Landing gear width

[pistoncan]

Ive built my gear legs and it looks like I have 80 inches center to center on my tires. Is that about what a PA 20 is? Should I build them longer?
Thanks
Gary

[longpacer]

Gary,
I once got curious about the stance of tailtraggers and went around the field with a tape measure. Here are my notes from that project. A narrow gear Pacer is 72", a wide gear Pacer 84". Cubs, Maules and Huskys are 72". A Citabria is about 78".

As to how wide yours should be, I would say there is ample precedent for whatever you want to do.

Bob

[pistoncan]

Sounds like I am in the "ballpark". I wonder how the width of the main gear affects landing performance? especially with a longer tail, Does a narrow gear and a longer tail make landings less squirrley? I would think a wider gear would help with crosswinds? A shorter tail, I would think, would make it come around and bite you quicker?

[Steve Pierce]

Wider gear and longer distance to the tail whee lis better for control-ability in my opinion.

[yarddart]

Where is that measurement taken to determine wide or narrow gear on a pacer

[stretchedpacer]

For my Bushmaster (posted on another thread) my gear is 96 inches wide as measured from the outside of the wheel. Custom gear of course. I followed supercub geometry as closely as I could. The wide nature of this gear required that I use an 8 foot wide trailer to move the fuselage to the airport!
Since you are experimental you can go whatever direction you desire.

[Fred Mayes]

It seems to me you would have to measure the gear width with no weight on the gear to get an accurate measurement of the width.

[mmoyle]

Just measured my PA18 gear conversion width.....less the wing/s weight is 80"


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[Steve Pierce]

Here is a thread with pictures comparing.
http://www.shortwingpipers.org/forum...gear-do-I-have