bryris

I purchased a tailwheel assembly for my LT-40 kit. My plan was to build it as a taildragger from the get go, but I have been advised by more people than otherwise to build it with tricycle gear at first and convert later on. This is fine with me.

But, here is my question - I have heard that the OEM maingear struts on the LT-40 are a little flimsy. Having never flown the LT-40 - or even seen one fly, I am unsure whether this is a problem that I should address now or not. Should I puchase a more studry set of mains? Or should the factory set get me through OK until I eventually convert it to a taildragger a bit later?

Thanks for your input.

HighPlains

My Feedback: (1)

Assuming that you are new to the hobby, the flimsy main gear will flatten on your less than perfect landings. When you notice the tail is a dragging, just rebend until the plane is level. BTW, you have picked the very best trainer yet created. Balance toward the more nose heavy balances, and it trims out to recover from slight errors in control better. As you improve, move the battery back to balance towards the rear of the range, increase the control throws, and the acrobactics improve. It will fly inverted quite nicely, even do outside loops at that balance. All around a fun airplane to learn with.

Have your instructor teach you how to do loops and rolls, cuban 8's, split S's, etc, before he trys to teach you to land. Basic acrobatics build the eye hand coordination required to avoid rolling into turns when you are low to the ground. Practice slow speed flight while high above the ground. Practice flairing and landing approaches while 30 feet above the runway. When you can do that, then land.

CP140

Yes, the mains are a little soft. After a couple of hard bounces, they will be bent upwards and your plane will develop a bit of a tail down attitude sitting on the ground. All you have you to bend them back. It's a bit of a pain, but consider this... when they are bending like that, they are absorbing some of the impact from the landing...impact that, if the gear was more rigid, would be transferred to the structure of the airplane.

bryris

OK.....I'll stick with them. After a few months of soloing and after my comfort level increases, I am gonna convert it to a taildragger anyways.

Thanks.

Flight Risk

My Feedback: (1)

I agree that that the LT 40 is a great trainer. This was actually my second plan and i built mine as a taildragger. My favorite main gear is this composite thing from Dubro.
http://www2.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin...?&I=LXNM65&P=0
I use it on all my planes which it will fit. Unfortunately it is only in one size. It is imposible to break yet has the right amount of spring in it. Aluminum landing gear always bends for me. If you use it as a tricycle on your LT, you may need to get an extra long nose gear to keep it level.[X(]
Make sure if you do a traildagger, that you move the landing gear forward to the leading edge of the wing.

Rod S

LSP972

My Feedback: (13)

bryris, a quick and easy way to prevent your mains from splaying out (and without this mod they will eventually, regardless of how soft you land) is to bend a piece of 5/32 wire to the proper length and angle, wrap & solder in place, as shown in the pic below.

That set of main gear has over 300 flights (and landings) on it, and has survived the hard landings of three students.