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Gentlemen, Check your tailwheels!

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R. Hankins

Joined: 18 Jan 2006
Posts: 185
Location: Grants Pass, Oregon

Posted: Mon May 22, 2006 8:25 pm Post subject: Gentlemen, Check your tailwheels!

I have had a very fortunate incident. A week ago Saturday my tailwheel assy broke.  I had flown for 2.6hrs, done three off field landings and returned home without incident.  I folded up as I always do, but as I slipped the hairpin clip into the wingfold tube on the second wing, both wingtips hit the ground.  The down tube that the tail wheel is mounted on folded back.



Inspection shows that there had been a crack on the edge of the weld underneath the crossbar at the leading edge of the downtube for a while (no rust, but darkened metal.)  After the days flying and 322hrs, the extra weight of the wings on the tailwheel spread the crack to the end of the tube and that was that.



I have since tigged up a new one with thicker 4130 tubing using ER80S-D2 filler rod and some pre-heat.  The new one is painted a light color so that any cracks will show up easily. 



Just a heads up to the list.  Chances are there may be other cracks out there.  I have included a couple of pictures below.

Fail-Tail.JPG

Description:

This is a shot of the failure before anything was moved.

Filesize:

293.53 KB

Viewed:

359 Time(s)

Splitout.JPG

Description:

Here's the split tube, bent back into position so I could measure the angle.

Filesize:

182.46 KB

Viewed:

347 Time(s)

_________________
Roger in Oregon
1992 KXP 503 - N1782C

Possum

Joined: 12 Jan 2006
Posts: 112
Location: Georgia

Posted: Mon May 22, 2006 9:02 pm Post subject: Gentlemen, Check your tailwheels!

At 12:25 AM 5/23/2006, you wrote:

 	  Quote: 	
		  



I have had a very fortunate incident. A week ago Saturday my 

tailwheel assy broke.

---------------------------------
	


Yes Sir - Me too.

Modified tail wheel assembly. Took this picture in 1999 - before I went flying.

Second flight - and it fell-off in the air somewhere?

"You" might notice that the axle has already slipped half out of the 

bracket (I didn't).

I was just taking pictures of my new plane for the "Kolb List".

Forgot the cotter pins. No harm done....grass strip.

There goes another $5 "grocery cart" wheel and a $20's worth of bearings.



http://www.mindspring.com/~possums/Tailwheel.jpg

ElleryWeld(at)aol.com
Guest

Posted: Tue May 23, 2006 1:43 pm Post subject: Gentlemen, Check your tailwheels!

You must have cought it on something I had the same problem 2 years ago but 

it was because I cought it on some Crusty snow and Ice and it broke the same 

way yours did but Now I have the full swivel tail wheel and that worry is gone 



Ellery in Maine



do not archive

David.Lehman

Joined: 10 Jan 2006
Posts: 265
Location: "Lovely" Fresno CA

Posted: Tue May 23, 2006 1:55 pm Post subject: Gentlemen, Check your tailwheels!

Ellery...



How about picture(s) of your full swivel tailwheel?...



David



do  not  archive

On 5/23/06, ElleryWeld(at)aol.com <ElleryWeld(at)aol.com> wrote:

 	  Quote: 	
		  

 



 You must have cought it on something I had the same problem 2 years ago

 but

 it was because I cought it on some Crusty snow and Ice and it broke the

 same

 way yours did but Now I have the full swivel tail wheel and that worry is

 gone



 Ellery in Maine



 do not archive





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-- 

  "Ultralight flying isn't about transportation; it's about the ma

gic of

pure, simple flight." - Scott Wilcox

_________________
ô¿ô

"Both optimists and pessimists contribute to the society. The optimist invents the aeroplane, the pessimist the parachute."

--- George Bernard Shaw

ElleryWeld(at)aol.com
Guest

Posted: Tue May 23, 2006 2:00 pm Post subject: Gentlemen, Check your tailwheels!

I will get you a picture in a few minutes its sexy ...



Ellery 

do not archive

ElleryWeld(at)AOL.COM
Guest

Posted: Tue May 23, 2006 4:07 pm Post subject: Gentlemen, Check your tailwheels!

Do they Look as Sexy as mine? if not Call TNK and Order Yours today 





 Ellery in Maine 



do not archive

ElleryWeld(at)aol.com
Guest

Posted: Tue May 23, 2006 4:16 pm Post subject: Gentlemen, Check your tailwheels!

I dont think the pictures made it her so I sent them to the Photo share  for 

you to see 

                                                                              

                 Ellery

do not archive

David.Lehman

Joined: 10 Jan 2006
Posts: 265
Location: "Lovely" Fresno CA

Posted: Tue May 23, 2006 4:17 pm Post subject: Gentlemen, Check your tailwheels!

Ellery, I don't see any pictures...



DVD



do   not   archive

On 5/23/06, ElleryWeld(at)aol.com <ElleryWeld(at)aol.com> wrote:

 	  Quote: 	
		  

 



 Do they Look as Sexy as mine? if not Call TNK and Order Yours today





 Ellery in Maine



 do not archive

 --

   "Ultralight flying isn't about transportation; it's about the 

magic
	


 	  Quote: 	
		   of pure, simple flight." - Scott Wilcox

_________________
ô¿ô

"Both optimists and pessimists contribute to the society. The optimist invents the aeroplane, the pessimist the parachute."

