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The Anti Splat "Nose Job" a review

Really looks like you found the answer to this problem, Allen!! Congrats and all the best in your business endeavors.

Roberta:):):)
 
details?

PerfTech said:
So far we have only done 68 of these, but it is building momentum every day. We did 7 today and everyone says they love the way they work and the shaking is gone. Thanks, Allan:D
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Allan,
You did such a great job with your video showing why the Anti-Splat was needed, how it worked, and how well it corrected the problem. Do you have similar information regarding this wheel bearing product?
thanks,
brian
 
Bob'sRV6A said:
I wish the bracket were opened a little more so it would slip onto the gear without a struggle. I also was unable to insert the bent bolt through to the other side as it didn't have enough bend and was too large for the hole to manuever easily. There must be a better way to close this thing down.

I found the same -- bent bolt and spacer are useless. I used two LARGE C clamps to close the clamp, one at each end, until the clamp met the brace at both sides; then the bolts went right in, starting with the middle bolt. Too easy.
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Seems to me that on the first landing, the nose was not held off the runway like it should be, especially compared to the next 3 landings which were very nice with the nose being held up until the speed was dissipated. Makes me wonder how effective this bearing really is versus the original on a level playing field.
Hey. Someone had to say it.
 
Bent Bolt Problem!

...We have corrected the issues with the bent bolt so they perform much better now. We corrected the bolt clearance problem and now use two of them to close the clamp. Everyone who has installed one with this new arrangement have reported back and said it went very smoothly. I apologize for any inconvenience this installation issue caused and it is no longer a problem. Thank you all for the great feedback and support on all our products. This really helps us with improvements and sales of our items for the RVers. Regards, Allan :D
 
I installed the reinforcement bar and the clamp yesterday. It took approximately half an hour, including 99% fitting of the new fairing.

The two bent bolts must be screwed approx. to the end in order to make the final bolts engage the threads. But it is esaly doable.

Still have to mount the antiskid plate.
 
Nose gear fairing PIREP

So I just got around to installing my Anti Splat nose gear fairing. I found that mine doesn't extend far enough towards the wheel for the hose clamp to grab. There just isn't enough meat there for the hose clamp to grab onto...it keeps slipping off. When you compare it next to the stock Van's fairing, you can really see the difference. I haven't tried to extend it by laying fiberglass yet.

Has anybody else experienced this or am I just lucky?
 
Kelly,
I didn't have any issues with mine, in fact I had to trim a little off to make it fit. Sounds like you may have a unique one. I would snap a picture and send it to Allen. He is very easy to work with.

Dan

P.S. I put a couple wraps of electrical tape on before the pipe clamp as the clamp tends to break the ends off. So far so good!
 
Could have an issue

I installed my "nose job" and upgraded nose wheel last week and I agree I could use more glass in the area of the hose clamp. Yes, I did have to trim off some in that area but it was simply too long. What I need is more in the area where the clamp is. I will end up adding some glass.

Overall, I was happy with the nose job. I am going to try velcro rather than the piano hinge.
 
Fairing Length!!!!!

ArVeeNiner said:
So I just got around to installing my Anti Splat nose gear fairing. I found that mine doesn't extend far enough towards the wheel for the hose clamp to grab. There just isn't enough meat there for the hose clamp to grab onto...it keeps slipping off. When you compare it next to the stock Van's fairing, you can really see the difference. I haven't tried to extend it by laying fiberglass yet.

Has anybody else experienced this or am I just lucky?
Click to expand...
.
....I think you are not trimming the wheel pant radius in the fairing up high enough. We have literally sold thousands and not had this problem. When we set out to make the fairings we acquired one from each model that was trimmed to fit perfectly. We also purchased a new fairing from Vans to use as a model. We made the plug and molds with extra material in every area that gets trimmed both top and bottom. All of the molds are identical and all fairings are identical as well. Below I will include some photos to show this. Take a look at them and perhaps we can figure out what has gone of course with your install. If you need another fairing or we can be of assistance just give us a call. please let us know what you find. Thanks, Allan
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A-1.jpg

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C.jpg

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B.jpg

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D.jpg

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E.jpg

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F.jpg
 
Hmmm, I only trimmed at the top of the fairing (near the engine mount) not at the bottom. I don't remember trimming the Vans fairing to clear the nose wheel pant but I could be wrong.

I'm out of town until next week. I'll be in touch then with some photos.

