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Mono wheel conversion

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martinboyle53(at)bigpond.
Guest

Posted: Mon Feb 08, 2010 3:32 pm Post subject: Mono wheel conversion

Hi To All 

I have purchased a part built mono wheel kit  and may want to convert it to TRI gear.When I do this can I remove the consol in  the middle as I find there is not enough room for me as I am 6ft3in tall and  96kg.Has anybody done this and ois it a factory mod 

Thanks M A B

    MAB123     Registered User        Posts: 1    Joined: Wed Jan 27, 2010 10:34 pm            Private      message 

   [quote][b]

grahamsingleton(at)btinte
Guest

Posted: Mon Feb 08, 2010 3:46 pm Post subject: Mono wheel conversion

On 08/02/2010 23:24, Martin Boyle wrote:  	  Quote: 	
		                 Hi To All 

 I have purchased a part built mono wheel kit and may want to convert it to TRI gear.When I do this can I remove the consol in the middle as I find there is not enough room for me as I am 6ft3in tall and 96kg.Has anybody done this and ois it a factory mod 

 Thanks M A B

   

   

 	
 Martin

 not a good idea, the central tunnel contributes a lot of bending stiffness and compression strength to the fuselage, (apologise for clumsy termionology) Think about nosewheel loads and main wheel/wing weight loads. This part of the fuselage is a beam.

 Mods have been done, there is a mod to slim it down in the hips area but needs care.

 Graham

    [quote][b]

topglock(at)cox.net
Guest

Posted: Mon Feb 08, 2010 3:57 pm Post subject: Mono wheel conversion

The short answer is no.  The tunnel is structural, however, it can be 

cut down to some extent, between the seats...



Jeff



Martin Boyle wrote:

 	  Quote: 	
		   Hi To All

 I have purchased a part built mono wheel kit and may want to convert it 

 to TRI gear.When I do this can I remove the consol in the middle as I 

 find there is not enough room for me as I am 6ft3in tall and 96kg.Has 

 anybody done this and ois it a factory mod

 Thanks M A B

 

 MAB123 

 <http://www.europaowners.org/forums/memberlist.php?mode=viewprofile&u=708>

     Registered User 

     *Posts:* 1 

     *Joined:* Wed Jan 27, 2010 10:34 pm 

 

         * Private message

           <http://www.europaowners.org/forums/ucp.php?i=pm&mode=compose&action=quotepost&p 5293>

 

 

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garrys(at)tampabay.rr.com
Guest

Posted: Mon Feb 08, 2010 3:57 pm Post subject: Mono wheel conversion

I was told by Ivan Shaw that the center console is in integral structural item, and CANNOT be removed.  You can narrow it’s width, and reduce its height somewhat, but some structural portion……….maybe 75%? Must remain.  

   

Garry Stout  

   

From: owner-europa-list-server(at)matronics.com [mailto:owner-europa-list-server(at)matronics.com] On Behalf Of Martin Boyle

 

       

Hi To All 

 I have purchased a part built mono wheel kit and may want to convert it to TRI gear.When I do this can I remove the consol in the middle as I find there is not enough room for me as I am 6ft3in tall and 96kg.Has anybody done this and ois it a factory mod 

 Thanks M A B  

  

  

        [quote][b]

g-iani(at)ntlworld.com
Guest

Posted: Tue Feb 09, 2010 2:22 am Post subject: Mono wheel conversion

Martin

  

 As others have said the tunnel is structurally  important.  The attached PDF shows the reduction I made on my  aircraft.  The important dimensions are the 5' and 7' shown in the  section part of the drawing.  I have the full engineering calculations  which show that this leave plenty of strength in the tunnel.  These  dimensions could probable be reduced to 4' and 5' but I do not have calculations  for these.

  

  

 I hope this helps

  

  

Ian Rickard G-IANI XS Trigear, 280 hours

Europa Club Mods  Rep

e-mail g-iani(at)ntlworld.com

Tunnel3a.pdf

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Tunnel3a.pdf

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ami(at)mcfadyean.freeserv
Guest

Posted: Tue Feb 09, 2010 11:40 am Post subject: Mono wheel conversion

Ian,

 Does this mod work for a monowheel-to-tri-gear   conversion? Which would differ by having the monowheel cut-out still  present (whether covered with a screwed-on non structural cover or not), or just  for the tri-gear that has the underside still intact?

  

 I think this needs to be made clear.

  

 Rgds.,

 Duncan McF.

 [quote]   ---

g-iani(at)ntlworld.com
Guest

Posted: Tue Feb 09, 2010 1:35 pm Post subject: Mono wheel conversion

Duncan

  

 From the calculations done by Barry Mellers the "floor" is of  no consequence.  So they are equally applicable to a Trigear, with or  without an access panel or a converted Mono with a cover  panel.

  

 The point to note is that the tunnel must still have a "top"  on it.

  

  

Ian Rickard G-IANI XS Trigear, 280 hours

Europa Club Mods Rep  (Trigear)

e-mail g-iani(at)ntlworld.com 



   From: owner-europa-list-server(at)matronics.com  [mailto:owner-europa-list-server(at)matronics.com] On Behalf Of Duncan &  Ami McFadyean

Sent: 09 February 2010 19:38

To:  europa-list(at)matronics.com

Subject: Re: Mono wheel  conversion

 

 Ian,

 Does this mod work for a monowheel-to-tri-gear   conversion? Which would differ by having the monowheel cut-out still  present (whether covered with a screwed-on non structural cover or not), or just  for the tri-gear that has the underside still intact?

