Taildragger

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Gil T
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Taildragger

Post by Gil T »

WHOOPS!!
I guess next time I'll check out the rock sizes before I add power. After spending several weeks recovering the rudder and getting things put back together I'll add a little more caution to things. I tried to go without attaching the steering springs to my Iron Design tail wheel a few times and I know some of you guys go without but I find if you have a steerable it is best to use it. You're going to wear out your brakes if you have to do any amount of taxing. Particularly at a large airport or with a lot of crosswind or tailwind taxiing.

Gil T
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danerazz
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Re: Taildragger

Post by danerazz »

Ouch!

I guess that is why some of the guys are "clipping" their rudders during the build.
Dane

Paralysis by analysis
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Gil T
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Re: Taildragger

Post by Gil T »

I thought of that but since I went well over 600 hours before this bit of fun I figure the rudder will need some prettying up by the time it happens again. Besides I like the looks of the square one.

Gil T
HS-JAT
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Re: Taildragger

Post by HS-JAT »

Let me guess....

Iron designs Tail wheel. The bracket attaching that steel bar to the fuselage failed!

To the point....IMHO the Iron Designs tail wheel assembly is a complete piece of garbage! Definitely NOT the sort of tail wheel made for a bush plane, if ANY plane at all!

The whole concept is flawed. There is no flex in that steel bar, all force and leverage goes into that attaching point. I don't want to even think of the calculation of how much twisting force is put on that bracket in a rough or hard landing. The whole thing is attached together in three pieces which eventually have play and make noise.

Do yourself a favor and buy the standard Highlander spring with the Outcast tail wheel (Or any other for that matter). It will be a 300% improvement!

Former Iron Designs user
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SheepdogRD
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Re: Taildragger

Post by SheepdogRD »

If I remember correctly, the Iron Design tailwheel is a commercial version of Bob Barrows' design used on the Bearhawk (and possibly on other Barrows designs). The Bearhawk is more of a heavy hauler than a bush plane.
Richard Holtz
Highlander N570L -- Ms. Tonka -- in gestation

If just enough is really good, then too much ought to be perfect.
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R Rinker
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Re: Taildragger

Post by R Rinker »

I've seen tailwheels come off the spring on C-180's. Happens on gravel bars with big rocks. I still say you're very brave to clip the bottom of the rudder. If you ever need it in a spin, the bottom part is the only part not blanked out to get you out of it. Often prototypes for certified aircraft have to go back after testing and add to the rudder 'below' the elevator to pass.
Rodger Rinker - Rocky Mountain House, Alberta, Canada
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Gil T
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Re: Taildragger

Post by Gil T »

Let me set the record straight. The Iron Design tail wheel had nothing to do with the problem I had. That was strictly pilot induced. I am very happy with it. A vast improvement over the original Maule one I had. I'm sure the STOL design is a much stronger design but I have airframe #28 which is a Escapade/Highlander which I am very satisfied with. All of my arrivals are not as interesting as this one was and I am not interested in landing on mountain tops, water skiing, or 200 foot gravel bars. Having spent over half a century in Alaska, Northern Canada, Africa and the Mid-East I do not need to test myself. I'm just going to try to dodge the rocks in the desert a little better.

Gil T
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taildrgfun
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Re: Taildragger

Post by taildrgfun »

I sure do like my rudder angled up on the bottom on Highlanders and SuperStols. Saves it from a lot of abuse. I don't know about spins but I can tell no difference in crosswinds or hard slips with it cut. My SS rudder came like that from the factory. Troy just doesn't like the looks of them that way. To me they look much better because for me it is much more functional.
I decided a long time ago that for me the tailwheel spring should be replaced after a couple thousand landing because they get metal fatigue. Replace the nuts and bolts too.
Steve Henry, Wild West Aircraft
(the Dead Stick Take-off Guy)
messenger
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Re: Taildragger

Post by messenger »

Here is what I have done to slow the bounce from the single leaf tailspring. I installed a double leaf tailspring. It adds a couple of pounds, but if you look at all of the older taildraggers, you will find that all of them have three or four leaf tailsprings. With the Roberts Rage main gear system and the double tailspring, my landings have improved tenfold. RLM
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SheepdogRD
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Re: Taildragger

Post by SheepdogRD »

messenger wrote:I installed a double leaf tailspring.
Is this an off-the-shelf solution? Could you provide a link to the source, and cost?
Richard Holtz
Highlander N570L -- Ms. Tonka -- in gestation

If just enough is really good, then too much ought to be perfect.
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danerazz
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Re: Taildragger

Post by danerazz »

So you like the Rage gear? Haven't heard much about it on a highlander, pictures and your thoughts would be appreciated!
Dane

Paralysis by analysis
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User GDS
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Re: Taildragger

Post by User GDS »

Hey Gil, did you get your steering control arm fitted? I've got an idea and some parts bouncing around on the floor of my truck, I can put it all together and bring it out next time I go to the river. (should be out in next 2 weeks)
GDS
So Cal
Highlander #232
Rotax 912ULS, Dynon Skyview
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Gil T
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Re: Taildragger

Post by Gil T »

Gary

I did get the yoke at the bottom of the rudder fitted okay. I had to turn it backwards because of the unique fitting that my rudder post has. Then I had Tri-Lander Ted bend the spring down to the proper angle so everything fits with no interference problem. The angle is about 60 degrees. This seems to give the positive castor angle that is shown in the article in the January issue of Sport Pilot (page 92). I have always had the idea that it should be a double spring back there instead of a single one. I would be interested in knowing what someone has done in that regard. I know that the one I have is 3/8 so what do you do if you put in two? Not being an engineer I'll let someone else figure that out. I am waiting for the wind to die down here so I can test fly my airplane since I installed the steering springs after my experiment with no tail wheel steering which was not really comfortable taxiing.

Gil T
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danerazz
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Re: Taildragger

Post by danerazz »

You should be able to make your own springs out of flat stock and then normalize them, then heat treat them. It would be pretty cheap to make a couple and test them.
Dane

Paralysis by analysis
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messenger
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Re: Taildragger

Post by messenger »

You can have springs made at a reasonable cost at Boise spring works in Boise, Idaho. Just look at some springs made for certificated aircraft and send your highlander spring as a pattern and tell them what you want. The Iron design tailwheel as a steerable tailwheel works fine, I personally prefer scott or alaska bushwheel steerable tailwheel. If you are interested in how much camber a tailwheel needs to work without shimmy, go to supercub.org or shortwingpipers.org and search their archives for that info, Steve Pierce has written extensively on that subject. As far as photos of the Rage system, search this website for aoss or main gear systems or google rage systems and you will be able to see a ton of photos. Most of my taildragger time was in certificated craft before I went LSA, so I kind of lean that way when it comes to the landing gear necessary to handle the rough conditions we might be exposed to. thanks RLM
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