Discussion My Tail Wheel Replacement

[Javabeans]

I got tired of fixing tail wheels early on. I don't like the small wheel getting caught on things and so many planes have a very flimsy design that I could break all too easily. About a year ago I decided to try a few things in place of the tail wheel and what I finally came up with is a very simple carbon fiber rod, either taped to the bottom of the plane (quick replacement for a broken tail wheel) or built into the fuselage.

I have been doing this for quite a while and received a lot of positive comments at my field, but didn't want to post it online. Then someone complained about their tail wheel in another forum and I decided to show what I did. As far as I can tell, all planes I have put a CF skid onto have turned just as well on the ground as if the had a wheel.

My newest plane is an EF 64" MXS that I just started to assemble last night and the first thing I did was to install a CF rod into it as a tail skid. I thought I would post pictures here and share this with anyone else who feels like I do about tail wheels. It just so happens that using a CF skid protects the rudder when touching the tail and also allows for a very low harrier that lets you drag the tail of the plane on the ground as you go down the runway... I have a ball with it.

Here are some pictures of the MXS and plan-built model that I recently made for a contest at my club.

 

[gyro]

Very cool concept! Do you ever have to replace the rods?

 

[Javabeans]

So far no. The one I have used the longest (9 months) has a flat spot on the bottom but nothing serious. Since I use CA to hold them in place, debonder should work fine to remove one if necessary.

I started out using 450 helicopter booms. They worked fantastic but were pricy, which is why I switched to CF rods. The booms were much sturdier, but by angling the CF rod down a bit they stay clear of the rudder and actually give a bit of spring, which is good too.

 

[quadracer]

Looks like the steering function is gone. I bet that's fun to taxi on windy days.....

 

[wedoitall]

Looks like the steering function is gone. I bet that's fun to taxi on windy days.....

I was wondering the same thing

 

[Javabeans]

You just have to use rudder to steer and it's fine on the ground. You cannot tell the difference on takeoff and landing regardless of wind and I can still turn on a dime while taxiing , it just takes a bit more throttle/rudder during higher wind. I'll give up the slow tight ground steering for more strength any day.