EVOLUTION FES HYBRID EZFW scale 1:2.5 with 127 mm wheel – wheel leg extension 25 mm

Our newest and most innovative Evolution HYBRID retractable landing gear for FES gliders (Front Electric Selflaunch/Sustainer) is a further technical development of our Hybrid retract, which has proven itself on the market for many years.

So what could be more natural than to name the evolution of this landing gear exactly that?

Until now, the take-off position had to be set by hand: the model had to be lifted and the wheel pulled forward by hand. Admittedly, this was sometimes tedious with heavy models, but no rocket science.

With the Evolution, all three positions take-off – landing – retracted are now driven by a single servo. This makes handling much simpler.

You lift the model by the nose (as you have to with any landing gear in the world) and flip the three-position switch on your transmitter to the take-off position. Put the model down again – done.

New guide track: The new landing gear has a complex guide track that defines the wheel position. It is integrated into the side plates and absorbs the entire landing load. Previously this was located in the wheel legs, where very hard landings or years of use could cause wear or deformation. The guide track can now be replaced with new guides very easily – and the landing gear is as good as new.

The landing gear was developed for the special take-off conditions of FES models and has THREE mechanically locked positions:

- Take-off position (with this landing gear size, the wheel axle is moved forward by 49 mm and the model sits 11 mm higher)
- Landing gear retracted
- Landing gear extended

Advantages of this forward and raised wheel position:

- counteracts the pitching moment of the model
- reduces the risk of the propeller striking the ground on poor take-off strips
- the model keeps its tail on the ground during take-off
- no need to install the EZFW outside its ideal position
- in the take-off position, the landing gear raises the model by 11 mm, so the wheel legs of the FES landing gear do not need to be extended by this amount to obtain enough ground clearance. The landing gear therefore looks very close to a standard landing gear (no stork-leg look from very long wheel legs).

You can see the effect of the take-off position nicely in this video (clicking redirects to YouTube!)

FES calculator:

The FES landing gear is made specifically for your model and the planned propeller. Please use the button at the top right under FES calculator.

Standard equipment of the EVO FES HYBRID landing gear:
- two side plates made of 4.0 mm carbon
- two swing arms made of 5.0 mm high-strength 7075 aluminium (mirror-polished), up to 25 mm longer than on a standard landing gear
- one FEMA wheel with ball bearings and 8.0 mm axle
- four integrated carbon servo mounts for 2 standard servos
- front attachment to the main former via 2 torsion plates

In its standard version, the landing gear is designed for installation between two formers. Optionally, it can be mounted with rubber dampers at the rear. To allow the necessary movement of the landing gear at the front, the Hybrid landing gear uses a completely new front attachment to the former (torsion plates). The attachment weighs only 11 grams in total – a weight saving of more than 100 grams compared with the aluminium blocks used previously. The torsion plates are included in the scope of delivery and do not need to be purchased as an accessory.

Design:

As standard, the EVO HYBRID retractable landing gear is made with 4 mm carbon side plates and 5.0 mm aluminium swing arms. To ensure smooth operation, especially in combination with carbon, all moving parts run in bushings. The landing gear is very flat at the front, which allows a scale cockpit fit-out without having to modify the seat pan.

Operation:

The landing gear is extended and retracted by one servo. A standard-size 120-degree HV servo is used (not included).

After take-off, the wheel can be retracted as usual and extended back to the standard position for landing. This way, the wheel is always in the right position.

- at take-off, the wheel is as far forward as possible and counteracts the pitching moment
- for landing, the wheel is at the rear, so you can land on the centre of gravity
- all positions are mechanically locked with absolute reliability

Available accessories:

• Stainless steel wheel guard (1.25 mm thick) with four-point attachment to the swing arms (extremely sturdy design)
• ABS wheel cover in carbon look, precisely matched to the tyre
• Carbon wheel brake with Bowden cable linkage or our disc brake
• Rear rubber damper mounting (several rubber dampers can be fitted as standard; for heavier models up to three are possible on request)
• Former set, front and rear (with extra material left/right/bottom for shaping to the actual fuselage contour
• NEW: Limit switch for reporting and displaying the landing position via your radio's telemetry
• Ready-to-install linkage with two ball links
• Landing gear drive servo