RCU Forums - View Single Post - Toe-in or toe-out on a warbird?
View Single Post
Old 01-19-2013, 11:54 AM
  #20  
spinnetti
 
Join Date: Oct 2002
Location: Verona, KY
Posts: 139
Received 24 Likes on 17 Posts
Default RE: Toe-in or toe-out on a warbird?


ORIGINAL: Red B.

The Supermarine Spitfire is a good example of a WWII fighter aircraft that had toe-in.

Here is an interesting read:

[link=http://spitfiresite.com/2010/04/spitfire-mk-ix-xi-and-xvi-variants-much-varied.html/3]The Spitfire site[/link]

''According to Rolf Meum, who has accumulated 100+ hours of Spitfire flying with the Old Flying Machine Company, Duxford, the teardrop-shaped blisters above the wheel wells correlate to a modified wheel axle geometry adapted to tarmac/concrete runway operation. The original “grassfield” undercarriage had a substantial toe-in. As tarmac, concrete and PSP runways became usual during the course of the war, the toe-in resulted in severe wear on the port main wheel due to the engine torque during take-off. With the modification, the toe-in was decreased, but the wheels could no longer lie flat in the wheel wells and therefore needed more space to fit.''
Makes perfect sense.. the slip angles on grass are much higher.. on pavement its hard on the tires. The 109 and 190 are great opposite examples of landing gear design and alignment (109 bad, 190 good)....