Larry, Thanks for the input on the Cessna 120 gear legs. I have done weight and balance on my KR-2 (and on Larry Flesner's also). Getting very familiar with the Excel spread sheet. My personal measurements on my KR-2 and using the W & B spread sheet clearly indicates the main wheels need to be moved. The VW engine has been moved 2 inches forward from the plans call out by putting 2-inch spacers between the fire wall and stock engine mount. Now in process of building some adapters for the bottom ends of the gear legs to extend the wheel axels 3 inches further aft for total of 20 inches aft of datum (leading edge of the stub wing).
Sid Wood Tri-gear KR-2 N6242 Mechanicsville, MD, USA ---------------------------------------------------------------- > Mark, > Your statement below reminds me of my old Cessna 120. The Cessna 120 > could nose over if the right situation arose probably mostly from applying > too much braking by the pilot. Several 120s I have seen over the years had > a horizontal steel bracket bolted to the normal axle bolt holes. This > bracket extended several inches forward of course because Cessna 120s are > tail draggers. The axle was then bolted to the forward end of the > extension. This extension with its extra leverage was supposed to really > help prevent a nose over situation on the 120. I always assumed that > Cessna made these parts since it is a certified aircraft but I don't know > that. > I would imagine this same principle should work on a nose dragger, with a > rearward extension. The twisting moment might need to be considered on the > fiberglass landing gear. It may not matter as much as my imagination says > it may! > Just wondering Sid if you have done your weight and balance? I will assume > you can't move your engine forward! > Larry H > >> Can't you simply bolt an appropriate sized adapter plate to your current >> lower gear attach bracket that extends rearward just enough to keep the >> thing off it's tail? Assuming it's thick enough, I would not expect any >> toe/camber geometry changes, although if you have wheel pants, they would >> need some reworking to meet up with the gear legs. >> >> That's essentially what I did to make my gear longer, except I went down >> instead of aft. Really, I just made a new lower bracket that was longer, >> but essentially the same concept. It worked, but I didn't like the view >> over the cowling. You could also take that approach...redesigned bottom >> gear brackets that relocate the wheels further aft. >> >> Mark Langford
