FWIW dept.:

   There are hundreds of Rutan-based canard aircraft flying - and landing - with Nylaflow or Nyloseal brake lines.  Many have multiple hundreds of hours on them.  It is, under
normal circumstances, a very successful system.

   That said, Mike Melvill, converted his Long-EZ to
Stratoflex (SS braid over Teflon tube), sometime before Oct.
1990.  

   That said, too, the Berkut used 1/8" SS brake lines,
throughout.  

   The SS tubing is definitely heavier than the synthetic
tubing, but it should last the life of the airframe.  But
then, too, so should the Stratoflex.

Me?  I like metal - for some things anyway.  :)

Dale R.
COZY MkIV #1254


   


>
> From: "Russell Duffy" <13brv3@bellsouth.net>
> Date: 2005/06/24 Fri PM 06:40:17 EDT
> To: "Rotary motors in aircraft" <flyrotary@lancaironline.net>
> Subject: [FlyRotary] Re: Brake Line Incident Photos
>
> Re "stainless steel braided line", Ed:  The stuff inside the "stainless
> steel braid" ain't "steel" - it's rubber and/or teflon tubing - stuff that
> will melt from heat soaking from hot calipers back into hose.
>
> Well, I hope you're wrong about the melting part David.  The Earl's hose I'm
> using is good for 300F.  
>  
> I've seen planes with plastic line throughout.  In fact, the Kolb in the
> garage has plastic now, but it won't when I get done with it.  I've got no
> problem with using plastic for the reservoir, just not the pressure lines.
>  
> On the RV-8, I used the aluminum tubing that Van's sent, and never had a bit
> of trouble with it.  On the RV-3, I used aluminum, and had 2 or 3 different
> occurrences of cracks near the fitting on the brake caliper.  The gear on
> the -3 has some shimmy problems, so I figured it was just getting shaken too
> much.  With that in mind, I thought perhaps I had too much loop, but
> reducing it didn't help either.  Stainless braided hose did though :-)
>  
> Cheers,
> Rusty (no dyno purchase today)
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