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hgmckay
Joined: 23 May 2006
Posts: 397
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 Posted: Thu Jul 09, 2015 5:31 pm Post subject: Allegro 2000 Main Gear |
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I have an Allegro 2000 E-LSA with 750 take offs and landings. The main gear legs have a vertical strip of white tape along the leading and trailing edges of both right and left legs. The tape on the leading edge of my right gear leg has a 5 inch long “split” exactly along the center of the leg thickness. My question is this. Are these gear legs each made up of two pieces of “fiberglass” that have been laminated together, or are they one piece of solid “fiberglass”? Could this “split”in the tape indicate that I am developing a structural failure of the main gear leg, or is it just a result of the flexing of the gear on landing? Has anyone seen this before in the main gear legs? If so, do you know what caused it?
Hugh G. McKay III
Denver, NC 28037
Allegro 2000 E-LSA
N661WW
Rotax 912 UL
760 Hours TSN
Ph. 704-661-8271
Fax 704-483-5466
email hgmckay(at)bellsouth.net
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doug(at)allegrolsa.com
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| Posted: Fri Jul 10, 2015 5:51 am Post subject: Allegro 2000 Main Gear |
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Hugh,
Yes, we have seen this before. The gear legs are made up of two pieces. The gear leg is designed to split rather than breaking. This helps prevent much more damage to the aircraft which would result from the gear leg breaking and having the wing hit the ground and a possible prop strike as well. The split is usually a result of “hard” landings. (This is NOT a reflection on the pilot, as I am saying “usually”). Again, the gear splits to also insure no damage to the fuselage. The gear is purposely built to give before the fuselage gives. This prevents damage to the fuselage which can be very expensive and timely to repair. The other result of the splitting gear leg is in most cases, the damage merely splits the leg and can still be flown (back to home base, or repair station.) Since you built your Allegro from a kit, you know that changing out a gear leg is a relatively simple process. If the Allegro is not leaning to the side with the damaged gear leg, this usually means slight damage to the leg and can still be flown, but should be monitored and hard landings avoided.
Douglas Hempstead
LSA America, Inc.
231 US Hwy 158 East
Littleton, NC 27850
252-586-1200 – office
252-586-1203 – fax
www.allegrolsa.com
doug(at)allegrolsa.com (doug(at)allegrolsa.com)
From: owner-allegro-list-server(at)matronics.com [mailto:owner-allegro-list-server(at)matronics.com] On Behalf Of Hugh McKay
Sent: Thursday, July 09, 2015 9:31 PM
To: allegro-list(at)matronics.com
Subject: Allegro 2000 Main Gear
I have an Allegro 2000 E-LSA with 750 take offs and landings. The main gear legs have a vertical strip of white tape along the leading and trailing edges of both right and left legs. The tape on the leading edge of my right gear leg has a 5 inch long “split” exactly along the center of the leg thickness. My question is this. Are these gear legs each made up of two pieces of “fiberglass” that have been laminated together, or are they one piece of solid “fiberglass”? Could this “split”in the tape indicate that I am developing a structural failure of the main gear leg, or is it just a result of the flexing of the gear on landing? Has anyone seen this before in the main gear legs? If so, do you know what caused it?
Hugh G. McKay III
Denver, NC 28037
Allegro 2000 E-LSA
N661WW
Rotax 912 UL
760 Hours TSN
Ph. 704-661-8271
Fax 704-483-5466
email hgmckay(at)bellsouth.net (hgmckay(at)bellsouth.net)
[quote][b]
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hgmckay
Joined: 23 May 2006
Posts: 397
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| Posted: Fri Jul 10, 2015 8:23 am Post subject: Allegro 2000 Main Gear |
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Doug,
Thanks for the explanation. All of what you said makes good sense. I have checked the split more carefully today and have found that the depth of the split is approx.. 1.0 mm, but the surface width separation is around 2.0 mm (just enough to split the tape). There is no evidence of a split on the trailing edge of the gear leg. As noted in my email this airplane has almost 800 landings, most of which have been on unpaved turf runways. There is no leaning of the aircraft to the side. It rests level. I am planning to clean up the split area, re-tape it, and monitor it after each flight. What is your opinion of the severity of this particular split?
If it quickly progresses in length, I will be calling you for a new right gear leg. Send me an email directly to hgmckay(at)bellsouth.net (hgmckay(at)bellsouth.net) giving me a price for a new right gear leg. Is the new gear leg exactly replaceable with the wheel assembly without any modification?
Hugh G. McKay III, P.E. Fellow, L.M. ASCE
Senior Consultant
Worldwide Engineering Inc.
