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RV-4 gear length - long or short ??

L

Larry DeCamp

Well Known Member
I need to order gear for my project. I have decided to use Catto 3 blade on the 0360 for smoothness since I am not a max/optimum performance type flier. I am told the long gear was developed for better clearance of long props but I won't need that. Are there any other criteria to weigh regarding long vs. short gear ?
 
Long...but..

I have long legs on my -4, and would go no other way if you are making the choice. The long legs go as a set with the engine mount, so if you have a short leg mount, you need to stick with short legs. The long legs give 2 benefits, more prop clearance and better 3 point landings without dragging tailwheel first. No discredit to short leggers..there are many, and not a thing bad about them, just if you have a choice , I would go long.
 
As Bill says, if you already have the engine mount, your gear is already chosen for you. You can't put the long gear in a short gear mount and vice versa.
 
Long gear kit

Vans sells a kit that includes the long legs, engine mount and hardware for $1600. Also includes axle nuts and the disk brake mounting bracket that slides onto the axle.
 
i have had short gear legs for 2500 hrs and even flown off grass rwys. long or short is no problem. long is perhaps a little heavier maybe a negative, but short provides better forward direct vision over the nose during taxi. you do have to adjust your landing speed for a 3 point landing with a passenger and baggage. but you have to that anyway with long legs too depending on where your CG is.
 
I had both on my 4

When I converted to long gear for a CS prop the plane was harder to land. Just a little increase of AOA on a 3 point landing made it want to fly again when I eased back on the stick. If I waited a few seconds for the plane to slow down and eased back on the stick, problem solved.

Steve
 
Steve Barnes said:
When I converted to long gear for a CS prop the plane was harder to land. Just a little increase of AOA on a 3 point landing made it want to fly again when I eased back on the stick. If I waited a few seconds for the plane to slow down and eased back on the stick, problem solved.

Steve
Click to expand...

How did you increase AOA after touching down 3 point in an aft-elevator taildragger? (The equation changes with a canard...)

Charlie
 
Angle of attack

On a perfect three point landing with longer gear legs, the wing has a higher angle of attack which in my case equated to more lift.
 
The Long and Short of it...

Larry DeCamp said:
I need to order gear for my project. I have decided to use Catto 3 blade on the 0360 for smoothness since I am not a max/optimum performance type flier. I am told the long gear was developed for better clearance of long props but I won't need that. Are there any other criteria to weigh regarding long vs. short gear ?
Click to expand...

Larry,
All of the above are valid reasons to install long gear. I've proven the STOL aspect time and again in a friends long gear vs mine. However comma, some of us early 4 builders had no choice, the short gear was the only option. That said, in 2000 hours, most of it flown from short, unimproved runways and attempting to maximize performance I'll add these to the short gear plus column.

1. Better taxi forward visibility.
2. Less drag. (Dave Anders "fastest RV4 on earth" still has his short gear)
3. Less weight.
4. Less shimmy
5. Less cost (someone might even give you their old engine mount and gear)
:)
V/R
Smokey
 
smokeys' right. a 4 with short gear is a piece of cake to fly. if you don't have your speed dialed in on a 3 point landing, it won't work well in either long or short gear. you probably will carry just a bit more speed for a 3 point with near aft CG with short gear but i doubt that it would matter much.
 
Larry DeCamp said:
I need to order gear for my project. I have decided to use Catto 3 blade on the 0360 for smoothness since I am not a max/optimum performance type flier. I am told the long gear was developed for better clearance of long props but I won't need that. Are there any other criteria to weigh regarding long vs. short gear ?
Click to expand...

Hi Larry,

Something I don?t think anyone touched on yet is that if you?re ordering an engine mount and gear legs new from Van?s you only have one choice, Van?s stopped selling the short version a long time ago.
 
Before I ever do any mod's I always consider resale. I've never flown a short gear version so I can't opine on much of it other than aesthetics. Seeing a short gear -4 and a long gear, it's not difficult to decide which one has visual appeal. The long gear looks staunch. The short gear, IMO, a set of testes dwarfed due to steroids. :rolleyes:

From my experience flying my long gear -4, visibility is excellent in all parameters. Not once have I had the need to "S" turn while taxiing. Wheel landings are a breeze but if your too hot for a 3 point, the wing will bite and you'll know it by floating further than intended. But hold it there and the induced drag will bring you to where you need to be.

Go with the long gear. You won't regret it. Besides, there's a reason Van went to the long gear and I concure, FWIW.
 
The long gear is also a bit stronger and can withstand the unfortunate hard landing a bit better. But the are also heavier because of that in case you are trying to build a super light plane.

I like the longer gear myself...
 
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