Composite gear legs for S1

[Joe Curtis]

Does anyone know anything about these gear legs (see attached pic)?

 

[Raceair]

Its possible the gear was borrowed from a Vari-eze or Long-ez….At any grate they look a tad too long….Sure would be hard to get in or out of this Sonerai….

 

[racegunz]

I like that plane, it's in South Africa,( I think} and yes it would be a tad more difficult to climb in A built in step on the lower longeron would do maybe. ??? It does look line the Varieeze gear I never made that connection before, lighter perhaps?

 

[JuergenA]

Hi friends,
I am also interested about a composite main gear for the S1 to reduce weight.
The system of the VariEze gives not too much weight reduction, because (my information) the main gear is massive glass/epoxy: glass have near the same weight as Aluminum and epoxy have about the half weight of glass, so if it is build with the same dimmentions as the Alu main gear, the weight reduce is only 10-20%.
Other variant is, to design it similar as the main gear of the German motorglider "Scheibe Falke": old, very proven design. The core is laminated spruce and the skin is glass/epoxy. With this design, I think it shall be a chance, to reduce the weight of the main gear about 50% and this shall be a option to invest the work.
I know the new owner of the Scheibe patents and will ask him about the system, perhaps we can take it also for the Sonerai community.
with best regards
Juergen