Dumb Canard Question.

Steven Johansen wrote:

Why are many Canard designs (Cozy , Eze's etc)
parked with their noses resting on the ground?

Is it simply to reduce wear on the Nose gear or
for a more esoteric reason?

The reason is because on those designs the static Cg is only
slightly ahead of the main landing gear. Without the pilot aboard
there is a very real risk that a gust of wind will tip the
aircraft back onto its butt. Collapsing the nose gear when parked
shifts the Cg forward.

The next question you're going to ask is "why don't the builders
move the main landing gear aft?" Two possible reasons: moving the
gear aft might make unsticking/rotation on takeoff a much too
exciting event (think uncontrolled stall on takeoff), and the main
gear has a tendency to throw up runway debris which we'd rather
not have pass through the propeller disk.

Russell Kent

With the nose on the ground it becomes almost impossible for anything but a
near-tropical-storm-force gust of wind (or higher) to move the airplane.

"Steven Johansen" wrote in message
. au...
Why are many Canard designs (Cozy , Eze's etc)
parked with their noses resting on the ground?

Is it simply to reduce wear on the Nose gear or
for a more esoteric reason?

Cheers

Steven

"Russell Kent" wrote in message
...
Steven Johansen wrote:

Why are many Canard designs (Cozy , Eze's etc)
parked with their noses resting on the ground?

Is it simply to reduce wear on the Nose gear or
for a more esoteric reason?

The reason is because on those designs the static Cg is only
slightly ahead of the main landing gear. Without the pilot aboard
there is a very real risk that a gust of wind will tip the
aircraft back onto its butt. Collapsing the nose gear when parked
shifts the Cg forward.

Snip---------

Russell Kent


So, why doesn't some clever builder make the main gear swing back when the
parking brake is set and swing forward again when the pilot is in the
cockpit and the brake released?

That would solve a lot of problems with small pushers.

Bill Daniels

"Bill Daniels" wrote in message
k.net...

"Russell Kent" wrote in message
...
Steven Johansen wrote:

Why are many Canard designs (Cozy , Eze's etc)
parked with their noses resting on the ground?

Is it simply to reduce wear on the Nose gear or
for a more esoteric reason?

The reason is because on those designs the static Cg is only
slightly ahead of the main landing gear. Without the pilot aboard
there is a very real risk that a gust of wind will tip the
aircraft back onto its butt. Collapsing the nose gear when parked
shifts the Cg forward.

Snip---------

Russell Kent


So, why doesn't some clever builder make the main gear swing back when the
parking brake is set and swing forward again when the pilot is in the
cockpit and the brake released?

That would solve a lot of problems with small pushers.

Bill Daniels

Three reasons.
Weight, weight, and weight.

Why not do what they have been doing, and not add 1 extra ounce?

Beats me!
--
Jim in NC

On 07 Oct 2003 07:44 AM, Steven Johansen posted the following:
snip

Steven, you ever spend any time in Cordova, AK? If not, then never mind,
'cause in that case I am remembering someone else.

----------------------------------------------------
Del Rawlins-
Remove _kills_spammers_ to reply via email.
Unofficial Bearhawk FAQ website:
http://www.rawlinsbrothers.org/bhfaq/

Another may be that if main gear is moved aft a more heftier
front NG would be needed. Keeping most of the load on main gear keeps
the cost down.

Dont know why cozy's, MK IV, etc. don't spread the main gear more.
The main RG on my SQ2000 is 11' apart with little chance of
throwing debris on the 66" prop.

----------------------------------------------------
Paul Lee, SQ2000 canard project: www.abri.com/sq2000

Russell Kent wrote in message ...
............................ "why don't the builders
move the main landing gear aft?" Two possible reasons: moving the
gear aft might make unsticking/rotation on takeoff a much too
exciting event (think uncontrolled stall on takeoff), and the main
gear has a tendency to throw up runway debris which we'd rather
not have pass through the propeller disk.

Russell Kent

"Bill Daniels" wrote in message nk.net...

So, why doesn't some clever builder make the main gear swing back when the
parking brake is set and swing forward again when the pilot is in the
cockpit and the brake released?

Because smart designers and builders follow Kelly Johnson's credo:
"simplicate and add lightness."

On Tue, 7 Oct 2003 08:44:24 -0700, "Steven Johansen"
wrote:

Why are many Canard designs (Cozy , Eze's etc)
parked with their noses resting on the ground?

Is it simply to reduce wear on the Nose gear or
for a more esoteric reason?

They are all pointed towards Mojave and bowing to worship Burt Rutan.

- J.O.-

Why are many Canard designs (Cozy , Eze's etc)
parked with their noses resting on the ground?

Is it simply to reduce wear on the Nose gear or
for a more esoteric reason?

Cheers

Steven

ahkbar rutan !

kif, kif yer killing me....

Sean nyuk,nyuk Trost

John Ousterhout wrote:
On Tue, 7 Oct 2003 08:44:24 -0700, "Steven Johansen"
wrote:


Why are many Canard designs (Cozy , Eze's etc)
parked with their noses resting on the ground?

Is it simply to reduce wear on the Nose gear or
for a more esoteric reason?


They are all pointed towards Mojave and bowing to worship Burt Rutan.

- J.O.-