GP Super Sportster
09-10-2003, 09:45 PM
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GP Super Sportster
Hey i recently got the ARF version of the GP SS and ive heard stuff about the wheel pants ripping off and going through the wings etc... Well i went and got an aluminum landing gear to mount on the Fuse itself just in front of the wing saddle area. Some guys at the field i belong to have this plane and have put aluminum gear on and what not , but my question is if i were to just remove the wheel pant from the stock wire gears if this will still cause a problem with the gear wires bending or other problem like that. I am not sure if the problem was with the landing gear itself or the pants them sleves or both combined. Any help would be great
Thanks.
Thanks.
09-11-2003, 09:28 AM
#2
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RE: GP Super Sportster
Part of the problem is the wire gear placement. It tends to want to tip the nose into the ground. I put dural (mines nylon, but aluminum would work too) gear on mine. Right in front of the wing leading edge on the fuse.
09-11-2003, 09:51 PM
#4
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RE: GP Super Sportster
If you already mounted the wire gear in the wings, I'd use them. Just leave the wheel pants off.
You might have to bend them forward every once in a while. If they get bad, then change to the dural type mounted just ahead of the wing. You'll have to epoxy some light ply into the fuselage, and really should add some triangle stock between the ply and the fuse sides to strengthen the mounting.
I fly this plane, and did the LG modifiaction when I put it together. (Never opened up the wing slots.) It's my second SS and this one flys great too!!
Dennis-
You might have to bend them forward every once in a while. If they get bad, then change to the dural type mounted just ahead of the wing. You'll have to epoxy some light ply into the fuselage, and really should add some triangle stock between the ply and the fuse sides to strengthen the mounting.
I fly this plane, and did the LG modifiaction when I put it together. (Never opened up the wing slots.) It's my second SS and this one flys great too!!
Dennis-
09-11-2003, 10:50 PM
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RE: GP Super Sportster
thanks for teh help guys i for the mean time just left the stock wire gears on it and removed the wheel pants. Do you think adding 3" wheels to it would imprve to it??
09-12-2003, 01:18 AM
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RE: GP Super Sportster
Java, I fly mine from a rough grass field, and I've never had a problem with the stock wire landing gear (although I am one of those guys that had a wheel pant go through the wing on the first flight!) I would recommend larger wheels, however. I think mine has 3.5" wheels now.......it really had a tendency to nose over on our field, but like I said, it's very rough and patchy.
I would recommend larger wheels, however. I think mine has 3.5" wheels now.......it really had a tendency to nose over on our field, but like I said, it's very rough and patchy.
09-12-2003, 06:53 AM
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RE: GP Super Sportster
Java,
Just bend the wire so that the wheel center is even with the wing's LE. I put mine in a vise and made the bend close to where the wire exists the wing. Haven't had to re-bend mine yet.
Just bend the wire so that the wheel center is even with the wing's LE. I put mine in a vise and made the bend close to where the wire exists the wing. Haven't had to re-bend mine yet.
09-12-2003, 09:57 AM
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RE: GP Super Sportster
Do what ED said.
That's the only plane I've seen that comes with the mains set so close to the CG. It's as if GP designed the airplane to tip forward and punish the flyer. You need to bend the mains so the axles are under the wing LE. They'll have much less tendency to bend back on landing, even on rough fields. And that stupid tipping over will be a thing of the past.
Mike
That's the only plane I've seen that comes with the mains set so close to the CG. It's as if GP designed the airplane to tip forward and punish the flyer. You need to bend the mains so the axles are under the wing LE. They'll have much less tendency to bend back on landing, even on rough fields. And that stupid tipping over will be a thing of the past.
Mike
10-13-2003, 09:23 AM
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RE: GP Super Sportster
I built the gp SS 60 size plane this last year. I decided to use the aluminum gear mounted to the fuse forward of the wing saddle because I know a guy at my club that had an ARF version of the SS that had a lot of trouble with the stock landing gear coming loose and causing damage. I also decided to not use the wheel pants as we fly off grass. My plane looks and flys great.
