New Undercarriages For Both The Certified And Experimental Markets

By Anthony Liberatore

As pilots we rely on the entire landing gear assembly and do not take it for granted. However it is not an area where we often think innovation would occur. Team Beringer changes that paradigm.

On July 21th at the EAA's Press Headquarters Claire Beringer along with her father Gilbert and Cousin Viviane presented a new array of products. The innovations that were unveiled were for both the certified and experimental aircraft categories.

On the certified side, Claire discussed their STC for Diamond DA42 twin engine that is often used by flight schools for twin engine training. Their new lighter weight system includes: 6.00-6" main wheels, high energy calipers, discs, aluminum axles, and a Tubeless 5.00-5" nosewheel. Also included are Master cylinders for both pilot and co-pilot. It is estimated with the 20% reduction in stopping distance along with other advantages can reduce operating cost for Beringer equipped Diamond DA42 by $8 / hr. The other STC that Claire discussed was the new wheel and rim combination for the Extra 300 that yields a 6.61 lb weight savings and includes tubeless mounting, aluminum rims, sealed ball bearings and will be standard equipment on all the Red Bull Racing Aircraft. On the horizon to be Certified is a "6 LE" designed wheel which will be geared towards the 1300 to 2600 gw aircraft like the Supercub. It will be fully TSO'd so the manufacturers can integrate it.

Claire also discussed their dual-pivot Ground loop resistant tailwheel. This dual pivot system allows one pivot for landing and one for sharper turns under 10 knots. However, the cleverest product they unveiled was their Alaskan Landing Gear (ALG). As Claire noted after some exposure to bush flying Team Beringer came away with the impression that "we need to do something about it." They came up with the goals of designing something lighter, made with more modern materials, and incorporate more landing gear travel. And add landing gear travel they did, to this patented system 12" of it. In the place of the traditional center bungee system located between both gear leg assemblies are two locater links. In what would have been the front tube of Cub type gear leg is the 90% air 10% shock absorbers that fits into the axle assembly similar to how a McPherson Strut fits into a steering hub in an automobile.

With a new pivot point on the internal locator's, their is less camber change as the shock is deflected on landing. Rounding out the landing gear assembly is a trailing locater link that takes the place of the rear tube that helps to form the inverted "V" you often see in traditional Cub type landing gears. While speaking with Gilbert he noted that the gear has been in development for the last 2 years and has been flying on a like type taildragger in France. At this point the ALG will only be for Experimental Cub-Clone type aircraft with certification to follow within the next 2 years.

FMI: www.beringer-aero.com