Build a scale like tail wheel assembly
 

After choking on scale wheel assemblies prices I decided to just make my own and you can too. This will go on a 1/4 scale super cub and could be used for many other planes.

First it requires a band saw and a Dremel, ( flex shaft helps ) but not needed and a couple carbide cutters, also a drill press vice. I'm going to post a series of pictures of what I did and you can ask questions if interested in more details.

First thing I went to a scrap, recycler yard and found 1&1/4" thick 6061 aluminum blocks, back to the shop, laid out a drawing kinda like a tail wheel yoke looked like and then cut a rough cut using a wood blade on my 10" band saw, a metal cutting blade doesn't work well for this as the aluminum shavings gum up the teeth. A wood blade is several times harder than the aluminum and will cut it well.http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/atta...mentid=2128926http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/atta...mentid=2128927http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/atta...mentid=2128928http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/atta...mentid=2128929http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/atta...mentid=2128930
Here is where the fun begins, notice the 5th picture has a square on the top, that's to hold it with a vice and have at it with the carbide bits.http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/atta...mentid=2128931 these are carbide bits, larger ones are 1/2" diameter, a bit large for 1/4 scale work, I used the two smaller ones on mine one chucked in the drill press for a rough out and the small one on my Dremel flex shaft for the final shaping, files were also used. Those two on the far right are rotary files, I never used them because I have smaller ones with my Dremel bits.

Here's the basic carved out yoke that has been smoothed up using emery cloth tore in strips.http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/atta...mentid=2128941http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/atta...mentid=2128942 notice I cut a slot in the top of mount for a steering arm, it's 1/16"x1/4" brass, it is drilled and counter sunk for 2-56 mach. screws, yoke was drilled and tapped to receive the screws. I used styrene to make the yoke cap and spring arm mount, a couple of dummy screws to mount it to the spring, primer & paint and you have a fine tail wheel assembly. Wheel is 1-1/2" X 1/2" wide.

By the way, I had bought the Ohio Superstar tail wheel for my plane but found it to simple for scale and only used the spring to build mine on, sure glad I did and this is my first one.http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/atta...mentid=2128955http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/atta...mentid=2128957What's not to like, turned out real nice.

Real nice work, Leroy. I love it.

Cheers
Charles

Looks good Leroy!!! I did kind of the same thing years ago on a Sig Zlin. At the time I had a machine shop at my disposal so it was easier, but the end result was the same.

You get a certain amount of satisfaction of doing something most consider "impossible".

Ken

Maybe scale doesn't matter for many but I'm sure it does for some. Prices of these tail wheel assemblies put them out of reach for some of us, I decided to build my own and show others, it's not that hard and only requires basic tools to do it.

Very nice, and an inspiration of what can be done for those willing to try.

Love it