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Main gear flex

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pavel569

Joined: 21 Dec 2007
Posts: 77

Posted: Thu Apr 16, 2009 12:06 pm Post subject: Main gear flex

One building question in this "grounding" war time.

 Placement of my radiator. To have Stratus Subaru as my powerplant, I'm trying to shift the water radiator as aft as possible to balance this heavier engine. I have a set of Alu pipes for using with air intake from Larry McFarland. They are 32" long and I'd like to keep the length as is. It will move the radiator way back so it will be partially under the main gear. Does anybody know how much the landing gear center section flexes down when land hard? I can move the radiator up or down by fabricating its side brackets. 

Generally, is it a good idea or is it better to keep it forward, in front of the gear channel?

_________________
Pavel
CA
Zodiac 601XL
Stratus Subaru EA-81
Tail, flaps, ailerons, wings, fuselage, canopy done ...
"do not archive"

Gig Giacona

Joined: 10 Jan 2006
Posts: 1416
Location: El Dorado Arkansas USA

Posted: Thu Apr 16, 2009 1:09 pm Post subject: Re: Main gear flex

 	  pavel569 wrote: 	
		  

Generally, is it a good idea or is it better to keep it forward, in front of the gear channel? 	




I would think so.  Watch this video.



http://www.zenithair.com/video/gear_drop_test.mpeg

_________________
W.R. "Gig" Giacona
601XL Under Construction
See my progress at www.peoamerica.net/N601WR

Heatonhe36(at)msn.com
Guest

Posted: Thu Apr 16, 2009 1:20 pm Post subject: Main gear flex

<?xml:namespace prefix="v" /><?xml:namespace prefix="o" /><![endif]-->  Pavel,

  

 Check out the gear drop test on the Zenith site:   http://www.zenithair.com/video/gear_drop_test.mpeg

 I have the same problem with my radiator, so I am placing it behind the  main gear with the coolant tubes outboard under the gear attach  brackets.  I wouldn't put anything across the center of the main gear  strut.

  

 Herb

 Colorado Springs, CO

 Subaru EA-81 Turbo

 Wiring Panel

 [quote]   ---

bryanmmartin

Joined: 10 Jan 2006
Posts: 1018

Posted: Thu Apr 16, 2009 1:21 pm Post subject: Main gear flex

Looks like a good three to four inches of flex there. A more efficient  

location might be behind the main gear (look at a P-51 Mustang) and  

you might even get away with a smaller radiator, but it would require  

more plumbing.

On Apr 16, 2009, at 5:09 PM, Gig Giacona wrote:

 	  Quote: 	

 >

 pavel569 wrote:

>

> Generally, is it a good idea or is it better to keep it forward, in  

> front of the gear channel?

 I would think so.  Watch this video.

 http://www.zenithair.com/video/gear_drop_test.mpeg

-- 

Bryan Martin

N61BM, CH 601 XL,

RAM Subaru, Stratus redrive.

do not archive.

_________________
--
Bryan Martin
N61BM, CH 601 XL, Stratus Subaru.
do not archive.

Gig Giacona

Joined: 10 Jan 2006
Posts: 1416
Location: El Dorado Arkansas USA

Posted: Thu Apr 16, 2009 1:35 pm Post subject: Re: Main gear flex

Not a water cooled guy but how big around are these coolant lines?



I'm thinking longer lines = more water = more weight. Weight = Bad.

_________________
W.R. "Gig" Giacona
601XL Under Construction
See my progress at www.peoamerica.net/N601WR

pavel569

Joined: 21 Dec 2007
Posts: 77

Posted: Thu Apr 16, 2009 2:30 pm Post subject: Re: Main gear flex

Thanks for your replies, guys. I'll try to fit the radiator with all braces to find out how much clearance I can get, but I'll have to stay in front of the main gear, I guess.  I want to keep it simple as much as possible. Better move the battery behind the seats or even add one more to balance the plane.

_________________
Pavel
CA
Zodiac 601XL
Stratus Subaru EA-81
Tail, flaps, ailerons, wings, fuselage, canopy done ...
"do not archive"

craig(at)craigandjean.com
Guest

Posted: Thu Apr 16, 2009 2:41 pm Post subject: Main gear flex

Remember that pipes have friction. You can't just keep extending the lines

without having an impact on their flow rate. There is a formula for this

somewhere. You could do some calculations before building or built and test.



-- Craig



--

flyboy3847(at)onecommail.
Guest

Posted: Fri Apr 17, 2009 5:41 am Post subject: Main gear flex

Your best bet is to look at Larry McFarland's website.  He's flying the same

configuration and has hundreds of hours on his HDS.  I'm using the same

pipes and hoses he is and I've had good success with weight & balance so

far.  I'm using the VW Diesel Rabbit Radiator (it's slightly larger),

Larry's scoop and an aluminum heater core.  The water temp has never gone

over 180 degrees even at full static RPM.  I think if you're going to

counterbalance the weight of the engine you might as well make the weight

useful.



Leroy Wheeler

N601LH  About to certify



--

pavel569

Joined: 21 Dec 2007
Posts: 77

Posted: Fri Apr 17, 2009 6:04 am Post subject: Re: Main gear flex

Leroy, 

I'm using the pipes and scoop and radiator louvers from Larry too. The only, but important,  difference is that I'm building 601XL not HDS with solid one piece landing gear across the fuselage. However it may become an option in case they'll limit speed of XL to 97 kts or so, I'll probably switch to HDS instead. 

 	  flyboy3847(at)onecommail. wrote: 	
		  Your best bet is to look at Larry McFarland's website.  He's flying the same

configuration and has hundreds of hours on his HDS.  I'm using the same

pipes and hoses he is and I've had good success with weight & balance so

far.  I'm using the VW Diesel Rabbit Radiator (it's slightly larger),

Larry's scoop and an aluminum heater core.  The water temp has never gone

over 180 degrees even at full static RPM.  I think if you're going to

counterbalance the weight of the engine you might as well make the weight

useful.



Leroy Wheeler

N601LH  About to certify



--

_________________
Pavel
CA
Zodiac 601XL
Stratus Subaru EA-81
Tail, flaps, ailerons, wings, fuselage, canopy done ...
"do not archive"

jmaynard

Joined: 27 Feb 2008
Posts: 394
Location: Fairmont, MN (FRM)

Posted: Fri Apr 17, 2009 7:17 am Post subject: Main gear flex

On Fri, Apr 17, 2009 at 09:41:16AM -0400, Leroy Wheeler wrote:

 	  Quote: 	
		   Your best bet is to look at Larry McFarland's website.  He's flying the same

 configuration and has hundreds of hours on his HDS.


	


This won't help. The original poster is building an XL, and he wants to know

if he can put the radiator beneath the gear center section - and the XL gear

is entirely different from the HD/HDS main gear.

-- 

Jay Maynard, K5ZC, PP-ASEL, AGI      http://www.conmicro.com

http://jmaynard.livejournal.com       http://www.tronguy.net

Fairmont, MN (KFRM)                        (Yes, that's me!)

AMD Zodiac CH601XLi N55ZC http://www.tronguy.net/N55ZC.shtml

_________________
Jay Maynard, K5ZC
AMD Zodiac XLi N55ZC

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