Inexperience Pilot + Bad Field = Lose of nose gear  
View related threads: (in this forum | in all forums)

Tower Hobbies
Enter up to 4 keywords or Tower stock numbers
Logged in as Guest



Users viewing this topic: none
  Printable Version
       

All Forums >> RC Airplanes >> Crash & Rebuild >> Inexperience Pilot + Bad Field = Lose of nose gear
Page: [1]

Login
Message << Older Topic   Newer Topic >>
Inexperience Pilot + Bad Field = Lose of nose gear - 5/16/2008 1:23:59 AM   
PcFlyer77


 

Posts: 3
Joined: 5/16/2008
From: , ME, USA
Status: offline 		I bought my first plane a few weeks back (Alpha .40 RTF) It seems to be a really nice airplane, but as many have mentioned the nose gear is a bit weak. The plastic piece that holds the metal rod for the landing gear broke and when I want to take the old one off all 4 of the screw heads snapped. Now all of the screws are stuck inside the firewall and I don't have a clue how I'm going to fix this. Would it be possible to take off the firewall with out too much deconstruction? If there is no reasonable fix, I'm thinking about just turning it into a tail dragger

Thanks in advanced!
       Post #: 1

RE: Inexperience Pilot + Bad Field = Lose of nose gear - 5/16/2008 1:50:08 AM   
fozjared


 

Posts: 543
Joined: 7/1/2007
From: gilmer/nacogdoches, TX, USA
Status: offline 		if the heads were broken, pull the plastic piece off and use a pair of needlenose pliers to unscrew the remainder of the bolts out.. that is if it the 4 bolts were into blind nuts like it should be, there should be no reason to pull the firewall, worse case scenario just move the plastic mount over slightly and run screws into the firewall..

(in reply to PcFlyer77)
       Post #: 2

RE: Inexperience Pilot + Bad Field = Lose of nose gear - 5/16/2008 2:35:00 AM   
gboulton



Posts: 1862
Joined: 5/28/2005
From: La Vergne, TN, USA
Status: offline 		You could also drill/cut them out, fill in the drilled area with wooden dowel, and remount.

_____________________________

The free man will ask neither what his country can do for him nor what he can do for his country. - Milton Friedman

(in reply to fozjared)
       Post #: 3

RE: Inexperience Pilot + Bad Field = Lose of nose gear - 5/16/2008 5:43:07 AM   
Adui


 

Posts: 430
Joined: 8/24/2007
From: Dayton, OR, USA
Status: offline 		Hmmm,

If they are in blind nuts like my Arrow then absolute worst case just tap a rod of appropriate size into the hole, thereby driving the blind nut out. Then you can fill the hole as suggested and remount with wood screws or something. (Just a thought, if I'm off base say so)

I had an advantage, by the time my nose gear got broke I had already replaced the firewall

_____________________________

Chance favors the prepared mind. ~Louis Pasteur~

(in reply to gboulton)
       Post #: 4

RE: Inexperience Pilot + Bad Field = Lose of nose gear - 5/16/2008 8:11:57 AM   
PcFlyer77


 

Posts: 3
Joined: 5/16/2008
From: , ME, USA
Status: offline 		Im going to try and drill it out. Do you think filling it with something like body filler would work instead of a wooden dowel would work?

(in reply to Adui)
       Post #: 5

RE: Inexperience Pilot + Bad Field = Lose of nose gear - 5/16/2008 1:24:04 PM   
danny03



Posts: 228
Joined: 6/4/2003
From: Muskogee, OK, USA
Status: offline 		A glued in wooden dowel can be redrilled if needed, which I do not believe that you could do that to automotive body filler.


_____________________________

www.trampsrc.org

(in reply to PcFlyer77)
       Post #: 6

RE: Inexperience Pilot + Bad Field = Lose of nose gear - 5/16/2008 4:48:33 PM   
jetmech05


 

Posts: 1406
Joined: 7/12/2005
From: Jacksonville, FL, USA
Status: offline 		why not pull the plastic off cut or file the threads smooth and remove the shank from the back.....