Thanks.
 
ArVeeNiner said:
Hmmm, I only trimmed at the top of the fairing (near the engine mount) not at the bottom. I don't remember trimming the Vans fairing to clear the nose wheel pant but I could be wrong.

I'm out of town until next week. I'll be in touch then with some photos.

Thanks.
Click to expand...

....That explains it! You need to trim the bottom and fit it first, then you trim the top to length. This is what was required with the one from Vans as well. If you need another fairing just let me know. Best, Allan....:D
 
Done! Nose Job and Wheel Job

First flight with NJ and WJ completed and, yes, I could tell a difference due to the WJ. Not only was it easier to move via tow bar but you could really tell a difference in taxi speed vs. RPM. I may have to replace my brake pads more often but it is worth it. I could not tell any difference on landing or takeoff.

With the nose jacked up it was amazing how much easier the nose wheel is rotate by hand. That must be a good thing. Maybe that would be called a "Hand Job"......O.K., maybe not.
 
Anti-Splat

Couldn't agree more. Good R+D done on these products. Excellent company to work with,who knows it may become standard on the A- models . Thanks Al for sending the second LIp Skid up to Canada at no-charge. Dave
 
No Problem!!!!

daveball said:
Couldn't agree more. Good R+D done on these products. Excellent company to work with,who knows it may become standard on the A- models . Thanks Al for sending the second LIp Skid up to Canada at no-charge. Dave
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Glad we could be of service and hope you enjoy our products. Thank you for the thumbs-up. Allan..:D
 
The important take on this failure, is where the NLG failed. It failed way up the leg, whereas before they were typicaly failing just above the NLG bearing point. This NLG was subjected to some incredible forces. The anti-splat device did what it was supposed to do.
 
ferret said:
The important take on this failure, is where the NLG failed. It failed way up the leg, whereas before they were typicaly failing just above the NLG bearing point. This NLG was subjected to some incredible forces. The anti-splat device did what it was supposed to do.
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I agree, it did as designed. I was disappointed it still ended up on it's back though. I would like to hear all the particulars of this one.
 
Looks like the owner of the aircraft was the one who started this review thread (mkbreezy). Maybe Mike can chime in and give us some details about what happened. Looks like he flies off a grass strip.
 
Hopefully the ?nose job? is not giving those who has them a type of sense of security and they become complacent in their care of these planes and landing.

They can take a great deal of beating even without it but one ought to take as much care as they can.
 
You Can Say That Again!

ferret said:
The important take on this failure, is where the NLG failed. It failed way up the leg, whereas before they were typicaly failing just above the NLG bearing point. This NLG was subjected to some incredible forces. The anti-splat device did what it was supposed to do.
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The Gear Brace totally did what is was designed to do. Wow... some real incredible forces for sure. The brace looks to be fully intact on the gear leg from what I can see.
 
Are you there Mike?

When Mike Kullenberg started this thread in October 2011 he was an early adopter of the Anti-splat Nose Job and a very keen convert. I will quote him from the first post:

"I think it is likely the best thing yet to happen to the A models, and I would highly recommend to all of you that you get this piece of mechanical insurance."

I think it would be very valuable if he could now follow up with first hand information on the events that led to the failure of his RV9A nose gear so that we do not have to resort to speculation based on photos of the wreck.
 
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Stand by ...

Captain Avgas said:
When Mike Kullenberg started this thread in October 2011 he was an early adopter of the Anti-splat Nose Job and a very keen convert. I will quote him from the first post:

"I think it is likely the best thing yet to happen to the A models, and I would highly recommend to all of you that you get this piece of mechanical insurance."

I think it would be very valuable if he could now follow up with first hand information on the events that led to the failure of his RV9A nose gear so that we do not have to resort to speculation based on photos of the wreck.
Click to expand...

I have spoken to Mike on this matter. He is a friend of mine.

He has been rather busy with other life matters but said he does have some comments to share.

So, in due time (**my words**), I think it is his intent to share. His plate has been full.

As some have mentioned, there is no need to speculate but there is still a need to be VERY aware of all circumstances where something COULD go wrong and keep in mind how you will avoid such as much as possible.

For the record, he had **NO** negative comments about Anti-Splat during our conversation.
 
For the record, Mike Kullenberg started this thread and made 8 posts, perhaps none more relevant than Post # 76 dated 27/12/11 in which he attached a video of his nosewheel (with Anti-splat device attached) taken over the course of two short flights.

