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triumphrider
Joined: 18 Sep 2012
Posts: 25
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 Posted: Wed Sep 19, 2012 4:57 am Post subject: Need Castering Nosewheel Fork for Pulsar XP-Thoughts? |
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New Pulsar Owner and Poster
I had the nose wheel fork on my "new" Pulsar XP- crack. Does anyone have a source for a new or used part? Is this a common problem?
I have flown the aircraft for just 10 hours since I've owned it (A/C has 840 on the Hobbs) and it appears that the part had a crack for some time. See photo of clean crack and the dirty area that suggests it's been on the fork for a while. Do the other nose wheel forks have a zurt fitting for greasing? Another Pulsar owner told me his doesn't have it. Also, there were shim sleeves over the pivot point. Is if possible that this was a modification and the metals interacted to weaken the strength of the fork?
Dallas Aircraft Salvage said these parts are usually the first to get trashed in accidents and it's be a hard to find. Should I have a metal fabrication shop build it? I'm thinking a offroad/jeep fabrication machine shop could probably fabricate on out of 4130 Chromoly with a support brace TIG welded in.
I had a smooth roll out and as I was braking (hydraulic brakes) to clear the runway it gave way and the wheel listed to the side-thankfully, without a prop strike. Have a smaller Prince P-Tip composite prop.
I was told that Kitfox has a Kitfox Super Sport that uses a HD version of this same type of gear-that it was used on later versions of the Pulsar that they distributed. As of now, I'm not getting anywhere with them. I iust need the nosewheel fork not the whole landing gear unit at $1495. They seemed to be concerned about "liability" issues for fabricating just the fork.
Have others had this problem? Was there a HD version or swap out part later in the Pulsar series? I have serial #439.
Any help/thoughts would be appreciated. I'm in South Florida. Would like to use the aircraft for an upcoming Young Eagles day at my airfield.
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Last edited by triumphrider on Sun Sep 23, 2012 6:11 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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mortweaver(at)sbcglobal.n
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| Posted: Wed Sep 19, 2012 9:32 am Post subject: Need Castering Nosewheel Fork for Pulsar XP-Thoughts? |
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I broke a cast aluminum fork on my XP. The fork legs had been weakened by drilled holes to mount the wheel pant (legs on the cast aluminum fork should never be drilled). I copied the Sky Star 4130 steel fork and obtained materials from Mc Master (oil impregnated bronze bushings - 2, and Bellevue washers) and 4130 steel from Air Spruce. I gave away an unused replacement cast aluminum fork ...would not trust my life on it. The nose gear fork and leg, in my opinion, can not be thought of as a structural unit that is designed to be too strong. Thinking in terms of "progressive structural failure" many be fine for other areas, but not for the nose gear. Why put every thing that follows the nose gear at risk, including your life, with a gear leg of questionable strength. Following an accident where the gear was wipped out, I cut out the pieces to fabricate both the eliptical Sky Star nose gear leg and the fork. My fork was modified from the Sky Star drawings with fork legs more horizatal than vertical in orientation. That allowed for close to vertical orientation of the 3/4 in. dia. leg king pin. I discovered that 4130 annealed material for the king pin is inadequate in strength due to the increase in lever arm with near horizontal fork legs (large wheel option). By using 4340 material (Air Spruce), additional pin stiffness was gained without heat treating of 4130 material. I had a professional welder TIG weld the two structures. I had tack welding done first with subsequent trial fitting and then final welding followed by powder coat finish. I have never had any shimmy problems and fly with confidence in what is "leading the pack".
Dave Weaver N912GR
--- On Wed, 9/19/12, triumphrider <investmentsalesconsultant(at)gmail.com> wrote:
| Quote: |
From: triumphrider <investmentsalesconsultant(at)gmail.com>
Subject: Need Castering Nosewheel Fork for Pulsar XP-Thoughts?
To: pulsar-list(at)matronics.com
Date: Wednesday, September 19, 2012, 7:57 AM
--> Pulsar-List message posted by: "triumphrider" <investmentsalesconsultant(at)gmail.com (investmentsalesconsultant(at)gmail.com)>
New Pulsar Onner and Poster
I had my nose wheel fork on my "new" Pulsar XP crack. Does anyone have a source for a new or used part?
I have flown the aircraft for just 10 hours since I've owned it (A/C has 840 on the Hobbs) and it appears that the part had a crack for some time. See photo of clean crack and the dirty area that suggests it's been on the fork for a while. Do the other nose wheel forks have a zurt fitting for greasing? Another Pulsar owner told me his doesn't have it. Also, there were shim sleeves over the pivot point. Is if possible that this was a modification and the metals interacted to weaken the strength of the fork?
Dallas Aircraft Salvage said these parts are usually the first to get trashed in accidents and it's be a hard on e to find. Should I have a metal fabrication shop build it. I'm thinking 4130 Chromoly with a support brace TIG welded in.
I had a smooth roll out and on braking to clear the runway it gave way and the wheel listed to the side-thankfully, without a prop strike. Have a smaller Prince P-Tip composite prop.
I was told that Kitfox has a Kitfox Super Sport that uses a HD version of this smae type of gear-that it was used on later versions of the Pulsar that they distributed. As of now, I'm not getting anywhere with them. I iust need the nosewheel fork not the whole landing gear unit at $1495. They seemed to be concerned about "liability" issues for fabricating just the fork.
Have others had this problem? Was there a HD version or swap out part later in the Pulsar series? I have serial # 439.
Any help/thoughts would be appreciated. I'm in South Florida. Would like to use the aircraft for an upcoming Young Eagles day at my airfield.
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triumphrider
Joined: 18 Sep 2012
Posts: 25
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| Posted: Sun Sep 23, 2012 6:04 pm Post subject: Re: Need Castering Nosewheel Fork for Pulsar XP-Thoughts? |
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Thanks for the thoughts.
I'm having a new chromoly 4130 fork built using a SkyStar inspired design. The angle of the fork you had built is interesting. While I know that there's room for improvement in design, I'm going to have mine TIG welded with a brace like the back of the SkyStar/Kitfox design.
If anyone is interested in looking at the front landing gear that was used in the Pulsar II and later versions-it's the same as the landing gear used on the Kitfox Super Sport. SkyStar, as most know was distributing the Kitfox and the Pulsar back in the late 90's.
Here's the link:
http://www.kitfoxaircraft.com/SS%20Landing%20Gear%20-%20Sample.pdf
Look for page 17 on the PDF and beyond.
The front leg and pivot linkage both are larger in diameter on the Kitfox version. So the whole front gear kit has to be purchased-from the Kitfox accessories catalog. As it was $1500, I opted to try to have the fork made locally. I met a sharp machinist/machine shop owner who does specialty work and is also a TIG welder. He's currently making modified barrels for M2 sniper rifles for the Army. I'll try to take a photo of the fork-when it's completed and installed. Cost is estimated to be under 5 hours shop time-at $70/hr. and materials.
Happy flying.
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