Gear leg length

[daleandee]

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[Bryan Cotton]

Scott,
I think tailwheel gear is different. There is a tube for the bolt that starts off at 15/64" so there is no updrilling the mount in steps. This means you drill the leg separately from the mount. Definitely not a job to do by hand.

[JerryCPP]

I can state with great certainty that if one of the upper gear leg bolts shears, excitement is sure to follow. My taildragger's right upper bolt sheared due to an extremely hard landing, but held together long enough for another takeoff. Upon landing, the gear twisted, pulling the airplane to the left, off the runway, over two too-tall runway lights, and out into the sand. A very gentle ground loop followed, along with a 2-hour shutdown of the airport as I was stuck less than 50 feet from the main runway. Actual aircraft damage was minimal, but there was a bit of embarrassment, for sure. No amount of safety wire will prevent the bolt from shearing. The only difference is that you would have the two ends of the bolt still with the airplane when the dust settles. Jerry Loeffelbein, Cashmere, Washington. Sonex N1320X.