(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