chilie

Tom

Those are some interesting modifications. I'd be interested in learning more about how you did that. The most important thing is does it lock in the down position. If it does, I'd be interested in trying out your design changes. I've never been happy with the amount of clearance this design requires and if someone has come up with a better way to make it more compact, I would certainly love to support that idea and repost my original templates.

p51tom

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The modifications I made does have a lock in the down position by the two arms moving slightly past center which keeps it from moving when pressure is put on wheel end. It also has a stop in the retracted position which works great when using air cylinders to retract the gear. Both these stops can be adjusted with a little sanding. As you can see I made a mock up out of 1/16 ply to get all my measurements right and my drawings were done free hand. I was very impressed with your plans and I thank you for making them avalable to us. I have the G-10 material but have not worked with it before. I was lucky to purchase the gear for my other Corsairs from Earl Aune. How did you rough cut your parts prior to sanding to the final shape. The following photos show how the swing arm forms a staight line in the down position and the wood blocks are the adjustable stops.

p51tom

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The photos did not show up. I will try again. Also if you need some close ups of the gear and plans let me know. I forgot to click on OK after entering my photos.

joey_snaproll

My Feedback: (32)

Hey p-51tom, keep posting your progress ,I really like what you have going on there ,Plan on doing the same thing. Sent you a PM ,too.

Joe

DaddySam

My Feedback: (9)

Tom,
Very innovative work! I like the compactness of the retracting mechanism. Please do keep posting your progress. I use tin snips to cut the G10 and then final shape/sand on either a bench sander or dremel drum, depending on the shape.
Sam

chilie

I couldn't cut 1/16 G-10 with tin snips. I cut the copper G-10 roughly to size with a abrasive cut off wheel (the black fiberglass reinforced type) using a dremel. Wear a dust mask because that dust is nasty! Once I've cut the parts roughly, I just use a table top disk sander to sand it right to the line. I will sometimes use a pair of pliers to grip the parts when they get kinda small. I get nervous with my fingers so close to the cutting disk

As a side note, I drill ALL the holes before I cut the parts free. Its much easier that way.

Tom, If you could do this for me, when you've made a part, trace it onto some paper and scan it. I could probably trace your design and revise my drawings if everything works out.

p51tom

My Feedback: (1)

Hi Chillie
I will start work on the parts this week and send them out to you. I have gotten a few Emails about the tailwheel so I know others are interested in plans showing the new method of retracting the gear. You did such a fine job with your set of plans I will do anything I can to help you draw the new parts.

Thanks, P51tom who also loves Corsairs

p51tom

My Feedback: (1)

Hi Chillie,
I am sending my updated plans showing the new method of retracting the tail wheel. I reduced the scanded document to send it. As you can see I used the bottom of your plan to draw the modifacations hoping this will help you size everthing properly. I did the best I could with the drawing but I believe the individual parts can bo made differently as long as all lengths between pivit points and angles are kept the same. Let me know if you need anything else. By the way, I cut my parts out on my band saw then sanded them on my belt sander to the proper size.
Have good one, P51Tom

chilie

That looks good to me. I'll play around with it a little and see about making a test piece. Thanks for your suggestion.

joey_snaproll

My Feedback: (32)

Great work p51tom ,and chilie would be asking to much if I were to get a copy of the reworked templates and plan for my esm/kmp corsair when you get them done?

Thanks
Joe

chilie

Of course I'll post it!

I've currently fallen out of interest on working on my current Corsair project so I've lacked the motivation to actually do something

I will try this out soon though.

joey_snaproll

My Feedback: (32)

I hear yea Brother ,I've been lacking some motivation myself, been my worst year in ages for crashes, my tf corsair,totaled my CG extra 300,and banged up my CG sukhio, plus smacked up my foamy.all in a really short time. Corsair went in because or prop coming loose,just after take off, extra 300 ,crystle went bad in flight straight in from 200+ feet ,and sukhio hit high weeds from a dead engine and gusting wind change just before landing . so motivations a little low right now. But I'll get it back once I get something flying again.
Hopefully I can get to my esm/kmp corsair this year . I have everything except a nice tail wheel .

That would be great when you post your drawings ,Thanks chilie.

Joe

mustangmark

Chilie, guys... You didn't abandon us here, did you Please come back. Seriously, it sure has been quiet here. I'm gonna build one of these but if you guys have improved the design, I'd sure like to try it out.

chilie

I'm still around, just haven't made the time to try out the newest design. I've been helping rebuild some planes for a couple of friends. Why people don't learn that just because something is damaged, doesn't mean you have to throw it away. That's what glue is for

As the winter months approach, I will have more time to give it a try. Don't wait on me though! Trial and error is the only way to figure out this kind of stuff. I'm sure if I had a masters is mechanical engineering or something I would be able to wrap my mind around the geometry of this tailwheel, but I don't so I just have to build it, try it, and make revisions as I go along.

m1cH1

Hi guys,

I´ve dug this out while searching for a suitable tail wheel for my Brian Taylor 1/6 build... Your builds and the descriptions of it are just amazing to me... It comes out very scale and looks as it is a real tail wheel of a Corsair. Awesome work!
But now my problem is that the plans which I found while reading the posts are in 1/8 scale. Now I´d like to know if there are any plans/drawings for this in 1/6 scale and if somebody would upload or send them to me?

