2nd taxi try

[giro5]

2nd try at trying to taxi. Differential braking is not going to work with the Bensen style wheel. Made sure all tires were at proper pressure. In making u turns while getting the blades up to speed I noticed the front wheel assembly was bent over. Never did get the blades rotating fast enough to rock the plane back on the tail wheel.

Also found my egt gauges need K thermocouples (previously I had been using J type) and had one. Gauge still did not work. Out of 4 cht gauges 3 worked and one was erratic and read high I think. Based on my experience with Westach gauges I would not buy them again.

[Timchick]

This is a better way for steering in a Bensen type.

[LARRYEBOYER]

Tim. I got a chance to taxi the Benson with the soft springs. A great improvement. I really have to use a lot of pettal to get it to turn. Much better than the direct chain where u think a turn and it turns. Seemed to touchy.

[giro5]

I may try to straighten the fork assembly and try your method. So far I have not tried steering directly or with springs on the front wheel fork. The u turns put a big load on the fork so I am not sure controlling the front wheel will help although it will probably be easier to keep in the center of the runway with direct steering or with spring coupled direct steering. The u turns are necessary when I run out of runway and have to go back for another run.

[Timchick]

How wide is your runway? If I'm at the end of the runway I drift over to one side and then make a wide turn. No need to make an abrupt U-turn.

[giro5]

The runway I was on is just a little wider than a 2 lane highway. I would guess 24 to 30 feet. It is hard for me to get the gyro to turn around in its width. I slow down and move to one side initiate the turn and have to apply some power and lots of brake to the wheel I am trying to pivot on to get the gyro to turn. There could be some issue with the caster action between the fork and the AL plate under the keel

[BUD ONEAL]

We in south florida, replaced the bensen style front end with a bicycle head set front end. Some one down there may have a spare laying around. Sure works better than the old bensen style.

[giro5]

A few pictures of this mod would help. I saw one over a year ago but that computer crashed and I lost the pictures. That idea is what I am leaning toward currently.

[giro5]

Went and took the front fork/wheel assembly off. The plate that holds it and bolts to the 2x2 keel tube had bent not the fork as I thought. My fault. I did not use the correct thickness for the plate. Going to beef this up slightly and add some type of direct steering and try again.

[Timchick]

That's good that the forks didn't bend.