  

 I think this needs to be made clear.

  

 Rgds.,

 Duncan McF.

 [quote]   ---

budyerly(at)msn.com
Guest

Posted: Wed Feb 10, 2010 4:18 pm Post subject: Mono wheel conversion

<?xml:namespace prefix="v" /><?xml:namespace prefix="o" /><![endif]-->  Martin,

 Not to pile on, but I have fit a number of large pilots to the  Europa.

 It has been my experience, that the only area of the tunnel that is a  nuisance to the tall pilot is the area where the knee hits center console.   A football shaped cutout there is typically all that is needed.  I have  seen some Europa's with the console cut down very low, and I share the comments  with others that a lot of stiffness of the fuselage is given up by cutting down  this area.  You are compromising the aircraft.  The Europa provides  more than reasonable protection as is.  Short story:  On two nose low  (25 degree impacts in landing accidents) one with the full console, the other  was cut down a modest 3-4 inches.  On both the floor of the fuselage behind  the rudders flexed, which compromised that area.  One aircraft   had under the door electrical conduits installed of 4 layers of glass measuring  roughly 3 inches deep and level with the sill and a full console, with a cut out  where the throttle would be.  This area was glassed in with a flange  of 4 layers of 8 oz bid and a cover panel of 6-8 layers of bid.  It  maintained very good fuselage stiffness with only nose damage when the nose gear  failed after about the 4th porpoise.  The floor had a minor deformity in  the glass from flexing, but was easily repaired.  The pilot opened the door  and stepped out.  The other aircraft actually split the fuselage side 6  inches forward of the door sill when the fuselage floor flexed.  The  console was cut down some 4 inches beginning below the instrument panel face  continuing all the way back to the bulkhead and had no under sill  conduits.  The side of the fuselage cracked due to the nose flexing  downward.  Some foot injuries were incurred as the fuselage flexed to the  point of cracking from the consol up to the windscreen.  Foot injury  occurred as a result of the rudder pedals deflecting  as the fuselage  skidded along.  Both accidents were pilot error and no names will be  released so don't ask.

  

 It would be best to make a modest console adjustment to fit your  form.  I have found for pilots your size that the hi top mod 63 is very  comfortable and the extra width mod 67 is also a must have.  If your  kit is too far along for the high top, the bubble door glass is one of my  favorite mods also.  These higher top mods allow you to slide aft  a bit and get another inch of headroom and less knee height.  All the above  can be purchased through the company.  I know I'm kicking myself for not  doing the width increase as it is quite comfortable.  The high top is quite  impressive.  

  

 As for how to re-establish strength in your console after cutting it  out,  please properly prep and add foam to fill the void, prep the foam and  add two layers of bid overlapping two inches around the hole on the inside and  out...  As for the hole in the bottom, consider adding a bulkhead behind  the nose gear of 1/8 inch (3mm) aircraft ply and glassing it in with two  layers.  This is a help to stiffening the plane also besides allowing  for a generous cooling air exit if the mono wheel firewall is  removed.  Be sure to protect the new bulkhead and console inside exposed to  the engine with firewall material of your choice.  Then close the  bottom hole, and if you like, add a large inspection hole on the bottom for  maintenance of in console items.  A glassed in hole adds for stiffness and  impact strength also.

  

 Top it off with a back cushion about 1 inch thick or 1/2 inch of firm foam  and a contoured seat cushion to suite and you will be comfortable.

  

 Bud Yerly

 Custom Flight Creations,

 US Europa Dealer

 [quote]   ---

fklein(at)orcasonline.com
Guest

Posted: Sat Feb 13, 2010 3:43 pm Post subject: Mono wheel conversion

On Feb 10, 2010, at 4:16 PM, Bud Yerly wrote:

 	  Quote: 	
		  It has been my experience, that the only area of the tunnel that is a nuisance to the tall pilot is the area where the knee hits center console.  A football shaped cutout there is typically all that is needed. 	




Bud...by any chance, might you have a photo or two of an example of this mod?

Thanks,

Fred



 [quote][b]

budyerly(at)msn.com
Guest

Posted: Sat Feb 13, 2010 4:51 pm Post subject: Mono wheel conversion

<?xml:namespace prefix="v" /><?xml:namespace prefix="o" /><![endif]-->  No Fred I don't see any in my photo archive.  I just whacked out about  1.5 inches of the top corner to take the edge off.  Filled it with foam,  rounded over to transition to the center console top and glassed  the upper side and then glassed over the foam underneath through the  access hole below and the access hole in the top.  Later I had the  upholster pad it and the hole in the top of the console for brake and throttle  came within about 1 inch of the curve.  The worst part was not the cutout,  it was making it look like the console on the trigear was just meant to be that  way.  The cutout went from about two inches aft of the face of the avionics  part of the panel and joined with the rear section of the console top.  Of  course his mod would never allow the mono gear handle to work and will  require fiddling if a motor glider airbrake handle were to be installed by the  book...

  

 Sorry Fred, but what I did doesn’t work on a mono or a motor  glider.  The handles take up knee space for the big guys.  A mono is  pretty tight for the long guys.  Without the hi-top to get their but back  farther in the seat the knees do get in the way.

  

 Bud

  

  

 [quote]   ---

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