Not quite correct Nigel.
I've done two conventional gear conversions and they took 100 hours each;
these did not include the shortcuts that were incorporated in the '6 or so'
others.
The 'inventive engineering' is already included in the design of the
conversion and, whilst probably being over-engineered, provides a lighter
undercarriage than the mono. The handling is, according to one Europa test
pilot (who has his own mono), vastly improved.
The gear leg that sheared was groundlooped in to long hummocky grass,
resulting in the wheel digging-in laterally and side-loading the leg well
beyond its FAR23-compliant design. At which point the handling would, as you
say, become less easy! But try that with a mono and the outriggers may get
damaged and/or the LG01 distorted.
I do agree that the mono looks better in the air (with the wheel retracted),
but there is no drag advantage (except in the landing configuration when the
extended wheel provides a useful airbrake, reducing float).
Duncan McF.
----- Original Message -----
From: "nigel charles" <nwcmc@tiscali.co.uk>
Sent: Saturday, May 13, 2006 12:30 PM
Subject: RE: Europa-List: ...and another thing
>
> I agree that on the ground the monowheel looks a bit strange. However
> when it is in the air with the gear retracted I think it looks the part
> more than the trigear.
>
> With regards to a conventional tailtragger version it would be a more
> viable proposition if the airframe was designed for it in the first
> place. The positioning of the hard points for mounting the main gear in
> this configuration calls for some inventive engineering. The engineer in
> the UK who has done about 6 of these conversions reckons to allow about
> 2 months to do the work and he is familiar with the job. I believe, like
> the trigear, it adds more weight to the airframe and only slightly eases
> the handling skills required. One conventionally geared Europa a few
> years ago sheared an undercarriage leg after a groundloop. Whilst this
> was totally the fault of the pilot it shows that it is not the answer if
> you wish to make the handling easier.
>
> Nigel Charles
>
|