4090 North NC Hwy. 16
Denver, NC 28037
Ph. 704-661-8271
Fax 704-483-5466
email hgmckay(at)bellsouth.net
http://www.wwegeo.com
From: Doug Hempstead (doug(at)allegrolsa.com)
Sent: Friday, July 10, 2015 9:50 AM
To: allegro-list(at)matronics.com (allegro-list(at)matronics.com)
Subject: RE: Allegro 2000 Main Gear
Hugh,
Yes, we have seen this before. The gear legs are made up of two pieces. The gear leg is designed to split rather than breaking. This helps prevent much more damage to the aircraft which would result from the gear leg breaking and having the wing hit the ground and a possible prop strike as well. The split is usually a result of “hard” landings. (This is NOT a reflection on the pilot, as I am saying “usually”). Again, the gear splits to also insure no damage to the fuselage. The gear is purposely built to give before the fuselage gives. This prevents damage to the fuselage which can be very expensive and timely to repair. The other result of the splitting gear leg is in most cases, the damage merely splits the leg and can still be flown (back to home base, or repair station.) Since you built your Allegro from a kit, you know that changing out a gear leg is a relatively simple process. If the Allegro is not leaning to the side with the damaged gear leg, this usually means slight damage to the leg and can still be flown, but should be monitored and hard landings avoided.
Douglas Hempstead
LSA America, Inc.
231 US Hwy 158 East
Littleton, NC 27850
252-586-1200 – office
252-586-1203 – fax
www.allegrolsa.com
doug(at)allegrolsa.com (doug(at)allegrolsa.com)
From: owner-allegro-list-server(at)matronics.com [mailto:owner-allegro-list-server(at)matronics.com] On Behalf Of Hugh McKay
Sent: Thursday, July 09, 2015 9:31 PM
To: allegro-list(at)matronics.com
Subject: Allegro 2000 Main Gear
I have an Allegro 2000 E-LSA with 750 take offs and landings. The main gear legs have a vertical strip of white tape along the leading and trailing edges of both right and left legs. The tape on the leading edge of my right gear leg has a 5 inch long “split” exactly along the center of the leg thickness. My question is this. Are these gear legs each made up of two pieces of “fiberglass” that have been laminated together, or are they one piece of solid “fiberglass”? Could this “split”in the tape indicate that I am developing a structural failure of the main gear leg, or is it just a result of the flexing of the gear on landing? Has anyone seen this before in the main gear legs? If so, do you know what caused it?
Hugh G. McKay III
Denver, NC 28037
Allegro 2000 E-LSA
N661WW
Rotax 912 UL
760 Hours TSN
Ph. 704-661-8271
Fax 704-483-5466
email hgmckay(at)bellsouth.net (hgmckay(at)bellsouth.net)
[quote]
href="http://www.matronics.com/Navigator?Allegro-List">http://www.matronics.com/Navigator?Allegro-List
href="http://forums.matronics.com">http://forums.matronics.com
href="http://www.matronics.com/contribution">http://www.matronics.com/c
[b]
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brad(at)vision-technology
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| Posted: Fri Jul 10, 2015 10:12 am Post subject: Allegro 2000 Main Gear |
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Is that tape necessary? I'm just wondering if retaping it will make any advancement of the separation harder to visually detect.
Best of luck.
Brad Kramer
Allegro 2000 N221FA
Bismarck / Mandan ND
[quote]--
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doug(at)allegrolsa.com
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| Posted: Fri Jul 10, 2015 10:37 am Post subject: Allegro 2000 Main Gear |
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Brad,
Good question. The tape is not necessary, but it adds to the cosmetics of the aircraft and CAN be an added benefit of seeing more damage early, as the tape will give and split when there is stress opening the gear leg. This may be easier to detect over just a visual inspection unless you have marked the gear with something that does not wear off. Either way it OK, I just find the tape easier to detect additional stress. Please note, the tape used is a vinyl tape, not electrical tape as it is too thick. Also a quick “congratulations” to you. As I am sure you know, you have the very first SLSA Allegro to come to the USA.
Thanks,
Doug
Douglas Hempstead
LSA America, Inc.
231 US Hwy 158 East
Littleton, NC 27850
252-586-1200 – office
252-586-1203 – fax
www.allegrolsa.com
doug(at)allegrolsa.com (doug(at)allegrolsa.com)
From: owner-allegro-list-server(at)matronics.com [mailto:owner-allegro-list-server(at)matronics.com] On Behalf Of brad(at)vision-technology.com
Sent: Friday, July 10, 2015 2:12 PM
To: allegro-list(at)matronics.com
Subject: Re: Allegro 2000 Main Gear
Is that tape necessary? I'm just wondering if retaping it will make any advancement of the separation harder to visually detect.
Best of luck.
Brad Kramer
Allegro 2000 N221FA
Bismarck / Mandan ND
[quote]
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brad(at)vision-technology
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| Posted: Fri Jul 10, 2015 10:56 am Post subject: Allegro 2000 Main Gear |
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Yep, we're still flying #1... N221FA. It has about 940 hours on it, so far. It is my 6th airplane and the only one I've kept for more than 3 years, which says something about the plane. I had hoped to bring it to OSH this year, but my work schedule dictates that I'm going commercial instead, rather than risking any weather delays for the 700 mile trip home. (it once took me 3 days in a Hatz biplane)
...Brad
[quote]--
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