WHERE DO YOU GET IT ?

[wanabigaplane]

.

 

WHERE DO YOU GET IT ?

 

Were do builders get pieces of spring steel suitable for main undercarriages? I would like to know from a builder who has purchased spring steel in the annealed state, cut, bent, and drilled it himself, then taken it back to be treated.

 

Where do you get 100 mile an hour tape? Is the genuine article the same as the general purpose tape you can buy at Bunnings, or is there an aviation specific must have product?

 

Jack.

 

 

[Ross]

Hi Jack

 

I did a search for Spring Steel on google that turned up Blue Scope Steel (ex BHP at Port Kembla etc) then their search facility for suppliers turned up theiragent in Canberraas below. I would suggest you contact the agent there and ask for engineering advice on the steel and treatment you want for it. You would probably have to find another steel fabricator or workshop in Canberra or nearby who could treat it for you.

 

I would have suggested Henderson Springs in the past but discovered it is a British Firm and might be harder to get untreated steel from. I think that they used to supply most of the leaf springs in Australia many years ago.

 

I just found another site that claim they will build springs to order. See below.

 

http://www.industrialsprings.com.au/aurora.htm

 

<TABLE =table1>

 

<T>

 

<TR>

 

<TD>OneSteel Metaland - Hume

 

John Place

 

HUME

 

ACT

 

2620</TD>

 

<TD>Tel:02 6260 1249

 

Fax:02 6260 1317 </TD>

 

<TD>Supplier</TD></TR></T></TABLE>

 

I hope that is some help- not supplied with current experience.

 

Regards

 

 

[wanabigaplane]

Thanks for your efforts Ross, but...

 

I have already internetted this one as far as it will go. It really comes down to finding a manufacturer of flat leaf springs to the trucking and specialist industries. Such manufacturers seem to have no interest in the internet, except one which was ideal, but is in WA. There are dozens in the Yellow Pages, but few of them do leaf springs, and of them few do them this size. Then there is the bugbear of aviation shyness. I could take a day off and ring everyone, etc, but all this effort would be saved if someone who has already been through all this could enlighten me!

 

Jack. :;)5:

 

 

[Ross]

Hi Jack

 

Maybe just check out Cessna spare parts might be the go. I have a vague idea it has been done before.

 

REgards

 

 

[Guest danda]

Hi Jack

 

There use to be a foundry at Jesmond in Newcastle on Griffeth road have been in business for many years and does a good job have had work done there on my then 4wd springs.

 

I will try to find out the details.

 

Don

 

 

[Smokey]

Jack

 

I got onto the 4WD club tech officer and he put me onto a place at St Marys, apparently been there since the beginning of time.

 

I spoke to Earnest this morning, he's to be the one who knows how its

 

all done. Obviously I could only ask general questions but it sounds

 

like thay can do what you need.

 

Better Springs

 

69-73 Christie Street

 

St Marys

 

NSW 2760

 

02 9623 5888

 

It's not too far out so if transport proves to be a problem we should be able to work something out.

 

You should have my number and email on the club list or drop me a PM here.

 

Mark

 

 

[wanabigaplane]

Thanks, Mark. I'll give them a go. If it phones out OK, I'll have to visit personally anyway. Jack. :)

 

 

[Guest micgrace]

Hi

 

If interested, great plains aircraftin USA (do a googgle) sell main u/c separately in aluminium, along with necessary axles, brakes etc. Not terribly cheap, but available. I recall it's made to suit sonnerai. plus will make to specifications as well.

 

Hope that is of some help.

 

Micgrace

 

 

[wanabigaplane]

Sprung

 

Thanks posters. Apparently we can get enough flat spring steel from Better Springs for our four undercarriages pretty cheaply. We will cut it and shape it, and take it back for heat treatment.

 

Better Springs also said aviation home builders have bought the steel there, but usually take it elsewhere for more exacting heat treatment. Our understanding is that while this is one way of getting the exact hardness required, it can also be achieved by repeating the last cycle a few times till the right hardness is reached. Spring manufacturers also treat the spring surface to a few other processes, and we would like to take advantage of this too.

 

Thanks all. Jack. :)

 

 

[wanabigaplane]

100 mile per hour tape

 

Where do you get 100 mile an hour tape? Is the genuine article the same

 

as the general purpose cloth backed tape you can buy at Bunnings, or is there an

 

aviation specific must have product?

 

Jack. :;)5::;)5:

 

 

[facthunter]

Bellanca citabria--- decathlon aircraft have spring steel legs & are still made . The later murphy rebel has them (I think) .A cantilever steel spring is terribly heavy for a situation where weight saving is critical & the mount points have to take high loads especially where effective brakes are fitted. The Skyranger has an aluminium spring with a fore & aft brace which might be the go....

 

 

[Ross]

This model predates the one above by a few years.It has some advantages over the one above but has some disadvantages as well.

 

The seating arrangements are more comfortable but the circuitswere considerably slower and far more stressful as the two stroke motor was chronically unreliable, probably suffering from a lack of maintenance.The unqualified mechanic usually limited his job to cleaning the spark plug with a piece of thin wire,a small tin of super petrol and a piece of sandpaper.

 

It had the decided advantage of being able to do a restart or I should say a restart attempt while in the circuit but due to the nature of the protective footware tended to produce callouses on the bottom of the right foot. The firewall was not very effective and the fuel endurance was completely inadequate as it needed to land probablythree or four times before completing a round trip.

 

 

Ross on Atco rideon circa 1950.

 

Note the standard features - large dameter UC wheels for more comfortable ride and reduced rolling friction, standard four legged seat with backrest, optional full seat belt harness, standard headset,federation modelprotective footware, air type firewall,transparent guards over dangerous parts, remote controls that works without the need for electronics, pilot activated starter (engine needs to be not spinning if using the starter like the Jabiru motor), ready access for maintenance, simpledesigned aircleaner that does not require dust removal but keeps the gum leaves out of the engine.

 

Ross

 

 

[River]

100 mile per hour tapeWhere do you get 100 mile an hour tape? Is the genuine article the same as the general purpose cloth backed tape you can buy at Bunnings, or is there an aviation specific must have product?

 

Jack. :;)5::;)5:

 

You could check up on any of the V8 supercar teams as to where they obtain their supplies as I'm sure they would be using the 'real stuff'.

 

Most of the 'duct tape/racer tape' you see in most auto/general purpose supermarts, etc isquite poor quality.

 

Cheers,

 

Rodger

 

 

[Guest pelorus32]

Ross,

 

your picture reminded me of my first attempt to fly such a mower, albeit without the ride-on accessory. I was about 8 or 9.

 

I opened the throttle and let out the clutch. The machine suffered an uncontrolled pitch up, reached a critical angle of attack, surged forward removing two clean white sheets from the washing line and dismembering them and finally came to rest on the boundary fence.

 

It was some time before my next attempt to fly the thing.

 

Thanks for triggering such happy memories ;)

 

Regards

 

Mike