Today's Message Index:
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1. 05:27 AM - Re: Wrecked a 2, 709, rudders, gear, two plane solution (Jeffrey Dill)
2. 01:16 PM - Re: Stabilzer struts upgrade? (Mike Chaney)
3. 06:19 PM - Re: Wrecked a 2, 709, rudders, gear, two plane solution (akflyer)
Message 1
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| Subject: | Re: Wrecked a 2, 709, rudders, gear, two plane solution |
Sorry, am replying to messages from last spring which escaped my attention. Guy
asked for a picture of my tailwheel setup and I have tried to attach one taken
yesterday. I attached a tie-wrap from chain to spring on the right side to show
the amount of stretch that is required to hook it up. The J-3 I flew for my
709 (ride with the FAA) had a significant amount of slack from rudder horn to
tailwheel, I think I sent a picture of that last winter. The stark difference
is what prompted me to take a closer look. I bought some chain to loosen, but
adding a link to each side produces such slack as to risk, or practically assure,
spring detachment. I placed an order for compression springs from Spruce,
which will hopefully eliminate that possibility. Now, having belatedly read
your notes, I might go back to the tension I had and consider the sizable domain
of reasons for the sudden darting I was experiencing.
*I have read to keep tire pressure at 9 PSI, I was running about 15 due to problems
keeping the bead sealed. Why so soft?
*The training subsequent to my wreck revealed a significant negative transfer from
30 years of nosewheel flying. I was moving the stick forward immediately after
touchdown, and believe me, it was unconscious, but never never never did
it cause me to dart or change direction at all in the J-3, Supercruiser, or converted
172. Those all went where I asked them to.
* I was holding the airplane off the ground until such slow speed as to be unable
to meter the descent for soft touchdown. On the occasions where I got close
to the proverbial "landing in a stall", I touched tailwheel first and forced
the mains into dropping from their location, still maybe a foot from the ground.
Add a little bit of bank to that situation and you can see how I might get
thrown to the opposite bank in the ensuing bounce, now with less than stall airpseed.
Having scarcely any control authority, I would have to ride it out at
the mercy of what seemed random physics. I did this in the J-3 as well, until
I realized that touching down at stall is B.S... go for the soft touch while you
can, and then plant the tailwheel ASAP, in that order.
* Since I had obtained the airplane used and never actually measured the main gear
tow, I don't know if that was a factor. Now both main gear are new from a
model 4. I lined them up as carefully as I could. I was seeking a degree of tow
out, but wound up with less than that because of tooling limitations.
*I was taught to stay off of the brakes. I think that, with a little practice on
a day that things were going well, I could have learned to use them in a pinch
without making things worse. As it was, the only trick in my bag was the go-around,
and when you are heading for the grass, that runway is short even for
a Kitfox.
I have not flown my model 2 since I wrecked it, but it is close to ready and I
would like to before winter. Naturally I am apprehensive about it. Every pilot
I flew with in remedial training told me to get rid of the Kitfox; most said
to get a certified airplane. So, I bought a second Kitfox and will build the Classic
4 in due time. I figure that if you guys can do it, so can I. I have flown
my share of challenging aircraft and, like the rest, it is just a matter of
understanding the unique concerns and strategies to deal with them. I will say
reservedly that I have found no eagerness among tailwheel CFIs to actually
get into my airplane to help me figure this out. So, it will be baby steps with
wide runways or grass strips and light winds.
--------
Jeff Dill
Model 2
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Attachments:
http://forums.matronics.com//files/767jd_tailwheel_spring_setup_132.jpg
Message 2
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| Subject: | Re: Stabilzer struts upgrade? |
Dave
-
I flew for a number of years with the older ones without any problems but I
think the company suggested the upgrade.- I finally decided that the 3/1
6ths looked pretty small and upgraded.-The newer struts are beefier and I
feel a bit better.-
-
Mike Chaney
--- On Thu, 9/3/09, Dave G <occom@ns.sympatico.ca> wrote:
From: Dave G <occom@ns.sympatico.ca>
Subject: Kitfox-List: Stabilzer struts upgrade?
HI, I am in the final steps of repairing my model IV. I notice that my ssta
b struts, supplied with a skystar/denny crossover kit from '91 have the sma
ller 3/16 attachements. Is this an issue worth attention, should I upgrade
to the 1/4" ones?
-
Dave Goddard
KF IV 1050 / 582 / Warp
=0A=0A=0A
Message 3
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| Subject: | Re: Wrecked a 2, 709, rudders, gear, two plane solution |
On a tail wheel, you have to be ready on the brakes. If she starts to get away
from you, at that critical transition from having enough air over the rudder
to make it effective, and the tail wheel still inches off the ground, (or in your
case light due to the down elevator) your only option is to get on the brakes!
I was running tight chains on mine with compression springs, but with the
chains tight, I could not get the tail wheel to unlock and swivel for tight
turns into parking. I had to loosen them up and it made it a little more forgiving
on the landings.
Landings, I always practice and perform full stall tail wheel first on the numbers
(or before depending on the runway I am on). I fly into and out of some very
short strips and what we will do in a pinch, is what we practice as the norm.
Some one way strips I go into leave NO room for error. you miss judge one
foot of altitude and your eating trees at the end or river bank at the beginning.
On landing, the elevator controls airspeed, the power controls decent rate
PERIOD. If you want to drag it in slow, keep the power on and ride both elevator
and power to keep speed and altitude under control. If you are falling
out of the sky and bouncing hard, it is because you are flaring to high and
hold it off at to high an altitude.
The J3, PA 12 etc. that you flew were easier on you because of the longer moment
on the tail. There is no real foot work required to keep a 12 or J3 or 18 heading
down the runway unless you have a nasty crosswind, but believe me, if any
of the above start swinging on you, the ONLY way you will get them back is
with good brakes. Been there, done that and have the Tee shirt (and scuffed wing
tips).
Without using brakes, how do you land short? I can consistently drag mine in and
be stopped and turned around in under 75'. The second the mains are on the
ground I am STANDING on the mushy stock Matco brakes. I am going to do the pedal
mods for better braking when I take mine off floats and go back to wheels
so I can lock them up at touch down if need be.
Just my .02... and that wont get you a starbucks even if you kick in another $3.00
--------
DO NOT ARCHIVE
Leonard Perry aka SNAKE
Soldotna AK
Avid "C" / Mk IV
582 IVO IFA
Full Lotus 1450
#1 snake oil salesman since 1-22-2009
hander outer of humorless darwin awards
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