Does anyone have some ideas on converting trike gear to tail wheels on Trainers? Any links or pictures of how you changed yours. Thanks for your time.

Mac

What airplane is it. It is really easy to convert it. Put a 1/4 inch plate behind the bulkhead at the front of the wing with triangle stock around it inside the plane, screw on a halco or equiv gear and the front is done. I like to use a Klett tailwheel bracket that screws on the bottom of the fuse or something close. Lots of companies make them. I like to run springs to the rudder control horn to drive it for steering if possible, or run a small push rod to it, or a wire from the rudder. One of my planes just has a skid, but I will probably change that. It came that way. Stearable is better.

Hope that helps some

I'm talking about trainers that have the horizontal stabs that are full length and the rudder above that part of the stab. Like a Sig LT 40 or an Eagle 2. However, I appreciate your input.

Mac

I converted an Eagle 2. I ran another push rod from the rudder servo( like a Sullivan golden rod). It landed great. I also got rid of the rubber balnds and used wing bolts.

I've seen LT 40's that have been converted. It's not that hard.

Flyboys advice is good. You want the new landing gear to be ahead of the CG. In planes I've converted, I install light ply in the bottom of the fuse ahead of the wing, with triangle (or square) stock in the corners on top of the ply (adds stregth). The new gear bolts through the fuse and into the ply. Use blind nuts and nylon bolts if you can.

There are different oftions for a tail wheel and it's best if you can isolate the tail wheel control rod from the wheel itself (with springs or...) to reduce shocks to the servo, but not absolutely necessary.

Many tailwheels simply screw to the bottom of the fuse (you'll need to put a ply plate on the bottom of the fuse). Then there's an arm that must be bolted to the rudder. Not the best option perhaps, but they work.
Dennis-

I guess I need the best way to connect the tail wheel to the rudder without redesigning the Tail area. A bracket for the tail wheel and drilling a small hole up to the rudder angled out above the stab and mounted on the bottom of the rudder? Any thoughts? Mac

On a taildragger the centerline for the mains needs to be even with the leading edge of the wing on most models (typically 2-3" forward of the CG). Yea, you need some plywood under the mains and the trianglular stock inside, but I always use some real thin fiberglass tape/cloth on the outside, ~3/4" fore and aft of the plywood plate and ~1" up on each side, and thin CA it in place, lightly sanding with 220gr when dry...that is where the most stress is...tearing out. I use that method of reinforcement on high-stress areas of a plane for light, strong assemblies. OK, there is a slight ridge in the covering...so what!...come a little closer so I can kick your backside for whining about it!

I rigged a tailwheel on a LT-40 that works great. I ran a second pushrod from the servo to the opposite of the rudder servo control horn side to the bottom of the plane. I had to rig a tailwheel bracket with a control horn...you can do it, it's easy...I think I used a Dubro bracket to start with. The result is a superb ground handling plane.

it is really easy, but you do need to move the gear to maybe an inch or two in front of the cg, otherwise it won't work out that well

My SST .40 was a trike gear design I bought as a framed-up project. I added a 1/4" ply plate and a set of aluminum main gear (1" forward of LE), a Klett tailwheel, and pants. On takeoff, throttleup must be made gradually, and the spring steering of the tailwheel makes for wide radius turns. The tendency is for a lot of rudder to counter the mushy tailwheel response, but when the tail lifts, you now have full left rudder causing a ground loop. I'm going to experiment with a little braided dacron fishing line to limit the stretch of the springs to firm up tailwheel response. The mains work fine, and the plane looks sportier, especially with the pants.

Thanks for all the responses. If anyone has some photos and info on their design ..That would be great. I think this is a question asked by a lot of students and pilots once they have learned how to fly. I know they ask me a lot. However I have never converted a trainer into a tail dragger. I've seen guys take them and flatten the wings (no dihedral) and skids for performance planes. Any help would be great.

Mac

a tail dragger is a lot harder to take off because of the engine torque, but going form a trike gear, you will have a habbit of flaring. not good. if you flare, you wil be balancing on your tailwheel. you have to jsut glide in and touch down, wherever that may be

RCMac,

Don't forget to rebalance your plane. When you move the mains forward, you'll change the CG forward as well.

As for the steerable tail wheel, I also have a taildragger trainer with a rudder that doesn't extend below the elevator. I used a Sullivan tailwheel bracket with a pushrod running from the rudder sevo to an arm I drilled through the brass bearing. I hope you can see enough detail in this picture.

Maybe this one is better... It is from underneath looking up at the wheel.

Woodpile.. Thats a great idea. I wonder if there is any other way?

Thanks for you input.
Mac

yes, there is. what i did was i mounted the bracket on the fuselage, and then had the wire extending from the other side of the bracket attatch to the rudder.