Cabane Gear for the Avid+

27 posts in this topic

Posted

Well I decided to go to cabane gear on the Avid+ and move the bungee gear that is on it now to the Mini+.  I had a few days off over the holiday so was able to get it all fab'd and tacked up.  Now I just need to coax Leni into welding it.  (I'm hoping he has forgotten about the pain of the Mini+ fuselage weld by now).  Leni, I promise that this is all new 4130 so should be much easier to weld...

My plan is to go with the Acme Aero shocks if I can get them to configure them for my geometry and GW.  I left an email with them but have not received a response or talked to them yet.

The bungee gear I have on the Avid+ is 5.5" taller than the Airdale extended gear.  I was able to modify the jig I had built for that gear and made this gear 8.5" taller than the Airdade extended gear. 

I know there has been a lot of discussion about the best geometry for the cabane type gear and since It seems the cub gear is pretty well proven, I decided to match the cub gear relatively close.  The tubes are a little different though, I used 1 1/8" X .049 for the main tubes and 7/8"  X .049 for the cabane.  I also have the third mount point forward of the stock mounts on the Avid to give it more strength and a wider V for the leg.  This gear is probably overkill and a lot heavier than needed for normal situations but I tend to land in some places that can be rough and I don't want to break it in the middle of nowhere.

Anyway, here are the pics.

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Posted


Gear Looks great Randy.  You know I can't say no to ya, I have a vested interest in seeing this bird in the air!  Just by chance, did you run a tube through the axle tubes to assure they are straight?  What do you think about putting a web between the axle tube and the gear leg like the cub beef up?  If ya like the idea, I have some 4130 plate at the house that would be perfect for it and I can add that in after I weld up the rest of it.  I think you will like that taller gear so you can get that AOA.  With that big wing and the yamayeehaa in the nose this should be an awesome STOL bird!

:BC:

 

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Posted

one thing I see that you might think about.  On gear that tall, especially with the big tires, you might want to put that angle at the top of the step plate so you can put you whole foot onto it instead of just that tiny ledge.  I can see some busted body parts especially on skis with big boots on.

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Posted

Hi Leni,

Yes, I cut the brace plates and have them ready to weld in but left them off so you can weld in there first.Two of them on each side will be the lower mount point for the shock.  I'll have to think about the step.  I put traction tape on mine and have not had any trouble standing on them and the tire.

Thanks,

Randy

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Posted

That is going to be beautiful gear!

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Posted

A few more pics as I was fitting the gear to the Mini+ fuselage to drill the third mount holes.  I will swap the gear off the Avid+ onto the mini+ and put the cabane gear on the Avid+ but with the same mounting points they are interchangeable.

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Posted

Leni got the gear welded up (great job as always!) and it now has two coats of primer on it.  Getting closer.  I got the fairings milled up and ready to put on, then will cover it.  The ACME Aero shocks should be here any time now.  Hope to have everything ready to put on when I switch back to wheels.  

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Posted


I can't wait to see how that gear looks on the bird and how they perform!  I might have to borrow that jig and start making more of these.

 

:BC:

 

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Posted

Well I decided to go to cabane gear on the Avid+ and move the bungee gear that is on it now to the Mini+.  I had a few days off over the holiday so was able to get it all fab'd and tacked up.  Now I just need to coax Leni into welding it.  (I'm hoping he has forgotten about the pain of the Mini+ fuselage weld by now).  Leni, I promise that this is all new 4130 so should be much easier to weld...

My plan is to go with the Acme Aero shocks if I can get them to configure them for my geometry and GW.  I left an email with them but have not received a response or talked to them yet.

The bungee gear I have on the Avid+ is 5.5" taller than the Airdale extended gear.  I was able to modify the jig I had built for that gear and made this gear 8.5" taller than the Airdade extended gear. 

I know there has been a lot of discussion about the best geometry for the cabane type gear and since It seems the cub gear is pretty well proven, I decided to match the cub gear relatively close.  The tubes are a little different though, I used 1 1/8" X .049 for the main tubes and 7/8"  X .049 for the cabane.  I also have the third mount point forward of the stock mounts on the Avid to give it more strength and a wider V for the leg.  This gear is probably overkill and a lot heavier than needed for normal situations but I tend to land in some places that can be rough and I don't want to break it in the middle of nowhere.

Anyway, here are the pics.

DSCN4211-1.jpg

DSCN4212-1.jpg

DSCN4213-1.jpg

DSCN4214-1.jpg

DSCN4215-1.jpg

DSCN4200-1.jpg

DSCN4208-1.jpg

Randy, you do some nice work. Are you located anywhere near Monroe, NC? I am building my own gear, and I am looking at traction springs now. I am thinking somewhere between 1200-1800N for spring force for my MKIV. What kind of numbers are you looking at for traction spring force? What kind of travel are you looking for in your traction spring?

