One item I haven't seen mentioned yet is the cooling
difference between mono and tri-gear configurations.
On a hot day our mono-wheel XS with 912S cannot be run
on the ground more than 15 minutes or so without the risk
of boil over. I have heard that the tri-gear setup cools better.
We are looking for a cowl mod or an electric fan to keep temps
under control this summer, having already reshaped the duct
inlet, relocated the oil cooler below the radiator, cut 5"
off the back of the duct, and added a spoiler to the bottom
of the cowl.
Terry Seaver
A135/N135TD
Paul Boulet wrote:
> Hi Guys;
>
> I started out building a mono wheel XS but am now considering buying the Tri
gear kit and was hoping for comments from the group. As I see it here are the
pros and cons. In the U.S. the cost of the Tri Gear kit is about $2,700 and
the speed kit an additional $400 over and above the mono wheel. However, you
save $800 a year on the hull insurance because tri gears are more forgiving in
the landing and you can't land "gear up." Cruise, climb, and top speeds seem
to be the same. From aesthetics I think the mono wheel is uniquely beautiful
while the tri gear is just another common plane (like Pulsar, Glastar, etc.).
Also my lovely wife likes the looks of the mono wheel better (even though she
says she has no intent of riding in it!). The Lakeland, Florida office says
build time is the same on Tri Gear as the Mono wheel so no advantages there.
There aren't enough sales of used Europas to be able to tell if re-sale value
on one is higher than the other because that would he!
> lp!
> with my decision too.
>
> One of my dreams is to fly to fairly high altitude Idaho grass forest strips
to do some camping and fishing. I believe the Tri Gear is a better choice
because
it can get off the ground easier because you don't have the drag of the flaps
being down like you do on the Mono wheel. I remember a discussion last year
when someone couldn't get their monowheel off a high altitude Bishop, California
airport without partially raising the gear and flaps since density altitude
that day was fairly high...and all of this was with the turbo 914 engine.
>
> The only other item I can think of is that on-going maintenance should be less
with the Tri Gear since no retractable parts. Please let me know if any of
you think I've missed something... I'm really having a hard time choosing and
could still be swayed either way. Thanks,
>
> Paul Boulet, A212, Malibu, California
>
> ---------------------------------
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