fixed gear vs. retracts

[Rodney Tanner]

Like many others I have switched to fixed gear. For
all the reasons mentioned: sure gear up looks great in
the air but - bottom line: they were a pain to keep
adjusting. But a few years back, during my misguided 
stint with IMAC planes, I had the constant problem of
fixed gears ripping out. On one Midwest Giles I must
have ripped them out over 20 times!
Well the main problem was´nt really the set ups, or
the mountings. The real problem was my lousy landing
technique, or the severe lack there of!
So last year I bought a small trainer - a GP Venus
ARF, with an OS FX61 and just practiced landings,
hundreds of them. Now when I feel that my landings
need a bit work, I pull out the Venus and do a hundred
or so.

Rodney Tanner
NSRCA 2906
The result is no fixed gears seem get ripped out on my
regular Pattern planes. (Touch wood!!) 








--- Wayne Galligan <wgalligan at goodsonacura.com> wrote:
> Nats airplane only wieghts about 8lbs and is powered
> by a .91 size engine.  The l.g. struts come out of
> the wing much like a torsion bar type l.g.  I am not
> sure how it is mounted in the wing though.  It is
> however a rather novel idea.  His stuff is on the
> edge in design and asthetics but it really flies
> good.   The "Vodoo Magic"  flown by Todd Blose would
> do everything in the book you could throw at it.
> 
> Wayne G.
>   ----- Original Message ----- 
>   From: calvin scully 
>   To: discussion at nsrca.org 
>   Sent: Thursday, July 17, 2003 1:53 PM
>   Subject: Re: fixed gear vs. retracts
> 
> 
>   Would like to see detail of how Nat Penton uses CF
> rods to accomodate a 10 to 11 lb model airplane.
> Like Mr. Ferrell I am interested.
>     ----- Original Message ----- 
>     From: John Ferrell 
>     To: discussion at nsrca.org 
>     Sent: Thursday, July 17, 2003 10:56 AM
>     Subject: Re: fixed gear vs. retracts
> 
> 
>     Keep the articles coming!
>     If you have a pointer to a picture of the Carbon
> tubing gear I am sure I am not the only one
> interested.
> 
>     I am in total agreement that it is better to
> make our planes serviceable rather than
> indestructible!
> 
>     John Ferrell 
>     6241 Phillippi Rd
>     Julian NC 27283
>     Phone: (336)685-9606  
>     johnferrell at earthlink.net
>     Dixie Competition Products
>     NSRCA 479 AMA 4190  W8CCW
>     "My Competition is Not My Enemy"
> 
>       ----- Original Message ----- 
>       From: Rcmaster199 at aol.com 
>       To: discussion at nsrca.org 
>       Sent: Wednesday, July 16, 2003 8:39 PM
>       Subject: Re: fixed gear vs. retracts
> 
> 
>       The composite fixed gear designs of today are
> quite the overkill in terms of strength, rigidity
> and weight. They could be made far lighter, less
> rigid and cheaply enough where, as they break on a
> hard landing, simply pull the pieces out and toss
> them. 
> 
>       My good friend Nat Penton is using regular
> carbon tubing material for the struts, and uses a
> short piece of aluminum rod epoxied in the tube, to
> serve as wheel axle. A quick wrapping of kevlar
> thread, super glued on the carbon tube where the
> axle in epoxied, keeps the tube intact.
> 
>       He is reporting that the struts weigh in at
> less than 1 oz for both, with the farings installed
> to a fully airfoiled section, without the wheels.
> The length is 10 inches.
> 
>       Matt
> 
>       PS- I prefer retracts to fixed gear for
> pattern planes except they are too heavyat around 6
> ozs sans wheels. 
> 
>       My composite gear that I make, come in at
> about 4 ozs with pants, for the pair, sans wheels,
> but will be using Nat's technique to reduce the
> weight further with little compromise in strength.
> I'll probably write about it for the KF. If you have
> been following my writings you should have learned
> that I have been keeping no secrets.
> 
> 
> 


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