OK, MLG Differences - the basics:
Most, if not all prewar coupes came out of the factory with a main
landing gear comprised of a aluminum vertical leg and a double-fork
trailing arm with 7.00x4 tires. The last was produced in the fall of
1941.
Serial No. 111 was fitted with an experimental "steel" MLG trailing arm
MLG (with the wheel axle projecting outboard). It is not yet certain
from available information whether Serial No. 111 was manufactured this
way or if the "steel gear" was a retrofit to that airframe (ERCO kept
it as an "experimental"). The 415-CA produced in 1942 had this "steel"
gear, as did the first 812 postwar Ercoupes.
In terms of "spacer" differences...all of the above airframes had the
MLG Oleos "inverted" (from later practice). The "rubber donuts" that
smooth the bumps from taxiing over rough or irregular surfaces were up
in the wing airfoil above the oleo piston assembly. This allowed a
main gear fairing of minimum cross section (and drag) around the
relatively slim main vertical strut and piston assembly.
From Serial 813 onward, an aluminum gear with a trailing arm wrapped
around the wheel and tire (now 6.00x6) was fitted and the oleo
configuration was "flipped" so the rubber donuts were below the wing
and the piston assembly up in the wing. This made for easier servicing
but greater drag, as now the MLG fairing had to be wider in cross
section to fair the much fatter donuts now below the wing.
ERCO was not concerned with the extra drag because they already had
designed a retractible gear intended for later production. It is a
supreme irony that the great majority of Ercoupes wound up being
produced with the later, aerodynamically less efficient main gear
arrangement.
Regards,
William R. Bayne
.____|-(o)-|____.
(Copyright 2010)
--
On Apr 29, 2010, at 21:09, n611gc wrote:
I am not really sure about the differences. I "think' that the earlier
models have MLG made of steel. But there is some other difference,
because I was told that the spacer may not work, but that an extra
spacer would. I was also told that the later models can NOT handle an
extra spacer.
Still trying to learn what's what.
Rick
