Wild Bill
Well-Known Member
I'm looking for any experience with using a simple straight tube for a landing gear on a light ultralight type design.
I keep coming back to this single straight tube concept because of it's simplicity and potential weight savings. I also don't need typical ground clearance for a normal landing gear configuration. (it's ok and even beneficial for the bottom of the fuselage to sit just several inches above the ground.)
The idea is to have a square or larger round tube integrated in the fuselage build. The landing gear would then simply slide through and be supported at each end on delrin bushings or rubber mounts, and attached to keep it from rotating. (yes, planning on having brakes too.)
I know I've seen this type of gear on something but can't remember.. Seems like the skypup has a similar arrangement but if I recall it was a wood beam with axles on bungees.
In doing calculations it seems that having the right amount of flexibility may result in a gear with marginal strength with less that ideal field conditions or imperfect landings.
So it becomes a balancing act of wall thickness, OD, and gear width, to allow the tube to have the right flex but not be too weak.
Just wondering if anyone has used something like this. If so how did you like it?
I keep coming back to this single straight tube concept because of it's simplicity and potential weight savings. I also don't need typical ground clearance for a normal landing gear configuration. (it's ok and even beneficial for the bottom of the fuselage to sit just several inches above the ground.)
The idea is to have a square or larger round tube integrated in the fuselage build. The landing gear would then simply slide through and be supported at each end on delrin bushings or rubber mounts, and attached to keep it from rotating. (yes, planning on having brakes too.)
I know I've seen this type of gear on something but can't remember.. Seems like the skypup has a similar arrangement but if I recall it was a wood beam with axles on bungees.
In doing calculations it seems that having the right amount of flexibility may result in a gear with marginal strength with less that ideal field conditions or imperfect landings.
So it becomes a balancing act of wall thickness, OD, and gear width, to allow the tube to have the right flex but not be too weak.
Just wondering if anyone has used something like this. If so how did you like it?
