Netters I am going to say something here that I hope doesn't offend. There is NO WAY you can get a retract gear system that is safe and relaible to weigh as little as my Dan Diehl fixed gear system. Common sense tells you that you have to have just as strong main gear legs so that is nearly the same, wheels and tires and brakes, so that is the same. Then, the part count goes up on the retract because now we have to have the linkages or jack screws, electric motor if that style, & wiring, hydraulic system if that style, and indicator system for gear position. The shear increase in part count makes it obvious that the retract will weigh more, the question is just how much more. The coolness factor is not worth the added weight and drop in performance. Look at the Loehle P5151R vs the P5151. Same max speed, 10 mph cruise speed increase. For the KR1 no big deal, but for the KR2, the added weight surely means lower payload. Remember, added weight in empty weight reduces payload because you still have the same gross weight! If Troy Pettiway, one of the fastest KRs flying, and Marty Roberts, another fast one, and Steve Alderman, another fast one, felt that they would get significant enough speed gains to make it worth the added weight and time on this plane, trust me they would have put them on! You can install a Flight Director too in your KR and it will work, BUT does it make sense and is it necessary to match the mission of the plane, or is it just the latest greatest toy available and money is burning a hole in your pocket. If so, so be it. But do not believe that you can make a retract system come close to the same weight as a well designed fixed gear system. That defies common sense. Comparing a car's heavy duty leaf spring to my light weight fiberglass gear legs is truly apples to oranges.
Not trying to talk anyone out of doing it, just want you to see both sides BEFORE you buy parts and change your install and begin cutting.... Colin & Bev Rainey KR2(td) N96TA Sanford, FL [email protected] http://kr-builder.org/Colin/index.html
