X-Virus-Scanned: clean according to Sophos on Logan.com Return-Path: Sender: To: lml Date: Fri, 20 Oct 2006 13:04:51 -0400 Message-ID: X-Original-Return-Path: Received: from imf24aec.mail.bellsouth.net ([205.152.59.72] verified) by logan.com (CommuniGate Pro SMTP 5.1.0) with ESMTP id 1487853 for lml@lancaironline.net; Fri, 20 Oct 2006 01:12:41 -0400 Received-SPF: pass receiver=logan.com; client-ip=205.152.59.72; envelope-from=captainboris@bellsouth.net Received: from ibm70aec.bellsouth.net ([65.2.221.211]) by imf24aec.mail.bellsouth.net with ESMTP id <20061020051212.LPEV16086.imf24aec.mail.bellsouth.net@ibm70aec.bellsouth.net> for ; Fri, 20 Oct 2006 01:12:12 -0400 Received: from TOSHIBA ([65.2.221.211]) by ibm70aec.bellsouth.net with SMTP id <20061020051211.YTBT28704.ibm70aec.bellsouth.net@TOSHIBA> for ; Fri, 20 Oct 2006 01:12:11 -0400 X-Original-Message-ID: <002501c6f406$484943e0$6402a8c0@TOSHIBA> From: "Ed Kary" X-Original-To: Subject: IV-P Landing gear issues that I've discovered X-Original-Date: Fri, 20 Oct 2006 01:12:02 -0400 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: multipart/alternative; boundary="----=_NextPart_000_0022_01C6F3E4.BFB374E0" X-Priority: 3 X-MSMail-Priority: Normal X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook Express 6.00.2900.2869 X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V6.00.2900.2962 This is a multi-part message in MIME format. ------=_NextPart_000_0022_01C6F3E4.BFB374E0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable I want to give fellow IV-P builders a "heads-up" on some serious landing = gear issues that I've discovered during my work on my main gear and nose = gear: First, when I was attaching my main gear hydraulic cylinders, I was = having trouble getting things to line up. I was really concerned that = perhaps some machining was done by the factory to the Rack housing/ = Support arm assembly (also called Assembly A in the build manual) = because there was some writing on the support arms as I had received = them in my kit. After a couple of days of head scratching, I found that = my two Assembly A's were not symmetrical and the reason was that they = were both assembled incorrectly by the factory. One was actually = missing critical GM468 spacers that act as bushings (ref: page 19-72 of = IV-P manual). Once I got Lancair to send me the missing spacers, and after I rebuilt = the Assembly A's, I got everything to fit correctly and was able to = finally align and adjust the rack and pinions. I urge all IV-P builders = to check that your Assembly A's are rigged correctly. Both of mine were = not. =20 Second, after I completed the work on my main gear and doors, I started = on the nose gear and was immediately confounded when I couldn't attach = the nose gear hydraulic actuator (HC-08) between the nose gear strut and = over-center linkage. With the correct rod end on the hydraulic = actuator, there was simply no way that it would attach and be able to = have the nose gear be "down and locked". =20 At this point, I contacted Robert Williams at Lancair and he suggested = that I might have the wrong hydraulic actuator. A lot of e-mail and = pictures flew back and forth from me to him, and we decided that the = problem was not with the actuator but probably with a mis-welded tab on = the over-center linkage. He sent me a replacement linkage. After I = received it, it was obvious that my original and the replacement were = exact copies. Back to square one... After talking with the knowledgeable Brad Simmons up in Tennessee, he = suggested that perhaps the nose gear pivot blocks were incorrectly = installed. Bingo! After more communication between me and Lancair as = well as more e-mailed pics, Robert sent me two replacement nose gear = pivot blocks (also called: bearing blocks). I disassembled the nose gear strut from the engine mount and set the = proper strut angle (.5 - 1 deg fwd) and checked retraction clearances = into the wheel well. Having the pivot blocks clamped tightly to the = engine mount and trying to do a one-man clamp, retract, re-clamp, check = strut angle, etc. without the help of my undertrained and grumpy shop = assistant (read: wife), was not for the faint of heart. But once I = attached the new bearing blocks, everything finally started coming = together and I was finally able to get to work on the doors. In conclusion: please check your kits to see that you don't have the = same problems that I had. When the factory person installed the nose = gear in my fast-build kit, as well as the main gear rack assembly's, = apparently there was no quality assurance involved to ensure that the = job was done correctly. I picked my kit up in April 2003, so if you're = in the same timeframe, please check both of these issues closely. I would like to mention that when I could get a hold of Robert Williams, = and later Ross, at the factory, they were always willing to try and get = both of these issues resolved. Robert was always insistent that he = would replace and send to me whatever was needed to fix the problem. = This was greatly appreciated! =20 Anyway, I hope this "heads-up" helps. Ed Kary IV-P ------=_NextPart_000_0022_01C6F3E4.BFB374E0 Content-Type: text/html; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable
I want to give fellow IV-P builders a "heads-up" on some serious = landing=20 gear issues that I've discovered during my work on my main gear and nose = gear:
 
