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Thread: Landing on the beach

  1. #21
    Senior Member
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    Default Re: Landing on the beach

    Rodney,

    Here are some pictures of how the Tri-Gear landing gear attaches. That should clear up you question concerning how the fron mounting points work.
    Attached Images Attached Images
    Paul Zimmermann
    LSRM-A
    Garland, Texas

  2. #22
    Senior Member Rodney's Avatar
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    Default Re: Landing on the beach

    Paul - thanks for the pictures - good to hear from you.

    Enjoy all the snow last weekend???? We got about 6-8 inches up here - an now it's all gone. Suppose to rain a little tonight -

    I've still got to get the cowl painted on my 150 and get back into the air.
    Too much humidity to paint though.

    Have you had a chance to get any more hours in - between snow storms and rain storms??? What I wouldn't give for two weeks of "regular" weather.

    One thing more Paul - I keep a really nice picture of 103KA as the background on my computer so I can keep motivated. You have a gorgous airplane.

    Rodney
    Last edited by Rodney; 03-24-2010 at 02:00 PM.

  3. #23
    Senior Member SkyPirate's Avatar
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    Default Re: Landing on the beach

    yes the west coast beaches are awesome ..last time i was on the west coast was ...1965? I've flown all over the east coast top to bottom landed on ocean beaches from Cape Cod to florida ,..lakes and river beaches too ..some float flying. and west as far as Texas.
    I've been renting a 150 lately,..I land it like a tail dragger ha ha ,.don't set the nose wheel down till I'm ready to stop.
    sounds like we are in the same boat ,..I'm building a 10,000 sq.ft house, almost done,...I've got 1 shop 24'x24' with 26'x28' storage attached ,..building another 30'x30' shop now,..started last winter/fall and I've got an airplane in my downstairs shop with a good start on it ..my own design.
    Wife says same thing finish the house first ,..so I compromised ..didn't buy a kit,..just building my own concept
    I retired at age 36,.a decade or 2 ago,..DAV, so got the time ,,sometimes I don't have the mobility ,..but I make the best of it
    I've owned one kitfox,..love it ..went to texas this past week to look at a model 4,..I'll own another kitfox before too long. just gota catch up with the projects going on now

  4. #24
    Senior Member Rodney's Avatar
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    Default Re: Landing on the beach

    Did you go look at that red and yellow one that's advertised in the Classified section of the forum??

    I keep seeing really nice Kitfox IV's out there and I'm really tempted to get one. In fact I've thought of getting one to fly while I build the 7 - and then sell the IV. My problem is that I'd probably get attached to it and want to keep it.

    Later
    Rodney

  5. #25
    Senior Member Rodney's Avatar
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    Default Re: Landing on the beach

    Gotta leave work - call me at 580-513-8153 if you get a chance and tell me about it.

    It looked pretty well built.

    Rodney

  6. #26
    Senior Member akarmy's Avatar
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    Default Re: Landing on the beach

    The day I landed out there on the beach, there was a tri-gear 172 & 182 on the same beach. So yes, if the tide is on it's way out and leaves you some hard sand you can use a tri-gear too!

    I never had the nerve to try my tri-gear RV on the beach, but it really is hard sand out there so I doubt it would cause much problem.

    What was interesting was the slope of the "runway" I'm not used to landing on a 15deg slope across the runway! As you flare, the up hill wheel touches first and then you kind of bank over while slowing. Just something new to get used to.
    Andy Karmy
    Kitfox 7 - 912S - SOLD
    Auburn, WA

    http://kitfoxflying.com

  7. #27
    Senior Member Rodney's Avatar
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    Default Re: Landing on the beach

    Akarmy - since you have made the transition from tri-gear to conventional - how much time is involved in the conversion? And - if one wanted to go back to a tri-gear - is it possible?

    Thanks
    Rodney Wren

  8. #28
    Senior Member cap01's Avatar
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    Default Re: Landing on the beach

    andy , what about brake lines ? do you have to bleed the brakes when you switch ?
    chuck
    kitfox IV 1050
    912ul warpdrive
    flying B , yelm, wa

  9. #29
    Senior Member SkyPirate's Avatar
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    Default Re: Landing on the beach

    Andy ,.I had to land once dead stick in a corn field in Vermont that was about 25 degree's down to my right,.and 20 degree's up soft and full of cut cornstalks,..I lined the mains up between the rows and at the last second I leveled the wing to the ground , touched down with a little right rudder so the plane would head up hill, stick in my lap and light brakes,..the reason why I leveled the wing to the ground is if I was going to bounce ( luckily I didn't) I wanted both wheels parallel to the ground,..with out power, touching one wheel down first especially in soft ground, it would have opened the door for a ground loop. just before I stopped I kicked the tail right more so the wings were as level as I could get them and the tail was pointed down hill.
    I'm glad that I had practiced dead stick landings on a regular basis

  10. #30
    Senior Member akarmy's Avatar
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    Default Re: Landing on the beach

    So it took me about a day to do the conversion from tri-gear to tail dragger. I think you could shorten up the time once you had done it once. It's fairly easy to do. You pull the cowl, suspend the plane from the engine mount using an engine hoist. Once the main gear is off the ground, you pull the bolts and brake line fittings from the top. Then move it forward to the other mounting location and rebolt in place. I had to punch new holes in the fabric for the brake lines in the new location and yes had to bleed the brakes. Then remove the nosegear, bolt on the tailwheel, hookup the chains and you are about done. In my case I swapped out the tires for larger ones, but that's not strictly necessary.

    I think if you wanted / needed to change it more frequently the only real pain is having to move the brake lines and bleed the brakes each time. Not sure how you could eliminate that step. Maybe someone has thought of an idea for that...
    Andy Karmy
    Kitfox 7 - 912S - SOLD
    Auburn, WA

    http://kitfoxflying.com

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