[highflight42x]

At what point does an RV tail-dragger engine mount/gear leg assembly bend or otherwise become damaged from a hard landing? Yesterday I dropped it in from several feet up and hit pretty hard. Not as hard as a few of my other bad landings (no damage so far), but still, after 2000+ takeoff & landings in my RV3, one wonders just how much that assembly can take?

 

[rvaitor87]

hard landings

I don't know, I've made several bad landings myself. after 18 years I hit a gopher hole with the right main and busted the gear attachment point. The g-meter said 5 g's. So, I would guess as long as the gear still keeps springing, and the g-meter dosen't reach 5, I would say that your ok.

That being said, however I would check your attachment points for your mount, as make sure that they are not cracked, (this was the result of the gopher hole incident). You probably do this at annual time anyway, I know I do.

I don't think you have anything to worry about.


Van has designed some pretty tough little planes, as long as nothing is bent, fly on! Or, if your really concerned, remove the mount and have it magna fluxed, or x-rayed.

Just a side note: I have since found that if I land the tail wheel first, about one second later the mains will touch, with very little or no bouce at all. (however, your results may vary)

My $.02

 

[Ironflight]

I can't (yet) speak for a -3, but I made one of my worst landings in close to four decades in Louise's -6 a couple of years ago (I blame it on a very long day of flying in rough conditions, and I'm stickin' to that story... ) and it has hung in there just fine. That's a 21 year old airplane built by Mike Seager and I believe it was used by him for transition training for awhile.

Rugged airplanes....

Paul