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Hi All...
The Tail to Ground height on my 415C measures 74 & 5/8 inches. In your
opinion(s)...are the 7/16 inch "Spacers" necessary? All opinions
appreciated.
Harry
N799TX
----- Original Message -----
From: "Hartmut Beil" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: "James B. Brennan" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>; "Ercoupe Tech Forum"
<[email protected]>
Sent: Friday, January 05, 2007 12:51 PM
Subject: Re: [COUPERS-TECH] Nose Gear
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James.
I am with you. The spacers should be your last resort to bring the tail up
to a normal height.
Especially on hard landings you will need every inch of travel on the
mains
to absorb the shock.
But if you find the tail still low after installing the new main gear, I
would rather use the spacers.
I am doing it myself reluctantly.
You can take off pretty easy with a low tail when you trim for cruise. The
more air goes over the tail when taking off, the more the nose will be
pushed to the ground.
This is my preferred takeoff method in cross wind situations. It does not
matter if the tail is low, the plane will correct itself according to your
trim setting. You can also have problems taking off in a tail high Ercoupe
when the plane is trimmed nose up. Best is to make it habit to trim for
cruise on takeoff - makes for an easy to handle plane.
The difficult situation comes when you are in for a landing. The plane
then
is trimmed nose up and will still be after touching down when in a tail
low configuration. You need to push forward on the yoke. The force needed
I
find harder to estimate. I found myself constantly pushing with too much
force, using the expensive front tire as a marker on the runway. With the
plane tail up, you will find yourself steering the plane with ease after
it
looses its momentum on rollout.
Of course you could also trim for cruise briefly before touching down and
get the same effect. But who has the nerves to do that?
Hartmut
----- Original Message -----
From: "James B. Brennan" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: "Ercoupe Tech Forum" <[email protected]>
Sent: Friday, January 05, 2007 8:20 PM
Subject: Re: [COUPERS-TECH] Nose Gear
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advice in this forum.]----
I recently acquired a set of tires, wheels & Cleveland brakes from Clem
Beauchamin's sad loss. I also acquired his struts, with the lip seals
and bellevue springs plus 7/8" spacers, as I have the newer nose gear.
John Wright, Sr. told me to NOT use the spacers: he described the low
tail height as a "myth" (yup, his word) and that he's seen too many
examples of center section damage owing to not enough oleo travel that
he does NOT recommend the spacers be used.
It seems that about a year ago (while I was pretty new to this list) I
read a long string of discussion on these spacers. My plane has old
struts, no doubt with shot oleos and tired rubber, so getting Clem's
pair, that had been serviced 3 years ago by J.W., Sr. and have the
springs instead of the rubber seemed wonderful. Needless to say I was
floored by Mr. Wright's remark. I am due for annual so I reckoned that
in the course of it, the Clevelands would be fitted, as well as the
replacement struts.
What about those spacers? I have around 100 hours in my 415-C and have
not attempted a "wicked" cross wind - my instructor simply told me that
after my mains were planted to shove the yoke forward and steer.
??????????????????
J.B. Brennan
PS - yeah, my tail is quite low now, but I think the replacement struts
with the springs will bring it up a lot (I think my doughnuts are sad -
they're sticky to the touch), but I really don't want to make this a
two visit job if I can help it.
PPS - on takeoff, my plane, even with its low tail, obviously has a
negative angle of attack - yesterday I guess I let it get up near 80
before I picked it off (very long & smooth RW)
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