Rule of thumb for wheel size for grass

[Dennis Toth]

Guys,
Anyone know a good rule of thumb for selecting wheel size for grass? Fields I have access to are typical baseball fields with  1" + grass. Plane is Ringmaster.

Best,    DnnisT

[Brett Buck]

Guys,
Anyone know a good rule of thumb for selecting wheel size for grass? Fields I have access to are typical baseball fields with  1" + grass. Plane is Ringmaster.

Best,    DnnisT

   

   I don't know any rules of thumb, I just use regular 2 - 2.125 wheels and it works on grass or pavement.

     Brett

p.s. 1" grass would make that the best WAM site ever. We used to have the Golden State meet in Clovis on the football practice field, it was 1" or so, it was perfect better than pavement (since it didn't get so hot).

[Dan McEntee]

  You figure out what works by experimentation, or take your mower or weed whacker and cut yourself a take off strip. Big wheels mean more weight and more drag below the thrust line of the airplane and then comes trim issues.

   I, also, am in the 2" to 2 1/4" camp for just about everything I have, sometimes  1 3/4".  Either cut the grass or follow the recommendations for a portable take off pad.
  Type at you later,
    Dan McEntee

[M Spencer]

wheels . wheels ! Youwant Wheels . 

Id used 2 3/4 ballon tyres ( well , round not yr tundra tyre ) you felt the tailplane go through the wheel wash , on tight insides , when it was going for it ( working in a breeze )
cant remember it somersaulting or suchlike , on a sometimes unmown field . To soft for the council tractor in the wet season . Are a factor in ' trim ' , but dont sink or bury .

Even trike gear , the noseleg can take a pounding , you need ' full up ' so the weights of it , initially . So you could do with the round tyre on the front , for landings .
the 1 1/2 on the Phantom , likely half responsable for the nose eventually falling off . you want a torsion bar or loop in the legs . 

Traditionally , Fuse. mounted gear for grass . As with wing mounted gear you can bend a leg doing hourglasses at   night with no lights . 

With the ' little wheels ' on it , you tend to ' drift it in  ' , Hold off , low , so as to loose most of the airspeed . If you let it stall , below six inches , it 's possable to hit full up
after its on the deck , as it dosnt always bounce . 

Taliking of TORPEDO's .

actually , its a RV 7A ! .
but the shapes about right , Bar the front of something is the node point or something . Paspellum uncut used to whip back and through the covering . Otherwise its V T O L .   
           ( for NO wheels )
carrier hooks would be better , then it'd stop . Detachable gear , so it can be straightened unattached , makes sense . the whole weight / durability thing .

Blah Blah .

this Aircraft tundra tyre , is untreaded . Likely a smooth tyre , on rouh surfaces , is better with the less grip , so the camber / bump steer isnt so bad . ( cambered / Bumpy surface - directing plane )
Sounds like it'd be better to have a few sets of landing gear , to suit . tarmac , bowling green , and hay field ! .

theres the wheel fairings , to gather grass stalks & trip the plane , too .

You dont need floats , as long as you dont stop , on water . ACTUALLY , long skiny aerodynamic floats give very good take offs & landings , on less well maintained fields .
but you need 5/32 wire , particularly for the front leg . preferably both . unsprung you get the odd thump & bang , on bumps , but seem to hold out  well.
Plus you get extra ' area ' working . Which helps more than hinders ! .


Theyre  1 : 10 A.R. wheel fairings ! ( without the wheels ) . Id contemplated , wheel , no wheel , etc ad infinitum. but couldnt find any waterproof . dont mention SALT . Its a no - go .
considerable area works . Foist Flt. with a .40 Torpedo , it waffled along semi stalled - 10 deg. nose up , Tailplane & floats working , wing in buffet / semi stalled . so there !
kept it STRAIGHT - and the ' Ski effect ' of 30 inches x 2 , were giving as much lift as the wing . So skids , Skis , or somesuch , without wheels , would cut the air cleaner than big round tyres .

 the Mc hine swapped the pitchers about . Tough titty .

Heres you CURTISS Model E wheelless wheel fairing . Otherwise known as flying boat hull . About the right shape for on the ends of the gear legs , wheelless . And Art deco Cool .

as well as being pretty basic to knock out a ' test Set ' upturned nose so as not to get caught by grass ./

or copy this Tip float shape / https://www.kitplanes.com/nothing-small-about-it/

Long Grass winding round axxles , ifits that bad , used to mow with prop & get cuttings stuck all over , on take off (trike gear ) wore the prop down , so wood props a no No .

