Shaving of the main gear

[muxson]

I don't shave but my main gear did!! And this during the 3rd flight!!!
Look at the picture:

It's quite clear that the main gear is too fare from the pinion. Does anyone experienced it already? Is this a miss-fabrication? or a lack of adjustment?
I'm a bit disapointed... [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused.gif[/img]
Any advice welcome.

[Heliman888]

Hi Pierre,

Well, looks like you need a new main gear.

The gear mesh between pinion and main gear is one of those things that we as pilots have to check before each flying session.

You could most likely get Ikarus to do a warranty repair, but the real lesson here lies somewhere else.

In the real world, professional pilots walk around their aircraft before every flight, checking that all is as it should be. Even though the planes are maintained by professional, experienced mechanics, they do this because THEY want to be assured that all is as it should be.

So even though it appears that Ikarus might have adjusted the mesh incorrectly, you are the pilot, and it is your reponsibility to make sure the aircraft is airworthy for the safety of those around you.

Kind of a hard lesson to learn, but those pre-flight inspections will save you from many a harm, and later on you won't be able to blame this stuff on anyone but yourself.

Write down a pre-flight checklist and follow it religiously.
You'll become be a better, safer pilot, guaranteed.

Kind Regards,
Sebastian

[muxson]

Hi Seb,

Thanks for your reply and for your word of wisdom!
Yes, I should have...
I actually noticed it and tried to adjust it but I don't see how I can make any adjustment there. Do you know?
I actually concluded (and that's my mistake) it is a factory -set adjustment and the gap between pinion and main gear has to be as it was.
I'll write to Ikarus anyway.

Best regards,
PYM

[muxson]

OK, now I understand.
In the manual there is a paragraph called "Gear Mesh Adjustment" and this is precisely made to avoid this shaving or the main gear!
When it says "completely assembles and adjusted", it doesn't mean that it's done properly... As Sebastian sad, it's the responsibility of the pilot to check everything.
I paid the price of my mistake or rather lack of knowledge.
We are always wiser after...

I hope this posting will be a help for others.
Have fun flying!

[Heliman888]

Hi Pierre,

There you go.

I have to say, however, that Ikarus does seem to be prone to glaring QC goofs every now and then, and that this is frustrating for new owners who rightly expect the thing to be "ready to fly" out of the box.

One of these was the reversing of the cyclic control (aileron). A whole bunch of Eco 7's left the factory with this control function reversed, meaning that if you did not do a check before the first take-off, left aileron sent the heli off to the right, and of course into the ground!

Anyway, when you set the gear mesh, check carefully all around the main gear. The correct mesh needs to be set at the point which feels the tightest. The main gear usually is not perfectly round, so you have to compensate. The correct mesh is achieved if you can feel the main gear just wiggle slightly against the motor pinion.

Instead of just getting a main gear, you might want to go for the autorotation upgrade instead. It comes with a new main gear, and now is the perfect time to install it.

Best Regards,
Sebastian