First, when I was attaching my main gear hydraulic cylinders, I was = having=20 trouble getting things to line up.  I was really concerned that = perhaps=20 some machining was done by the factory to the Rack housing/ Support arm = assembly=20 (also called Assembly A in the build manual) because there was some = writing on=20 the support arms as I had received them in my kit.  After a couple = of days=20 of head scratching, I found that my two Assembly A's were not = symmetrical and=20 the reason was that they were both assembled = incorrectly by the=20 factory.  One was actually missing critical GM468 spacers that act = as=20 bushings (ref: page 19-72 of IV-P manual).
 
Once I got Lancair to send me the missing spacers, and after I = rebuilt the=20 Assembly A's, I got everything to fit correctly and was able to finally = align=20 and adjust the rack and pinions.  I urge all IV-P builders = to check=20 that your Assembly A's are rigged correctly.  Both of mine were = not. =20
 
Second, after I completed the work on my main gear and doors, I = started on=20 the nose gear and was immediately confounded when I couldn't attach the = nose=20 gear hydraulic actuator (HC-08) between the nose gear strut and = over-center=20 linkage.  With the correct rod end on the hydraulic = actuator, there=20 was simply no way that it would attach and be able to have the nose = gear be=20 "down and locked". 
 
At this point, I contacted Robert Williams at Lancair and he = suggested that=20 I might have the wrong hydraulic actuator.  A lot of e-mail and = pictures=20 flew back and forth from me to him, and we decided that the problem = was not=20 with the actuator but probably with a mis-welded tab on the=20 over-center linkage.  He sent me a replacement=20 linkage.  After I received it, it was obvious that my = original=20 and the replacement were exact copies.  Back to square one...
 
After talking with the knowledgeable Brad Simmons up in Tennessee, = he=20 suggested that perhaps the nose gear pivot blocks were incorrectly=20 installed.  Bingo!  After more communication between me = and=20 Lancair as well as more e-mailed pics, Robert sent me two replacement = nose gear=20 pivot blocks (also called: bearing blocks).
 
I disassembled the nose gear strut from the engine mount and set = the proper=20 strut angle (.5 - 1 deg fwd) and checked retraction clearances into the = wheel=20 well.  Having the pivot blocks clamped tightly to the engine = mount and=20 trying to do a one-man clamp, retract, re-clamp, check strut angle, etc. = without=20 the help of my undertrained and grumpy shop assistant (read: wife), was = not for=20 the faint of heart.  But once I attached the new bearing blocks, = everything=20 finally started coming together and I was finally able to get to work on = the=20 doors.
 
In conclusion: please check your kits to see that you don't have = the same=20 problems that I had.  When the factory person installed the = nose gear=20 in my fast-build kit, as well as the main gear rack assembly's, = apparently there=20 was no quality assurance involved to ensure that the job was done=20 correctly.  I picked my kit up in April 2003, so if you're in the = same=20 timeframe, please check both of these issues closely.
 
I would like to mention that when I could get a hold of Robert = Williams,=20 and later Ross, at the factory, they were always willing to try and get = both of=20 these issues resolved.  Robert was always insistent that he would = replace=20 and send to me whatever was needed to fix the problem.  This=20 was greatly appreciated! 
 
Anyway, I hope this "heads-up" helps.
 
Ed Kary
IV-P
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