Supercub with Cessna gear legs
- Thread starter Speedo
- Start date
Steve Pierce
BENEFACTOR
Graham, TX
Flew and worked on that airplane several years ago. Worked for the guy selling it's Dad right out of A&P school. Here is an old thread with pictures. I think Schneider out of MCS Mike's world owns the STC. https://www.supercub.org/forum/showthread.php?47982-Flat-spring-steel-gear-legs
mike mcs repair
Registered User
chugiak AK
I don’t think he ever got the STC.... I could be wrong...
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mike mcs repair
Registered User
chugiak AK
That’s a different attachment method than snider used, his has a spring steel bolt on mount from both clusters on each side, with aluminum gear
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skywagon8a
MEMBER
SE Mass MA6
Don't confuse an -18 with a -12. The -12 has a big heavy gear truss built into the fuselage where the -18 does not. The seaplane fitting on a -12 resembles a flat spring gear. So a -12 would have better possibilities for the spring gear than an -18. I would still question the aft landing loads into the fuselage.
hotrod180
FRIEND
Port Townsend, WA
Interesting...ad cites leather seats, VG's, tow hook, shoulder harness, tundra tires....
but doesn't even mention the spring gear.
BTW those look like C150 gear legs (check out the steps).
IMHO a set of Grove aluminum gear would be lighter & better.
Cub junkie
Registered User
My Moms basement
Cessna 140 gear legs are 31 pounds ea. without axles. I have a pair in my shop.
Steve Pierce
BENEFACTOR
Graham, TX
The STC on that airplane called out 172 hear if memory serves me correctly.
For curiosity's sake do you have any pictures of how the gear bolted in? I can't imagine how a Cessna gear box scheme could be adapted to a Cub. All that stress gets concentrated into a very small structure. There's a reason our gear boxes get thoroughly inspected every year. Acme and TK shocks are the envy of Cessna owners. If only.....
Steve Pierce
BENEFACTOR
Graham, TX
Pictures of the structure in the link I posted.
I remember a ski landing in my 180 many years ago (Chris was riding shotgun) where drifts were rock hard and steep faced, and invisible in flat light conditions. And I landed right into them. From the pilot seat sitting normally I got a look at my right ski through the passenger window as the gear took a big hit. Cessna gear takes a beating but the gear boxes get tortured. No way would I want Cessna gear on a Cub. Grove gear? That would be easier on the airframe but I'd still rather have Cub gear. I've never bought into the notion that Cessna gear bounces but if it did? It'd do it well on a Cub. Some late model Cessnas switched to tube gear. My Hawk XP had it. It's supposed to be tougher than spring gear but the way it moves wouldn't suit a tail dragger very well.
hotrod180
FRIEND
Port Townsend, WA
Cessna gear on a Cub? Do you have the STC number or any other info?
hotrod180
FRIEND
Port Townsend, WA
Putting Grove aluminum spring gear onto a Kitfox or Avid with bungee gear was kinda popular a few years ago.
A guy with an Avid at my airport did it.
The gear was one-piece-- it spanned the bottom of the airplane & went down to the wheels on each side.
So no gearboxes...just clamps.
skywagon8a
MEMBER
SE Mass MA6
That still would require adequate structure in the fuselage to absorb the loads.
hotrod180
FRIEND
Port Townsend, WA
Some C150 taildraggers use the stock tubular gear.
They often have handling issues, as the tubular gear has no provision for adjusting the toe-in.
The leaf spring gear allows for tapered shims between the gear leg & the axle.
Ted Setzer was part of the design & manufacturing team for the GlasStar.
The one he built is very recognizable as the tail is shaped just like a C180's.
He built & installed Cub-type bungee gear on it a few years ago, dunno if he's still running that gear or not.
Standard GlasStar gear is tubular steel, like the later model Cessnas.
I believe that a lot of builders try to stiffen them up, by installing stiffener / fairings,
so it will only deflect in one axis, like leaf spring gear, instead of every-which-way.
I don't know how successful they are with that.
I'm kind of surprised that the factory doesn't offer some sort of option for running Grove spring gear--
that would seem to be a pretty good way to go.
I've never seen anyone do their own either.
courierguy
MEMBER
Inkom, Idaho
The recent kit versions of the bird I fly have gone to flat spring gear. No thanks, I get the speed increase/less drag issue, but the best mod I've ever done to my Rans S-7S has been the SC style gear. 1 1/2" axles on a 760 pound plane, it's pretty much bulletproof, and I like and use the side loading capability. If I ever get a "need for speed" though, I'd switch it over in a heartbeat, and also put on small tires, but what fun is that?
