X-Virus-Scanned: clean according to Sophos on Logan.com Return-Path: Sender: To: lml@lancaironline.net Date: Sat, 18 Jul 2009 11:58:49 -0400 Message-ID: X-Original-Return-Path: Received: from nskntmtas06p.mx.bigpond.com ([61.9.168.152] verified) by logan.com (CommuniGate Pro SMTP 5.2.15) with ESMTP id 3763767 for lml@lancaironline.net; Sat, 18 Jul 2009 08:53:33 -0400 Received-SPF: pass receiver=logan.com; client-ip=61.9.168.152; envelope-from=frederickmoreno@bigpond.com Received: from nskntotgx03p.mx.bigpond.com ([124.182.4.233]) by nskntmtas06p.mx.bigpond.com with ESMTP id <20090718125255.BOCI1960.nskntmtas06p.mx.bigpond.com@nskntotgx03p.mx.bigpond.com> for ; Sat, 18 Jul 2009 12:52:55 +0000 Received: from Razzle ([124.182.4.233]) by nskntotgx03p.mx.bigpond.com with ESMTP id <20090718125252.ZSZK21119.nskntotgx03p.mx.bigpond.com@Razzle> for ; Sat, 18 Jul 2009 12:52:52 +0000 From: "Frederick Moreno" X-Original-To: "Lancair Mail" Subject: LIV retractable step X-Original-Date: Sat, 18 Jul 2009 20:52:44 +0800 X-Original-Message-ID: <1AF6F7DA1D0349B5B179282D18D096E0@Razzle> MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: multipart/alternative; boundary="----=_NextPart_000_0108_01CA07E9.B70C2000" X-Priority: 3 (Normal) X-MSMail-Priority: Normal X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook, Build 10.0.6838 X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V6.00.2900.5579 Importance: Normal Thread-Index: AcoHpqUcHQgFgWlvRTSNPxP2ip6mnQ== X-RPD-ScanID: Class unknown; VirusThreatLevel unknown, RefID str=0001.0A150202.4A61C5A6.00BC,ss=1,fgs=0 X-SIH-MSG-ID: oho1Etf5TFa2kTAvmTy2alorgFm6/gF5uMhSBI0wt0lHEVbCu8XAQsKhbadfw43lxF0dcgr/ez0wYqT0XI3bt9u6JLhBWLDZ7sI= This is a multi-part message in MIME format. ------=_NextPart_000_0108_01CA07E9.B70C2000 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable "Fred, you didn't show the interesting part - which has got to be the=20 angled axle for this." =20 You don't know the half of it. =20 =20 I have made many, many modifications to my Lancair IV including designing and building my own hydraulically actuated speed brakes and servo controlle= d cowl flaps among other things. NONE of those little projects held a candle to my retracting step. What a bitch. =20 =20 Everything is at a funny angle. The step swings 45 degrees to the fuselage centreline like the landing gear. An over center locking linkage moves th= e step and locks it in the down position. Actuation is via a lever installed in the door sill and pulled up. This way you can not close the door with the step down. The lever moves an angled push rod that connects to a bell crank that rotates a shaft through the fuselage wall to another bell crank which pushes another angled pushrod to the bell crank on the step. A sp[ring assists motion and locks the linkage over center. The step rotates in a plastic sleeve bearing which is bolted to the bottom of the fuselage landing gear via a complex all carbon bearing carrier that has to carry the weight and bending moment of a 250 pound passenger jumping on the leg. Big loads need strong structure. And, of course, not enough room.=20 =20 Everywhere I had to install something, there was not enough room. The top pushrod even has to bend around the pilot's inertial reel mounted on the side wall.=20 =20 I took the step to OSH some years ago and made a presentation to the Lancai= r group. My plea: don't try this at home.=20 =20 What a bitch. =20 =20 However, every time I step into the airplane, I get intense satisfaction knowing I made the SOB work reliably. The satisfaction of flying is almost secondary to having the damn step work. (Just kidding.) =20 Until a heavy weight passenger cracked the step leg in torsion while stepping up. A day of grinding off cracked UNI carbon and then adding more BID carbon around the leg (not enough room, remember), plus a bit of filler bog and a coat of paint, and now it is right as rain.=20 =20 Lesson for all you starting builders: keep is simple and go flying. My custom goodies drove my build time up to 6000 hours. I enjoyed it, but I could have been flying years sooner.=20 =20 Fanatic Fred ------=_NextPart_000_0108_01CA07E9.B70C2000 Content-Type: text/html; charset="US-ASCII" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable

“Fred,   you d= idn't show the interesting part - which has got to be the

angled axle for this.”

 

You don’t know the half of it. 

 

I have made many, many modifications to my Lancair IV including designing and = building my own hydraulically actuated speed brakes and servo controlled cowl flaps among other things.  NONE of those little projects held a candle to my retracting step.  What a bitch. 

 

Everything is at a funny angle.  The step swings 45 degrees to the fuselage centreline like the landing gear.  An over cen= ter locking  linkage moves the step and locks it in the down position.  Actuation i= s via a lever installed in the door sill and pulled up.  This way you ca= n not close the door with the step down.  The lever moves an angled push= rod that connects to a bell crank that rotates a shaft through the fuselage wal= l to another bell crank which pushes another angled pushrod to the bell crank on= the step.  A sp[ring assists motion and locks the linkage over center.&nbs= p; The step rotates in a plastic sleeve bearing which is bolted to the bottom of t= he fuselage landing gear via a complex all carbon bearing carrier that has to carry the weight and bending moment of a 250 pound passenger jumping on the= leg.  Big loads need strong structure.  And, of course, not enough room.

 

Everywhere I had to install something, there was not eno= ugh room.  The top pushrod even has to bend around the pilot’s inert= ial reel mounted on the side wall.

 

I took the step to OSH some years ago and made a presentation to the = Lancair group.  My plea: don&#= 8217;t try this at home.

 

What a bitch. 

 

However, every time I step into the airplane, I get intense satisfact= ion knowing I made the SOB work reliably.  The satisfaction of flying is almost secondary to having the damn step work.  (Just kidding.)=

 

Until a heavy weight passenger cracked the step leg in t= orsion while stepping up.  A day of grinding off cracked UNI carbon and then adding more BID carbon around the leg (not enough room, rememb= er), plus a bit of filler bog and a coat of paint, and now it is right as rain.

 

Lesson for all you starting builders: keep is simple and= go flying.  My custom goodies drove my build time up to 6000 hours. = I enjoyed it, but I could have been flying years sooner.

 

Fanatic Fred

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