Anyone else having trouble with shoestring nosing when they taxi along the grass runway, the grass is short. The center of gravity is right where it should be, I don't want to add anymore weight to the tail end. To me it seems like the landing should be more forward but with this set up the landing gear cannot be moved. any ideas.

Well I fly off asphalt and mine has never even thought about nosing over. However a good friend who also has this same plane with a Saito 100 noses over after landing everytime. I can imaginine grass would be worse. Are the wheels rotating freely?
Or it could be technique as far as running the throttle?? Are you using the sotck wheels which came with the plane? I usually toss them out and run kavans

Check to make sure your landing gear is mounted correctly. There have been other people with this problem and it was discovered that the gear was on backwards. The gear should angle forward. If it angles back, just trade sides and it should be OK.
Steve

I have a Saito 1.00 in mine. I fly off of grass and I've never had a problem with mine nosing over, but then I do taxi mine with full up elevator on max high rates. Like Tailspin said, make sure your gear isn't on backwards, and make sure your wheels aren't binding. They should spin freely. When I went from asphalt to grass, I took off my wheel pants. They will tend to drag the grass a bit and this will also help aid a nose-over.

Hi, name's Ken. Been flying one for 2yrs. now, off grass and with the wheel pants installed with no problems. It is VERY important to taxi with full up elevator to plant the tail. Other than this tip, and the one about the orientation of the gear, I don't think the plane has an inherent problem. Remember, with ANY taildragger, once the tail comes up off the ground you will have a problem unless it was intentional (i.e, at takeoff [then make sure you have sufficient speed to ward off a stall] ).

All my planes are tail draggers and this is the only one I have a problem with. I know how to taxi with the elevator full up and the landing gear is mounted correctly, angled forward. Wheels are free of binding etc. I hate to think of removing the pants but I may have to try it and see how it works out. Can't add more weight to tail end would be to heavy.
thanks

If there was a way to move landing gear forward I would would do it, but it's impossible.

How smoothe is your runway? How about the grass, is it thick/tall? The Shoestring is extremely lite in the tail, which can make it nose over more easily than other planes. Could the condition of your runway be a factor with this particular plane, since it is more nose-over sensative?

Our field is kind of bumpy because of the lack of rain, everytime the tail wheel hits a bump it flys up in the air no matter how much up elevator is used. Can't go with low throttle because the air from the prop is not enough to keep tail down, go with faster throttle is all I can do and hope it does'nt nose over. Would be nice if I could tip the landing gear forward so the wheels would toward the front of the plane more, but no luck.

thanks for answering my question everyone

Try larger wheels.

PLace some 1/8" shims in the rear of the gear mount so the wheels will protrude a bit more foward.

I fly off a grass field and never had a nose over with thw Shoestring. I put on the biggest wheels that would fit in the wheel pants, 3 inches I think. Then make sure the wheels don't move to the side touching the wheel pants. Used to have trouble with other planes with wheel pants and discovered that the wheels were rubbing the wheel pants. I put spacers on each side of the wheels to keep the wheel centered on the axle. The landing gear is mounted way ahead of the CG and shouldn't nose over unless your plane is REALLY nose heavy!!!

I put some plywood stock under the landing gear on the front edge to cock the wheels more toward the front of the plane, I will try this out when the weather cooperates.
Thanks

One other thing to consider is throttle management. Sounds like there is quite a recipe here in getting that plane to nose over and throttling up to fast trying to push it throught the grass will be the icing on the cake.

My landing gear is installed correctly, the plane is balanced with an OS 61 and if the grass gets too long the plane will definately nose over. Last saturday I couldn't get the plane off the ground, Sunday morning we mowed the field, no problem. One of the guys in my club moved the LG foward but I didn't check out how he did it. He never noses over.
Jeff

Interesting, most of my problems come from the grass being too long. I may nose over 2 - 3 of the time and it is usually due to high grass and throttle management. The Shoe is a fun plane to fly, but temperamental in higher grass.

How about a longer prop and cut that grass as you go! [sm=bananahead.gif]

I think I'll try a longer prop and cut the grass. I use trottle to control the tail but for some reason this plane want's to nose over.

[8D]

Must be the txture of the grass causing the restriction on the wheels.