Author: "Bret S. Hedrington" <bhedrington@...> Time: Mon Oct 21, 2002 11:06 am PDT Link
Has anyone seen/thought about retractable gear for the -7 or -7a?
Bret
N997RV
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
Author: "Dan Checkoway" <dan@...> Time: Mon Oct 21, 2002 11:38 am PDT Link
How close to Vne do you want to cruise? 8^)
do not archive
)_( Dan
RV-7 N714D (fuselage)
http://www.rvproject.com
----- Original Message -----
From: "Bret S. Hedrington" <bhedrington@p...>
To: <RV7and7A@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Monday, October 21, 2002 10:19 AM
Subject: [RV7Yahoo] Retractable Landing Gear?
> Has anyone seen/thought about retractable gear for the -7 or -7a?
>
> Bret
> N997RV
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
> Van's Air Force - World Wide Wing
> www.vansaircraft.net
> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
Author: "Bret S. Hedrington" <bhedrington@...> Time: Mon Oct 21, 2002 12:27 pm PDT Link
Right on VNE....:)
Or just able to cruise at about 210 at 40% power would be great.
-----Original Message-----
From: Dan Checkoway [mailto:dan@r...]
Sent: Monday, October 21, 2002 1:22 PM
To: RV7and7A@yahoogroups.com
Subject: Re: [RV7Yahoo] Retractable Landing Gear?
How close to Vne do you want to cruise? 8^)
do not archive
)_( Dan
RV-7 N714D (fuselage)
http://www.rvproject.com
----- Original Message -----
From: "Bret S. Hedrington" <bhedrington@p...>
To: <RV7and7A@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Monday, October 21, 2002 10:19 AM
Subject: [RV7Yahoo] Retractable Landing Gear?
> Has anyone seen/thought about retractable gear for the -7 or -7a?
>
> Bret
> N997RV
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
> Van's Air Force - World Wide Wing
> www.vansaircraft.net
> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
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[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
Author: "Dennis O'Connor" <doconnor@...> Time: Mon Oct 21, 2002 1:12 pm PDT Link
Wait till Van hears about that suggestion!
You wanna bet you will see the explosion in Oregon from CA?
Denny
----- Original Message -----
From: Bret S. Hedrington
To: RV7and7A@yahoogroups.com
Sent: Monday, October 21, 2002 1:19 PM
Subject: [RV7Yahoo] Retractable Landing Gear?
Has anyone seen/thought about retractable gear for the -7 or -7a?
Bret
N997RV
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
Yahoo! Groups Sponsor
ADVERTISEMENT
Van's Air Force - World Wide Wing
www.vansaircraft.net
Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to the Yahoo! Terms of Service.
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
Author: "Stephen Reynolds" <stephen.j.reynolds@...> Time: Mon Oct 21, 2002 3:34 pm PDT Link
There is a RV4 retractable flying, I have a photo sent to my by the owner if
you would like a copy email me. Below is the text of an email he sent me.
The short story is the guy who did the conversion said he would never do
another as it was so much work.
Dear Stephen,
My airplane is truly "one of a kind". It's the fourth airplane built by
the builder, who has since gone on to build a RV-6A for his wife, and just
recently finished a beautiful RV-8. His next project is supposed to be a
Harmon Rocket. He is an amazing builder with great ideas. I saw him at the
Arlington Air Fair this summer and asked him if he would ever build another
retract model. He said "no, it is just too much work".
The gear on my plane was manufactured by a gentleman who built three
sets
and has since passed away. The set on my plane was originally going to go
on
a Glasair Project but that fell apart due to lack of funding. The builder
of
my plane bought the gear just as he was starting the project of my plane.
This was in 1994-95. As he built the plane he modified the wings to
accommodate the gear. The main spar was beefed up to handle the weight and
acuation of the landing gear. The tail wheel also retracts straight up into
the rear fuselage. It has a fairing door on the mount, so that when
retracted the door closes over the gear leaving the fuselage perfectly
smooth. The main gear has a really wide stance, because the gear does not
mount on the engine mounts as with standard RV's. It is very docile on the
ground and steering is done with braking because there is no rudder peddle
steering. I can still turn in tight places with the best of them. On each
main gear leg is a half door. As the gear retracts the leg of the gear
strut
contacts a spring/lever that pulls another half door closed over the gear
once it is in the well. As a result the gear is completely enclosed when
retracted. The airplane has hardly any parasitic drag and as a result is
very fast. I can cruise all day long at 230 mph. It is also very quiet.
