Grove gear benefits over bush gear?

[Supermotive 49]

I am strongly considering a Grove landing gear for aerodynamic purposes. I have a Jab 2200 and a speedwing. A field will likely be the roughest terrain I will be landing on. I have been told the grove yields a higher cruise speed and still gives great suspension (perhaps a little more bouncy) and durability (provided you reinforce the door sill trusses) Neglecting the higher cost, are there any reasons not to get the grove gear? Are the rumors true about the higher speed compared to the cabana type bush gear?

[109jb 181]

Grove will be a bit heavier. They cost quite a bit too. Probably are a bit less draggy, but Avids and Kitfoxes aren't exactly clean airplanes.

[Av8r3400 1178]

I love my Grove gear.  I am biased, but I don't see the benefit of the "bush" shock gear for *most* operations.  

When I converted my IV-1050 from bungee to Grove, the net weight gain was 12 pounds.  Quite acceptable to me.

In regard to bounce, unless you are dropping the plane from several feet up, bounce is not a factor.  Know your plane and how to land it, know your landing spot and bounce is not a thing.

Unless you are competing in hardcore STOL or flying super aggressive back country operations, the Grove will work awesome.

Edited 5 Dec 2020 by Av8r3400

[109jb 181]

Grove was my first thought on my Kitfox 4 build and I inquired a few places about used ones since so many are going to the cabane gear these days. Ultimately I opted to build a cabane type gear to get a bit wider stance, take the loads where I think they belong (Link to my landing gear thread), to get rid of the bungees penetrating the floor, and because I could build a set a good bit cheaper than any other option. This is what I came up with and it cost me less than $300 in materials.  I'll point out though that this isn't tested but I see no reason it won't work. Attached is a pdf of how I built mine but it isn't a recommendation, just a look at how I did it. If you decide to use, it is at your own risk. 

 

Cabane Landing Gear for Kitfox 4.pdf

[ChrisBolkan 130]

One thing to consider. Grove gear makes it possible to carry a myriad of things under the plane. I found it particularly useful since the space inside the plan is limited. Perfect for carrying kayaks, bicycles, (broken down of course), short surf boards, camping gear, etc. I even carried a log splitting ram back into Minam lodge that they had rebuilt. Could not have carried any of these things if my Avid had bush gear. That said I sure do have a hard on for that shock gear....just because. Would be a tough choice.