I have an Avistar and the field we are flying is torn up pretty bad. I notice the tail draggers not having the time I have had with the stock nose steering. Highly unstable and some near crashes. Has anyone here changed their Avistar to a tail dragger?

Lastly, is there a good site for stock engine settings? I have an OS .40 FP and a YS .45 FS that I would love to get manuals for. Thank you in advance for the replies.

I am sure the Avistar can be converted to a taildragger. I converted my Superstar 40, a cousin to the Avistar, and it was just great!!! I would suggest you install a steerable tail wheel. I was able to rig one fairly easy, off the rudder servo. I used a 2-56 "bare"rod. It didn't even need a tube, and operated just fine for just the tailwheel. I wish I knew how to draw and send sketches to show you how I rigged the tailwheel. I used an in-expensive bracket, wheel, and copied the bends from the old wire onto a slightly stronger wire. I installed my old NOSE wheel steering arm on the top of the shaft. You may have to do it differently and / or use your own innovations. Use tiny wheel collars to secure up and down slop etc. The aluminum landing gear I installed was forward of the leading edge at LEAST 1 inch or more. It was a conveinent and strong place to place the gear block. Many will differ with the location......... as it is "supposed to be"... the axles even, or slightly ahead of the leading edge. I have a Spacewalker I moved the gear off the wing to the chin block. Also a Midwest Starduster. Both of these are 1 1/2 inches
in front of the LE !!!
All three planes ground handle and take off just GREAT!! (well... not the Superstar 40 anymore). ...
That trainer had 140 flights before it met it's demise and at least the last 50 with the tail dragger conversion.
I am not saying to place the gear as I did.... but if a strong, conveinent place causes it to be forward an inch or so.... don't worry about it.
Follow the reccomended procedure if possible.... but be aware that "tip over posibilities" will increase the closer the gear is to the leading edge. BE SURE YOU RE-BALANCE THE PLANE !!!
Good luck... lownslo

Im not being fececious, I just think its great when folks toss the training wheel nonsence and make airplanes out of,.............whatever they had!
There are many ways to do this, from a simple bent music wire tailwheel epoxied into a groove youve made in the bottom of the rudder, to tailwheels mounted on leafspring assemblies attatched to the rear bott. of the fuse with a special attatchment fastened to the rudder with a pair of springs connecting the the two so, when the rudder is moved, the tailwheel goes right along.
Personnally, I prefer the latter, its simpler than it sounds and your LHS, (local hobby shop) likely has the kit in stock for the price of a bunch of bananas, do what?

Lownslo has described another method which workes equally as well.
As far as mains, get another opinion, but I think your ok with them under or just forward of the leading edge of the wing, again, Im not familiar with your particular plane so, ask around here.

Have fun with your real plane!!!!!

Roger

Hey strat ....

I don't know about your particular model, but I have had success with mine which is a Nova 40. On my particular bird both the nosewheel and main gear were pathetic, and so I replaced the pair. First I used a triangular piano wire main gear, locating the axel equal with the leading edge, and then mounted an off the shelf tail wheel assembly on the tail.

On the mainmount, I installed extra plywood in the floor for mount points, and then just used d clamps to attach. Works really well.

For the tail wheel, the one I purchased mounts on the tail with a wire that I attached to the rudder. It allows good steerage, and I did not have to run any more control rods.

Here are a couple of pictures of my setup ... all has performed well, I did have to replace my tailwheel once, but that was do to particularly hard contact with the ground, which broke allot more that my tailwheel!

Good luck ... I think the total cost of my mods was around 10 pounds.

First pick is the alignment of the main gear with the leading edge.

Here is the tailwheel showing the connection into the rudder.

Good luck ... Bo

Hello guys, I know this is a forum and you never know how knowledgeable the person is on the other end. You can only draw opinions from past posts,etc. Below is a picture of my Starduster kit I built last winter. The gear is that supplied by Midwest with the kit, and it is meant to have a "swept back" look. I drilled the mount holes so I could rotate it 180 degrees. I decided to mount it as you see here, and would change it after the maiden flight if it didn't work. It is still as you see it and I have flown this plane all summer. I honestly have not aborted a take off because of poor ground handling. On my GP Spacewalker, I moved the gear forward, as mentioned in my other post, after dicussing this procedure here on the forums. Guys sent me pix and I decided to try it. The Spacewalker has flown all summer, gear forward, and has been a dream to handle on the ground. Again, I am not trying to "tell you", this is how you should do it. I am saying......... it works just great for the planes I have posted, (not to mention my long departed Superstar 40) ...
PS. I prefer the tail wheel on Bo's plane, in fact I have a Sullivan wheel on my Spacewalker and Starduster. The tail feather configuration on the Superstar made it impossible to work on it...
I hope I can post this pix so you can enlarge it when you click on it. I must be doing something wrong.
.... Keep the wings level...... lownslo

Here is a pix of the Spacewalker that may show the location of the gear on the new chin block. (made of ply instead of balsa). Note the gear in relation to the wing saddle / LE of wing. Sorry I don't have a good profile shot with the wing attached...lownslo

Hey lownslo ...

That is interesting. I have never seen the mains mounted that far forward. When I was setting up mine, I asked opinion on the forum and the responses I got were specific about keeping things even with the LE of the wing. Even the BTE venture that I am building now has the mains lined up even with the LE.

Have you had an problems getting the tail off the ground, or any additional wear and tear on the tailwheel with more weight resting on it? I would bet that having that far forward would really improve the ground handling characteristics.

I might have to play around with moving the mains forward for sure.

Bo

Let me know it go's because I also have a Avistar and was thinking of doing that.

I want to turn my avistar into a tail dragger but there is a slight problem. The entire rudder control surface is above the elevator. This means I would have to come up with some goofy way to connect the rudder servo to the tailwheel, or cut the elevator into 2 halves and extend the rudder. Not really looking to mod the ele/rudder to do so.

Any suggestions?

Hi Nex and baddog, See some of my post above. I kind-of explained how I did it. I used the other side of the servo arm on the rudder servo. Make sure your rod comes out of the fuse on the correct side, AND steering arm on tail wheel is on the correct side A "bare" 2-56 rod will work. (no tube needed for just the wheel). My Superstar 40 had the same tail feathers. Email me and "maybe???" I can explain better. Wish I knew how to send sketches or had a pix.

Heyyyy bgorham, I was told about the correct placement on that old trainer.... but it just would not have been easy OR as strong as where I put it. SOOOOOOO I just took a gamble and put it forward. It worked so well for me that I did the same for the Starduster and the Spacewalker too!!!
People also said I would have a problem with the tail coming up. I had an .80 Saito, on the Spacewalker,(far from overpowered), and the tail came up just fine. This plane has a LOT of wing and lift area. My Starduster is slightly overpowered with a .56 Saito. Again... it has worked just fantastic for the 3 planes that I have mentioned. I have not had any "wear" on the tail wheel BUT.... I have somehow kinked the spring on the Sullivan tail wheel, on both planes,from rough landings. I did replace the assembly once on both. (I am not real smooth as guys that have been flying a long time. )... This was my first year of solo flying. BTW.... solo means you can crash on your own !!!!
Hope things work out for you guys.... lownslo