This is the URL to that video, which in view of the subsequent accident, now makes for fascinating viewing...perhaps even compulsory viewing. Times 4.17 and 6.50 on the video show the nosegear, and the attitude of the aircraft, at touchdown.

http://youtu.be/MVhRCg8k_ig

Mike's comment in Post # 78 dated 28/12/11 in which he stated "After the slip, this leaves very little elevator authority to hold the nose up" may also be relevant in retrospect.
 
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It looks like on the video that all three tires hit at the same time or close to it. Not much of a flare. When I land my 7-A, I can't even see the runway. I did install the Anti-Splat on my plane but I am still a little paranoid about the front gear. The ebay ad says it had a nose wheel landing. Most aircraft would have a hard time with that.
 
As much as the "Anti-Splat" mechanism can help, good technique is still the best practice. And that's all I have to say about that!!!

Roberta:)
 
LifeofReiley said:
The Gear Brace totally did what is was designed to do. Wow... some real incredible forces for sure. The brace looks to be fully intact on the gear leg from what I can see.
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I hope that this is properly documented for the Anti-Splat maker. It is hard to evaluate what may have happened from the available photos but it does appear that the forward portion of the nose wheel pant was destroyed.

It also appears that the nut area of the nose wheel fork may be in a position to contact the ground.

If both of these statements are factual....and he was on grass/dirt....it appears that you have the same scenario that leads to a tipover without the device.

So it is possible that the device had ZERO impact in preventing the tipover in this case.

If the pilot ever comments on it, is it correct that he was able to slide the canopy aft to get out? It looks like the tall vertical stabilizer may have kept the slider from contacting the ground.

From the ad: "ORIGINALLY FITTED WITH AN O-360 AND CONSTANT SPEED PROP"
 
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Ron Lee said:
I hope that this is properly documented for the Anti-Splat maker. It is hard to evaluate what may have happened from the available photos but it does appear that the forward portion of the nose wheel pant was destroyed.

It also appears that the nut area of the nose wheel fork may be in a position to contact the ground.

If both of these statements are factual....and he was on grass/dirt....it appears that you have the same scenario that leads to a tipover without the device.

So it is possible that the device had ZERO impact in preventing the tipover in this case.

If the pilot ever comments on it, is it correct that he was able to slide the canopy aft to get out? It looks like the tall vertical stabilizer may have kept the slider from contacting the ground.

From the ad: "ORIGINALLY FITTED WITH AN O-360 AND CONSTANT SPEED PROP"
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Also looks like a heavy lead acid battery on the fire wall.
 
So it is possible that the device had ZERO impact in preventing the tipover in this case.
Click to expand...

Perhaps not. But in my case, I'm sure an anti-splat would have saved the prop & engine. When it curled under, the forward momentum was low. Never felt like we were going to go over.

2zp61kz.jpg
 
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Nose wheel mod

Anyone know if the nose wheel mod had been done? Or if it had the solid setup?

There is a pic of the front wheel in there but I can't tell.
 
Just the facts

I would not speculate on this but to point out what is stated and what shows in the photos&Videos of this ship.
1.) Long 0-320 mount with an 0-360&constant speed prop(metal or composite?) along with a lead acid battery mounted on the left side.
2.) Prop spinner in photo is untouched.
3.) the Anti-Splat brace is in place and intact.
I would like to see the weight & balance numbers as well as the wheel weights for this combination of components.
Anti-Splat Aero has developed from a brace to a three part system. The brace by it self is a monumental enhancement to the stock nose gear but needs the nose wheel modification, replacement of the bearings,Truing & balancing the tire&wheel assembly as well as the nose skid to protect the nut to realize the full benefit. I would like to know if these mods were in place at the time of the incident.
The stock nose gear is less than ideal.The Anti-Splat system gives the nose wheel pilot a fighting chance,Proper technique is just as important to a safe landing.
Bob:)
 
ferret said:
The important take on this failure, is where the NLG failed. It failed way up the leg, whereas before they were typicaly failing just above the NLG bearing point. This NLG was subjected to some incredible forces. The anti-splat device did what it was supposed to do.
Click to expand...

