Extended HD Gear - Seaplanes North vs. Factory?

[RamBuster]

Hi Folks,

Looking ahead to ski season here in the Canadian North (NWT) and considering extended gear for my A1. I know that the A1 has some of the weaker gear among the fleet, and 6 months of M2000 straight boards operations will warrant an upgrade. In the summers I am running 31" ABWs

Are there any thoughts out there on going for the Seaplanes North option vs the factory extended? I known "letting it all hang out" with an extra 3" on the gear will slow down airspeed, but how much are folks typically seeing?

Appreciate the input

RB

 

[johnaz]

There are no covers for the Seaplanes North gear, so they are slow. tubes are bigger diameter than stock Aviat, so that adds to slower speed too. If you made fairings think you will gain about 5 mph back.
Or you can do the STC for extended cub gear, but it is slower yet as the shocks also hang out. But you can then use AOSS shocks, fair both the gear and the shocks and I got 8mph back.
John

 

[belloypilot]

There are no covers for the Seaplanes North gear, so they are slow. tubes are bigger diameter than stock Aviat, so that adds to slower speed too. If you made fairings think you will gain about 5 mph back.
Or you can do the STC for extended cub gear, but it is slower yet as the shocks also hang out. But you can then use AOSS shocks, fair both the gear and the shocks and I got 8mph back.
John

What would you say the cruise speed difference is between what you have now and the original stock gear?

 

[johnaz]

What would you say the cruise speed difference is between what you have now and the original stock gear?

The Husky I have now has only had the STC for extended cub gear. It was a project airplane in pieces so never flew it with stock gear.
Has fairings on the gear and on the AOSS shocks, without them all it lost 8 mph, gained that back with covers. I have 35" Bushwheels too, cruise about 105mph at best, so slow Husky.
But can operate where most cannot!! Half tanks by myself, sea level, 85' takeoff.
John

 

[belloypilot]

The idea of that AOSS gear with fairings is sure interesting if I don’t lose too much speed. I care more about going far than fast, but when you lose speed to increased drag it amounts to the same thing.

 

[Gust Kalatzes]

The Alaska gear slowed mine down all of 4-5 knots but they seemed very robust (bigger tubes as John said) and a couple pounds heavier than standard non shock dog gear. The covered factory gear does not seem to come with much of a speed penalty (at my normal cruise settings), maybe a knot or two and is lighter than the stock shock dog gear. Both Alaska and factory extended gear are longer of course but the factory gear sit a couple inches further forward also. I’m not sure how robust the factory gear are with smaller tubes and lighter but I’m not an engineer.

 

[belloypilot]

The Alaska gear slowed mine down all of 4-5 knots but they seemed very robust (bigger tubes as John said) and a couple pounds heavier than standard non shock dog gear. The covered factory gear does not seem to come with much of a speed penalty (at my normal cruise settings), maybe a knot or two and is lighter than the stock shock dog gear. Both Alaska and factory extended gear are longer of course but the factory gear sit a couple inches further forward also. I’m not sure how robust the factory gear are with smaller tubes and lighter but I’m not an engineer.

Have you tried installing fairings? My understanding is the factory extended gear isn’t an option for my 99 A-1B - or is it?

 

[Snowbirdxx]

Will soon have fairings for the Seaplanes North gear . The gear is awesome, but too much drag without fairings.

 

[belloypilot]

Will soon have fairings for the Seaplanes North gear . The gear is awesome, but too much drag without fairings.

Will it be an STC?

 

[Gust Kalatzes]

Have you tried installing fairings? My understanding is the factory extended gear isn’t an option for my 99 A-1B - or is it?

I believe you are correct, not a legal option, but worth a phone call to see.

 

[Snowbirdxx]

Where and how did the Idea come Up and where IS IT in writing, that the longer Gears need an stc For the fairing? No Not asking For a friend....

 

[belloypilot]

In my case its about what I can talk my mechanic into doing as a minor modification. Haven't really discussed this, but if it involves making any physical changes to a certified component to mount the fairing I doubt he'll do it without an STC or a field approval - and field approvals are next to impossible to get in our part of the world. If it just straps on without modifying existing parts there's a much better chance he'd do it.

