Pneumatic tail wheel

[bacon]

Hi

 

Im operating my newly bought drifter from grass strips with some cracks In the black soil which could swallow and tear a normal hard drifter tail wheel off. I'm hoping someone has had the same problem and could let me know where I could source a 100 to 150mm pneumatic wheel from.

 

Thanks

 

Jamie

 

 

[Guest Maj Millard]

Jamie, I purchased and fitted a wide pneumatic tyre to my Drifter just in case I ended up on the beach you know. I purchased it from a wheels and casters store, and I believe it turned out to be the smallest front tyre you can get for a go-cart. It was a square slick profile with no tread and was mounted on a nice light alum hub. I had to make up a new alum U to mount it on, but it worked well on the standard Drifter tailwheel set-up. If I get a chance tomorrow I'll drop in there and get the size for you.........................................................Maj...

 

 

[Guest Maj Millard]

Jamie, I dropped by the wheel shop as promised and the size is 8.0x 3.0x 4. It is a lightweight alloy rim designed to take a 3/4" axel but you can fit bearings to handle a 1/2" axel. He had a tyre there but had just sold the last rim and would have to reorder out of Brisbane. Quoted me a price of $70-80 for the lot not including two bearings or axel. KB59 may still have access to my old Drifter, if you contact him he may be able to send you a photo. I have tried to upload a photo but can't do it....................................................Maj...

 

 

[farri]

Hi Jamie, I don`t remember the exact diameter of my original hard rubber tail wheel but I think 100 150 m/m wouldn`t be that much biger.

 

I`ve had the pneumatic tail wheel on my Drifter since Austflight made the modification and that`s many years ago, from memory at least 20.

 

My wheel rim is hard plastic and is in two halves held together by four 3/16 th bolts.... Fallshaw is stamped on the current tyre and the size is 2.50x4. when inflated it is 230 m/m in diameter. I`ve had to change a couple of tyres and tubes over the years and I purchase them from a store in Cairns called " Easy Lift ".

 

This may help you. https://www.fallshaw.com.au/?gclid=CObrraqcx64CFYolpAodqkVTAA but surely, Wayne Fisher could supply you with what you need!

 

To go to a wheel the same as mine, as Maj has said, you will need a wider, longer fork.

 

I`ve also modified my tail wheel assembly to incorprate a thrust bearing between the fork and the spring.

 

Frank.

 

 

[bacon]

Hey

 

Thanks guys for your responses I found one on fallshaw website and it is getting delivired at the moment. Im just wondering is there anyway the extra weight of the wheel its not gunna be much 2kg max with new bracket, will change the centre of gravity and cause any handling issues. I dont know anything about caculating the c of g, hopefully someone can help

 

thanks

 

 

[Guest Maj Millard]

I didn't notice any significent change with mine when I fitted it. Do however pack a couple of spare heavy duty tubes and whatever you need to change a flat, as they rarely happen in the hangar !....................................Maj...

 

 

[Patrick Normoyle]

Usually the COG / Lift is calculated by placing your aircraft off the ground on a very sturdy box with a length of pipe ontop to allow the aircraft to move for and aft, balance the aircraft with the pilot weight in the front seat, I used dive lead weights and some dumbells, weigh them and place on the front seat.. Then drop a plum bob from the leading edge of th wing down to the floor pans, mark this spot, then transfer a mark from the point where the steel tube sits under your aircraft and mark the floor pans, the distance should be between about 406mm to 440mm give or take, but you should have the weight an balance details from when the aircraft was first built. I'm lucky, I built mine. Any significant change to our aircraft and what you are doing is ( in my opinion) significant, you should recalculate your weight and balance, Wayne has a sheet that he supplied with his Fisher Mk1 tat I built, the distances may be different for a SB. Also, the further away from the centre of lift you make the change, the greater the effect, imagine a child's seesaw with an elephant at one end and a mouse at the other, there is a point at which the mouse can lift the elephant by moving the fulcrum away from the mouse, once balanced, any small changes at the mouses end ( the aircraft tail) and you can become unbalanced, especially any increase. You can't just weight the old and new parts, and put the difference of the two as additional weight in the nose.. Let me know if you want me to email a copy of my weight and balance instructions?

 

 

[Patrick Normoyle]

Be careful installing the new tail wheel, try and keep it tight to the spring, and if possible get the attach- point of the spring enlarged to prevent the tailwheel from wobbling side to side, if you increase the height of the tail slightly with a bigger when, you might notice you will get te tail up a little later than usual, the weight and the angle of attack will be change slightly, weight is greater and the angle is less. I am going to install a Matco 6" pneumatic tailwheel, it comes with the bracket etc from aircraft spruce, will give me better results and the weights are similar. I installed a wheel skid to the tailwheel for use on sandy beaches, took some time to get it right but got it right and it worked well, but if you are one up then the prop has enough guts to lift he tail in a standing still position to get you out, if you are two up and landing on sand make sure it's compacted ( look for shallow tyre tracks ) from cars, have fun, and isn't this te best part about having the 19 reg, change is as good as a holiday.

 

 

[Guest Maj Millard]

Here's a photo of my Drifter tail (now sold) showing the tail wheel I previously mentioned in post #3 ..............Maj...

 

 

[Patrick Normoyle]

Awesome thanks for the photo, do you still Drift, Maj?

 

 

[Patrick Normoyle]

Maj, I was just checking the website and they state the max weight as 100kg and maximum speed as 15km/h, did you have and problem with the hub cracking under load or the rubber running off the rim at high speed ?