Bush Gear

[Fly-n-Low 181]

Jacked up and secure. Trial fit.

I need to take new pics of the gear now. Everything is powder coated white with red powder coated springs. Struts are coated internally with a compound similar to teflon, inside and out. As are all the brake caliper mounts and bushings.

I apologize for my absence... and promise to show up on a semi regular basis???

[EDMO 1078]

Are those the springs that either Akflyer or C5Engineer said that they didn't have enough travel and would bottom out?

EDMO

[Knuckledragger 135]

Looking good!  Did you fabricate them yourself?  Its weird and I'm still drinking my first cup of joe, but in my head it appears that if the gear legs are pushed upward as in adding weight/load, the springs would stretch.  Am I just looking at it wrong?

[wypaul 449]

The lower part of the gear strut compresses the spring from the top,thus allowing the legs to spread under load.

I have been using the. Bush gear for over 300 hrs now and see no signs of the springs bottoming out with some pretty hard landings.  The fuselage sides and the gear truss do need to be re-enforced as discussed in the past on this site.  Mine came from highwing llc so are slightly different.  I did have some problems before adding the frame strengthing members and the gear Crossmember modified.  If I think of it I will install a tattletale to show the actual movement in the spring. Paul

[C5Engineer 1170]

Looking good!  Did you fabricate them yourself?  Its weird and I'm still drinking my first cup of joe, but in my head it appears that if the gear legs are pushed upward as in adding weight/load, the springs would stretch.  Am I just looking at it wrong?

Every time I look at my gear it doesn't make sense to me either on how it works. It was not until we deflated my shocks and I got to see everything move in slow mo that my brain grasped what they were doing. If you are only planning on gravel, grass, or pavement those springs will be fine. Be advised "Bush Gear" is the WRONG name for this gear in it's stock form. It should of just been called wide gear, or bungee eliminator gear or something. Mine folded up like a pretzel the first time I landed off airport with less than 30 hrs on it. The rock in the pic was not a factor we set it up on there to keep the wing tip out of the dirt during the rescue process.  At least some of it was my fault but I've landed on MUCH worse stuff than that with my bungee gear.  At least you have the updated version that has the bar between the front and rear leg. The early Airdale version didn't have that and that's right where my front gear leg folded up.

Edited 2 Nov 2015 by C5Engineer

[Fly-n-Low 181]

C5- that's hard to look at!!! They are Airdale gear. And the pull type strut is sure different.

 

So a question for those that went from narrow to wide gear, how much was its ground manners improved? That was one of the reasons why I got them.

Thanks!

Paul

[C5Engineer 1170]

Night and day difference. You are going to love the width and the extra height is nice as well.

 

[Fly-n-Low 181]

Oh man, that is just what I wanted to hear!!! I have about 40 hrs and about 10 of that tail wheel. I had no problem with a Citabria, Scout, etc, but this short coupled thing...  I have a couple hours just taxiing with the tail up. It will darn sure get your attention and if you don't stay on top of it... WATCH OUT RUNWAY LIGHT!!!  I thought about the fuse extension kit, but this is a lot easier! 

Looking good!  Did you fabricate them yourself?  Its weird and I'm still drinking my first cup of joe, but in my head it appears that if the gear legs are pushed upward as in adding weight/load, the springs would stretch.  Am I just looking at it wrong?

Before I do the install, I'll pull them apart and take some pictures.

[C5Engineer 1170]

You will see this advice given a lot on this site. STOP taxiing with the tail up!! These are not a Citabria. Almost all landings are made 3 point. If you can keep it in a straight line with the tail down at 20 mph you should be able to land it. Tail up "taxiing" can be done easily in some aircraft. An Avid is not one of them and an easy way to experience what ground looping is all about. Not trying to be harsh but this topic seems to come up a lot and I can't tell you how many Avids and Kitfoxs are sitting around that were never enjoyed because of damage sustained during the early testing from screwing around on the ground.

[Fly-n-Low 181]

LOL!!! My skin is pretty thick. Yea, I figure that is the reason for the gear widening and the extended fuse mod. One down, one to go. "I think I have it down"... last words...

Seriously, thanks for the advice. I stick to grass which is way more forgiving. I just like a wheel landing better in a cross wind. And the strip behind my house is 45 and 315. So there is always a cross wind.

[Av8r3400 1179]

You will find that wheelies are not the way to go in one of these planes in a cross wind.  Getting a locked tailwheel on the ground asap is the best way to maintain control.  

The main wing will be able to fly long after the tail is ineffective to control it.  In order to keep these planes "safe" they were designed with small tail surfaces and control throws which keeps breaking stalls and spins to a minimum.  This also limits drastically their ability to maintain control in a wheel landing scenario.

I've landed in some pretty scary cross winds with my plane.  Things I shouldn't have done.  But always in 3-point.  Always.

 

Think about it this way:  You saw the plane's behavior in a tail up taxi, now throw a cross wind into that mix.  What's going to happen?

[EDMO 1078]

"Tail Low - Way to Go"  That was what my instructor always told me for landings - He didn't mean that the tail had to be on the ground - Just Low, so you don't get any more weight forward - and you can land a little faster and be in control for x-winds.

EDMO