What does everyone think about changing the RV7A sprung steel nose strut
 (also used on my airplane) to an oleo strut. It was done by someone on VAF
 forum but the thread ends with no further feedback, just at the place it
 was starting to look good. A/C gross weight is 2200lbs.

 http://www.vansairforce.com/community/showthread.php?t=64850

 here are some youtube vids of his testing

 RV7A nose gear taxi test v1.3 <http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=lKjyARhgXdU

 Any suggestions on production aircraft
 free castering nose oleo's that might work, that I could get from a
 boneyard.

 Alex


On second thought, I'm now leaning back towards the sprung steel RV nose
gear that it have, this is why.

I've found some reports on tricycle RV's now that still talk about
insufficient nose gear suspension travel on RV's making them
moderately unsuitable for anything more challenging than flat grass fields,
even when shimmy issues can be sorted out, however cirrus uses the same
configuration on their production gear except that their gear is on a swing
link off the motor mount, and they have rubber donuts for shock
absorption and would appear to give slightly more travel which is what you
need at low taxi speeds over bumpy ground with this gear to avoid a bad
day. I think this is what I want to do. Anyone with thoughts, suggestions?
Paul, do you think this is viable to incorporate on my motor mount design?

http://www.inetefb.com/Documentation/Cirrus/AMM/pdf/32-20.pdf

Alex

There is a fundamental difference. The Cirrus nose gear is a thick
wall piece of steel tubing. Not a tapered round spring.
I can handled either one. The Cirrus is stiffer for side loads.
It also limits the up travel regardless of the vertical load
which could save the prop in some circumstances.

Paul Lamar