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<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Anthony,</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>"It is true I don't taxi about with
them---" I hope Margaretta (sp OK?) is reading the message.
That's why Anthony doesn't have to taxi!!!!</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Bruce</FONT></DIV>
<BLOCKQUOTE dir=ltr
style="PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; BORDER-LEFT: #000000 2px solid; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px">
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial">----- Original Message ----- </DIV>
<DIV
style="BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; FONT: 10pt arial; font-color: black"><B>From:</B>
<A title=aabdu@sbcglobal.net href="mailto:aabdu@sbcglobal.net">Anthony
Abdullah</A> </DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>To:</B> <A title=discussion@nsrca.org
href="mailto:discussion@nsrca.org">discussion@nsrca.org</A> </DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Sent:</B> Thursday, July 17, 2003 3:41
PM</DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> Re: fixed gear vs.
retracts</DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV>
<DIV>George I must agree with you, I love my retracts and have not had a
problem with them on any pattern plane in years. I fly from one of the
roughest landfill fields in the country and still have very few problems. It
is true I don't taxi about with them, but that minor inconvenience is more
than made up for by the considerable Cool Factor! One of the reasons I got
into pattern was the sleek gear up passes that I saw Mike Klein making with
his pattern planes. When we have fun flys one of the biggest attractions is my
Epicure II breaking ground and immediately sucking up the gear. Personally I
get a little mental boost from retracts. A smooth graceful takeoff followed by
immediately retracting the gear coupled with a shallow climb
out kind of serves notice that what follows is going to be special. When
the gear is up I have my game face on and I'm all business. When the gear
comes down for landing that is my cue to exhale and finally relax and set
up for landing. It just makes so much sense to me. I know none of these are
engineering or aerodynamic reasons for retracts, but that is the part of
pattern that is art and not science. Has nothinig to do with weight or
convenience, just makes the plane special. <BR><BR><B><I>"GeorgeF."
<av8tor@flash.net></I></B> wrote:
<BLOCKQUOTE
style="PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; BORDER-LEFT: #1010ff 2px solid; WIDTH: 100%">At
08:39 PM 7/16/2003 -0400, you wrote:<BR>>The composite fixed gear designs
of today are quite the overkill in terms <BR>>of strength, rigidity and
weight. They could be made far lighter, less <BR>>rigid and cheaply
enough where, as they break on a hard landing, simply <BR>>pull the
pieces out and toss them<BR><BR><BR>If people would learn how to land then
strength wouldn't be a problem. It <BR>surprises me to hear people say they
liked fixed gear better because they <BR>were bending/breaking
retracts.<BR><BR>Can anyone truthfully say that fixed gear look better?
Thought pattern was <BR>about smooth, graceful, and looking
goood?<BR><BR>Been into R/C since 1983. I have YET to break a gear and only
ever bent <BR>one gear ever so slightly. 99% of my flights were off grass
fields and <BR>some of them were pretty rough. No I didn't use oversized
balloon tires, I <BR>used small chrome weeks with foam tires.<BR><BR>I guess
maybe the maneuver of the month should be
LANDINGS?<BR><BR>George<BR>http://www.MilAirComms.com<BR><BR>=====================================<BR>#
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