10-13-2003, 11:29 AM
#13
RE: GP Super Sportster
The wheel pants are not the problem in most cases. It is the fact that a lot of people land them hard, or on grass if it has holes in it the force on the gear mount blocks tend to eventually rip them out of the wing. The gear ahead of the wing will fix that, and be more secure if you do it right, or you can wait till they come out and fix them with ply ribs and triangle stock. Land easy and you won't have a problem. You will love the plane. It is one of the best looking and flying birds out there.
10-13-2003, 09:32 PM
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RE: GP Super Sportster
flyboy,
Obviously you've never landed one of these with the stock gear and wheel pants. If you had, you wouldn't be making those comments. I fly reasonably well, and land better than most. My first landing with the Sportster was as gentle as it possibly could have been. One of the pants kicked up through the wing.
I assumed I'd hit a hole or something, threw some packing tape over the holes (top and bottom of the wing) and flew again. Second landing was equally gentle and the pant on the other side kicked through the wing.
By the way, my landing gear was fine. No blocks pulled out of the wing, it wasn't even bent. Once the gear has done it's damage it springs back into position making it hard to believe it happened.
Dennis-
Obviously you've never landed one of these with the stock gear and wheel pants. If you had, you wouldn't be making those comments. I fly reasonably well, and land better than most. My first landing with the Sportster was as gentle as it possibly could have been. One of the pants kicked up through the wing.
I assumed I'd hit a hole or something, threw some packing tape over the holes (top and bottom of the wing) and flew again. Second landing was equally gentle and the pant on the other side kicked through the wing.
By the way, my landing gear was fine. No blocks pulled out of the wing, it wasn't even bent. Once the gear has done it's damage it springs back into position making it hard to believe it happened.
Dennis-
10-14-2003, 09:19 AM
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RE: GP Super Sportster
DBCherry is right. My buddy's did the EXACT same thing on very good landings on grass. Those gear are very springy. If you don't bend them forward, they'll spring back and poke the wheel pants through the bottom of the wing. Almost no way to prevent it. LOSE THE WHEEL PANTS AND BEND THE GEAR FORWARD. Problem solved when this was done. A pain-in-the butt airplane became his favorite for years. Get those axles under the wing leading edge.
Mike
Mike
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10-14-2003, 03:32 PM
#18
RE: GP Super Sportster
ORIGINAL: DBCherry
flyboy,
Obviously you've never landed one of these with the stock gear and wheel pants. If you had, you wouldn't be making those comments. I fly reasonably well, and land better than most. My first landing with the Sportster was as gentle as it possibly could have been. One of the pants kicked up through the wing.
I assumed I'd hit a hole or something, threw some packing tape over the holes (top and bottom of the wing) and flew again. Second landing was equally gentle and the pant on the other side kicked through the wing.
By the way, my landing gear was fine. No blocks pulled out of the wing, it wasn't even bent. Once the gear has done it's damage it springs back into position making it hard to believe it happened.
Dennis-
flyboy,
Obviously you've never landed one of these with the stock gear and wheel pants. If you had, you wouldn't be making those comments. I fly reasonably well, and land better than most. My first landing with the Sportster was as gentle as it possibly could have been. One of the pants kicked up through the wing.
I assumed I'd hit a hole or something, threw some packing tape over the holes (top and bottom of the wing) and flew again. Second landing was equally gentle and the pant on the other side kicked through the wing.
By the way, my landing gear was fine. No blocks pulled out of the wing, it wasn't even bent. Once the gear has done it's damage it springs back into position making it hard to believe it happened.
Dennis-
If you are mounting them with the steering arm method so they can rotate on the gear wires, yes, you can get them to rotate and go through the wing. I mounted some that way when I first started flying, but they don't stay where they belong so I mount them more securely and have not had that problem.
10-14-2003, 09:21 PM
#19
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RE: GP Super Sportster
The only way they can hit the wing is if the gear itself is torn out or bent.
If you are mounting them with the steering arm method so they can rotate on the gear wires, yes, you can get them to rotate and go through the wing.
What size is your's? Mine was a 40.
Dennis-
