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Betty Lou is Getting Used to her new home...

jeffkersey

jeffkersey

Well Known Member
My wife named the new plane "Betty Lou", I guess she had the Bob Seger song on the brain.

I have been reading all the posts about RV landing gear issues on non paved strips and was concerned about how it would perform at the field where I wanted to keep it. I am fortunate that my elderly friend who sold his plane and quit flying offered up that I could keep my plane at his place if I bought one. 2 minutes from my house. Steel hangar, 1150 ft flat and useful. In and out from the west. The winds favor north and south in my area of TN...

I have seen some video of RV landing gear looking very sketchy and have read about some of the available mods. Anti-plat etc. I decided to video my gear and see what it looks like an the ground and I am pleasantly surprised. Not sure that I will do any mods. It already had the matco hub.

Here are a couple links to video of the gear on the strip. I love my airplane!!!!!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ca0FErFGOao

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xrB2bhTmGxs

Betty%20Lou%20at%20home.jpg
 
Nice Jeff. Looks like you held the nose off as suggested and it worked well. Thanks for the videos.
 
1150'? Get good on that strip and you will have it made most anywhere else. I have 1800' with High Wires at one end about 400' away from the threshold and I really have to concentrate on getting it slowed down! :eek:
 
Mods

Jeff,
First of all, you have a fine looking 7A there!! I know you're proud!!
I would still recommend taking a hard look at the anti-splat mod for your nosegear. It's a pretty simple and inexpensive mod. It looks like your strip is good but our tires are so small that it only takes a little hole to ruin your day. I had the left main landing gear of my previous RV-6 break at the mount while I was taxiing at a walking speed right out of my hangar. Happened because the wheel went down in a pretty shallow hole that I couldn't even see for the grass grown through it. The tire fit the hole perfectly. Just my 2 cents.
Enjoy that machine!! Your technique looked spot on!
 
MikeyDale said:
1150'? Get good on that strip and you will have it made most anywhere else. I have 1800' with High Wires at one end about 400' away from the threshold and I really have to concentrate on getting it slowed down! :eek:
Click to expand...

Yes, I have to be on task and take it in at the bottom of the flight envelope. Very satisfying to do it properly.
 
Ben R said:
Jeff,
First of all, you have a fine looking 7A there!! I know you're proud!!
I would still recommend taking a hard look at the anti-splat mod for your nosegear. It's a pretty simple and inexpensive mod. It looks like your strip is good but our tires are so small that it only takes a little hole to ruin your day. I had the left main landing gear of my previous RV-6 break at the mount while I was taxiing at a walking speed right out of my hangar. Happened because the wheel went down in a pretty shallow hole that I couldn't even see for the grass grown through it. The tire fit the hole perfectly. Just my 2 cents.
Enjoy that machine!! Your technique looked spot on!
Click to expand...

Thanks Ben, I'll take that into consideration. I wonder if I would have to get new a gear faring too? Or with the Anti-Splat fit in the one I have?
 
Anti Splat

You used to have to get a new fairing but the new ones fit inside the stock Van's fairing.
 
Nice Jeff! If your off this weekend, there is a EAA fly in breakfast in Dayton, Tn (2A0). Hope you can join us.
 
Anti Splat Toys

I have the brace as well as the bearing mod for my 9A.

The most notable change was the nose wheel bearing mod. It eliminated all of the nose gear issues I had when operation off of a hard surface.

After initially getting the bearing job, I tested the results by keeping the nose wheel on the ground with weight on it up to 60 mph and there wasn't any issues. Smooth as a baby's butt...almost.

Prior to that if I taxied faster than a brisk walk the nose was all over the place and very uncomfortable because of all of the gear motion.

Just my two cents worth.
 
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