I guess I should add to this topic since I am rebuilding a tri gear retract. I attached a couple photos and would like to find history on this plane if possible. The KR2 I have is a standard and has a retract conversion by Bill DE Freze. The mains are normal KR but installed on the back side of the spar. The nose gear is steerable and fully reacts into the fuselage. In my rebuilding I am putting this plane on a diet. I have reconfigured the Tri-Q2 nose gear and plan to build a hoop gear unless I can come across the mounts and legs for a KR2 for a reasonable price. The tri gear on this plane is heavy and with a single stick about impossible to operate. I don't know if these plans are still out there from Bill but I would be happy to make copies for anyone who wants a copy as long as it doesn't create issues as far as copyrights.
Richard Kaczmarek Fast Little Airplanes LLC 937-243-7303 On Jan 25, 2015 1:47 PM, "Chris Prata via KRnet" <krnet at list.krnet.org> wrote: > yup, I had a KR1 kit 25 years ago and had all that stuff (long since > sold). It was a cool looking and a cool simple system. IIRC, early designs > had some bolt breakage issues, and the spring bar would flex on hard > landing and pop through the top of the wing. so it wasnt perfect, but > stringer bolts and other adjustments seemed to make it a reliable, simple > gear system if I recall. Cant argue with the coolness factor. Ken Rand was > quite clever. > I'm not too confident in a taildragger. I have hundreds of hours in > trigear aircraft and would like to stick with the much less risky landings > with trigear. > In reality, I may just end up with a simple, fixed trigear project, but > retracts would be nice. > > > Date: Sun, 25 Jan 2015 10:37:42 -0800 > > To: bjoenunley at gmail.com; krnet at list.krnet.org > > Subject: Re: KR> Tri-Gear Retracts? > > From: krnet at list.krnet.org > > > > The original KR landing gear system was a main-gear retracting > taildragger. > > > > I've actually got a full set of it lying around in my hangar, as when I > > bought my project it had the original gear (and I wanted a fixed-tri)... > > > > On 1/25/2015 9:56 AM, bjoenunley via KRnet wrote: > > > These guys have excellent advice and experience. > > > > > > In regards to your retractable nose gear; how about a tail dragger > configuration? Eliminate the weight and complexity while maintaining > aerodynamic efficiency. If you are not familiar with tail wheel configured > aircraft they are not too scary when you get used to them. > > > > > > Joe Nunley > > > Baker Florida > > > > > > > > > Sent from my Verizon Wireless 4G LTE smartphone > > > > > > <div>-------- Original message --------</div><div>From: Chris Prata > via KRnet <krnet at list.krnet.org> </div><div>Date:01/25/2015 2:01 AM > (GMT-06:00) </div><div>To: krnet at list.krnet.org </div><div>Subject: KR> > Tri-Gear Retracts? </div><div> > > > </div>Hey All, > > > I have been pondering the possibility of tri-gear retracts on a KR1. > (This is experimental aviation after all!). > > > First, before I search the archives, has this been done? > > > If not, I'm assuming that since fixed tri-gear KR's exist (which is > probably what I'll end up doing!), the rear spar is strong enough to attach > main gear to. I am thinking that the gear can simply retract forward, > reverse of what the original KR had. I *think* the main gear is not going > to be a problem at all. > > > That leaves the nose wheel. I have a couple ideas. One is to establish > a straight pipe which goes up and back at an angle through the strong > firewall, with the castering nosewheel leg sliding into and out of that. > Not sure how to actuate that without too much weight, a big screw actuator? > Pneumatic? Since that pipe will be coming up through between the rudder > pedals, perhaps some kind of a slot and a lever? The wheel could be pulled > straight back up into a well beneath the back part of the cowling. It > wouldnt have to go all the way in, 1/3 of the tire could still be showing. > > > The other method would be a swing back, or swing forward arrangement. > > > This is a light plane and the nose carries the least weight. Although > it will slam down a bit on landing. > > > Any info or ideas appreciated. > > > > > > -C > > > _______________________________________________ > > > Search the KRnet Archives at http://tugantek.com/archmailv2-kr/search. > > > To UNsubscribe from KRnet, send a message to > KRnet-leave at list.krnet.org > > > please see other KRnet info at http://www.krnet.org/info.html > > > see http://list.krnet.org/mailman/listinfo/krnet_list.krnet.org to > change options > > > _______________________________________________ > > > Search the KRnet Archives at http://tugantek.com/archmailv2-kr/search. > > > To UNsubscribe from KRnet, send a message to > KRnet-leave at list.krnet.org > > > please see other KRnet info at http://www.krnet.org/info.html > > > see http://list.krnet.org/mailman/listinfo/krnet_list.krnet.org to > change options > > > > > > _______________________________________________ > > Search the KRnet Archives at http://tugantek.com/archmailv2-kr/search. > > To UNsubscribe from KRnet, send a message to KRnet-leave at list.krnet.org > > please see other KRnet info at http://www.krnet.org/info.html > > see http://list.krnet.org/mailman/listinfo/krnet_list.krnet.org to > change options > > _______________________________________________ > Search the KRnet Archives at http://tugantek.com/archmailv2-kr/search. > To UNsubscribe from KRnet, send a message to KRnet-leave at list.krnet.org > please see other KRnet info at http://www.krnet.org/info.html > see http://list.krnet.org/mailman/listinfo/krnet_list.krnet.org to change > options >
