APIA

Hey All
I am in the process of mating an Avistar fuse and a PT-40 wing, a long and slow process. The wing mod is a real challenge. My question is: What is a good starting point for locating the main gear, to convert to a taildragger. I know the location is critical for ground handling, and aircraft control, can get "interesting" if the location is not correct. Any input is appreciated.
Thanks
-Tom

bingo field

You will most likely want the axles even with the leading edge. Here is a post with pictures on a similar project.

http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/Alph...2118831/tm.htm

khodges

My Feedback: (1)

I tried the "leading edge" rule of thumb on my Kadet and it was very sensitive to nosing over on the ground or while landing, so I went a bit further forward. The ideal is to have ample weight behind the mains to fight the tendency to ground loop, but not make it so heavy in the tail that the tail won't fly (lift up) before the rest of the plane when you're taking off. Remember, the position of the main gear will affect your c/g, but that balance is separate from the fore/aft balance of the plane while it is on the mains during takeoff. I added another set of blind nuts under my fuse and experimented with the position (took 3 tries) until I got what I wanted. It helped ground handling, and the takeoffs and landings could be done 2-point or 3-point.

Dusty1

That's what I did. I set the plane on the landing gear and kept moving it until the plane settled back onto the tail after raising it.