tail dragger
 

I would like to make my big stik 60 into a tail dragger , do i have to cut out the eleavator or what ,i really need help with this thanks in advance

RE: tail dragger
 

No...

If it's easier for you to cut it out ....Then do so.
Just install new hinges right next to the old ones.

You can drill a little hole at the center of the elevertor. Glue thin ply on the bottom if you like..

sholve the music wire through the hole...bend it accordingly .
Make a 90 bend first before you put the music wire through the hole.

You can make a slot under the rudder with a drill bit and
just glue the music wire using epoxy.

Or use fuel tubbing .
Or use those linkage thing with ears that's on the airleron linkage.
The part that you screw up and down to adjust the airlerons throw.

Buy one of those tail wheel assembly... it's just a little bracket.
If you have a piece metal laiding around it'll do the samething......such as a Hack saw blade.

You put a wheel collar under the bracket..so the force/pressure is on the collar instead of the rudder.
The music wire in the kit is probably not long enough...just buy an extra music wire...it's $.50

Or you can just bend the music wire...(without using a wheel) and make a skid. Then just mount it under the fuselage.
Just make sure it's tall enough so the horizantal and elevator dosn't drag on the ground.
You know...the WWI aircraft don't have a tail wheel either.
You don't want to use a wheel if it's just a skid or not hook up to the rudder.

RE: tail dragger
 

I'm going the same route on my GP Big Stik 40. I was going to do the tailwheel using either the Dubro bearing setup, or as flyx said. If you look at the rear stabilizer you have approx. 1/2" sticking out the rear of the fuse before the elevator attaches. You can drill a hole in the middle (1/4" out) for your tail wheel assembly to go through to attach to the bottom of the rudder. I decided to build mine with a WW1 theme, and I'm going with a ply fixed tail skid and a wire front gear, and I'm thinking about modifying the wing to place a platform for a pilot, windshield, and machine gun. I'm trying to make it different than most other Stik's at our field.

DG

RE: tail dragger
 

Why many people want to change a very easy handle tricycle set up for a more difficult tail dragger?
I understand the scale motivation but a boxed stick is not very nice to be a scale project.
Horizon Hobby still sells the Super Stick (the white one with blue and green decals) it has the option to assemble it as a tail dragger or as a tricycle.
If the field where you are flying has a paved runaway a tricycle set up is the best, in the other hand if it is a grass field it is probably that a tail dragger could be of help.
Just my opinion.

:eek::eek:

RE: tail dragger
 

Or -with sticks that have the old Ugly stick type fin and rudder you can use almost any type tailwheel bering block that has a tiller or bend one in and just add a second pushrod attached to the rudder pushrod somewhere forward just behind the servos with a wheel collor as in many dual pushrod arf elevator arraingements.

John

RE: tail dragger
 

It's depends where you fly or your landing field.
The front wheel wants to dig into soft spots on dirt or grass.
It'll actually cause the model to nose over, damaging the prop or the vetical stab.
Depending how rough your strip is...a nose wheels actaully is worst becuase of the bouncing.
You don't really have control...you kind of guide it.lol

I basically did the samething to my ace-40....I just glue a pilot figure to the wing.
The build up the deck accordingly in front.
You can just add 1/16 dowls for the rear deck. if you want.
It's semi scale. I thought about just using a 2 or 3 liter bottle for the cowling, but I just left it for easy access to the engine.
I did the samething to a Modeltech stick..but i clipped the fence...and it killed the model before I could bash it more.
I had 5" wheels on it even.lol

Going tail dragging is a natural prgession if you want to fly an extra or other models.

Most if not all models fuselage are box design wiith decking or flaring...etc

You can bash a stick from the basic box.

RE: tail dragger
 

Another option is to use a wooden or wired tail skid.... if you don't want to mess with attaching a tail wheel to the rudder, and I have seen people use a fixed or freewheel tail wheel that dont connect to the rudder.

