Tail Wheels

[Tim Wescott]

Dumb Question:

Why do precision stunt planes seem to have tail wheels almost exclusively?  I fly off of pretty rough grass, and I am by no means a serious competitor yet.  Is there any reason I shouldn't just bend up a bit of wire for a skid instead of adding some heavy thing who's most frequent contribution to science is going to be getting tangled in grass?

[Randy Powell]

Tim,

A lot of stunt flyers fly off pavement. The skid doesn't last too long on pavement. Of course, you could always switch to a trike.

[SteveMoon]

Are tailwheels heavy? The 3/4" wheels I use from Williams Bros. barely
register on the scale.

Later, Steve

[Tim Wescott]

Are tailwheels heavy? The 3/4" wheels I use from Williams Bros. barely
register on the scale.

The plane is tail heavy, so anything behind the CG is heavy.

Sigh.  I was just at the LHS, getting a small tail wheel and a brass prop nut that brings the CG just far enough forward that I'll fly it -- but I think I'll be adding more weight up front.

[Tom Niebuhr]

I use various size tail wheels, to help adjust aft weight. Of course if you are tail heavy, then you have to add forward weight with heavy nuts or lead, etc.

Of course you must go light aft of the CG with paint. An ounce too much aft weight takes about 3 oz in the nose to compensate. This adds weight to the airplane rapidly.

With OTS airplanes if the original had a skid, I will use a skid. Yes, it makes a horrible noise, and will wear down on pavement, but I don't fly or practice with OTS airplanes much. My name is on the VSC pachyderm award to prove it.

[Tim Wescott]

I use various size tail wheels, to help adjust aft weight. Of course if you are tail heavy, then you have to add forward weight with heavy nuts or lead, etc.

Of course you must go light aft of the CG with paint. An ounce too much aft weight takes about 3 oz in the nose to compensate. This adds weight to the airplane rapidly.

I knew this one was going to be tail heavy before I finished.  In fact, I lengthened the nose by 13mm before I painted.  So I went really light on the sealer behind the CG -- good thing it's a practice plane!

If I build another one it'll be about an inch longer yet, at least.

[W.D. Roland]

Skids are noisy, finger nails on chalk board sometimes.

Wheels are cute and quite!

[john e. holliday]

Tail skids shouldn't be touching pavement that long on take off or landing.   You want noise try the slim racing wheels that are cast of some new material.   

[Tim Wescott]

(It got a 1/2" tail wheel by the way -- it works well, and was only stressed with a wheels-down landing on half of the first day's flight, due to an inverted cut-out problem with the engine).

[Ward Van Duzer]

Look at SIG's all plastic tail wheels. V  E  R  Y lite!

W.

[FLOYD CARTER]

Remember that the landing maneuver also includes the roll-out, just as full-size planes do.  On asphalt, my planes roll at least 1/2 lap after touchdown, providing a smooth ending to a (hopefully) smooth touchdown.  A skid prematurely terminates the landing roll.  It is also important to fit your L.G. axles to the wheel hub without binding or wobble, to further enhance the roll-out.

Floyd

[Tim Wescott]

Remember that the landing maneuver also includes the roll-out, just as full-size planes do.

Thanks for the reminder.  At this point I'm just learning the beginner pattern, so getting marked down on the landing is the least of my worries -- having to concern myself with that is something to look forward to!