6-30-12 Katana Extreme Landing gear modification / fix
This first set of pics is the stock factory gear set up for the Katana.....
I finally got the Katana back on the table and started working on converting the landing gear from the
carbon fiber tube / metal rod landing gear over to a coventional gear set up.....
The nice thing is that I had 1.5 lbs of dead weight (old batteries) just on the start of the motor box to ballance the plane....
maybe I can lose a lot of that dead weight after this modification and just have the ballast weight be consisting of structural weight.....
I have quite a bit to work with...... we'll see in another day or so....
carbon fiber tube / metal rod landing gear over to a coventional gear set up.....
The nice thing is that I had 1.5 lbs of dead weight (old batteries) just on the start of the motor box to ballance the plane....
maybe I can lose a lot of that dead weight after this modification and just have the ballast weight be consisting of structural weight.....
I have quite a bit to work with...... we'll see in another day or so....
The next set of pics is my modifications.... I feel the factory setup is a bad design... upper and lower 3/16" metal rods
inside of carbon fiber tubes....... we kept having trouble with the axles twisting outward, and breaking loose
inside the carbon tubes...... This new mod is a conventional plywood landing gear plate with a two piece
landing gear.... We also went with 3" wheels, as they were needed, and tend to roll much easier on grass fields....
inside of carbon fiber tubes....... we kept having trouble with the axles twisting outward, and breaking loose
inside the carbon tubes...... This new mod is a conventional plywood landing gear plate with a two piece
landing gear.... We also went with 3" wheels, as they were needed, and tend to roll much easier on grass fields....
Down to just a tad bit of finish sanding, covering the bottom, and need 4 more 8-32 bolts and blind-nuts....
7-2-12 New gear installed... time to reinstall fuel tank, and check balance.... hopefully I can now drop
at least one, if not both "dead weight" battery packs from the motor box with the new weight of the
new gear and mounting plate with sub structure.....
First couple pics below... I'm using a scrap piece of monokote, and ironing on top of the remnants
of what the el-cheapo china cote left on the airframe.... works pretty well, and is a lot cleaner,
and much easier than sanding.... big time!
7-2-12 New gear installed... time to reinstall fuel tank, and check balance.... hopefully I can now drop
at least one, if not both "dead weight" battery packs from the motor box with the new weight of the
new gear and mounting plate with sub structure.....
First couple pics below... I'm using a scrap piece of monokote, and ironing on top of the remnants
of what the el-cheapo china cote left on the airframe.... works pretty well, and is a lot cleaner,
and much easier than sanding.... big time!
7-3-12 finishing touches.... changed paint lines on cowl, and installed new fuel tank tray....
7-6-12 === Here below is the new pink bottom on the left, and
old yellow bottom on right.... I like the pink better.... good call!
OK....... I'm seriously confused...........
Where did I go wrong? I redid the landing gear mount and made a new landing gear...
didn't put any weight behind the spar tube at all... in fact, all the new construction is right
behind the motorbox, and about 2.5" in front of the wing tube.....
Could my new setup be lighter? Don't see how....
Even with 2 the original "dead weight" ballast battery packs (4 cell sub-C and 4-cell AA)
in the places I had them before, on the motorbox.... this crazy Katana is so stinkin' tail heavy
that I'm lost!
I don't wanna put anymore weight in the plane on the nose to ballance it....
as my original plan was to have the new gear setup take place of the
dead weight ballast batteries.....
I do have a possible option that is going to be kind of a pain....
From the factory, the anti-rotation/wing mounts & wing tube
can be slid back about 1.5" from the front position where they
are now..... but the question is... how bad would that make this
plane act "short coupled" if I move the wings back to aquire the
C/G that I'm looking for???
update:
Ok.... I put the wingtube through the opening behind where the wingtube is now....
slide the wings onto the tube, and pegs into the holes.....
go figure... it balances perfect....(right side up and inverted)
I guess I make a new wing tube sleeve, and put it in....I'm just going to leave the
original one where it is.....
Good news is that there are no dead weight useless batteries on the motorbox
anymore......
Where did I go wrong? I redid the landing gear mount and made a new landing gear...
didn't put any weight behind the spar tube at all... in fact, all the new construction is right
behind the motorbox, and about 2.5" in front of the wing tube.....
Could my new setup be lighter? Don't see how....
Even with 2 the original "dead weight" ballast battery packs (4 cell sub-C and 4-cell AA)
in the places I had them before, on the motorbox.... this crazy Katana is so stinkin' tail heavy
that I'm lost!
I don't wanna put anymore weight in the plane on the nose to ballance it....
as my original plan was to have the new gear setup take place of the
dead weight ballast batteries.....
I do have a possible option that is going to be kind of a pain....
From the factory, the anti-rotation/wing mounts & wing tube
can be slid back about 1.5" from the front position where they
are now..... but the question is... how bad would that make this
plane act "short coupled" if I move the wings back to aquire the
C/G that I'm looking for???
update:
Ok.... I put the wingtube through the opening behind where the wingtube is now....
slide the wings onto the tube, and pegs into the holes.....
go figure... it balances perfect....(right side up and inverted)
I guess I make a new wing tube sleeve, and put it in....I'm just going to leave the
original one where it is.....
Good news is that there are no dead weight useless batteries on the motorbox
anymore......
I got it now...... put that sucker in the air! LOL
One Ratt-Special © Fiberglass / Thin CA wing tube sleeve fabricated
and installed..... the new wing position is 1.5" back at the stock factory
rear position..... Plane ballances perfect....
Just have 4 holes to drill and 4 tee-nuts to install for the wing
mounts, as they are moved 1.5" to the rear position as well...
piece of cake...
One Ratt-Special © Fiberglass / Thin CA wing tube sleeve fabricated
and installed..... the new wing position is 1.5" back at the stock factory
rear position..... Plane ballances perfect....
Just have 4 holes to drill and 4 tee-nuts to install for the wing
mounts, as they are moved 1.5" to the rear position as well...
piece of cake...
7-7-12 Field Test @ Galion, OH - Eagle Squadron R/C Field......
I pulled the plane out of the trailer, checked the center of gravity, and flew!
With the Wings in the back position the plane flew very nice! Was well worth
the modification! Sure beats putting a lot of dead weight on the nose to
balance the plane.....
I pulled the plane out of the trailer, checked the center of gravity, and flew!
With the Wings in the back position the plane flew very nice! Was well worth
the modification! Sure beats putting a lot of dead weight on the nose to
balance the plane.....