Hey guys,

I am converting my kit from a nose wheel to a tail dragger. Where is a cheap place to purchase these components?

It is a .40 to .50 size trainer. I am looking for the mains as well as the tail wheel.

Also, what size wheel would you all recommend?

Not looking for anything fancy or to scale- just something to get the job done.


Thanks!

Not knowing what kind of model you're converting, it's hard to say. You can order replacement aluminum gear from Sig for the 4-Stars, and Sig also has some nice tailwheels, as does DuBro. Check out Tower.

If you're asking about the gear for the tail wheel, Sullivan makes the best set up I have ever found. Easy to install, and does not transmit any shock to the rudder servo. They have them for all size airplanes, starting with this one.
Randy

http://www3.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin...?&I=LXFV46&P=7

Sorry for the lack of info, but I just updated it.

Experiences vary. I installed the heavy duty Sullivan on my Senior Telemaster and found it was difficult to steer returning to the pits (relatively smooth surfaced dry lake bed). I ended up exchanging the spring for a solid wire

I use the sulivans and really like them. I have found that bigger is better though. The "smaller ones" just have lighter wire for the spring and axel. Go with the biggest one as the physical size of the mount is the same. If your rudder doesnt protrude to the under side of the fuselage though, you are going to have to come up with a method to steer the tailwheel differnt that what is shown with the package instructions.

For the mains, I am a huge fan of the Dubro Heavy duty composite. They take the punishment of hard landings with complaint. They are light enough for a 40 size trainer and I have put them on a 60 size bipe that weighs almost 10 lbs. vary the wheel size to get the ground height you need.

Make sure the main axels are under or just barely ahead of the LE of the wing when the wing cord is level with the ground. To far forward and it is vey hard to steer on the ground. To far back and you end up nosing over.

Attach a photo of the plane and we can give better instructions on how to accomplish a steerable tailwheel.

Don

agree with rryman and campgems.
i use the sullivan, its the one that works best and its easy to install

http://www3.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin...?&I=LXFV46&P=7

the other setups are too delicate.
if its a small trainer like 50" wingspan maybe you can do without a tail wheel at all like a skid...
if its 5 pounds plane then i would go with the sullivan.
some pics of attached after market part, notice the plate the bracket is attached to.

Alex

Thanks for all of the input guys.

The rudder does not extend below the elevator- so I can not attach it directly to the wheel. Here is a pic or two- let me know if more would help!

Thanks!

What you can do is to use a long piece of L shaped wire that locks into the rudder, preffibley under the control horn and extends through the fuselage. Then put a double horn on it and two springs to a horn on the tail wheel. Another way would be to run a second pushrod from the rudder servo to a a tail wheel, or even use a mini Servo on a Y harness near the tail wheel and couple it to the tail wheel in a pull-pull arangement. That would require a tail wheel a bit different than the Sullivan. something like this
http://www3.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin...&I=LXMRK6&P=ML

I think the last suggestion is the best, but as you can see, there are a number of ways to approach this and I'm sure more will pop up in this thread.

Don