RE: tail dragger
 

Why change the design... because we can! I agree they fly great out of the box but to me that's part of the hobby,putting your own signature on the aircraft. I think the Stik will look great as a WW1 style airplane, maybe not scale but will look good in my opinion. Plus, it will be easier to follow mine in the air when others at the field are flying at the same time. I fly off a grass runway with it cut short on the landing strip and longer on either side. The tail dragger will go though the high grass much better than a trike. I need to learn how to fly a taildragger since 99% of your low wing, biplane, and or scale acrobatic styles are this style as well. The fixed rear skid will be fun one to learn, I'll have to apply some down elevator (not too much) and goose it while applying the rudder to get her to turn while on the the ground. Once it's lined up and on the trottle, it should track better than a wheel and once the speed is high enough to raise the tail, it's all rudder input to keep her straight. Maybe changing it is a mistake.....nah, I think I'll love it![sm=wink_smile.gif]

RE: tail dragger
 

the Horizon Hobby Super Sticks (40 and 60) are some pretty sweet planes and the price is RIGHT! (.40=$99; .60=$119). A GreatPlanes Big Stik costs $129 and $169 respectively (but I have to admit, I really LOVE the Red + the German crosses :D way more than the green/blue "swooshes" of the Super Sticks)

I really like the way Horizon went ahead and did at the factory what many people do in the field = "flap-erons" (twin servos to seperately control the flaps and ailerons) so you can "crow" it. I don't think my old Futaba FG transmitter can handle this type of move (even though it's a 7 channel), b/c I don't know if I can "mix" for this type of operation with my Tx (honestly, i'm not really sure what this accomplishes, but it must enable new ways to control the plane... ). You can also make the Super Stick a tail dragger OR a tricycle straight out of the box (with the Big Stik, you have to do the tail dragger on your own). The GreatPlanes Big Stik planes have a WAY bigger wing area (length and chord) though.

I have to admit, I still really want the Great Planes Big Stik (probably a .40), just because of the color scheme; for an extra $30, I guess the German Monokote color scheme is worth it to me (PLUS an extra 100 sq.in of wing area can come in handy (on the .40; the .60 has over 200" of wing area extra)

I guess it's a personal preference thing ;)

Just out of "stupid curiosity" what is the difference in "tail draggers" vs "tricycle" when it comes to handling? Is it strictly the take off + landing or are there other benefits? (with taildraggers,don't you have to give it a touch of down elevator on takeoff to keep it from "jumping up" prematurely and making a really cool sideways "arch" right into the dirt? and doens't the tricycle give you a bit of rightwards "curve" on takeoff b/c of the prop torque?) Which one is easier to land?

RE: tail dragger
 

Yepper, the red and black monocote scheme swayed me as well. Love the maltese cross. Both Trike and Taildraggers land similar, with the trike being known for bouncing if you don't flair it properly. The TG are know for flipping forward if you catch any high grass. On take off with the tail dragger you need to apply up elevator not down to pin the tail to the ground. As your speed increases you ease off the elevator and the tail should come up, if not add just a touch of down, then the rudder takes over for steering. Once your speed is high enough for flight apply a little more up elevator and your off. I found the tail dragger easier to take off (once you get use to ground handling/taxi), and about the same as the trike to land. At least this has been my limited experience on some low wing planes my instructor let me try. Any more experienced pilots want to add there input on the differences between the two designs?

DG

RE: tail dragger
 

People that have difficultly taking off and landing tail draggers usually aren't much better with nose gear models.

The primary difficulty with tail draggers is landing gear placement. If you fly off pavement, the gear needs to be further back than if flown off of grass. If too far forward, the model tends to want to ground loop on hard surfaces. When too far back, they tend to go onto the nose. On a 40-60 sized model, the location difference is about 1/2". Where did the airplanes designer fly?

RE: tail dragger
 

The tricycle landing gear is by far much more easy to handle in most applications, torque of the engine is very controllable by the front wheel, you do not need to pull the elevator stick and can run the entire runaway in a straight line. A well behaved tail dragger will do the same but you will find your self using much more your thumbs to accomplish this situation.
Some tail draggers are very difficult to keep in a straight line and many pilots tend to give full throttle and take off right away which can lead to a sudden take off stall.
Most of my planes are tail draggers and I am very use to them but when I fly one of the student’s trainers I always remember the easiness of the trikes. On the other hand, yes we are all modelers and changes in our planes is something natural to us, but keep in mind that if someone is in its beginnings steps a trike will help for much more fun than start to fight at the take offs.
I had the Horizon Super Stick once and it was a great flier, I assemble it as a tail dragger just to save some weight, it flew great and I highly recommend it. As per the colors, yes I also think that the GP stick looks great in that bright red.
Happy landings.
Alfredo.