Yep
Good grief! Not designed to land on grass? I couldn't tell if the gear folded, looks like maybe it did, but gee whiz not designed to land on grass?
Yea the wheel pants was vertical, 90 degrees from the normal orientation. You can clearly see it in one picture.
I am very interested in determining the axle design - anyone reading this with insight into that?
Every flying session from spring to autumn, the Swallows return to Capistrano and RV's fly, there are always a hand full of flips, mostly with Model A's (sorry but true). There was massive analysis put forth, including Vans analysis written up in the RVator. A subsequent accident investigation and engineering analysis report was written. Bottom line the failure mode was determined but the conclusion was the design was adequate for intended design loads...... end of story. (You don't hear of RV-8's flipping or at least as much? humm)
Are we getting to the point where the a's require a more demanding landing/ground handling technique over the td's?? Seriously, it seems that the operating envelope for the a's is getting narrower than the td's.
When did td's get to be demanding? Conventional Gear RV's (TD's) are the easiest planes and most fun planes I have ever flown. Its a tad more difficult than a Piper Cub granted.
Tail Draggers, as long as I can remember TD's where always thought to be better for soft and rough field Ops, period. It makes sense from the geometry to dynamics. Go to Alaska..... most Bush planes are either on floats, skies or tail wheels. There are Cessna 206's and 208's trikes, but usually they are going off "prepared" strips (rough gravel).
The size of the wheels on RV's are small, so TD RV's are not super bush planes either. Main gear legs are not likely to fold because they are, one stronger and structurally stable. Yes you can bend a main gear but it takes a heck of a lot more load in the wrong direction.
The RV nose wheel is smaller than what some lawn mowers and bike training wheels are. They are going to dig in. Not to mention the +300 lbs of engine and prop cantilever over the nose wheel!
Look at the first consumer Trike plane, the PIPER Tri-Pacer. To test the nose gear they dragged it across a plowed field at right angles to the furrows. Look at one, its build like a bridge and the wheel is large. Over kill? Yes but you never saw a Tri Pacer nose gear fold.
Add the small wheel to a thin tapered forward cantilever gear leg (which is structurally unstable in strict engineering terms). It's possible to fold a nose gear (obviously). It's also possible to break the wing off if you pull back hard on the stick going too fast. Every thing has limits. Van made a light low drag design that works, with limits. If your nose gear "jams" and you have enough fwd momentum, you'll go over. It's time to not be in denial but just be careful.[/QUOTE]
Keep in mind that you can flip a tail wheel if you break to much.
Kent
The obligatory TD can flip comment .
Just kidding but really.......I never heard of a tail wheel folding?
Also "Brakes" are under the control of the pilot. Retractable RV nose gear's are apparently not under the control of the pilot.
I use to think it was mostly the pilots fault. In a way it always is. The PIC accepts full responsibility for the final outcome of a flight, regardless of who or what is to blame. There are steps to minimize the chance of nose gear fold/flip for sure, pilot technique, maintence and may be stay off of soft fields (with long grass, mole and ant hills, ruts...). Stuff happens. "Fate is the hunter."