In this instance it appears to me that by stiffening up the centre section of the strut, the Anti-splat device has simply concentrated bending loads in the areas directly above and below the brace, resulting in the strut yielding and buckling in those areas. This is a different failure scenario than we have seen previously and some may assume that the nose gear was subject to greater forces than in previous failures. But that is not necessarily the case. Buckling the nose gear in two discrete locations looks more dramatic, but is logical when you consider that the stresses will now be hugely higher in those two areas.

Tooch said:
The ebay ad says it had a nose wheel landing. Most aircraft would have a hard time with that.
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The Ebay ad was posted by the agent selling the wreck. He probably knows about as much of what actually happened as you and I. He sees the nose strut buckled and calls it a "nose wheel landing". Hopefully in the next few days Mike Kullenberg might end the intrigue with a statement.
 
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Structural damage?

The Ebay ad was posted by the agent selling the wreck. He probably knows about as much of what actually happened as you and I. He sees the nose strut buckled and calls it a "nose wheel landing". Hopefully in the next few days Mike Kullenberg might end the intrigue with a statement.
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He certainly does not know about structural damage.
The little "skin wrinkle" he describes along the canopy slider bar most certainly exhibits a major structural deformation.
Correct me if I am wrong but the skin IS the structure on an RV.

Seems to me that a flip over with a brace, places the pivot point of the flip over higher off the ground and contributes to more structural damage than a curled up nose wheel would.
 
You can go back to the first post of this thread and see other information that could be important when discussing this event:

"The slow speed that I must use means that the nose will come down quickly and fairly hard upon touchdown. So far NO problem. I have inspected the gear leg and looked very closely at the engine mount after each landing, and see no issues. I have seen a mark on the gear leg where the brace has touched during landing, which tells me it is doing what was intended. Looking at the tracks in the grass, I have run over several ant hills, through small depressions, and farm equipment tracks, and other non smooth stuff. I think any of this stuff would cause an issue for a non braced gear leg."

Bolding added.
 
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Suggestion: Perhaps Allan could offer the eBay seller an exchange. A good nose landing gear and fork in exchange for the damaged one.
 
I have run over several ant hills, through small depressions, and farm equipment tracks, and other non smooth stuff.
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Wow. I know places on the OregonTrail that are smoother than that. I've found that a brush hog works better on anthills than a propeller.
 
OK, I am the guy that did the nose over. This will be my only post on this subject, as I have moved on to a different airplane, and no longer look at this forum.

First I will say the the Anti-Splat did EXACTLY what it was supposed to do, but nothing was going to keep the airplane right side up in this circumstance.

I had recently extended the runway about 400 feet, and there was a transition area between the old part with good grass and the new section that still had an uneven ground cover. It had rained two days previously. My inspection of the runway before departure did not indicate any discernible issues. The incident landing was normal in every way until the nose wheel crossed over into the new section at no more than 5 to 10 mph. I felt the airplane decelerate rapidly, and then very slowly it started to rotate over. I briefly even thought that the airplane might come back down on the gear, but no such luck. I will always believe that the Anti-Splat slowed the rate at which it went over, thus giving me a much less injurious ride. I think that is evidenced by how little damage was done to the cowl, wings, and the tail group. The only part of the airplane that suffered was the canopy and the roll bar structure, but there it bent stuff in an expensive way.

The nose wheel had dug a furrow into the soft dirt about 4 to 5 feet long getting deeper the entire way until the ditch was about 6 inches deep. The nose wheel stopped right there and over it went. I'm not so sure that a 172 or Cherokee would not have ripped off or severely bent the nose gear in the same situation. The true downside of the Vans nose gear is the spring steel. It is a great spring.

The end game is that I was OK, pride wounded and a bit sore, but otherwise OK. The insurance company decided after some repair quotes that we should total it. I agreed, and started looking for another one (taildragger only). I could not find one I liked or could afford, so now I have a Maule.

I looked at the ad on eBay, and do not believe that Wentworth has a good handle on the damage. They have never personally seen the airplane to my knowledge, and it is still in Cheraw where the recovery team took it. All I will say is that it will not be as simple to repair as their ad indicates. BTW it was an Titan IO-360 with a CS prop, and the weight and balance was within Vans parameters. When I was in it (big guy) the airplane was exactly in the center of the cg range. Since then I have finished grading and grassing the remainder of the strip, and now it would not be a problem.

Bottom line is that ANY airplane can be damaged if the nose wheel gets buried. I do not (nor should anyone on this forum) blame the Anti-Splat for any part in this. In fact it probably saved me from some more serious injury.
 
