I just converted my Hangar 9 Xtra Easy trainer from tricycle gear to tail wheel. My question is how much rotation should the wheel have to provide adequate steering while maintaining control? This will be the first time I fly/taxi a tail wheel plane. Thanks in advance for the advice.

Except for the bigger planes, most tail wheels I've seen have a direct "hard" connection to the rudder. That means it will pivot the same as the rudder.

Is this how you converted yours? If you've run a separate line, set the turning ratio lower at first, so you don't find yourself over correcting. It's easy to get out of control as your learning to take off in a tail dragger.

Mike

I had to put a separate control rod from the rudder servo to steer the wheel. The horizontal stabalizer blocks the way for a direct connection to wheel and without more modification than I want to do just won't work. I guess I'll set the wheel travel just shy of the rudders travel and give that a shot and then work from there. Thanks.

set it up with the least amount of travel possible then taxi test it.

Adjust it only if you feel that the turning radius is not sufficient

Remember its an airplane not a car the most impotant thing is to be able to keep it striaght for take-offs and landings.

You don't need very much travel at all to have positve control. If it moves a quarter inch you'll be able to do donuts on the runway. After all, many planes handle fairly well with just a tailskid. The rudder alone will do a lot to push the tail around.

I'm hoping it won't need much travel to steer adequately. I'm getting a little flex in the control rod and it seems the more travel I dial in the more flex I get. Thanks for the help.

If you can see it move ,thats enough,to much tail wheel movement can make hard surfaces a problem to take off.
Have a goodun,John.

A lot depends on the distance of the tail wheel from the main gear. What I would recommend is that if have a low and high rate for the rudder then you can use it to control the rudder/tail wheel sensitivity. What I prefer is to use expo to do it.

Thanks for all the replies. I will definitely use low rates. I didn't even think about using expo. I think I'll give it a try. Thanks for the help.