Michael

p51tom

My Feedback: (1)

Hi Michael,
Chille is correct. I started my tailwheel for the KMP Corsair today. I will post some pictures in the near future. If you wish to use my plans go to post #108 and click on my drawing. Enlarge it and Right Click on the enlaged plan, then click on Copy. Go to a Word Processing progam and PAST it. I used Microsoft Works Word then print it. The size can adjusted on a copy machine. I am also going to build a BT 82" Corsair. For the Kmp Corsair it must be enlarged 140% for a 1.75" wheel and 160% to a 2" wheel for the BT Corsair. My drawing are not as nice as Chilli's but they will work.

Have fun
P51Tom

Duayne P

My Feedback: (15)

Are there plans for a 1/5 scale tail wheel for the Byron Corsair? Any help will appreciated.

chilie

You could always take what has been designed and just scale it up. I would question how strong the tailwheel would be on a large plane. While G-10 is pretty darn strong, all those solder joints might not be. I have no idea how it would hold up to a 20+ lb plane coming down on the gear would hold up.

p51tom

My Feedback: (1)

Hi Dwayne P,
I have used this tail wheel design on a BT 76" Corsair that weighed 22 pounds and Top Flight 87" Corsair that weighed 32 pounds. I was very surprised and pleased on how well these planes handled at those weights. The only problem I encountered was when the person holding the plane while I stated the engine would push down and pull back on the tail. This pressure caused the down lock to bend and jam. Both of these tail wheels were purchased fron Earl Aurne useing his retracting design. I believe my locking method of retracting will not encounter this problem. I am almost finished the tailwheel for my KMP Corsair. I had to change some of the lengths of the retracting arms for it to retract completely with the air cylinder I am using. When all the changes are completed I will post the modified plans.
Have a good one,
P51Tom

smchale

My Feedback: (67)

P51Tom, I'm very intersted in watching your progress with this tailwheel. I'm putting together the same model you are and initially was going to use the stock leg with an airoperated retract unit I had laying around. However, after reading through this thread and seeing your initial results, I'm rethinking my approach. The geometry of the stock leg is really disturbing me...and motivating a change in approach. I'm really intersted in seeing how you progress and how you fit the unit in the tail of the ESM model, including it's operation in concert with the rudder controls and what sort of clearance you get around the elevator pushrod. Could I contract you to build a second one? Or at least cut and supply the parts as a 'kit'?

Btw, have you made any other changes to the model? I started mine just over a week ago and have added speakers in the wing (going with electron power) as well as a full depth cockpit with sliding canopy.

p51tom

My Feedback: (1)

Hi Sean,
I did make a great deal of changes to the tail section in order to make room for the tail wheel. I do not care for the use of cables therefore I am using pushrods for the tail surfaces. I like to use a servo for each elevator with two pushrods. I have been building RC models for 43 years and this is my forth Corsair. I found this metod is safer and allows room between the pushrods for the tail wheel. I have completed the drawing for my tail wheel and have taken some potos of the linkages. I hope this will help.
Have a good one,
P51TOM

smchale

My Feedback: (67)

Tom,

Thanks for your input, btw, what is the air cylinder in near the servos for?

I'm not clear on one item in your sketches (I'm working on my own tailwheel and using your sketch as a reference). Your shock looks like it's fixed at the top of item A, or the upper plate. If so, how does your pivot mechanism differ from the setup shown earlier in this thread. On that system the shock goes through a sleeve in plate A and both plate A and B below it and the support angles below that all are fixed around the pivot tube.

The way you drew it, unless I'm interpretting it incorrectly, the shock has no shock effect if all plates are permanently fixed on the pivot tube (where you show the 30deg angle).

Thanks for the clarification.

p51tom

My Feedback: (1)

Hi Sean,
The air cylinder is used with a pushrod to move the lever which retracts the tail wheel. You could use a servo if you like. The final changes in my design were made so that the throw of the cylinder matched what was needed for the tail wheel to function properly. Neither one of my Corsairs had any type of shock system and worked fine on models of 22 and 32 pounds. Tail wheels do not hit hard enough in my opinion to damage the model. As I said before I had to change some things on the model to clear the tail wheel which includes cutting down the depth of the cockpit by 1/2 inch. It has been alot of work but I think a scale tail wheel is worth the effort. I just painted my tail wheel and will post more pictures in the future.

Good luck with your Corsair.
P51Tom

p51tom

My Feedback: (1)

I have completed my tail wheel and have mounted it in my Corsair. I still have to complete the cockpit, dummy engine, tailwheel doors, and touch up the paint. I have posted a few photos of the tailwheel and the model.
P51Tom

smchale

My Feedback: (67)

Looking good Tom. What do your robart wheels weigh? I have a set of sullivan skylites at the moment, but your hubs look more realistic.
Completed my tailwheel today too. Here's a couple pics. Took the better part of 3 afternoons to get it done, but would have taken a lot longer without the suggestions on this thread! I'll tackle the doors on Monday.

Btw, I have no idea why RCU is posting these pics in the large format??