Trike to Taildragger conversion advice needed
 

Hello all,

I am about to start construction on a GP Trainer 40. (the good one) I want to install a Saito .65 and larger ailerons and also convert it to a taildragger. The plans show the standard trike setup and I expect I will need to beef up the fuse where the mains will go.
I will be setting the firewall back as shown on the additional instructions, appx. 1.5 inches.
thanks,

Jimmy

Also, if anyone out there has a Trainer 60 kit they might want to sell, Lets talk. email me offline.
[email protected]

GP Trainer 60
 

Jimmy,

What a great airplane! The Trainer 60 was my teacher. It also became a good sport plane with a number of modifications. At one point I converted mine to taildragger. I just mounted the gear plate forward so the axles were under the leading edge ... pretty simple.

Have fun!

Bedford

Trike to Taildragger conversion advice needed
 

If you have plans for this thing, or at least a side view, they'll show the axle position with respect to the center of gravity. You have to put the axle ahead of the CG (I know - duh!) but if it's TOO far forward you'll have a ground-looping monster on your hands.

If I was experimenting, I think I'd mount music-wire landing gear about an inch ahead of the CG, then start bending it forward and back (while at the field and playing) to get the ground-handling I wanted. All I did for tail gear was drill a hole up through the fuse, mount a hinge and a bent piece of music wire 'sewn' to the rudder. This might seem crude, but the rudder absorbed lots of the shock of landing/handling with transmitting it to the rudder servo.

Have fun :) Taildraggers are simpler and more traditional :) and NO more difficult to land/take-off than conventional - easier, in my opinion.

Tail Dragger Landing Gear
 

The usual location for tail dragger landing gear is with the axles directly below the leading edge of the wing for straight wing airplanes.