You may be aware that since early November, in some EAA weekly newsletter emails, Beringer Aero has been running a special on their RV kits. Basically, for the first RV builder in each EAA chapter that orders a full Beringer basic wheel/brake/tire kit, Claire knocks 30% off list.
Well, filing this under the "because I can" department, I went ahead and ordered the basic kit and everything from Claire at the beginning of the year. I'm nowhere near ready for it - just started my fuselage last week - but it's good to have around, especially for that price. I went ahead and ordered both the fuselage and finishing kits at the same time (one has the master cylinders, reservoirs, tubing, etc, the other the actual wheels/tires/brakes), along with the copilot brake option, nose wheel, and the parking brake valve. Basically the kitchen sink, because...
When ordering my fuselage from Vans, I told them to just hold off on the master cylinders and anything else brake related, along with the plastic and metal tubing for brake lines. In ordering the copilot brake pedal set, you get another master cylinder anyway, so there are some parts I'll sell off here eventually.
Last night, I finally got the package from UPS. Some shipping delays from customs and the weather, but nothing problematic. Beringer's US importer/distributor in Chicago was very helpful. And Claire herself was very helpful emailing back and forth during pre-sales.
On Claire's recommendation, the main tires are Condor 5.00-5" 10ply tubeless tires, now standard in his kits. And the nose wheel is an Aero Classic 11x4.00-5" 8ply tubeless tire. Following up on previous installations mentioned here in the VAF archives, where people had problems with the master cylinder-mounted reservoirs, Claire has changed the reservoir setup. It is now a separate reservoir per pilot, mounted on the firewall, like in the standard Vans kit.
I'll post up more information in the coming year in my build log thread. But seeing as current info on Beringer installs is a bit scarce here on VAF, I thought I'd post up my notes. The cost for the kitchen sink was comparatively high. But I'm willing and able to go all-out in my build. You pay for quality.
... and I just realized while typing this up that I didn't weigh the wheels/tires/etc, so I could post those numbers for comparison. I'll do that some time this weekend.
Some pics for information / enjoyment:
The 41.5lb UPS shipping package, being inspected by COMTREAT
Brake hardware set. Going top to bottom, left to right: The two main wheel brake calipers, the nose wheel axle, the 4 master cylinders, the parking brake valve, hardware package and reservoirs, and on the bottom is the Beringer anti-lock pressure regulator.
You also get all the SS-braided PTFE hose you need to connect everything, and run down the gear legs.
Closeup of a brake caliper
(bad) closeup of one of the new firewall-mounted reservoirs
One of the Condor main tires and wheel hubs, which I semi-assembled out of fun with its floating steel brake disc and caliper.
The Aero Classics nose wheel
Well, filing this under the "because I can" department, I went ahead and ordered the basic kit and everything from Claire at the beginning of the year. I'm nowhere near ready for it - just started my fuselage last week - but it's good to have around, especially for that price. I went ahead and ordered both the fuselage and finishing kits at the same time (one has the master cylinders, reservoirs, tubing, etc, the other the actual wheels/tires/brakes), along with the copilot brake option, nose wheel, and the parking brake valve. Basically the kitchen sink, because...
When ordering my fuselage from Vans, I told them to just hold off on the master cylinders and anything else brake related, along with the plastic and metal tubing for brake lines. In ordering the copilot brake pedal set, you get another master cylinder anyway, so there are some parts I'll sell off here eventually.
Last night, I finally got the package from UPS. Some shipping delays from customs and the weather, but nothing problematic. Beringer's US importer/distributor in Chicago was very helpful. And Claire herself was very helpful emailing back and forth during pre-sales.
On Claire's recommendation, the main tires are Condor 5.00-5" 10ply tubeless tires, now standard in his kits. And the nose wheel is an Aero Classic 11x4.00-5" 8ply tubeless tire. Following up on previous installations mentioned here in the VAF archives, where people had problems with the master cylinder-mounted reservoirs, Claire has changed the reservoir setup. It is now a separate reservoir per pilot, mounted on the firewall, like in the standard Vans kit.
I'll post up more information in the coming year in my build log thread. But seeing as current info on Beringer installs is a bit scarce here on VAF, I thought I'd post up my notes. The cost for the kitchen sink was comparatively high. But I'm willing and able to go all-out in my build. You pay for quality.
... and I just realized while typing this up that I didn't weigh the wheels/tires/etc, so I could post those numbers for comparison. I'll do that some time this weekend.
Some pics for information / enjoyment:
The 41.5lb UPS shipping package, being inspected by COMTREAT
Brake hardware set. Going top to bottom, left to right: The two main wheel brake calipers, the nose wheel axle, the 4 master cylinders, the parking brake valve, hardware package and reservoirs, and on the bottom is the Beringer anti-lock pressure regulator.
You also get all the SS-braided PTFE hose you need to connect everything, and run down the gear legs.
Closeup of a brake caliper
(bad) closeup of one of the new firewall-mounted reservoirs
One of the Condor main tires and wheel hubs, which I semi-assembled out of fun with its floating steel brake disc and caliper.
The Aero Classics nose wheel
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