PLUS the wheels'd wanna be further forward . Anyway . So as to not tipup . NEEDS to be axle under L E at ' the club ' field . ive FINALLY discovered . For good Landings .  adios .

[Dave_Trible]

I use 2 1/4 or 2 1/2" very narrow wheels on my grass field and do well.   However there are a few variables that make a lot of difference.   One is simply how thick or dense is the grass.   In general the nicer looking the grass the harder it is too take off from-the wheel drag is a bunch.   Another is wheel location.   The best grass location is further forward to compensate for that wheel drag but then the airplane lands like a kangaroo on pavement. Landing gear length and how stiff it is will also matter.   The more prop you can keep clear of the grass the better.  The weight and power of the airplane matter and whether you are taking off more into the wind or not.  The wheels that are a little larger but narrow and very light have worked best for me.  I wish the Maxx aluminum hub wheels were still around-worth their weight in good balsa....Something like a Ringmaster though should be able to mostly jump off in a couple feet at most ,  don't weigh much and usually have the gear ahead of the leading edge.  You might do OK with 2" but it will likely flip over on most landings.

Dave

[Perry Rose]

2 1/2 min. Even then I use full up elevator until the plane gets rolling. The plans generally list the wheel size.

[Howard Rush]

You dont need floats , as long as you dont stop , on water . ACTUALLY , long skiny aerodynamic floats give very good take offs & landings , on less well maintained fields .
but you need 5/32 wire , particularly for the front leg . preferably both . unsprung you get the odd thump & bang , on bumps , but seem to hold out  well.
Plus you get extra ' area ' working . Which helps more than hinders ! .

I've always admired that airplane.  Folks here make Schneider-looking airplanes, but put wheels on them.

[M Spencer]

Right , looked and measured the Spit.

Wheels 60 m.m. / 2 3/4 inch Ballon Lite .

( the other dunger previousl mentioned , re ' wake ' mighta bin 3 inch plus . Pink hub r c wheels )


Copying the Doonside stuff , got the wheels ! looking square , the front of the tyre at the leading edge , give or take .
When there things are sitting on the ground , you can see half the front of the wheel fwd of wing .So the axle ISNT at the L.E. ,
Ive ( now ) put Bob hunt ish Torsion bar gear in it . No Comments on the landings , just puzzled looks ! ,
Used to do the kangaroo act - with Yatsenko ish fit removeable , till id reversed legs & plugged the gap & dropped in superglue .
And they still got knocked loose , Were good when totally ridgid .

Yr PROP wants 3/4 clearance on untimmed grass , 1 inch , if its wood . Thats why W W 1 stuff had brass L E prop sheaths , unmown fields .

I accidently won scale , with it , at the NSW FFS meet . Needs a new tank , So it puttered out , landed , picked up & took off , twice . Besides a bit off other clouning .
I should relly build a sheet light wing , for it . ASs its 30 if I did it at 15 ounce , Id be down to 60 , all up . Even used a scale airfoil profile , but with % increased .



Unfortunately the camera man was distracted , when I was putting in my best effort & hammering it , in squares . Being flown by a bear with a sore head, displaying its inertia , as the engine had gone a bit dud
in the latter half of the flight , shown here . But you can get a bit of an idea of what its capeable off . Only the second flight with the full span flaps , hadnt flown it for years , but once  .

it gets a good thwack , on a ridge , about a third along the landing run  . ( Im doing new , as original , floats , for the red one ( MC 72 ) . He viseoed that to , there . But thats not set up right , there .
Bigger rounded floats on it now , and it dosnt snatch laterally , in gusts . Like the original ones .

[Steve Helmick]

I'm in the 2.0" > 2.25" camp also, but I preferred the standard Dave Brown "slicks"...wide contact patch helps keep the wheels on top of the grass instead of sinking in. If you ever fly on pavement, Dave Brown wheels are the best. I put bigger wheels on the Twister I eventually gave to Tim Wescott, and those suckers bounced like a bunny on pavement. Narrower Dave Brown Electric wheels (narrow ones) worked much better on pavement. I think the type of "rubber" is important, but also the fact that there's less "rubber" is a big plus. If you can find a 2.25" wide wheel with very little "rubber", it could work for both. Maybe start with 2.5" or 3.0" and turn their diameter down.  Steve