homebuilt tailwheel

[Del Rawlins]

In the past I've posted info on Bob Barrows' homebuilt tailwheel
assembly, plans for which are available for $25. One of the builders on
the Bearhawk email list just posted some detail pictures of the one he
had built which I thought that some readers here might find interesting:

http://www.eaa1000.av.org/pix/erbpix/bobwheel/twheel.htm

----------------------------------------------------
Del Rawlins-
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Unofficial Bearhawk FAQ website:
http://www.rawlinsbrothers.org/bhfaq/

[Stealth Pilot]

On 3 Nov 2003 04:18:51 GMT, Del Rawlins
> wrote:

>In the past I've posted info on Bob Barrows' homebuilt tailwheel
>assembly, plans for which are available for $25. One of the builders on
>the Bearhawk email list just posted some detail pictures of the one he
>had built which I thought that some readers here might find interesting:
>
>http://www.eaa1000.av.org/pix/erbpix/bobwheel/twheel.htm
>
that is an excellent design.
I take it from the welds that it is mainly from folded up 4130 sheet.
thanks for the post.
Stealth Pilot

[Bruce A. Frank]

No, it is made from split tube, that is oval'ed somewhat, then welded
together.

Stealth Pilot wrote:
>
> On 3 Nov 2003 04:18:51 GMT, Del Rawlins
> > wrote:
>
> >In the past I've posted info on Bob Barrows' homebuilt tailwheel
> >assembly, plans for which are available for $25. One of the builders on
> >the Bearhawk email list just posted some detail pictures of the one he
> >had built which I thought that some readers here might find interesting:
> >
> >http://www.eaa1000.av.org/pix/erbpix/bobwheel/twheel.htm
> >
> that is an excellent design.
> I take it from the welds that it is mainly from folded up 4130 sheet.
> thanks for the post.
> Stealth Pilot

--
Bruce A. Frank, Editor "Ford 3.8/4.2L Engine and V-6 STOL
Homebuilt Aircraft Newsletter"
| Publishing interesting material|
| on all aspects of alternative |
| engines and homebuilt aircraft.|
*------------------------------**----*
\(-o-)/ AIRCRAFT PROJECTS CO.
\___/ Manufacturing parts & pieces
/ \ for homebuilt aircraft,
0 0 TIG welding

While trying to find the time to finish mine.

[Stealth Pilot]

On Mon, 03 Nov 2003 19:18:55 GMT, "Bruce A. Frank"
> wrote:

>No, it is made from split tube, that is oval'ed somewhat, then welded
>together.
>
>Stealth Pilot wrote:
>>

thanks

[Drew Dalgleish]

Nice tailwheel Del it's good to see an alternative to scott and maule
for those with more time than money. Does Bob also offer plans for his
main gear shock absorbers? My murphy rebel with die springs seems to
want to bounce no matter how smoothly I grease it on. Any pilot
reports would be appreciated as well.
Drew

>In the past I've posted info on Bob Barrows' homebuilt tailwheel
>assembly, plans for which are available for $25. One of the builders on
>the Bearhawk email list just posted some detail pictures of the one he
>had built which I thought that some readers here might find interesting:
>
>http://www.eaa1000.av.org/pix/erbpix/bobwheel/twheel.htm
>
>----------------------------------------------------
>Del Rawlins-
>Remove _kills_spammers_ to reply via email.
>Unofficial Bearhawk FAQ website:
>http://www.rawlinsbrothers.org/bhfaq/

[Del Rawlins]

On 08 Nov 2003 08:56 AM, Drew Dalgleish posted the following:
> Nice tailwheel Del it's good to see an alternative to scott and maule
> for those with more time than money. Does Bob also offer plans for his
> main gear shock absorbers? My murphy rebel with die springs seems to
> want to bounce no matter how smoothly I grease it on. Any pilot
> reports would be appreciated as well.
> Drew

I know of at least one person who bought the Bearhawk plans just to get
the shock strut plans, but Bob might be willing to sell them separately,
you'll have to give him a call and ask. When I visited Bob in Virginia
in May he mentioned that he had recently sent a set of the shock strut
plans to Curtis Pitts for possible use in one of his projects.

There are several pilot reports for the Bearhawk linked on my FAQ page,
the URL for which is listed in my signature below.

----------------------------------------------------
Del Rawlins-
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Unofficial Bearhawk FAQ website:
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[Dan Thomas]

(Drew Dalgleish) wrote in message >...
> Nice tailwheel Del it's good to see an alternative to scott and maule
> for those with more time than money.


Can anyone tell me what this thing weighs? It looks like it might
be a bit heavy, with the massive steel pivot housing and ball bearing.
It also might lack control authority in an incipient groundloop, as
the steering pivot is a long way ahead of the tire contact point. Too
much castering tendency.
Aside from that, It looks very well designed and well worth a
homebuilder's time. Scott and Maule tailwheels are expensive, and both
use friction clutches on the pivot to try to control shimmy. (Maule's
little clutch is not often seen.) The homebuilt wheel looks like it
has sufficient rearward tilt on the pivot to prevent shimmy, even when
the tail is forced down hard. I'd like to see a tailwheel with an
adjustable pivot angle, or a unit that uses a rotary hydraulic damper.
Clutches just make maneuvering harder.
My tailwheel is an older uncertified steerable unit that I
modified to steerable/castering using a release mechanism. It has
never shimmied. Why can't the manufacturers of certified wheels
achieve this?

Dan

[Del Rawlins]

On 08 Nov 2003 01:42 PM, Dan Thomas posted the following:

> Can anyone tell me what this thing weighs? It looks like it might
> be a bit heavy, with the massive steel pivot housing and ball bearing.
> It also might lack control authority in an incipient groundloop, as
> the steering pivot is a long way ahead of the tire contact point. Too
> much castering tendency.

I don't know what the tailwheel weighs, but keeping in mind that the
airplane it was designed for (the Barrows Bearhawk) has a maximum gross
weight of 2500 pounds on wheels (we get 2700 on floats), and is intended
for short/rough field work, a little extra beef is understandable. As
for the distance between the steering pivot and the tire contact point,
the owner of that particular tailwheel is using an 8" wheel, but had the
unit built to take a 10" wheel if he chooses to install one later on.
Several builders are installing even bigger wheels for bush work,
although a good friend of mine who is a bush pilot prefers the standard
narrow Scott wheel on his Super Cub, saying it is less likely to hang up
on something.

----------------------------------------------------
Del Rawlins-
Remove _kills_spammers_ to reply via email.
Unofficial Bearhawk FAQ website:
http://www.rawlinsbrothers.org/bhfaq/