> Well, the questions are starting. I have started working on my kit
and have
> found two issues that I need to address. I have a monowheel XS quick build
> kit and plan on building it as a Trigear.
>
> 1) When should I purchase the trigear option from Europa? When do the
> differences in the build between the mono and trigear start to show up?
> ...
> Mike
There's really just substituted or additional chapters for stuff like
landing gear, brakes, flap actuator, and nose gear. However, many
things are easier to do once all the gear is installed and no cradle
is in the way. It is possible to install the wings, but then the
fuselage cradle or dolly needs to be much beefier than otherwise.
Since the entire tunnel is available to put things therein, you might
consider a large, oblong access panel in the fuselage floor under the
tunnel; mine is about 8" x 10". It's easier to fabricate if done
before the cockpit module goes in. Metal was added to the panel for a
transponder antenna ground plane.
The outboard wing-mounted flap hinges are a double-plate arrangement
with extra hardware stuff, which I fondly call a "kludge" from the
monowheel. It's about double the drag, and any fairing around it much
wider. I fabricated 1/4" thick aluminum hinges, mounted between the
double plates on the wing using spacer blocks.
Either way, that hinge is available to mount the pitot tube. It needs
to run first outboard to be away from the flap before running down and
forward. So one needn't be installed in the wing, if you wish to
gamble the airflow and pressure there is proper.
Not cited in my manual is either a tail skid or parking brake, which I
think are just short of mandatory. I used a dual hydraulic valve -
start shopping now; the Cleveland valve is not cheap, and could jump
another 60% tomorrow. My tail skid is a 5/8" thick phenolic block,
with a hole for a tail tie-down. Since it needs to be securely
attached, I installed an aluminum hard point in the foam skin, the way
Europa does elsewhere, straddling the aft-most closeout bulkhead.
Best,
Fred F.
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