flying wires do ? I have been told that flying wire can set up harmonic vibration (hence the wood tubes) they use on the Big BI-PLANES ...but thought THAT was due to it being a long run....wonder if they would work on the tail OR if they would screw things up. My Clip would look nice with em.... Buuut ?

Lots of planes use streamline wires on the empennage, but they are expensive.

[Jim Herpst]

Re: Is it blasphemy? - Grove landing gear

Hank , what do you think...reduce drag much ? (Or cause other problems ? )

[mohawktipi]

Re: Is it blasphemy? - Grove landing gear

This is the type of landing gear suspension I would actually like to put on my L-2. Does anyone have a set of plans for this and could it be done, legally, without converting to experimental? I could still use the original covers so from the outside it would look the same.

[Hank Jarrett]

Re: Is it blasphemy? - Grove landing gear

Jim,
Round wires on the tail instead of streamline increase their drag to almost 9 times as much. I was surprised too but the numbers bear it out. The problem is if you put a streamline wire on the tail and they don't stay aligned they can vibrate from the vorticies shedding off of them. If that shedding resonates with the surface they are bracing, the whole surface could fail. It isn't something to mess with without some analysis. The longer the wire, the lower the frequency. Ever notice how long landing and flying wires are usually tied together at the middle, that is to RAISE the frequency.
This is NOT something to mess with without some vibration analysis experience. When you DO do experiments with these things you have to take your plane out of it's certification status and put it in to experimental for the tests. It isn't just a case of "Oh, I think I will stick this on my plane and see what happens". That could be a good way to get killed.
Hank

[Jim Herpst]

Re: Is it blasphemy? - Grove landing gear

Thats what I thought. Although I am Experimental with the clip..... AND there are many tails braced with the flying wires AND it is a much shorter run than a wing AND your right I need further analysis !!!

[Hank Jarrett]

Re: Is it blasphemy? - Grove landing gear

IT, (the wires) needs more analysis before anyone changes them, not YOU need more analysis!
Hank

Of course, now that I think of it, most of us could provide quite a few hours of entertainment (or outright terror) to a professional analyst too! Do we have any mental health professionals in the Tribe? I always thought most of us were just slightly unbalanced, I just never cared.
(;f

[cvavon]

Re: Is it blasphemy? - Grove landing gear

You know after reading all these posts I would have to say you guys are either very bored, or have more money than sense. LOL I vote for the first one. In any case I think the T-craft is beautiful just as she is. Even if is she is known to be unpredictable. I don't blame the craft for any errors, she is only as good as the mechanics and pilots who work with her.

Just my opinion of course.

Shannon