The hydraulic system for the gear is an electrical/hydraulic pump. It
is
the same one used on the Glasair retract models and is the same pump that
Mercruiser uses to raise and lower their big outboard engines. There is
also
a standby/emergency hydraulic system. In the event that the gear fails to
extend, I can select emergency on the selector switch. This takes away the
hydraulic uplock and causes the gear to fall part way out. Then a lever
handle is extended from under the lower left side of the instrument panel
and
with 3 or 4 pumps on the handle, the gear is down and locked. When the gear
retracts, it is very similar to P-40's or P-51's. That is, first the right
gear starts up, then pauses, while the left gear starts up. Then the right
retracts completely, followed by the left. The whole sequence takes about 3
to 4 seconds. The gear indication system is three green lights and three
red
lights. The green indicates "down and locked", red indicates "unsafe" or
transitioning from down to up, or up to down. Then while in cruise it's a
no
light system. All in all a very well designed system. The only weak link
in
the system was the cheap microswitches that the builder put in. There are
microswitches for retracting and extending. I had a few problems at first,
but I took out the cheap switches that he used and put in all Mil
Spec switches, and have not had any problems since.
I have attached a couple of photos to show you the gear. I hope this
answers most of your questions. If not, let me know.
Regards, Paul Best
----- Original Message -----
From: Dennis O'Connor <doconnor@c...>
To: <RV7and7A@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Monday, October 21, 2002 8:51 PM
Subject: Re: [RV7Yahoo] Retractable Landing Gear?
> Wait till Van hears about that suggestion!
>
> You wanna bet you will see the explosion in Oregon from CA?
>
> Denny
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: Bret S. Hedrington
> To: RV7and7A@yahoogroups.com
> Sent: Monday, October 21, 2002 1:19 PM
> Subject: [RV7Yahoo] Retractable Landing Gear?
> Has anyone seen/thought about retractable gear for the -7 or -7a?
>
> Bret
> N997RV
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
> Yahoo! Groups Sponsor
> ADVERTISEMENT
> Van's Air Force - World Wide Wing
> www.vansaircraft.net
> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to the Yahoo! Terms of Service.
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
> Van's Air Force - World Wide Wing
> www.vansaircraft.net
> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
Author: "Phil Birkelbach" <phil@...> Time: Mon Oct 21, 2002 3:34 pm PDT Link
I know that it has been done on a -4. If I remember correctly there was not that much of an increase in performance. Doubt that you'll get the 210 at 40%. The gear legs on the -7, once properly faired, are pretty clean. The airframe modifications would be considerable for not a lot of gain. Lot's of weight increase too. I'm sure that somebody will do it one of these days just to do it, but I would think that your money and time would be better spent on a plastic airplane that has RG already.
Godspeed,
Phil Birkelbach - Houston Texas
RV-7 N727WB (Reserved) - Fuselage
http://www.myrv7.com
----- Original Message -----
From: Bret S. Hedrington
To: RV7and7A@yahoogroups.com
Sent: Monday, October 21, 2002 1:52 PM
Subject: RE: [RV7Yahoo] Retractable Landing Gear?
Right on VNE....:)
Or just able to cruise at about 210 at 40% power would be great.
-----Original Message-----
From: Dan Checkoway [mailto:dan@r...]
Sent: Monday, October 21, 2002 1:22 PM
To: RV7and7A@yahoogroups.com
Subject: Re: [RV7Yahoo] Retractable Landing Gear?
How close to Vne do you want to cruise? 8^)
do not archive
)_( Dan
RV-7 N714D (fuselage)
http://www.rvproject.com
----- Original Message -----
From: "Bret S. Hedrington" <bhedrington@p...>
To: <RV7and7A@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Monday, October 21, 2002 10:19 AM
Subject: [RV7Yahoo] Retractable Landing Gear?
> Has anyone seen/thought about retractable gear for the -7 or -7a?
>
> Bret
> N997RV
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
Author: lmcpher378@... Time: Tue Oct 22, 2002 5:32 am PDT Link
<PRE>i would like the picture of the retractable rv ,....thx