Low n Slow
Well Known Member
...Now I'm learning of a gear failure on a paved runway? Say WHAT? An airplane LANDING gear should be able to handle a friggin bump on an open runway. Short of the "lip" being the size of a curb or a pothole as big as a bucket a proper gear should handle the occasional bump!...
John, while I agree some have been pilot induced, an airplane at taxi speed should be able to take a lot more abuse than has been demonstrated by the nose gear failure being discussed here. Like has already been noted, there has to be some safety margin in the thing, after all NO pilot is perfect 100% of the time and the airplane should be able to stand the less than perfect technique or the un-seen pothole in the grass runway.
I agreed with all of the above posts and while I had to shake my head at some of the responses, because I don’t have a dog in this fight, I wasn’t going to comment. But after reading L.Adamson’s post, I have to respond as you seem to be comparing apples and oranges;If a rabbit can flip an RV-A upside down, there has to be something wrong!...
I’ve yet to read about any RV-4 gear failures, or have I missed all those threads? Any plane, certified or not, can and do flip, but how many of these are the direct result of a gear failure? Not many I would think, or do you really believe each and every flip has been caused by poor piloting? I don’t doubt that some have, but surely that can’t be the cause of all of them....However, as I've mentioned previously, I do know of three taildraggers.................locally, that flipped!...
If I were building a trike and heard Van’s response to Barry’s call, I’d be d_mn pissed. I concede to those who’ve pointed out that an RV is an experimental, but it’s also the most popular kit plane currently being sold.
Maybe because I bought a flying RV and haven’t spent countless hours building, I’ve got a little more objective viewpoint. My God, if the gear as designed, can’t make it across a rough, paved active runway under direct control by the FAA, what does that say about the chances of making a successful forced landing on anything worst?!?
So many of the posters in this thread have brought to mind that old Mark Twain quote, “Denial ain’t just a river in Egypt”.
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