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tail-wheels

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frank.goodnight(at)att.ne
Guest

Posted: Sat Mar 13, 2010 3:59 pm Post subject: tail-wheels

Hi All,

Last week I had a post about a rather harsh ground loop and what I  

thought caused it. Larry Cottrell who has the exact same gear I was  

using --- in fact he gave me the specs so I could make mine---

said that he had not experienced ANY of the problems I described.  

After I got my wing repaired I decided to go over the plane with a  

fine toothed comb while I was waiting on the new axels to ship from  

Kolb.

When I jacked up the tail so I could check and grease the tail wheel,  

I found  it  was gaulded and would bind , then release for a few  

degrees then bind again, it  was in enough of a bind that the springs  

could only

turn the wheel some of the time, lack of grease, been a year since I  

had even thought about checking it for freedom of movement. Thinking  

about it now , all the signs have been there for at least a month,  

getting blown in circles

while slow taxing when there wasn't enough of a X wind that I should  

have been bothered. Slow getting  the A/C to turn when first starting  

off, and the really bad roll outs  after landing, over controling. I  

thought it was just rusty piloting

cause I hadn't been flying much this winter. After Putting on the long  

gear and big wheels it got worse and I blamed the problems on the  

change. I now believe poor maint. was the culprit.

    I'll keep the stock gear and small wheels until after MV, Then  

cross my fingers --hold my breath--- and try the big gear again, this  

time with a greasy tail wheel. My tail wheel is the breakaway model  

that Kolb sells aftermarket.

Frank Goodnight

Firestar 2

Brownsville , TX

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lcottrell

Joined: 29 May 2006
Posts: 1494
Location: Jordan Valley, Or

Posted: Sat Mar 13, 2010 4:27 pm Post subject: tail-wheels

Hi Frank,

    A little more information on the gear legs.  My old ones, (factory) were toed in a bit too much. Pushed easy front wards,  hard pulling backwards since it wanted to spread the legs. Very stable on take  off. When I put the steel ones on, I aligned the wheels so that they were  straight. No toe in at all. The plane rolled free, but it was a bit more  squirrely, not so much that I had trouble with it, but it was a bit more lively.  I have gotten used to the handling and I don't notice it at all. I would check  also the alignment of the wheels as well and make sure that they aren't toed  out, which I believe would make it harder to handle. I am sure some one will  correct me if I am wrong.

 Larry

  

 Note: If you forward this email, please delete the forwarding history,  which includes my email address.

 [quote]   ---

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John Hauck

Joined: 09 Jan 2006
Posts: 4639
Location: Titus, Alabama (hauck's holler)

Posted: Sat Mar 13, 2010 5:00 pm Post subject: tail-wheels

.

When I jacked up the tail so I could check and grease the tail wheel,

I found  it  was gaulded and would bind , then release for a few

degrees then bind again, it  was in enough of a bind that the springs

could only

turn the wheel some of the time, lack of grease, been a year since I

had even thought about checking it for freedom of movement.



Frank Goodnight



Frank G/Gang:



Had the same problem with a Maule solid 6" tailwheel.  It pivots on a bronze 

bushing, which wears pretty quick with the extra weight I have on my 

tailwheel.  I was having a lot of problems taking off on pavement.  It 

started at MV.  The aircraft felt like it was being sucked to the pavement, 

then make excursions left or right that I could not control, or with little 

control.



I changed out to another Maule tailwheel with tapered roller bearings for 

the pivot, about 5 years ago, and have never had another tailwheel problem.



Smooth pivot action and strong tailwheel springs are essential to properly 

control the Kolb, especially on pavement.



john hauck

mkIII

Titus, Alabama

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_________________
John Hauck
MKIII/912ULS
hauck's holler
Titus, Alabama

ces308

Joined: 03 Nov 2008
Posts: 317
Location: houghton lake ,mi

Posted: Sat Mar 13, 2010 6:46 pm Post subject: Re: tail-wheels

Hi Guys...



For what it's worth...I have been having a problem turning my aircraft also and thought it was a break problem,then for the heck of it, ( condition inspection time ) I took apart the tail wheel assembly ,which seem to be fine, and cleaned it and greased it and guess what ...no more problems turning...I will be doing this more often now...



chris ambrose

M3X/Jab  104.0 hrs

N327CS

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h20maule(at)hotmail.com
Guest

Posted: Sat Mar 13, 2010 11:23 pm Post subject: tail-wheels

In the SeaRey, I grease my TW every three flights or so due to the water. I feel a considerable difference everytime. 

 DM

 FSII amphib/searey

 

[quote] Subject: Re: tail-wheels

 From: ces308(at)ldaco.com

 Date: Sat, 13 Mar 2010 18:46:13 -0800

 To: kolb-list(at)matronics.com

 

 --> Kolb-List message posted by: "ces308" <ces308(at)ldaco.com>

 

 Hi Guys...

 

 For what it's worth...I have been having a problem turning my aircraft also and thought it was a break problem,then for the heck of it, ( condition inspection time ) I took apart the tail wheel assembly ,which seem to be fine, and cleaned it and greased it and guess what ...no more problems turning...I will be doing this more often now...

 

 chris ambrose

 M3X/Jab 104.0 hrs

 N327CS

 

 

 

 

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