--- George Bernard Shaw

R. Hankins

Joined: 18 Jan 2006
Posts: 185
Location: Grants Pass, Oregon

Posted: Tue May 23, 2006 4:17 pm Post subject: Re: Gentlemen, Check your tailwheels!

[quote="You must have caught it on something" [/quote]



Not that I know of.  I have come home with a few weeds in the tailwheel, but not on this trip.  The landings were off field, but not on rough ground or with tall weeds. The crack was no older than 2 or three weeks, as I washed the plane about that long ago, and there was no rust in the crack.  In my area, bare metal rusts in a hurry.  I still can't believe it waited till I was folded to give up.  Good luck is hard to come by.  I'll take it when I can get it.



Possum, What do you have for a wheel now?  I was thinking of using one of those little scooter wheels that come in cool colors.

_________________
Roger in Oregon
1992 KXP 503 - N1782C

HShack(at)AOL.COM
Guest

Posted: Tue May 23, 2006 5:23 pm Post subject: Gentlemen, Check your tailwheels!

In a message dated 5/23/2006 8:18:34 PM Eastern Standard Time, 

rphanks(at)grantspass.com writes:

Possum, What do you have for a wheel now?  I was thinking of using one of 

those little scooter wheels that come in cool colors.

That's what I use.  There are 2 sizes; 100 mm & 120 mm [I think].  I used the 

big one.  They appear to have a good bearing in them.  I believe the axle 

needs to be an 8 mm bolt.

Howard Shackleford

FS II

SC

Possum

Joined: 12 Jan 2006
Posts: 112
Location: Georgia

Posted: Tue May 23, 2006 5:37 pm Post subject: Gentlemen, Check your tailwheels!

At 08:17 PM 5/23/2006, you wrote:

 	  Quote: 	
		  

Possum, What do you have for a wheel now?  I was thinking of using 

one of those little scooter wheels that come in cool colors.


	


Not me .... I to, have the full swivel tail wheel now - $200. Got 

tired of picking the tail up

every time I wanted to get it into tight spot - my back is worth the money.

Besides - It's kinda neat to just push it around from the back - by 

the prop - and

steer it with your knees.  Plus - I like doing the Cub maneuver  - 

Lock a brake

down and spin that bad boy around into your slot at the airshows. I 

was worried

about the weight (that far back), but it didn't make a bit of 

difference. You young  guys

use the scooter wheels -

Denny Rowe

Joined: 10 Jan 2006
Posts: 89
Location: Leechburg, PA

Posted: Tue May 23, 2006 5:51 pm Post subject: Gentlemen, Check your tailwheels!

 	  Quote: 	
		   Possum, What do you have for a wheel now?  I was thinking of using one of 

 those little scooter wheels that come in cool colors.



 --------

 Roger in Oregon

 1992 KXP 503



 Roger,

I built a tailwheel assembly for my Mk-3 with two forks instead of one. I 
	


also used a scooter wheel  bought on sale at Walmart for $1.

The color matches my plane and I used an AN-5 bolt for the axle which is the 

same as 8mm and a castle nut and cotter pin. Other than the extra fork leg 

and the bolt for the axle, it looks just like the Kolb unit.

I purchased the 4130 tubing from Aircraft Spruce.



Denny Rowe

Dave Pelletier

Joined: 10 Jan 2006
Posts: 100
Location: Prescott, Arizona

Posted: Tue May 23, 2006 6:14 pm Post subject: Gentlemen, Check your tailwheels!

 	  Quote: 	
		  . Got tired of picking the tail up every time I wanted to get it into tight 

spot - my back is worth the money.

  Plus - I like doing the Cub maneuver  -

 Lock a brake down and spin that bad boy around into your slot at the 

 airshows. I

 was worried about the weight (that far back), but it didn't make a bit of

 difference. You young  guys use the scooter wheels -




	


Amen, brother, Amen!



AzDave



Do Not Archive

 	  Quote:

_________________
AzDave

Possum

Joined: 12 Jan 2006
Posts: 112
Location: Georgia

Posted: Tue May 23, 2006 6:29 pm Post subject: Gentlemen, Check your tailwheels!

At 10:13 PM 5/23/2006, you wrote:

 	  Quote: 	
		  

<pelletier(at)cableone.net>



 >. Got tired of picking the tail up every time I wanted to get it into tight

 >spot - You young  guys use the scooter wheels -

 >



Amen, brother, Amen!



AzDave


	


See there - use old guys stick together.

jindoguy(at)gmail.com
Guest

Posted: Tue May 23, 2006 7:54 pm Post subject: Gentlemen, Check your tailwheels!

I too rejected the full swivel tail wheel due to its weight, then flip

flopped and bought the 6" version so it would be proportiional to the 18"

nerf tires on the mains. Man, it's just slick. I can lock a brake and spin

around the locked wheel, and when I want to put the plane back into its

hangar, it just swivels around and makes for very easy manuevering.



On 5/23/06, possums <possums(at)mindspring.com> wrote:

 	  Quote: 	
		  

 



 At 10:13 PM 5/23/2006, you wrote:

 >

 ><pelletier(at)cableone.net>

 >

 > >. Got tired of picking the tail up every time I wanted to get it into

 tight

 > >spot - You young  guys use the scooter wheels -

 > >

 >

 >Amen, brother, Amen!

 >

 >AzDave



 See there - use old guys stick together.

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-- 

Rick Girard

"Pining for a home on the Range"

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