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Bowlus taping the landing gear fuselage area?


Buckaroo

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Any information on taping areas of the wings and other parts of the aircraft to increase smooth air flow is appreciated. I did a forum search and read where Bowlus tape is the way to go.

 

My hanger owner dude who is a know it all A&P tells me my landing gear must of gotten racked at one time because he sees the tape falling off in areas around the gear and fuselage.

 

The right gear did get damaged from a rough landing a few years ago. It was repaired by a FD knowledgeable repair station. Now he tells me that the right wing (damaged right gear side) is 3 inches lower than the left wing in his level hanger.

 

Question? The tape bonds are rough and "gapping" around the gear and fuselage attachment points. Any points on inspecting this area for proper repair and fitment of the tape in large gap areas? The area does look questionable to the eye! I hope it's just poor or old tape fitment and needs redoing!

 

Thanks again! Still waiting on the Montana weather!

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I've seen a few CTSW's with tape on the gear, but it is not the norm. The gear leg cover should slide into cuff that is molded into the fuselage. They normally use a foam seal to fill the gap between the two.

 

If one wing sits 3" low you likely have a bent gear leg.

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I don't know much about aircraft maintenance, but I would think if one wing is 3 inches lower than the other, you have bigger issues to deal with than tape.

I need to first confirm my hanger guy's measurements before I can reply!

 

My sellers are top notch folks!

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Given the geometry, it doesn't take much asymmetry of the gear legs to make the wingtips differ in height by 3 inches.  

 

Do you have the maintenance manual for the airplane?  I am not sure if the procedure is in the manual or in a service bulletin, but there is an inspection procedure for the gear legs and the attachment points.  A retaining plate has to be removed, and visual inspection done with a mirror.  I don't have the manual pulled up, but you can find this information.  I believe it should be done at each annual.

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Thanks Fred! This makes sense and yes I have examined the aircraft log books in detail since my person alerted me to the inconsistency in elevation of the wing tips. The log books indicate only a right gear replacement (what ever that involves) and taxi test.

 

Tomorrow I will measure the wings myself and report my findings!

 

I'm sure we don't have a problem but I believe in doing my research sometimes later than appropriate!

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Most don't tape gear legs. Really no worth the effort. It serves no real functional value. may aesthetics for the owner.

If you put tape there it will eventually dry out and because the wheel pants and gear legs have a gap they do move and flex at different rates and will eventually split and trash the tape. So you may not have had a bad landing the flexing at these points will ruin the tape eventually as it stretches from flexing and age.

 

p.s.

I hope no one here chimes in and say they get 10 knots more air speed with tape on the gear legs.

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Personally I would remove the tape. That juncture was not designed to be taped.

 

For measuring I use the nose test. I walk up to the wingtip at the trailing edge, and see where it hits my nose. I then check the other side.

 

As Fred mentioned there is a SD that requires an inspection of the gear leg annually. This is for cracking in the center mounting point. Normally you can't tell if it is bent, or how much it is bent without removing it from the airplane.

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Most don't tape gear legs. Really no worth the effort. It serves no real functional value. may aesthetics for the owner.

If you put tape there it will eventually dry out and because the wheel pants and gear legs have a gap they do move and flex at different rates and will eventually split and trash the tape. So you may not have had a bad landing the flexing at these points will ruin the tape eventually as it stretches from flexing and age.

 p.s.

I hope no one here chimes in and say they get 10 knots more air speed with tape on the gear legs.

Actually, it's a lot closer to 9 knots. :laughter-3293:

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I can see what the flexing has done to the taping work. It appears to me that taping that area as mentioned above will asthetically soon appear to make the gear attachment points look damaged.

 

Today I'll go out and strip both gear sides. I can imagine a glue residue will remain. I read somewhere to only use lighter fluid to remove the old glue for gel safety??

 

After I clean it up I'll take some close up pics of both sides and measure the wings and check tire pressure.

 

After the work if my super cub buddy out runs me I'll just slap a roll of duc tape on her for strength and clean lines!????????????????

 

Thanks for the help!

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Where was the 3" difference measured?  3" at the wingtip is not as bad as 3" at the tiedown ring, which is not as bad as 3" at the wing cuff.  My wingtips are uneven too, about 2" at the tip of the droop tip.  Been that way since I got the airplane three years and 330hrs ago.  I acknowledge that the gear leg might be tweaked on the right (low) side, but I have not been able to find any visible issues.  If you look closely at my airplane you can see that it sits a little uneven, but it flies and lands well and is straight in taxi.

 

I am reluctant to do anything about it now because I have finally conquered the terrible tire wear the airplane has had since I got it.  I monitor and periodically measure the tip heights, if it gets much worse I will have to consider a new right gear leg.  I think many if not most CTSWs have one wing lower than the other...Roger and Tom can probably better speak to what the acceptable limits are.

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Uneven wing measurements from the ground is very common and in most CT's. I have never found one equal in the ones I have measured. You also need to take into account any floor unevenness.

Some of the wing droop is caused just by the settling of the airframe over time and some helped along by some stiff landings. Remember a half inch at the center is magnified more out at the tips of the wings. You can't measure just at the wing tip drooped point as those are not all exactly the same length.

 

Unless you know you have bent landing gear I wouldn't lose any sleep over this.

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I'll go out this morning and take several measurements in 3 different areas. The prior owner dropped her in and bent the right gear but it was quickly replaced by a major repair station.

 

Does FD engineer the gear leg attachment areas for potential bends that allow for pieces designed to take the force to save larger more major parts? I can hopefully picture an area of larger tolerances for give so important fuselage parts don't get damaged do to a simple hard landing!

 

Curious how much money total PL is a gear leg change out?

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I would think aerodynamically a uneven gear causing this would have no effect in the air. If the wings were different you would feel it in the aircraft rigging probably just slightly.

 

I'll know more about the gear condition when I get all the tape off.

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I can normally change a gear leg in a couple hours, but have had one that took several hours to get it removed from the upper socket. That airplane had special circumstances though. I'm not sure on the current cost of a gear leg. Normally on the SW it is just the gear leg that bends and there is not damage to the fuselage. Of course there are always exceptions.

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Last I heard a leg was around $600. The biggest issue to me is having to redrill the axle to the leg and getting the alignment correct.

 

I have done a few, and I've found the alignment and drilling to be a non issue. I have also corrected alignment using the counter bore and biscuit method.

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