Which wire for landing gear?

[RoyBro]

I use this for landing gear. .078 Music wire

And this for bending the wire. K&S mini wire bender

Of course if you can buy one piece of wire from an LHS rather than 15 pieces from online, it will be much cheaper.

 

[Ace Goodheart]

I've been to the website and I can't find any of this stuff, I've searched by stock #, SKU, and name, no luck. My next step is to print out your post and take it in to the store. My hot glue wheel stopper is no match for my less than optimal landings. It will last 2-3 landings then I'll come in a little crooked and sideways and POP off goes a wheel. I would have used a linkage stopper but they are far to small for that sized wire.

-Jes

Yes, it may be best to just go into the store, I can't find the SKUs, etc., online either. Regardless, I usually come up with some sort of working combination in the hardware aisle for just about anything I need. This one really stood out though as the nuts and washers are super cheap and work so effectively. I've gone to putting another set of quick nut / washer on the inside of the wheel before the bend up the landing gear as it keeps the wheel even more in place. So, in other words, the wheel is sandwiched between a washer and a quick nut on each side just snug enough that the wheel still rolls.

 

[Ground loop]

Im going to see about getting a roll of .08 from Fastenal. Dirt cheap. I know it is coiled but it can be straightened Im sure if need be.

https://www.fastenal.com/web/produc...rchMode=productSearch&filterByVendingMachine=

Edit: That is the price per roll not case. Fail.

 

[Netlinimp]

For the past 10 years i have used the 18" ground flags ( don't dig here type) Lowes
Presco 100-Pack 18-in Orange PVC Marking Flags

as push rods. And when i need landing wire i put 2 in a vice and in the end of my cordless drill and tighten to form one good bendable form but need straws on wheel axle to roll smoothly.

 

[Cking47]

Came here searching for suggestions for landing gear wire. Then I rummaged through my garage and found some old garage sale signs from Dollar Tree (the kind with the H-shaped wire legs). I cut and bent one into an A-shape and hammered the bends to stiffen them a bit. I haven’t flown this design yet, but they look like they’ll do the job. Best part? They’re $1 per sign (or free after the elections!)

 

[Abhishek gyani]

Id like to see that. I'm thinking of trying some new stuff on the ft p-51. When it comes out. I've got an idea for a steerable tail wheel.

_/-\_ is the way I normally build the gear for the front. If you imagine looking from the side it looks like this \|/ with the axel at the bottom of the vee. I have successfully used pushrods for the struts... If your handy with knots you can use kite string also.... Wrap it around the gear several times and coat it with CA glue. Then tie around Popsicle sticks inside the fuse. Just try to put equal tension on it in all directions.

If you imagine the gear trying to fold back, the string takes the load pushing in -> this direction.
If the gear tries to fold forward the strong takes the load in the opposite direction. And likewise for the gear spreading(in which case you'd just wrap it multiple times around each leg just giving a slight tension to hold then together slightly.

In a serious crash the string normally fails especially if you use carbon rod to attach it to the fuse.... Have had the Popsicle sticks fail and pull threw the foam.

My favorite thing about this method is that it's basicly invisible once in the air... I wonder if you could use high strength fishing line?
Only issue I see, and it may be a good thing, is that it stretches... It would almost give some kind of suspension to the gear....

Great. Now I've gotta build something. Lmao

You can use 2.5mm or 3mm spring wire which is available at local spring making shops or factories. This spring wire has the necessary strength and absorbs hard impacts upon landing