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Model III Tail Spring

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peteohms

Joined: 31 Oct 2007
Posts: 224
Location: Leander, TX

Posted: Wed Apr 30, 2008 11:23 am Post subject: Model III Tail Spring

I read the following from an old Kitfox newsletter:



"Tailwheel steering springs."



"Imagine yourself on short final in your brand new KITFOX, all set up for a 

perfect 3- point touch-down. You're close now, bring the stick back--back, 

it looks perfect. The tail wheel touches-- suddenly the nose veers left, 

hard. You apply full right rudder and brake. Still your baby turns left, 

ever tighter, the stick is still in your gut, but the tail comes up anyway. 

You get a good close-up view of the runway as the nose dips and the prop 

strikes pavement. The airplane rocks right and the right wingtip hits the 

ground with great gusto. When the dust settles, if you're lucky, your new 

darling has a broken prop blade and a damaged wingtip. If you're not so 

lucky, she also has crumpled landing gear, a broken wing, engine or gearbox 

damage, and a smashed cowling. What happened? When the tailwheel touched, 

one of the steering springs popped loose. To prevent an excursion like this, 

crimp the hooked ends of the spring around and tie across them with safety 

wire so they can't come loose."



My Model III has been flown 328 hrs without this being done, only 8 hrs by 

me.  I had a similar experience in a KR-2 about 29 years ago practicing 

crosswind high speed taxis.  Ran off the runway and went up on it's nose 

into a sand dune.  Motor stopped prior to gentle nose over.  No damage.



The thing I'm worried about is bending the spring.  Won't that weaken the 

spring?



Pete

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_________________
Pete
Leander, TX
Kitfox III, 912ul, Grove

SkySteve

Joined: 16 Dec 2007
Posts: 94
Location: Huntsville, UT

Posted: Wed Apr 30, 2008 11:45 am Post subject: Re: Model III Tail Spring

Solution: Put the tail wheel on the propeller end of the airplane.

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Steve Wilson
Huntsville, UT
Kitfox Model 1- 85DD
912A / 3 Blade Warp Drive
Convertible Nosewheel & Tailwheel

Float Flyr

Joined: 19 Jul 2006
Posts: 2704
Location: Campbellton, Newfoundland

Posted: Wed Apr 30, 2008 12:15 pm Post subject: Model III Tail Spring

I lockwired mine on and put a loose twist up the middle of the spring just

in case.  I did the same thing for all the springs in my exhaust too.

Simple safe and fast.



Noel



--

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Noel Loveys
Kitfox III-A
Aerocet 1100 Floats

clint_bazzill(at)hotmail.
Guest

Posted: Wed Apr 30, 2008 12:26 pm Post subject: Model III Tail Spring

If you use compression springs you won't have that problem.  

  

 Clint

  

 

[quote] From: noelloveys(at)yahoo.ca

 To: kitfox-list(at)matronics.com

 Subject: RE: Model III Tail Spring

 Date: Wed, 30 Apr 2008 17:42:55 -0230

 

 --> Kitfox-List message posted by: "Noel Loveys" <noelloveys(at)yahoo.ca>

 

 I lockwired mine on and put a loose twist up the middle of the spring just

 in case. I did the same thing for all the springs in my exhaust too.

 Simple safe and fast.

 

 Noel

 

 --

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Tom Jones

Joined: 12 Mar 2006
Posts: 752
Location: Ellensburg, WA

Posted: Wed Apr 30, 2008 12:31 pm Post subject: Re: Model III Tail Spring

I used a pair of pliers to pinch the spring ends closed. Thats what Skystar recommended.

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Tom Jones
Classic IV
503 Rotax, 72 inch Two blade Warp
Ellensburg, WA

Guy Buchanan

Joined: 16 Jul 2006
Posts: 1204
Location: Ramona, CA

Posted: Wed Apr 30, 2008 8:04 pm Post subject: Model III Tail Spring

At 12:20 PM 4/30/2008, you wrote:

 	  Quote: 	
		  The thing I'm worried about is bending the spring.  Won't that 

weaken the spring?


	


         No, you won't weaken the spring bending it once. I use 

compression springs because I understand they're less likely to fail 

and when they do they're supposed to remain captive.

Guy Buchanan

San Diego, CA

K-IV 1200 / 582-C / Warp / 100% done, thanks mostly to Bob Ducar.

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Guy Buchanan
Deceased K-IV 1200
A glider pilot too.

Tom Jones

Joined: 12 Mar 2006
Posts: 752
Location: Ellensburg, WA

Posted: Thu May 01, 2008 3:59 am Post subject: Re: Model III Tail Spring

If you have a copy of the DVD "Cub Driver Alaska"  Look close at the tail wheel on the authors cub.  He talks about some of the modifications on the cubs featured but does not mention that there is no mechanical linkage between the tail wheel and the rudder.  They use brakes to steer a slow speeds and blast of power to help turn.  In several landing scenes you can see the tail wheel is 90 degrees to the rudder on the approach.



Link to teaser http://www.cubdriver749er.com/dvd.php



I guess the thing to keep in the back of your mind is if you ever seem to not have tail wheel linkage hit the opposite brake.

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Tom Jones
Classic IV
503 Rotax, 72 inch Two blade Warp
Ellensburg, WA

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