SULLIVAN TAILWHEEL ASSEMBLY
 

For my Sig Somethin' Extra powered with a Super Tigre .45 I am using a Sullivan tailwheel assembly for planes 5-12 lbs. I have a choice of a soft or stiff steering spring. What steering tension (soft or stiff) would be best for my SSE? I would assume the fatter coiled spring would be the stiff steering one.

RE: SULLIVAN TAILWHEEL ASSEMBLY
 

Smaller spring seems to be the stiffer one on the ones I installed. I have used that gear on 4 planes and it holds
up great. I would have to say if you are going to fly from grass the larger spring will be more forgiving to the
rudder. the smaller spring will give more control

RE: SULLIVAN TAILWHEEL ASSEMBLY
 

Best way to determine relative stiffness of a pair of springs: pull on them and compare results.:D

RE: SULLIVAN TAILWHEEL ASSEMBLY
 

So I was wrong again (not uncommon :D) the smaller spring is the stiffer one. Please be sure before I permanently install it.

All the fields around here are grass, no pavement runways provided [:o] so for grass the bigger spring is recommended but for better control the smaller spring is recommended, hmmmm :eek: I want both better control and grass handling, what would YOU GUYS use for your SSE?

RE: SULLIVAN TAILWHEEL ASSEMBLY
 

I've used that tailwheel assembly on several planes. I have always used the larger (less stiff) spring. My thought was that it would put less stress on the rudder hinges, servo, and link. Directional control on the ground has always been satisfactory.

RE: SULLIVAN TAILWHEEL ASSEMBLY
 

Mine kept snagging in the grass, so I just took the spring off and let it freewheel. I have it like that on all my warbirds and my UCD. On my SPADS I just use a skidplate.

RE: SULLIVAN TAILWHEEL ASSEMBLY
 

STUPID QUESTION. If I chose the castoring tailwheel (as the package calls it) or freewheel, as broke_n_bummin put it, how does the plane steer? If it doesn't have a steering tailwheel how is the steering controlled with just the motion of the rudder?

P.S: Would freewheeling be acceptable with a plane like the SSE? Or be best with a spring attached?

Sounds to me that the motion of take-offs, and probably landings as well, would cause the airplane to swerve all over the runway with no controlled tailwheel.

RE: SULLIVAN TAILWHEEL ASSEMBLY
 

The same way it flies in the air. You move the rudder and the wind blows on it causing the plane to turn. On the ground 98% of the wind would be from the prop the rest will be provided by God.

A full castoring tailwheel is easier to deal with in grass than on asphalt. Grass helps to keep the plane straight but pavement allows it to swing about easier.

RE: SULLIVAN TAILWHEEL ASSEMBLY
 

I'm in the same boat.

I've got a 4 star 40 and I'm about to install this exact same tailwheel.

How do you fix the spring to the rudder? Just force it in? Should I drill a tiny hole first, glue anything? The big spring seemed weak to me, but I'll probably go with that and just put the spring further down in the rudder for more leverage.

I'm curious to how the spring stays in the rudder, I don't want to drill anything If i'm supposed to just mash it in.

thanks.

RE: SULLIVAN TAILWHEEL ASSEMBLY
 

http://www.sullivanproducts.com/Land...rMainFrame.htm
Go to this page and it refers you to a link where installation is shown.

RE: SULLIVAN TAILWHEEL ASSEMBLY
 

thanks.

Bend and glue into rudder. So how do you get it into rudder? Just push, drill, what?

RE: SULLIVAN TAILWHEEL ASSEMBLY
 

Your choice.:D Pick-axe if you have one the right size.

RE: SULLIVAN TAILWHEEL ASSEMBLY
 

What Stanger, I usually make a hole with a t-pin then use medium CA dripped into the hole then push the spring in.

