Eagle's Lair
Members Roster

October 25, 2001

Ladies & Gentlemen:

Work continues on the North American Eagle™. This installment has us working on the front suspension box.  Ed Shadle, Russ Garlow and Jon Higley can be seen on their backs fitting the crucial assembly into the former front wheel well cavity of 56-763.  I'm sure when Kelly Johnson of the Lockheed Skunk Works designed the "Man in a Missile" he never intended it  be retrofitted with an automotive suspension!  Its obvious because we are finding it to be one of the more difficult areas to over come.   The dynamics of an 800 MPH spinning wheel on the front suspension far exceed the oleo strut of the F-104.  Although it is a daunting task, we are beginning to see light at the end of the tunnel.  What we are doing is building a steel box that will fit up into the existing wheel well. This will give us the ability to make the necessary mounting points to weld and bolt specific components.  The original .030 inch think aluminum will not carry the loads that the wheel assembly will be encountering.  So the hard part is complete. In the next few months we will be building the swing arm, steering and brake assemblies.   Most of these components will be produced by our sponsor, Eagle Machine Inc. in Abbotsford Canada.  The suspension will be similar to our prototype vehicle, but the steering will be something all together new. When we get closer  we will share it with you.

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