(in reply to danny03)
       Post #: 7

RE: Inexperience Pilot + Bad Field = Lose of nose gear - 5/16/2008 6:18:39 PM   
CGRetired



Posts: 4068
Joined: 9/14/2004
From: Galloway, NJ, USA
Status: offline 		The nose gear on the Skylark 70 is somewhat of a pain too. The mounting hardware (plastic-ware) is held in place with four 4-40 screws and nuts. Not blind nuts, but regular hex nuts. All four screws go through the firewall. Fine. But the bottom two screws are blocked in by the fuselage sheeting, in this case, 1/4" balsa that has been epoxied in place with the screws stuck between the edge of the balsa and the firewall. I cannot get a screwdriver in there to hold the screws to tighten the nuts on the other side. This is because the epoxy that is holding the firewall to the 1/4" balsa sheeting (bottom side of the fuselage that forms the small cowl area) blocks access to teh screw heads. And, they turn freely. Jeech!!!!

I put the top two screws in with a good amount of lock-tite and tightened them as best I could. I then tried to hold the bottom screws in place while I put the nuts on, then tightened one as best I could (with locktite) but the other will not tighten because I cannot get at the screw heads.

Fun and games.

But, it has held since the tightening process.. fingers crossed.. and maybe it will continue to do so.

But if it does not hold, well, out it goes and in comes tail dragger.

CGr.

_____________________________

Skylark 70 - OS 75 AX; Venus II - OS 1.20 AX; Tiger 120 - OS 1.20 AX; Protege - OS .75 AX. Airtronics - Spektrum. AMA 705964. Semper Paratus!

(in reply to jetmech05)
       Post #: 8

RE: Inexperience Pilot + Bad Field = Lose of nose gear - 5/16/2008 9:03:47 PM   
PcFlyer77


 

Posts: 3
Joined: 5/16/2008
From: , ME, USA
Status: offline 		Well, I managed to get the screws out. I had to cut a hole at the bottom of the fuselage so I could access behind the firewall. I'm planning on using a wooden dowel to fill the holes back up. Should I put epoxy on the dowel to hold it in place or just CA glue? Same question for the bottom panel I had to cut out.

Thanks for the help guys, I really appreciate it

(in reply to CGRetired)
       Post #: 9

RE: Inexperience Pilot + Bad Field = Lose of nose gear - 5/16/2008 9:15:00 PM   
Jburry



Posts: 552
Joined: 7/12/2006
From: Cape Spencer, NB, CANADA
Status: offline 		Epoxy on the firewall (it's more vibration resistant, and this is the vibratiest part of the plane), and whichever for the panel. I'd use CA (lighter, faster, easier), but it's up to you.

J

_____________________________

Revver Bro. #220

(in reply to PcFlyer77)
       Post #: 10

RE: Inexperience Pilot + Bad Field = Lose of nose gear - 5/18/2008 6:03:30 AM   
HornetFitter


 

Posts: 80
Joined: 2/3/2008
From: Cold Lake, AB, CANADA
Status: offline 		Hi...
Yeah, just tap out the blind nuts and then get yourself the Du-Bro landing gear mount and some new hardware. Remember to use locktite (blue) on the theads of the new screws too. The H9 nose gear bracket is notoriously weak!!!!!! I snapped the one on my Alpha 60 the first time out (on skiis).

Btw... I grew up on the Island. Nice to see another "down homer" here.
CHeerz,
Dave

(in reply to Jburry)
       Post #: 11

RE: Inexperience Pilot + Bad Field = Lose of nose gear - 5/25/2008 12:09:44 AM   
kid chuckles


 

Posts: 680
Joined: 5/2/2007
From: Granbury, TX, USA
Status: online 		CG can you hold the end that is thru the nut with needlenose then tighten the nut? This will work sometimes when you cant get to the head of the nut. When you remove it it could get tight where you held it then hold it on the other side of the nut. I am sure you would have done this already but there you go if not.

(in reply to HornetFitter)
       Post #: 12

Page:   [1]
All Forums >> RC Airplanes >> Crash & Rebuild >> Inexperience Pilot + Bad Field = Lose of nose gear
Page: [1]





Jump to: