Main Landing Gears
I found a pair of main gears which were in better condition than the original ones.
The plunger shafts were sent out to be chrome plated and ground.
A new set of main gear universals and bushings were made.
Tail wheel
Old tail wheel shock strut disassembled.
The early B models tail wheel shock struts did not have the three spring guides at the top.
When the tail wheel is retracted, there is some slack in the strut. Without the guides the spring is some what free and will rub against the packing nut. The ware can be seen in this photo.
Someone tried to fix this loose spring problem on serial number 12 by attaching the spring to
the top and bottom with AN3 bolts. The trouble with attaching the spring to top and bottom
is that it doesn't allow the slack in the strut. Without this slack, the tail wheel tire
presses against the rear end of the slider tube bracket. This means that the entire force
of the gear retraction bungee is trying to stretch the tail wheel shock spring. Not
surprisingly, the spring had escaped this kludgy confinement by breaking away from the
top pair of AN3 bolts.
I fixed this problem by adding the three spring guides as indicated in Beech drawing B17860.
It is not clear to me at what serial number this modification started. The quality of my copy
of this drawing is poor. These spring guides are not on B17L serial number 58. But they are on B17E serial number 49.
In the first photo, the top row of parts are the old unusable parts. The bottom row
are new parts that I made. The middle row are reusable parts. The plunger shaft was sent out to be chrome plated and ground.
Making a new shock strut tube and plunger piston
Tail wheel down and up.
Landing Gear Retract System
Three different methods were used for the retraction of the landing gears on the B models;
pneumatic, manual, and electrical.
Regardless of how it was powered, the B-model retraction system consists of these parts.
Gear Latch Control
This is the landing gear latch control with out the instrument panel installed.
This control is connected to the up and down latch on the left and right side via
spring steel wires. These wires are routed through 1/4" steel tubes to the latches.
In this photo the latch control in the down position. In the up position, pointing
about 45 degrees to the right, it is suppose to block the throttle from being reduced
to idle with the gears up. The throttle has not been installed yet in this photo.
This is behind the instrument panel. The smaller tube to the upper left is the
mounting for the push-pull trim control. The larger tube is for the
throttle mount. If there were a pneumatic retract system installed,
the air valve would be attached to this bracket. If there were an electric retract
system, there would be a push rod connecting to a switch box to the left.
Hand Crank
Hand crank on the left of the pilot, as with all following models.This unit consist of two coaxial
shafts.The inner shaft is connected to the hand crank. The outer tube shaft is connected to the
chain sprocket. Normally the two shafts are disconnected. A spring insures that the two
shafts remain disconnected except when the crank handle is pulled to the center of the fuselage.
I replaced the sprocket and bearings on this unit.
Countershaft
The hand crank connects to the countershaft under the floor board at about the
front of the pilot's seat. This shaft has a large sprocket on the outer end connecting to the hand crank and a smaller sprocket on the right hand end. I replaced the smaller sprocket
on this shaft.
Chain to Retract Cables
A chain on the right hand end of the countershaft, which is near the center line of the fuselage, connects to cables going to the sliders.
There are three cables connected to the pull down end of the chain. Two of these go to pull down the left and right slider. The third one pulls down the tail wheel. The other end of the chain is connected
to two cables which pull the main gears up. The tail wheel pull down cable is connected to the
tail wheel slider via a block and tackle. This reduces the 36" travel of the main gear sliders to 18" for the tail wheel slider. The very nice hand splices were done by Mark Baxter of Corvallis OR.
Bungee
The tail wheel is pulled up by a large bungee in the rear half of the fuselage. Since the tail wheel
is connected with the main gears. This bungee also helps to lift up the main gears.
This same arrangement was used in following Staggerwing model. There are some differences in the details. In the B model the forward end of the bungee is attached to the airframe at about
sta 78. On the D models the forward end on the bungee is attached to the
tail wheel slider block and tackle. I am not sure when this change was made.
The bungee are 1/2 diameter, two lengths with a free length of 53".
Slide Tube
The slide tubes on the B models are vertical. The up and down latches connect directly
to the sliders at the top and bottom of the slide tube.
This general arrangement was changed on the C models and following models. The slide tube was moved to a
diagonal position with the top end somewhat behind the instrument panel. The slider were
moved vis rolling chain. A cross shaft was added passing behind the instrument
panel connecting the left and right slider. The up and down latches are incorporated into this cross shaft. Correct me if I am wrong, but I thing this basic arrangement was used on all post B model Staggerwings. The original slide tubes were corroded and slightly bent. Fortunately they are the same
diameter as the D model which have a heavier wall thickness. I obtained a new pair D model of slide tubes for my project. They had to be shortened several inches.
Gear Up Latch
The turnbuckles that pulls the sliders down have to be shortened.
The drawing for this part gives dimension to do this.
However, the modern turnbuckles do not have enough thread on the male thread parts to be shortened.
I had to make turnbuckle parts for this turnbuckle.
In order to make sure it was strong enrough, I went to 1/4-28 threads on these parts.
Gear Down Latch
Notes on Pneumatic Landing Gear Retract System
The pneumatic retraction system was powered by compressed air stored for the
Haywood starter system.
From information I found in the FAA records for serial numbers up to 24, "Variations in Standard Equipment. Model B17L," the Haywood starter was used on serial number 3, 4, 6, 7, 8, 9, 14, 15, 16,
17 and 19.
When Serial number 3 was restored in 1982 by Dick Perry and Dick Hansen, they
reinstalled a Haywood starter. The starter system lead to an emergency landing
when the little compressor case broke in flight and started dumping the
engine oil.
The pneumatic system is only used to retract the landing gears. To extend the
gears, the control lever is turned to the down position. The gears then fall part way
down, their fall being limited by the bungee. The gears are then hand cranked down the
remainder of the way by hand.
Someone told me that the pneumatic retraction system was very strong and care had
to be take not to turn the retract handle too fast. This is substantiated by a
statement the in the manual "Beechcraft, Model 17 Operation, Inspection ,Maintenance Manual".
In regards to testing the gears while the aircraft is hoisted up,
"...never use air to check the operation of the landing gear when the ship is hoisted up as it will come up too fast. The additional drag obtained in flying prevents gear from closing too rapidly."
Notes on Electric Landing Gear Retract System
It is unclear to me which Staggerwing was the first to have an electric gear retraction system. It appears that Beechcraft was working out the
problems with the Electric Retracting Mechanism at the
time of the construction of my Staggerwing. Serial number
12 was the first to not have the pneumatic starter. A letter
in the factory files dated July 30, 1934 to E. E. Aldrin
(Buzz Aldrin's father)
of Standard Oil of N.J. states:
"....With references to the Electric Retracting Mechanism
we have ran on to a snag on this in that the motors that are
available are not powerful enough to take care of the gear unless we go to a very expensive Bendix motor which would increase the cost of the airplane about two hundred dollars..."
The letter goes on to say that Beechcraft will add ball bearings
in the gear system in order to make the manual retraction easier.
A letter in the factory files of serial number 13 indicates that
they were still working out the details for electric gear retraction.
".... If Electric retraction is developed prior to delivery it is to be installed"
My staggerwing left the factory with a manual only retract system. I don't
know how many others had a manual only retract system. Of the B-models that
I have examined, Serial number 21, and 32 show no sign of ever having a gear motor.
My Staggerwing had a 24 volt gear motor installed sometime in the late 40s. I intend to return the aircraft to its original hand crank only system.
The gear motor set up for the B model was different form the later models. The motor
had a manual couple. There is a knob under the pilots seat. Pulling the knob up
disengages the motor. These photo are from serial number 58.
The motor is disengaged in both of these photos.
