Landing Gear Installation Sequence

[Tomfox]

Can I wait to assemble and install all of the landing gear components, including tail wheel, until after I put cloth on and paint the plane. SS7 build.'

Thanks

Tom

[TahoeTim]

I installed my gear and tailwheel spring early and use it instead of sawhorses. My main gear is bare (no axles or wheels) and set on furniture dollies to roll it around. See the first photo.

I put my horizontal tail and elevator on the early. It made an easy way to glue all the ribs in with the fuselage blocked up level. We always did a few ribs at the end of the day. Before we knew it they were all done. My process is to start gluing around 3 pm so we didn't jiggle anything that was freshly glued. Glue and go home.

You can see in the second photo that I rigged the wings while the fuselage was sitting on a pallet so it was nice and low. Once rigged, I installed the gear and got it up. The tail wheel spring is up on a few pallets and a furniture dolly.

I will pull the gear to cover the fuselage. Just finger tight the nuts for now.

[HighWing]

Tom,
I think you will want to do the permanent installation of all landing gear components until after covering and painting. While covering you will need to be able to rotate the fuselage to cover the various surfaces and have access to the surfaces that might be covered by the landing gear. Mounting the gear temporarily while assembling all the critical components before covering would work too.

[Tomfox]

Good ideas from Tahoe Tim - thanks - but I am just about finished with fuselage. My question really was is there anything I MUST do with the landing gear prior to covering.

Thanks

Tom

[TahoeTim]

I haven't read far enough ahead to check brake line routing. That's the only thing I can think of that might need attention.

[t j]

Hysol the tail wheel spring bolt in the fuselage so when you install the tail wheel you can tighten the nut without a wrench on the bolt. You might put an inspection hole ring on the cover there too so you can get that bolt out if you ever need to.

[jtpitkin06]

Hysol the tail wheel spring bolt in the fuselage so when you install the tail wheel you can tighten the nut without a wrench on the bolt. You might put an inspection hole ring on the cover there too so you can get that bolt out if you ever need to.

Plus and minus here...

I can't recommend the hysol tip. Should the tailwheel spring break, (as many have experienced) it can take the mounting bolt with it or a least bend the bolt requiring replacement. Hysol would make the job extremely difficult.

An inspection ring in the fabric below the stab is a good idea. It will provide access to the tailwheel bolt, without removing the stab, should the need arise.

[jtpitkin06]

I haven't read far enough ahead to check brake line routing. That's the only thing I can think of that might need attention.

If you have the Grove gear, the brake line routing is not a problem after covering. But you might consider any antennas you are planning on using along with ELT mounting.

Also consider ADSB antennas if you haven't got that in your immediate plans.

John

[jiott]

I had to replace the tailwheel spring bolt and was able to do it without an inspection cover and without removing the horizontal stab. I just removed one side tail access cover and reached down and put the new bolt in and held a box-end wrench on the bolt head while I tightened the nut on the bottom. It was fairly easy to do. (SS7)

[n85ae]

I have had my tailspring off several times, and this particular bolt can be
tightened by just putting a slight downward push on the tailspring. That
causes enough binding to hold the bolt while you tighten the nut. Now
before anybody jumps on this, you ONLY need to overcome the friction
of the nylon in the nut so it's not much.

I can (with difficulty) reach the bolt head from the battery hatch, so not
a huge problem. However after I discovered the other way to do it, I don't
even bother opening the battery hatch now.

Jeff


Hysol the tail wheel spring bolt in the fuselage so when you install the tail wheel you can tighten the nut without a wrench on the bolt. You might put an inspection hole ring on the cover there too so you can get that bolt out if you ever need to.

[kiwi3]

I cut a slot in the lower end of the tailspring bolt on my 3. Just deep enough to hold with a screwdriver. Works.

Ian

[HighWing]

I know the Hysol idea was in the original IV manual, but was then the 3M "Structural Adhesive". I didn't glue it then as my arm is skinny enough to reach down to the bolt through the access panel below the elevator. I have always wondered about the guys with a bit more muscle and what would be best for them. Also on the IV, the bolt is drilled with a castle nut and cotter pin. That might have helped me once as during a Condition inspection, I found the bolts through the plate loose enough for the spring to wobble from side to side a bit. I can't Speak for the newer kits parts list on that.

Regarding brake lines, with the seat out, fabric on and perfect access to the internal fuselage area, I can't imagine a problem that might come up doing the brake lines after paint.

[n85ae]

Unless you screw up like me, and glue in your brake line pass thru plates
AFTER painting, and blister up your really nice Aerothane ... Which is why
N85AE has plates, both inside and outside (to cover up the screwed up
paint). I would make the brake line pass thru's first and glue and tape them
in before paint were I to do it again.

Jeff



Regarding brake lines, with the seat out, fabric on and perfect access to the internal fuselage area, I can't imagine a problem that might come up doing the brake lines after paint.

[HighWing]

Jeff,
Good info. Maybe you can help others avoid doing what we have done. My experience was with the fabric over the V on the extruded wing strut fairings after it came loose on my first IV. Now without even thinking, I avoid any covering adhesives on finished fabric and use Hysol. I have even used it to cover rash holes in the fabric. Once in place then comes a careful application of the finishing stuff on the patch.

[n85ae]

Hi Lowell -

How well does Hysol stick to Fabric? How about the 3m 2216? That's
good to know.

Thanks!
Jeff

[HighWing]

I've used it inside and outside. The inside twice. Once to bond a piece of Lexan under the flaperon control arm where it was rubbing the fabric and once to patch a slit like cut in the fabric. I also used it on the outside once where the flaperon cut the vertical fabric during an unplanned wing folding. It held very well. One trick I used on the slit was to use a couple of pieces of sheet aluminum covered with the magic separator - clear packing tape and then held against the fabric patch on the inside and the outside by neodimium magnets. The aluminum sandwich holds everything flat.

[Tomfox]

Great discussion - I appreciate it.

Tom

[mr bill]

I just poked a hole in the fabric for the brake lines. Didn't think of a plate at the time, (makes a lot of sense now that think about it). I will add plates on the inside at least, using Stewart Systems adhesive.