Thanks to all who wrote to offer advice on my revision to the original
tailwheel design using an idler plate with springs to drive the tailwheel.
> May I suggest that the
>rudder drive peg consist of a 1/4 inch bolt in a cup which is welded
>to the idler plate. To allow bolt head to be under flush, cup can
>also be made to compensate in height for washers previously used.
>
John Baker's point is well taken. I subsequently decided to drill a .65 hole
in the idler plate to clear the bolt head and the socket wrench. A 1 inch
square of 3/32 steel will be welded over this hole to form the cup.
The use of eyebolts, cut off and welded into the plate was questioned for the
same reason as the bolt above: weakening of the steel due to the heat of
welding. In retrospect, it would have been cheaper to drill small pieces of
steel and weld them to the idler plate in place instead of using cutoff
eyebolts at $3 each. The force on these should be low, as limited by the
springs/stops to under 40 pounds or so. I believe either approach is workable
and unlikely to fail in use. I already bought the eyebolts, so I'll use
them...
I understand Jim Naylor's idea that the increased wheel base should improve
yaw handling. However, I am unsure whether this is true in practice. Since
Europa's new design retains the old turn circle, their new tailwheel must turn
through a greater angle. Thus, I expect that their new steering sensitivity at
the pedal will be about the same as with the old design -- my working
hypothesis is that the improvement in ground yaw handling is due mostly to the
decoupling between rudder and tailwheel provided by the springs in Europa's
new design. So this is what I am trying to achieve with my design while
retaining the original tailwheel and the ability to capitulate and move to
Europa's new design in the future if necessary.
Any ideas about how to improve deck angle while retaining the original
tailwheel would be appreciated.
Again, thanks for all the interest and help.
Regards, John A044 Newtown, CT USA
|