XL Tail wheel spring

[Murray Randall]

While we're talking tail wheels.  I've got my heart set on using a X-country ski for a tail wheel spring. At least building and trying. No heavy science please but has anybody put their tail wheel on a bath scale and measured the sprg deflection. I want some idea what geometry with a ski should be. The ski was free from the town dump station and is light. While I'm on the line I put up a pic of my one piece .060 windshield going to the four longeron center section. Appreciate any data or advice on the tail wheel sprg.  thanks Murray

[PropMan]

Murray, Someone on the old Yahoo group was talking about making tail wheel springs from laminated wood, think his name is Mike, he also had some YouTube videos on how too. Not exactly your topic but may help.

[grdev]

Where are builders buying their tail wheels? I have a steel leaf spring I'm using

[CHARLES DEBOER]

Great Plains has a few.  I bought a tail spring and wheel combined for a sonex or sonori.  It is a little heavy but you can check out their web site here: http://www.greatplainsas.com/sctailspring.html

[grdev]

Charles, I'm thinking more long the lines of a shopping cart caster. I have an old section of leaf spring bent and with a 1/2" hole in one end and  1/4" in the other, so I thought I would stay close to the drawings.

[dcstrng]

Charles, I'm thinking more long the lines of a shopping cart caster.

I noted a tailwheel  idea over with the Sonerai guys -- at least one builder is using a rollerblade wheel... better bearings on the competative skates, and the hockey skates/wheels are designed to accomodate big guys with some sideloading... we'll see...

[Bob S.]

I am using a large RollerBlade wheel on my Legal Eagle and it is working great! I purchased several on eBay and have given all but two to fellow LEU builders. For the caster, I am using a shopping cart caster and it has held up really well. The one I gave to Leonard, he drilled a bunch of holes in it in an attempt to make it lighter...Don't know how well that has held up but it is not all that heavy in stock form.
The first wheel I used was plastic and I do not recommend that as it slid on the asphalt runway and caused the tail to slide out in front of me, collapsed one of my Huffy main gear, and break a perfectly good propellor! The RollerBlade wheel is made from a tough Urethane and holds good traction on just about any surface, Although it plows through dirt and makes quite a furrow ready for planting potatoes!

[grdev]

Bob are you using the 5 1/2" wheel? I see some on ebay for less than ten dollars. I'll look f a tire, but need to know what size. Are you using a 1/4" tail wheel spring?

[Bob S.]

Gill,

Yes and Yes.... The wheels came without bearings, but you can find those too, real cheap! Buy the wheels by the 8-pack and bearings x16 and always have a spare!

I have a HEAVY AC-type tail wheel (wheel only) if anybody NEEDS Tail weight...... (Hard rubber tire surface. non-air inflation)

Bob