Tailwheels

[planet47]

Just looking for some thoughts and/or advice on benefits of different types of tailwheels as I know precious little about them:- ie pneumatic -v- not, castoring, locked, unlocking, size, brands, etc.

 

 

 

[old man emu]

It all depends on ...... heaps of things.

 

First is weight. The tailwheel is a long way from the C of G, and exerts a large downwards Moment. You can use this to your advantage if you want to bring your C of G backwards, but it is a problem if the C of G has to go the other way.

 

Pneumatic or solid? Depends on what you usually taxy over. Pneumatics roll well over grass, where a solid may dig in a bit. However, a pneumatic tyre assembly is more complex and may be heavier than a solid wheel.

 

Castoring or Non-castoring? This relates to ease of ground handling. By non-castoring, do you mean steerable? I would prefer the positive control that a steerable tailwheel gives.

 

Lockable or not? Definitely needs to be lockable for take-off and landing. That gives you more control, and less need for the Quickstep for directional control.

 

Size? That is dictated by the design and location of the airplane. The angle formed by a line drawn from the ground contact point of the main gear tyres to the ground contact point of the tailwheel is usually set to be below about 15 degrees so that the tailplane is at a suitable Angle of Attack at the start of the take off roll to let it get flying and raise the rear of the airplane.

 

Brands? Usually dictated to a great degree by the leather container adjacent to the builder's butt.

 

Old Man Emu

 

 

[Patrick Normoyle]

What aircraft are we talking about, I'm like OME, I like a steerable pneumatic TW, my Fisher Mk1 handles well in all conditions including bull dust, gravel, mud and soft sand.

 

 

[metalman]

I'm looking at the Beringer wheels for my Kitfox type, I really like their pneumatic tailwheel, and the bigass bush wheels , saving as we speak!

 

 

 

[Patrick Normoyle]

Metalman2, how much did your bush wheel tyres cost ? What is their size ?

 

 

[metalman]

Haven't bought them ,,,yet! I'm estimating $3500 for two mains, brakes,master cylinders axles and a tailwheel,,,,I'll have to built new gear to fit it up but I want to do that anyway , very nice gear and quite light, they also do kits with normal size tyres .

 

The eurofox in my avatar is one I rent, my plane is airborne now so I'm keen to fit the same gear, very cool ,and it didn't mess with the cruise speed much, it did make wheelers a bit different though

 

http://www.beringer-brakes.com/ Here's their web site, doesn't work on iPads though

 

 

[Old Koreelah]

Just looking for some thoughts and/or advice on benefits of different types of tailwheels as I know precious little about them:- ie pneumatic -v- not, castoring, locked, unlocking, size, brands, etc.

My local Ag pilot warned me that the tailwheel takes quite a beating and needs to be pneumatic... But I went ahead and tried to save weight with several plastic types from Bunnings and Victa lawnmowers.

He was right after all. Plastic wheels eventually collapsed, but it was the noise transmitted up through the fuselage (a plywood cone) that was the main problem. A pneumatic wheelchair little wheel proved to be the best, and new tyres are easily obtainable.

 

 

[planet47]

Patrick Normoyle asked What aircraft are we talking about.........?

 

A new build from scratch with probably millions of questions to come. I've all but completed the wing ribs and done some bits for the fuselage so far and I think today's aim is to get some wing spar folding done. Soon to order rivets but had some questions about tailwheels and thought I'd ask here.

 

 

[aj_richo]

Hey Old Koreelah, where did you source your wheelchair type wheel and what size is it? I have been looking online for a 120-125mm to no avail..

 

 

[Old Koreelah]

Hey Old Koreelah, where did you source your wheelchair type wheel and what size is it? I have been looking online for a 120-125mm to no avail..

Richo most bicycle shops seem to carry bits for wheelchairs, but there are also specialist suppliers of walking aids etc. for the infirm and disabled. I used the small front wheel, about 200mm outside diameter.

 

 

[aj_richo]

Richo most bicycle shops seem to carry bits for wheelchairs..

Cheers, thanks Koreelah.. better start bumming around bike shops and medical suppliers :)

 

 

[Guest nunans]

Hey Old Koreelah, where did you source your wheelchair type wheel and what size is it? I have been looking online for a 120-125mm to no avail..

I have the same kind of wheel on my pup, the tires and tubes are available from the wheel chair mobility shops and the size is 200x50 (8x2inch)

The wheels used are a split plastic rim Fallshaw brand here's a link https://www.fallshaw.com.au/wheels/pneumatic/plastic

 

The one I use is the grey plastic one in the centre, they are rated to 75kg but handle plenty more than that and also take bouncing along the paddock at 50 knots alright too !!

 

 

If you need or have any ballast at the rear to help with c of g then I have this machined wheel with the same tire and tube fitted to it brand new. It weighs more than the plastic fallshaw but is much stronger. (the plastic ones can spread a bit if you run too much pressure)

 

Pm me if you want to buy the machined wheel.

 

 

[aj_richo]

Thanks Nunans, unfortunately 200mm is way too big for a Sonex.. and it has a tendancy for tail heaviness so I have to be a bit careful of what I hang off the back

 

 

[Methusala]

I had a pneumatic wheelie wheel on my Thruster. I got sick of fixing punctures (not often actually) but it did tend to lose pressure over time so had to re-inflate. The local ,mobility shop had the same type of wheel with a foam centre, cost $34.50. Has a 5/16 hole for axle bolt and steers like a dream through rough grass and boggy patches. Best thing ever. Don

 

 

[Yenn]

I built tilwheel for the Corby. Got about 50mm of solid plastic rod from Nearing Supplies, Drilled and machined for centre bolt and bearings. the rod was about 100mm dia or less. It turns at about 50000rpm, by the sound it makes, but has stood the test of 11 years of mostly grass strip landings. Nice and light and bright yellow to match the paint job.

 

 

[geoffreywh]

I got the 6" pneumatic Matco tail wheel from Aircraft Spruce. Very light, together with the ally mount (single sided). Had it on the Jodel for about 3 years now, Works terrific and about 75%% lighter than the solid rubber one I had from Scott. I got a spare tyre and tube with it , not used yet...