ORIGINAL: dvs1
Here is the tail gear for my 1/6 190 that is in the scrap yard. I'm trying to decide if I should try to sell it for a good price or keep it. Here is what I am thinking if i keep it......
Like many Sierra FW tailgear I have seen here on RCU there is a problem with the cylinder glue that holds the cylinder to the gear. When I removed it from my plane I noticed immediately the shock from the crash broke the glue separating the cylinder from the gear...... I have two purposes I could use these parts.
I could use the steering arm, shaft and wheel fork in one of my sport planes that lost its tail wheel and part of the tailgear in flight. It would make a rock solid tailgear and weight wouldn't be an issue as I don't use it for 3D and it has a very light wing loading.
Then with the more important second idea
I am going to have an air cylinder sliding canopy on a second air tank in Blue 13. I was thinking that this air cylinder of this gear would be the perfect length for the FW retractable step behind the wing. I could Y the airlines to a single valve so when the canopy is open, the step is down, When the canopy is closed, step is up. I don't think the setup would weigh much more than an ounce and being just behind the wing I would only have to add an ounce or so to counterbalance the addition. I know weight is critical on this particular plane but if your talking 16-32 oz of nose weight ballast what is one more.........
Thoughts, comments?
I wonder if the tail wheel unit/portion could be sent to down and locked to be made electric? Since the air cylinder is already knocked off, it might save them the trouble. I am installing that same tail unit in my 1/5th TA 152. I was planning on having the tail and sliding canopy share their own tank. I want my main gear to be on their own air system. I really wish the Sierra tail gear cylinder was spring down, just in case it lost air.