Steve Steinbring

I changed the screws securing the landing gear on one of my airplanes to nylon screws. Works great for limiting damage............BUT!!!!!!!! The first two landings with the nylon setup nothing hard sheared the screws ending up with a belly landing. Only thing hurt if at all is a bit of pride, since it happened twice in a row today in consecutive flights and it was windy.

Those of you that are using nylon gear screws what size are you using as 8-32 doesn't holdup on the gear I've got. The reason I changed is that the gear attachment plate on the airplane I am flying is a weak point.

Could it be the angle of how the gear is attached to the fuselage which is about 90 degrees to the bottom of the aircraft? The airplane touches down and you can hear when the nylon screws snap as it bellys in, not even a bounce.

JohnBuckner

My Feedback: (1)

I generally use nylon Quarter 20's on everything wings and gear. In the gear that is bolted I normally use two bolts on some larger stuff up to seventeen or so pounds will go to four bolts.

John

N1EDM

My Feedback: (2)

I use 10-24's and they work as advertised for me. I use the 10-24 instead of 10-32 because I've found that a 10-32 is too find a thread. I usually change the screws out after several flights because they might be getting worn... but they have saved my fuselages many times...

I even got a 'Landing Gear Is For Sissies" award at our last Club dinner because I ripped the gear off of 2 planes in one day... but I didn't have to glue a single stick of balsa back together to get back in the air...

Just my $.02

Bob

Flying freak

Are you guys landing on grass because im thinking if i did this and the gear drooped out on the runway at say 20 mph you would have some serious road rash on the monokote no?

Steven

Edwin

My Feedback: (2)

I use 10-24 on my rascal110. I used to fly off grass with no problems. Now I fly off pavement still no problems. I use 1/4-20 on a bandito grande, grass and pavement. Its a heavier plane. Had two, one was gas and the other (the one I still have) is glow. Both no problems. I would think 8-32 is too small, even for a 40 size.
Edwin

N1EDM

My Feedback: (2)

I fly off grass with my Rascal 40 (10-24 nylon bolts). The only problem that I had was one day when I made an exceptionally long takeoff run, I ran it off the end of the runway just at lift-off and my wheels caught some rough stuff. Knocked the gear off but the airplane kept flying.

Have you ever seen a Rascal 40 with "retracts"??? Kinda cool!

For landing, I brought it in over some heavy grass on the side of the field and killed the engine (and saved the prop). Minimal scratches.

Think of what would have become of the monokote if you had to dig into the bottom of the fuse to repair the LG block...

Bob

Edwin

My Feedback: (2)

Not a 40, but I did it with my 110. Knocked the gear off flying over some power lines. I didnt notice it, others said I hit it but I didnt believe them. Till I got close and something didnt look right. Sure enough, no gear. I thought I was on this side of the power lines. Go around and brought it in as slow as it would go. No damage to the plane, pride to a hit. <g>
Edwin

rclement

My Feedback: (1)

Nylon screws are great to have if you want the gear to come off during an otherwise not so great landing or slight crash but it may take some experimenting to get the size just right. I had a 60 U Can Do with 2 - 1/4 20 nylon bolts but the carbon fiber gear was too stiff and they sheared off. I added another one and it worked. Another thing to keep in mind is that if you are using wheel pants and the gear comes off it will usually pokes holes in your wings. It will even do that without the wheel pants.