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Date: Sun, 07 Dec 2008 10:13:09 -0500
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From: "Robert Pastusek" <rpastusek@htii.com>
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Subject: RE: [LML] IV-P main gear door sliders gear door covers
Organization: Holmes-Tucker International, Inc.
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Andres wrote:

time has taken its toll and the main gear sliders need renewal, the material
is perhaps not as strong as it should be (370 hrs) although it might be....

Andres, 
I made my sliders out of 1/4" material, instead of the 1/8" recommended.
After 150 hours and MANY gear cycles during build and testing there is no
noticeable wear. I think you'd be pleased with the thicker material if you
can retrofit without rebuilding your gear doors??

I don't have a pattern to help you, and I changed the profile anyway during
building anyway. I could make you a template of what I have, but I think you
are right in your comment that they are all probably different. My
experience from building was that the profile is not critical except in two
areas. The height (width) of the slider material where the gear doors
achieve maximum opening near the last part of the retraction cycle, and the
termination right at the end of the retraction cycle. The first area
controls how far the gear doors open, and in most IV's this is a pretty
critical trade-off between getting the gear in the well without hanging up
on the gear doors and the two doors smashing themselves together at the
back. For me, this was trial and error during build, and resulted in a
different profile than Lancair provided in the template. The second area is
at the back end of the slider where the gear leg initially "jumps onto" the
slider to force the door open. Lancair revised the construction plans for
this in recent years--after I'd completed mine, but if this is not crafted
well, the gear leg can initially contact the side of the slider rather than
the edge. This exerts lots of pressure on the slider, and will eventually
break it away from the door--probably the reason for Lancair's change. You
will probably have to do some glass/epoxy work to install the thicker
material, but if you take the time to do this, I predict you won't have to
change the sliders again...

Good Luck!

Bob Pastusek