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Posted

Leni, you got it anytime you want it.

 

Supermotive, I am not sure I can answer your question very well; I kind of went nuts and ordered a set of Acme Aero Pro suspension shock system.  I just got them today because they initially made a mistake and built me the Black Ops first and sent them but I ordered the pro's so them quickly took them back and made me the Pro's.  The difference is the Black Ops have 4" travel at the shock with a single rate spring and the Pro's have 5" travel at the shock with a dual spring so it has a softer spring rate that bottoms into a stiffer spring.  They also are nitrogen charged.  I gave them my gear geometry and length I needed for the shock had them set them up for 1500lb gross weight.  I am sure they apply an impact factor on that as well.  We will see if they got it right.

I didn't bother to calculate out what the load would be at the shock since I was leaving that up to them and they didn't give that info in the data they provided.

I'm in Alaska so a little ways away from NC, but let me know if I can be of any help.

Randy

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Posted

If you don't mind me asking, how much did the acme aero shocks cost?

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Posted

Don't pass out; The Black Ops are about $3000 and the Pros are about $3400.

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Posted


Well I just got the new cabane gear done and on the Avid+.  Attached are a few pictures.  This gear is 8.5" taller than the stock Avid extended gear and the tires are 30" Airstreaks.  It gives it a pretty good angle of attack. I am 6' tall for perspective.

I flew it on Tuesday and found that the shocks are set up way too stiff so pulled them off and sent them back to Acme to reconfigure them for a lighter plane.  I am out of state for a couple of weeks so I hope they are back by the time I get back. Fingers grossed.

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Posted

Randy, I am getting ready to make some big decisions on my MKIV. I would like to have a chat with you some time for some thought sharing. Would you pm me a good number to reach you at?

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Posted

Beautiful!! Nice job :D The prop looks ridiculously small now, are you planning on putting a larger one on?

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Posted

Looks Great 

How wide did you end up at ??

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Posted

Tall is an understatement!! At least we won't have to duck walking under that wing in the hangar anymore. Looks great Randy, still sad I wasn't able to be there when you got everything buttoned up. 

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Posted

Beautiful!! Nice job :D The prop looks ridiculously small now, are you planning on putting a larger one on?

Ha, ha; Yep, maybe a little out of proportion but hopefully the prop remains attached to the engine, not the landing gear, LOL

Looks Great 

How wide did you end up at ??

I kept the width the same, I just don't remember exactly what it is.  I'll have to measure it again.

Tall is an understatement!! At least we won't have to duck walking under that wing in the hangar anymore. Looks great Randy, still sad I wasn't able to be there when you got everything buttoned up. 

Jon, thanks again for all the help in getting everything put on.  Looking forward to you getting back so we can get out and play when your not working on the new hangar.

.

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Posted

Third time resetting the shocks seems to have them dialed in pretty good.  The guys at ACME have really been good to work with just time consuming to send the shocks back and forth so many times.  This time they kept the lighter spring set and changed the valving and is seems to work good; not too stiff with the plane light (but still feels like it will be ample spring for the plane loaded heavy and taking a hard impact).  The valving seems to be right on; not hard on impact and no bounce.  Going to fly it this way through the summer and fall and see if it still needs any tweaking after hunting season.  It's time to fly!

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Posted

Wish my Avid + looked that good!

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Thanks Chris.  This one is not perfect since it is no hangar queen but part of the scratches patches are the reminders of where it has gotten me in and out of.  Like everyone's own airplane; a lot of great memories make them special to each of us.  It is also fun to look back at the evolution of changes this one has gone through.

Randy

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Posted

How tallis this gear? (maybe a drop down ladder to get in &out is in the future?) LOL! :biker2:

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Posted

SuberAvid, did you install VG’s on your flaperons?

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Posted


What are your thoughts on the Acme vs the TK-1 that everybody seems to like. Just my opinion but I think the acme look like they were designed for an airplane.

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My opinion is the acme shocks r awesome, BUT i have only flown one plane with TK1 for mayb an hr so im not able to give a good comparison, i know i do like the constrution of the acme much better than the tk1,  Ive been flyin my buddies 180hp cup with acme front and rear, and when its on the ground,,,,, its on the ground, no bounce sticks down sweet, thats what im buyin for the pa12 rebuild, have my order already in for the tail havent ordered the front yet since havent got the 3 ext gear so can give measurements. 

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