Single slab Gear on XL (7075 Aluminium)

[Devendra Bhati]

Hi done with my fuselage. I have one question can we use single slab 7075 aluminium gear? What’s the science behind 6 inches forward. Leonard says this is to correct the centre of gravity of the wheel. And we need to match centre of axel to the leading edge of the wing.I have seen a picture of double Eagle which uses single slab gear. So how i we can use slab gear on XL? Any  Suggestion..

[Kamcoman77]

Joe Spencer had a slab type gear on Putt-Putt (LEU). Don't know if it was steel or aluminum but it looks nice. Not sure how to contact him. This photo is from a 2015 YouTube video.

[Vince Carucci]

I think it was fiber glass, but don't make me swear to that in court.

[Dan_]

I would not swear to it either, but I think Vince is right.  Also I think he hooked John Bolding into making it up for him...


There may be a file on the VP1 aluminum slab gear in the downloads on here...

[Terry Lundby]

Yes, it was fiberglass. I believe Joe Spencer said the weight savings was a wash. I do remember a lot of surgery being done to the airframe in the video.

[Dan_]

This is VP-2 gear.

[okdonn]

FYI - I had an engineer spec out aluminum slab gear to replace the bent spring steel gear on the Woody's Pusher I'm rebuilding. The weight came out the same for both, and the cost for the aluminum gear was more than I paid for the aircraft. I'm going with the alternate gear in the plans instead - A-arms and a vertical spring tube.

[Dan_]

Grove will do the same for you.  They actually have the VP-1 gear with and without the cable braces.  Gross weight is 800 lbs on it however.

They have a lighter gear for a Fisher plane with 640 lbs gross.  I'd say the money on any of them will sting... 

https://www.groveaircraft.com/landing_gear.html