I have always had a problem with wire fuselage mounted landing gear, i.e., Nobler style.  Should you allow for movement of the gear at the fuselage interface for less than glass smooth landings?  I seem to inevitably develop a knarly exit hole around the gear after a season of flying.  Maybe the gear should be braced closer to the exit?  Or a larger aluminum tube around the gear wire to allow for flex?

The '57 Nobler style L/G spats are cut away in the back to allow for gear movement (not very atractive IMHO).  Others, like the Gieseke Nobler, utilize nicely airfoiled spats that terminate close to the fuselage.  I have done this on my Gieseke Nobler and they looked great, at first, but the gear did flex back after a few flights on my local grass field, resulting in gouges by the back corners of the spats into the fuselage skin.  My Gieseke Nobler did have what was probably wire gear of asian extraction, but I have had this problem with other scratch built Noblers as well.  Any suggestions? 

Thanks,
Paul Raley

That is what forum member PJ Rowlands did on his Gieseke Nobler and it looked great!  It does take some structural mods to the old designs to make this work but it sure would eliminate the problems with wire gear. Thanks!

Paul Raley