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LT-40 taildragger conversion DONE !
After fighting with the nose gear, and getting aggrivated with it, my LT-40 is now a taildragger! It took about 5 hours to convert it over. Used 1/4" ply and blind nuts with nylon bolts for the main gear, and 1/4 ply and 8 x 32 blind nuts for the tail end (I think thats what he used, I had help).
Ask any questions if you have any, had a blast doing the conversion. below is a pic of it, and if you want to see more, just visit my site, just made a quicky page for more pics at http://richdavis.net/rc http://richdavis.net/rc/images/tail3.jpg |
RE: LT-40 taildragger conversion DONE !
looks great, im in the middle of converting my alpha
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RE: LT-40 taildragger conversion DONE !
i think comverting to a tail drager on my alpha is in the near future
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RE: LT-40 taildragger conversion DONE !
it was pretty easy to do
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RE: LT-40 taildragger conversion DONE !
did u run a pushrod for steering?
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RE: LT-40 taildragger conversion DONE !
Plane looks great, and I think you'll have fun with it as a taildragger.
Dennis- |
RE: LT-40 taildragger conversion DONE !
ORIGINAL: TPierce did u run a pushrod for steering? |
RE: LT-40 taildragger conversion DONE !
Rich your conversion looks great. I have contemplating the same thing for my Lt-40, since I have a Cub almost ready to go and would like a tail dragger trainer. Two questions, How far ahead did you move the gear and what kind of after market products did you use?
Steve |
RE: LT-40 taildragger conversion DONE !
Steve,
You want the wheels to sit under the leading edge of the wing on a tail dragger. Too far forward and it won't want to turn on the ground, too far back and it'll be all over the place (and nosing over all the time). There's a range though depending on where that front bulkhead (former) is. Dennis- |
RE: LT-40 taildragger conversion DONE !
The person that helped me do it placed the gear. Basically what he told me was, just forward of the leading edge of the wing.
The main gear is the standard dubro and the tail assembly is the Goldberg small tail wheel assembly kit, kit had all the parts for the tail section... wheel, collar, mount, everything. I just reused my old wheels, but did have to get a new nyrod and axles. |
RE: LT-40 taildragger conversion DONE !
i plan on doing the same thing as you.... I will need:
-Main landing gear -Tail landing gear -Thin plywood for mounting -Pushrod & pushrod tube thats seems about it...anything missing? |
RE: LT-40 taildragger conversion DONE !
blind nuts and accociated hardware for the mounting.
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RE: LT-40 taildragger conversion DONE !
that doesn't come with the tailgear?
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RE: LT-40 taildragger conversion DONE !
the carl goldberg gear, yeah
but usually not for the main gear. |
RE: LT-40 taildragger conversion DONE !
my hobby shop should have different size blindnuts i hope. all this stuff is starting to add up[:@]
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RE: LT-40 taildragger conversion DONE !
You can try to buy my nuts and bolts at the hardware store to save some money
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RE: LT-40 taildragger conversion DONE !
Couldn't you just tie in the tail gear to the rudder so they move together, instead of running another pushrod or am i missing something?
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RE: LT-40 taildragger conversion DONE !
on the alpha the elevator and rudder are above the fuse so it's not possible.
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RE: LT-40 taildragger conversion DONE !
Conversion looks fine,you'll have a lot of good fun with it.
Some people are talking about steerable tailwheels etc. but I don't really think that the complication is necessary. I just use a fixed wire tailskid on my scratch built Spacewalker, it turns fine, - didn't have any problems taxying around my lawn, or flying. |
RE: LT-40 taildragger conversion DONE !
My Falcon 56 plans show the way to be built as either tricycle or taildragger
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RE: LT-40 taildragger conversion DONE !
Want a quick and easy tail wheel setup for your LT-40 ARF requiring no surgery on the fuselage? Add a free swiveling tailwheel setup. Epoxy a plywood mounting pad for a tail wheel mount on the fuselage below the tail and screw the bracket onto it. The steering wire hole in the mount should be directly under the rudder hinge line, or as close as you can get it. Insert the steering wire into the bracket, drop a wheel collar down over the wire and tighten the screw. Cut the wire off just above the wheel collar. Add a wheel and a retainer, and you're done! As steering comes from the Rudder stick anyway, you will steer via air blasting over the rudder. The rudder deflects, the wheel swivels, and the tail swings around. Its not as quick and precise as a direct connection to the wheel, but it's smoother than a skid. Looks nicer too. I have two panes with them in use and they work great.
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RE: LT-40 taildragger conversion DONE !
Yes, that's the best solution, but I was just being cheap!
The steered wheel is only useful at very slow taxying speeds, it won't be in contact with the ground at any higher speeds. The rudder is the most important cotributor to steering on a taildragger, but as you say, a wheel looks much better than a skid. However, I believe in having the basics only for learning, looks are totally a waste of time on a trainer and they can be built into the second plane later. |
RE: LT-40 taildragger conversion DONE !
ORIGINAL: Grampaw Want a quick and easy tail wheel setup for your LT-40 ARF requiring no surgery on the fuselage? Add a free swiveling tailwheel setup. Epoxy a plywood mounting pad for a tail wheel mount on the fuselage below the tail and screw the bracket onto it. The steering wire hole in the mount should be directly under the rudder hinge line, or as close as you can get it. Insert the steering wire into the bracket, drop a wheel collar down over the wire and tighten the screw. Cut the wire off just above the wheel collar. Add a wheel and a retainer, and you're done! As steering comes from the Rudder stick anyway, you will steer via air blasting over the rudder. The rudder deflects, the wheel swivels, and the tail swings around. Its not as quick and precise as a direct connection to the wheel, but it's smoother than a skid. Looks nicer too. I have two panes with them in use and they work great. I don;t quite under stand... pictures would be nice. but if i just mount the tailwheel without it being able to move it should still turn with rudder power? |
RE: LT-40 taildragger conversion DONE !
ORIGINAL: Willdo However, I believe in having the basics only for learning, looks are totally a waste of time on a trainer and they can be built into the second plane later. I would have to argue that what I did was not a "waste of time", but a learning experiance... a very pleasureable one at that. |
RE: LT-40 taildragger conversion DONE !
The tailwheel can pivot freely through 360 Degrees. It just can't be steered.
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