manks7477

I am just about finished with a small modification from my PT-40 Trainer. I actually have a couple of PT-40s (long story don't get me started). My newest will be my main flyer this season, but as I move closer to flying some more scale planes (Corsair, Cub, Chipmunk) I figured it would be helpful to get some tail dragger time so I decided to do a conversion on one of the PT-40s.

Pretty simple to do for anyone who has thought about it. I will be moving the main gear forward so that it will be placed under the leading edge of the wing. To mount the gear I laminated two 1/8th pieces of plywood together, then epoxied it to the floor of the fuse, reinforcing it with some triangle stock. I will then lay a small strip of 6 oz fiberglass and epoxy that down just to give it a bit more strength. I will mount them with 4 bolts, with large strong washers and nuts. I think that will be enough for the main gear. The tail gear is a bit more difficult. I have fabricated the gear out of a piece of music wire (not easy to bend by the way). I have epoxied it into the rudder, and made a couple of small adjustments to get the right angle. Total time to do the conversion, about 1 hour, plus time for the epoxy to cure.

So that is my very first modification, now I am wondering what will be the next??

Perhaps after I move on to the scale birds I can bash the old trainer into a twin. That should be easy enough!

The more I build, the more things I pick up and ideas I get. I can see how this can become an obsession.

Gray Beard

My Feedback: (-1)

Wire bending becomes easy after you have made A bipe or two or had to make up some landing gear. You just need A big vise and file in some notches for different sizes of wires. Most hobby shops carry A selection of wire. Don't use heat to bend it or it will break at the heated point when you are landing. Guess how I know. Only place to add or use heat is when soldering and I use A small torch. I'm adding A couple of photos. This is A cheap tail wheel assembly. I drilled out and used A 4-40 tap as A set screw then used fuel line over the hex head screw and used A small servo screw to hold the tube to the bottom of the rudder. This way it takes the shock without hurting the rudder. Very old school trick.

manks7477

Thanks for the photos, I apperciate it.

I did use a vice and pure muscle to bend the tail gear, I have not yet build the mains, but am planning to buy pre formed gear for it.

I like your tail wheel set up, I wish I had seen it before I did mine. Right now, mine is just epoxied into the rudder, so it will take a beating. I will try to pry it loose and redo it.

Thanks,

manks

Gray Beard

My Feedback: (-1)

I have about 6 different types of tail wheel assemblys on different planes so if you look around you will find A lot of choices. What I showed you was just something that may have come in A kit at one time and I just addapted it to the plane. Most my tail gear uses springs attached to the pull/pull system for turning. If you are landing correctly you won't have any problems with it the way you have it but in time the hole in the rudder gets loose. You can install A piece of brass tube in the rudder next time to keep that from happening. See, just so many ways to do something.