Mike,

Thanks not only for your frank assessment of the AntiSplat device but especially for you description of the conditions that led to the unfortunate events that totaled your plane. I too am delighted you were not hurt beyond your pride. The information shared was informative and could not have been easy for you to report. I appreciate the courage you displayed in sharing your story.

Enjoy the Maule and when and if you're ready to get back in an RV, I'd love to see you back.
 
Thanks buddy for posting this ...

mkbreezy said:
OK, I am the guy that did the nose over. This will be my only post on this subject, as I have moved on to a different airplane, and no longer look at this forum.

First I will say the the Anti-Splat did EXACTLY what it was supposed to do, but nothing was going to keep the airplane right side up in this circumstance.

I had recently extended the runway about 400 feet, and there was a transition area between the old part with good grass and the new section that still had an uneven ground cover. It had rained two days previously. My inspection of the runway before departure did not indicate any discernible issues. The incident landing was normal in every way until the nose wheel crossed over into the new section at no more than 5 to 10 mph. I felt the airplane decelerate rapidly, and then very slowly it started to rotate over. I briefly even thought that the airplane might come back down on the gear, but no such luck. I will always believe that the Anti-Splat slowed the rate at which it went over, thus giving me a much less injurious ride. I think that is evidenced by how little damage was done to the cowl, wings, and the tail group. The only part of the airplane that suffered was the canopy and the roll bar structure, but there it bent stuff in an expensive way.

The nose wheel had dug a furrow into the soft dirt about 4 to 5 feet long getting deeper the entire way until the ditch was about 6 inches deep. The nose wheel stopped right there and over it went. I'm not so sure that a 172 or Cherokee would not have ripped off or severely bent the nose gear in the same situation. The true downside of the Vans nose gear is the spring steel. It is a great spring.

The end game is that I was OK, pride wounded and a bit sore, but otherwise OK. The insurance company decided after some repair quotes that we should total it. I agreed, and started looking for another one (taildragger only). I could not find one I liked or could afford, so now I have a Maule.

I looked at the ad on eBay, and do not believe that Wentworth has a good handle on the damage. They have never personally seen the airplane to my knowledge, and it is still in Cheraw where the recovery team took it. All I will say is that it will not be as simple to repair as their ad indicates. BTW it was an Titan IO-360 with a CS prop, and the weight and balance was within Vans parameters. When I was in it (big guy) the airplane was exactly in the center of the cg range. Since then I have finished grading and grassing the remainder of the strip, and now it would not be a problem.

Bottom line is that ANY airplane can be damaged if the nose wheel gets buried. I do not (nor should anyone on this forum) blame the Anti-Splat for any part in this. In fact it probably saved me from some more serious injury.
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As mentioned to you in our conversation, your insights here on this matter are VERY valuable.

Future dialog on nosegear "issues" as well as Anti-Splat dialog should refer back to what you have posted.

All with nosegear should take to heart what you have shared.

James
 
jclark said:
Future dialog on nosegear "issues" as well as Anti-Splat dialog should refer back to what you have posted.

All with nosegear should take to heart what you have shared.
Click to expand...

It is nice to have an honest recounting of the event. It just reinforces my view to stay off of unimproved surfaces. Soft dirt? No way.

I recall another -A flip somewhere in Texas around Christmas time not too long ago. My recollection is that the grass strip had recently received beaucoup rain. In the pictures posted there were also signs of gopher like mounds which can create soft spots just under the surface.
 
Does anybody think that the lipskid might have helped or prevented the digging in of the fork? To me this would seem like the best way to sublimate a nosegear from digging into the turf.
 
I didn't install the brance to protect me from my technique. My technique is exactly how Mike Seagar trained me. I baby that nosewheel.

What I DID add the brace for was for protection during a forced landing. I didn't want to add flip avoidance as another consideration as I'm coming down. This could lead to glide extension attempts, which in turn could lead to bad things. What is disappointing is that I still have that as a factor to deal with. Yea I know, that is always a fact of life when you're putting any aircraft down in a field etc.

But, let's say that I needed to put it into Mike's strip during an engine out. What luck, a landing strip that I could make! Still, I could, and probably would, flip if the conditions were right.

I feel for you Mike. I think you're new aircraft will handle your strip just fine. Hopefully you'll someday rejoin the ranks of RVs...taildragger, RVs that is.
 
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