adam_jorgensen

I'm looking to put a tail wheel on my sig LT-40. Because I have the front nose wheel risen up higher than normal, the tail often is dragging on the ground. The other day when I was landing, the tail struck the ground while the plane was still flying in the landing attitude. Even when taxing on the ground, unless its a completely flat surface which usually isn't for me, the tail usually drags on the ground and its wearing out in that area so I want to attach a small wheel so that it eliminates this problem. Sorta like what the Concorde had to eliminate the tail strikes, a small wheel at the back. I'm having a hard time though figuring how I am going to go about putting this wheel on that ensures strength and stability. I have a 25mm wheel with 1/8" steel rod that I figure would work but I just need some helpful ideas on how to put it on there. And does this sound like a good idea to begin with? I rose the front wheel because it was riding too low before and I fly out of allot of grass fields some with fairly bushy grass so the higher wheels off ground make it easier to move through but I have to fix that tail from striking the ground.

CP140

Get a small aileron control horn and attach it to the back end... it'll wear down after awhile, but it would be easy to replace... just undo the screws and put a new one on. I think Dubro or Sullivan markets a similar thing to put under the wing tips to keep the covering pristine if you're prone to dragging a wing tip...they would work too.

Hope this helps.

adam_jorgensen

Aileron control horn? You mean like the kind that's attached to the rudder or elevator? That would work except the control horn has to be long enough so that the wheel doesn't rub up against the bottom of the tip of the tail and do I just shove the rod through it using wheel collars to hold it into place?

8178

My Feedback: (17)

Just bend the main gear down a little.

MajorTomski

the kadet gear is rather soft to keep the bouncing down. It does bend upward with time. Put the plane on its back, place your thumb at the bend point on the edge of the fuselage and gently but firmly pull the LG strut back down. The wing should be level to the ground in the normal position.

Using the control horn as a tail bumper is not a bad idea either

CP140

Sorry, that I wasn't quite clear before... I meant to just use the horn as a skid on the tail, not as a mount for a wheel... although I suppose you could use two horns mounted one either side or the tail, drill out the outermost set of holes to accept an axle and put the axle through a small wheel. The horns would be on either side of the wheel... have to be a small wheel though... could use wheel collars to keep axle in place.

Don't forget to recheck your cg if you add much weight to the tail!

feihu-RCU

Just a suggestion -

Since you fly off of grass, consider making your LT-40 into a taildragger.
You will need to remove the nose wheel and move the main gear fwd to where the wheels are below the leading edge of the wing, and add a tailskid, and rebalance the airplane.
You could end up with a lighter airplane, and you won't need a tailwheel to operate off of the grass, and you will have better prop clearance.

feihu

RichD

converted my LT-40 Friday into a taildragger, and LOVE IT !

took some pics of it... http://richdavis.net/rc

Lowlevlflyer

My Feedback: (3)

Conversion to a full, steerable tailwheel is very simple and well worth your time. I converted mine a while back, and it's great! World's better than the tricycle gear it comes with.

Lee MRC

Richd, those are the ABSOLUTE MOST IMPRESSIVE pictures to acompany an explination that I have seen on this forum to date! I have 2 ea. Avistars, both were 40's but after a rebuild one will have an OS46, due to the added weight and the fact I had a new one with no home. I have considered converting one to a tail dragger just to have two different planes. Your very detailed post convinces me that I am not completly "out in left field" HI HI.

My compliments and please excuse my lack of spelling ability, but I am from TEXAS, 73

Lee K5MRC