Brakes without struts question.
 

I am finishing off a Mick Reeves Super Reaper and have decided that it could probably do with brakes. The main undercarriage is a one-piece metal unit that is bolted to the bottom of the fuselage (see pic).

I do not want to spend a fortune on the brakes but am not sure how to get some that work. How do I stop the brake hubs rotating? There is no strut to stop it.

Can anyone suggest suitable brake units for this application?

Thanks

RE: Brakes without struts question.
 

I would get some brass flat bar and silver solder it to the wire gear. File it down enough on each side to accept the brake hub. This would keep the brake hub from spinning around the axle.

JR Gautreaux

RE: Brakes without struts question.
 

My buddy mad an aluminum adapter that has a slot that the wire gear will slip into, and we used Compact unibrakes.

Many Reaper flyers have ditched the wire landing gear and gone for dural-type .......

RE: Brakes without struts question.
 

Hi Siclick33

It depends on what brake system you intend to use. For a couple of my customers with Trim brakes, I had a couple of blocks machined up with a hole and slot that corresponded with the axle and in the wire. The hole slide over the axle portion and when you pushed it all the way on, the slot locked onto the strut portion. The hub went around the block and the whole thing was held on with a wheel collar.

Sincerely,
Ed

RE: Brakes without struts question.
 

Thanks guys,

I think I have decided on a solution, a bit of a combination of the ideas here.

I'll probably solder a u shaped piece of metal to the gear (drilled for the gear wire to go through). The fuselage side can be soldered to the upright part of the gear too, to add strength.

Now I just need to decide on the gear. I really need them for 5mm axles. The only ones I have found are Eurokit and they have the wrong brake hubs. Trim have 3/16 inch (slightly too small) and 1/4 inch (too big). If i need to, I could drill them to 5mm but I don't like doing this with new bits.

Anyone know the axle sizes of Intairco or BVM wheels? I can't find the info on the web.

RE: Brakes without struts question.
 

BVM sport is around 3/8's inch. Trim makes one that is 3/8's inch in a 3". Axle size becomes an issue on those as both are for 3/16 axle I believe.

RE: Brakes without struts question.
 

When Nony & I did the Super Reaper that question came up, here is a pix. of the piece we made to fit on the wire axle. I made a similar one to facilitate mounting the brake to he replacement aluminum gear. They work great. Where the allen wrench is through I put a bolt and a nyloc nut through and can then do a bit of clamping and to hold the piece on if the wheel falls off, don't ask why that might be necessary. :(
Bart

RE: Brakes without struts question.
 

Oops, the pix. was blank, let's try again.
Bart

RE: Brakes without struts question.
 

Joe,

I had the same issue with the axle being too big for my 3/16 Trim brakes. I used a die grinder and some sand paper to reduce the axle thickness enough to slide the brake hud on. It took some time but I was eventually able to get enough material off the axle to fit the pieces together.

JR Gautreaux