RE: SULLIVAN TAILWHEEL ASSEMBLY
 

QUESTION:

In order to install the wire support arms going diagonally from fuse rear to the stab I had to cut the nylon tailwheel support to make it flat so that the wire could be installed into the blindnut glued into the fuse rear (see picture 1 and 2)

Question is, did I weaken the tailwheel support significantly enough to cause a problem? I want to use the Sullivan tailwheel assembly but I also want the wire support arms going to the stab and cutting the tailwheel mount was the only way I saw could be done.

ALSO: I need to align a hole in the tailwheel support assembly to be aligned with the blindnut in the fuse. But depending on the predrilled hole I use in the assembly it either causes the tailwheel axis to be aligned either at the edge of the fuse rear (picture A) OR aft of the fuse rear (picture B). Which alignment is best for my SSE, pic A or Pic B? The instructions on the tailwheel assembly package says to align the axis of the tailwheel pivot close to the axis of the rudder hinges. In simple terms aligned dead-center at the gap between rudder and fin. Because I can not do dead-center because of the predrilled holes of the tailwheel assembly which alignment described above is next-best-thing?

Thank you!!!

RE: SULLIVAN TAILWHEEL ASSEMBLY
 

Tigerdude,
There's a pretty good chance that you've weakened the assembly to the point that it'll break once you start making landings. All of the plastic is there for a reason, to keep the assembly from breaking. Attached is a shot of how I installed the tailwheel on one of my SSE's. It should answer all of your questions, as well as how you can install the flying wires (support) without having to tear up the tailwheel assembly.

My 2¢ would be to toss this tailwheel assembly and start over with another one, as this one probably isn't going to be reliable now.

Ken

RE: SULLIVAN TAILWHEEL ASSEMBLY
 

RE: SULLIVAN TAILWHEEL ASSEMBLY
 

For the least amount of binding, center the bearing on the hinge line. If the rudder balsa is soft you can just push the spring wire in. If it is too hard use a 1/16 drill bit. Either way, once the spring wire is in the rudder. Wick some thin CA into the hole followed by some thick CA.

RE: SULLIVAN TAILWHEEL ASSEMBLY
 

Yes, pivot axis should be on hinge centerline and DO "toughen" the rudder with thin CA much like you would screw holes when mounting servos. Drill, CA, redrill, insert with THICK CA.

RE: SULLIVAN TAILWHEEL ASSEMBLY
 

But RCken’s is not centered at the hinge line :D

RE: SULLIVAN TAILWHEEL ASSEMBLY
 

With the Sullivan assembly; As long as the spring can move slightly forward and backward as the rudder swings from side to side, the alignment is not critical.

RE: SULLIVAN TAILWHEEL ASSEMBLY
 

I think it's the camera angle. It's NOT critical but the closer the better.

RE: SULLIVAN TAILWHEEL ASSEMBLY
 

I can't get the blind nuts in on my four star, its already assembled and has been in the air. What would you all say is the best way to fasten it?

I was thinking cut away some of the coating, so bare wood is showing....rough the plastic base up...and get some sort of epoxy between the two, as well as a wood screw with thin CA on the threads.

Any thoughts?

RE: SULLIVAN TAILWHEEL ASSEMBLY
 

Which blind nuts? In the firewall for the engine mounts or for wing mounts?

RE: SULLIVAN TAILWHEEL ASSEMBLY
 

the tailwheel assembly (sullivan) gives you blind nuts to use. My four star is already assembled, and has been for sometime. I was seeking alternative ways to mount it securely.

RE: SULLIVAN TAILWHEEL ASSEMBLY
 

Unfortunately in order to get the blindnuts inside the fuselage where they belong to hold the wheelbracket you will need to cut away some covering to get inside.

An alternative I would suggest is to screw the tailwheel assembly into the fuselage rear with regular wood or sheetmetal screws. Probably #4X3/4 screws would be perfect for securing the assembly onto the fuselage. The sullivan wheel assembly has 4 predrilled holes for attaching so feel free to use as many screws as you feel like using. It would be more secure if you had a lite-ply doubler at the rear where the bracket is gonna screw into but if it is not doubled no big worry (just a little less secure) so use about 3 #4X3/4 screws to hold the bracket in place.