 

[dankozak]

Fairings for the Seaplanes North gear would be fantastic. The issue I have found is the lack of retrofit-able extended ski gear for a A-1 or A-1B. Aviat only has that option for new shock dog gear, nothing for A-1B. Atlee (i.e. Seaplanes STC) won't add ski tabs to the gear even though they are $5,000+. GLH3000's require standard length heavy duty Seaplanes gear I believe.

 

[johnaz]

Fairings for the Seaplanes North gear would be fantastic. The issue I have found is the lack of retrofit-able extended ski gear for a A-1 or A-1B. Aviat only has that option for new shock dog gear, nothing for A-1B. Atlee (i.e. Seaplanes STC) won't add ski tabs to the gear even though they are $5,000+. GLH3000's require standard length heavy duty Seaplanes gear I believe.

I bought a set of Seaplanes extended gear for another Husky a few years ago, believe they had option for ski tabs?

 

[Snowbirdxx]

<ok guys, we are drifting off to gears with ski brackets. Thats anotzher story.
Where is the information that the Seaplane north gear is not approved to have a fairing.

 

[Snowbirdxx]

In my case its about what I can talk my mechanic into doing as a minor modification. Haven't really discussed this, but if it involves making any physical changes to a certified component to mount the fairing I doubt he'll do it without an STC or a field approval - and field approvals are next to impossible to get in our part of the world. If it just straps on without modifying existing parts there's a much better chance he'd do it.

The gear fairing for the extended gearwill not require any change to the gear. if all works out the way it is planned, the fairing of the short factory gear can be reused.

 

[belloypilot]

The gear fairing for the extended gearwill not require any change to the gear. if all works out the way it is planned, the fairing of the short factory gear can be reused.

That would be great. Very interested to see it.

 

[tbienz]

Seaplanes north sold me my extended HD gear with the front and rear shapes used to make the fairing. They would not weld them to the legs before shipping.
I took the plane to a shop at Centennial Airport (same guys working with Aviat on the belt-driven superchargers) and met with a representative of the local FSDO at the shop that could build a fairing using the parts that came with the gear. The Denver FSDO rep was very friendly and really was “in the mood” to make it work. But in the end the total cost and time didn’t seem worthwhile so I left the gear unfaired. I believe the SN HD geaR is wider but doesn’t sit as tall or as as far forward as the factory HD gear. Tubing is substantially larger and seems quite a bit more robust. Definitely slower than faired gear especially with the brake lines and hydraulic ski lines hanging in the breeze as well. I sat in Kerry’s plane which had the extended HD factory gear and had a lot of trouble seeing out forward but he has a much longer torso than I so it may be important to consider body size. The SN HD gear is wide and very stable when rolling onto rough/slanted ground. The wide stance seems to “activate” the SGS well against the cords too.
Welding the fairing shapes onto the gear legs was clearly a concern for the FSDO. I got the impression that a home-made removable fabric fairing (like Oratex) would probably be ignored by the FSDO as long as it wouldn’t affect the legs themselves.
Tom, since I sold my original faired gear to you when I switched, I have no remaining fairings from old gear so I’d need to start from scratch ;-). I’d definitely be interested in buying a set if you ever sell them.

 

[Snowbirdxx]

There is absolutely no need to weld the spacers for the fairings to the gearlegs. Gorilla Glue or speed tap do the same job. I hope that next weel I ll know if the old aluminum fairings can be used of if new ones are needed. I ll be building a wooden seaplanes north gear to fit the fairings, since I will not be going to Italy soon where the SN gear is.

 

[Larson]

There is absolutely no need to weld the spacers for the fairings to the gearlegs. Gorilla Glue or speed tap do the same job. I hope that next weel I ll know if the old aluminum fairings can be used of if new ones are needed. I ll be building a wooden seaplanes north gear to fit the fairings, since I will not be going to Italy soon where the SN gear is.

I seem to recall the old fairing does not fit on the Seaplane North extended gear.

mine is uncovered, but like the idea of fabric covering, like a SC, with added shaped leading and trailing edge.