Hi Guys,

I'm finishing up my GP Spacewalker ARF, and debating whether to put on the wheel pants. I'm flying off a grass field, and even though they are fiberglass I don't think the pants will last more than a few flights.

What do you think?

Carl

While the pants aren't very tough, the nylon mounting brackets are weaker. I'd say you'd get some use from them with stronger mounting hardware, but I've rarely used mine.

I'm on my third Spacewalker. Love them ,I have either taken the wheel pants off or the grass field has taken them off for me. I even went to the trouble of fiberglassing the inside of them this time and used steel mounting straps. Still came loose. leave them off, you'll enjoy the plane just as muce or even more by not worring about them.

See if this works for you. I have four planes with wheel pants and fly off a grass field. If a mount breaks I put on a new one. Also if they break it saves the fiberglass. I always carry a spare set in my flight box. Only had to make one repair last year.

http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/m_15...tm.htm#1559397
Post #23

Mettler did they change the SIG part number? I looked up the part #SIGSH727 and the picture they supply is diff. than the ones you have. Any ideas?

Don't know where that picture came from but that is the correct part #. Here's some more pics.
1- front of the package and the mount minus the screws. Seems I lost them!
2-Back of the package showing the mounting. I use two on each wheel pant but the axle only fits into the second wheel pant mount and not all the way through the wheel pant to the outside.
3-close up pic.
Probably wouldn't hurt to add a little extra fiberglass inside the wheel pant for a little more support.
Hope this helps.

Forget the pants. When starting your takeoff roll on grass you'll need to hold full up elevator to keep this plane from nosing in and the pants will just compound the problem. Excellent plane though, you'll love it.

Thanks for all the responses!

I think I'll just leave the wheel pants off for now ...

Carl

Okay, I've had trouble with wheel pants in the past. Then I finally got a mounting system that I like. Then I had problems with the planes nosing over. Several club members told me wheel pants won't work in the grass. After doing a little trouble shooting I found that the wheels were rubbing against the wheel pants and acting like brakes. Put some spacers on the axles to keep the wheels from rubbing. End of problem. On occasion I may have a nose over but it's usually when the grass is a little long and wet. Then almost everyone has the same problem. I have one plane that's six years and still has the same wheel pants on it. Another three years old and three others that are two years old. Always flown from grass fields. Last year at the end of our flying season I had to repair one wheel pant. Took about an hour. Yes, you can have wheel pants at a grass flying field.

Mettler1, I also have several planes with wheelpants that I fly off a grass field, and they all have the same type wide alum. landing gear and not piano wire that the wheelpants have to hold onto. The Spacewalker has a piano wire landing gear and it is next to imposable to attach wheel pants to them in a solid stable manner where they will not rotate.

Well I'm sure I'll hear how wrong that imposable statement is sooo I'll just say I have had little if any success with them.

Wayne, I tend to agree with you on the wire gear and wheel pants. I just realized that all my wheel pants are on aluminum gear because I hate wire landing gear. Even changed my Midget Mustang from wire to aluminum gear. I have only one plane with wire gear and it has no wheel pants.
On the planes that have aluminum landing gear and wheel pants, the wheels pants are not screwed the aluminum landing gear but are held on the axles with the Sig wheel pant mounts which have set screws. I grind a flat area on the bottom of the axle for the set screws so they don't rotate. Once in awhile if the wheel pant takes a hit the plastic housing of the wheel pant mount will break. That little bit of give usually saves the wheel pant. I just remove the broken mount and replace it.

Will it work with the wire landing gear? I think so but the flex in wire gear could be a problem. The flex and the fact that planes with wire landing tend to nose over easier would make it more difficult!! I think I'll have to try that sometime to so see if it will work with wire landing gear. Thanks for the input. Tom

Mettler I went right to teh SIG website and punched int eh nymber on the package you are displaying...SIGSH727 and that is the picture that came up under that number. I wonder if they changed style?

I'm using Sullivan Wheel Pant Brackets on my Space Walker and have no problems whatsoever since I installed them. I fly off grass.

Skribnod, the Sig wheel pant pictured on their web site is the sigsh728 which is a wood mount that goes inside the wheel pant and then is bolted directed to an aluminum landing gear. The other ones listed are like the one I pictured in the earlier message and come in 4 different sizes. These slide onto the axle and are attached to the wheel pant and held in place with a set screw. Don't know why Sig doesn't show a picture of those. Hope this helps.