Physics .. "Active" tractor weights .. Shifting the C/G ZTR ??

[tmajor]

Unrelated question: before retiring, did you do much glass-cockpit work? And do you still need an FCC General Class (old class 1 or 2) license to work on avionic transmitters? I have one and did some of that work when I got out of college, but haven't touched it in decades and am just curious.

Never "piloted" or trained. I never got the FCC ticket and the FAA never seemed to care. Of course, when I was in the Navy, such a thing was unheard of. I think, the FCC has changed their requirements ... to maybe a General License. ??

The key: "Don't rock the boat".

I may have missed your point .."glass cockpit"?

 

[tmajor]

OK, if you want to find out, who was right and who was wrong, check out the video.

 

[cttractor]

Never "piloted" or trained. I never got the FCC ticket and the FAA never seemed to care. Of course, when I was in the Navy, such a thing was unheard of. I think, the FCC has changed their requirements ... to maybe a General License. ??

The key: "Don't rock the boat".

I may have missed your point .."glass cockpit"?

Thanks for your response! A glass cockpit is the trend of the last decade or so to go from discreet, individual gauges to CRT's originally, and now LCD monitors and touchscreens in the palne's dash. Much more info is presented, the screens can be quickly changed, and the pilot is no longer limited to just what the gauge could display (e.g. Artificial Horizon, VSI etc.)

 

[cttractor]

OK, if you want to find out, who was right and who was wrong, check out the video.

Hey Tom, Well done with the mock up! There's nothing like a physical application to try out our ideas and remove the vagaries of theory.

In thinking about some uncomplicated way to approach this, Groundcover's suggestion of pumping oil or some fluid between side tanks still sounds like one of the most plausible to me. Of course, like the analogy I used when I mentioned Toyota's active or adaptive suspension system, it will require some complexity with a pump, and sensors to move fluid properly as the mower's angle, pitch, and direction change. If there's a much simpler approach to your goal, it hasn't occurred to me yet. Perhaps some other site member may have something simpler.

 

[tmajor]

Ah! Yes, I know what you mean. I believe, King and others were getting into that, when I escaped. GPS was the current rage, when I left avionics.

 

[tmajor]

If there's a much simpler approach to your goal, it hasn't occurred to me yet. Perhaps some other site member may have something simpler.

I'm "wondering" about compound pulleys, however, the outcome is likely to be the same. ??

Your thought of having an external force, "controlling" the travel, wouldn't be too bad ... a chain, a reversible motor with a sprocket to replace the pulley and a trim switch (which, could be a curved mercury switch or the like ... maybe).

 

[cttractor]

Ah! Yes, I know what you mean. I believe, King and others were getting into that, when I escaped. GPS was the current rage, when I left avionics.

Yes, King, Bendix, and especially Garmin these days. Garmin is not just very big in GPS, it also is in all of the NavCom stuff and boat navigation. I didn't mean to hijack your thread along this line, but appreciate your response!

 

[cttractor]

I'm "wondering" about compound pulleys, however, the outcome is likely to be the same. ??

Your thought of having an external force, "controlling" the travel, wouldn't be too bad ... a chain, a reversible motor with a sprocket to replace the pulley and a trim switch (which, could be a curved mercury switch or the like ... maybe).

Sure! A reversible motor would work. I mean, I really like the idea of it being some passive system like you were initially envisioning. There's little to maintain and fail. I've had several thoughts inspired by your starting this thread, but just as happened to you, as I think it through, make a sketch, and take it down the path, I find one (or more) fatal flaws with my idea and have come up empty.

 

[cttractor]

Hey Tom!

Here's a thought, have you considered doing what Chevy did when they released the Camero and just putting fixed weights over each wheel or near each one? That dropped the center of gravity a lot and made the car very stable in taking sharp, high-speed turns. In fact, it worked so well, they called it "the hugger". I know I'm dating myself and perhaps you, too. Do you remember? Actually, this sounds like a viable idea (unfortunately, it's Chevy's and not mine).

The weights should be fairly inexpensive, require only simple tools and mounting to apply, and the only recurring cost might be a little less fuel economy, but it can't be very significant.

 

[tmajor]

Would the weights on "each side", provide better results, than the weights, which I have bolted underneath, which go from one side to the other? Essentially, we are talking "wheel weights" here, only their equivalent mounted to the chassis. I believe the effect would be the same. ??