Super Rebel tailwheel stinger mounting

[Mike Kimball]

I'm pretty sure heat treating requires heat above 1000 deg F so I don't
think I can take care of that at home. But I do know that the stinger has a
slight bend in it and the manual tells you to mount it so that it bends down
when mounted, if you know what I mean. One way I can think of to improve
the tailwheel angle is to turn it upside down. That would bring the swivel
axis closer to vertical. Gotta be careful about rudder contact like you
said of course.

Like you, I think the possibility of the mounting bolt tearing out from the
bottom hole is remote since it will experience the highest stress (by far)
in the upwards direction. Again, gotta make sure there won't be any rudder
contact.

Also, since I have the problem where my tailwheel is not quite straight up
and down I wonder if it would be OK to turn the stinger around and drill new
mounting holes for the tailwheel and the mounting point inside the tail?
I'd probably end up with three unused holes in the stinger. I wonder if the
reduction in strength because of this would be acceptable? I don't really
want to buy a new stinger because I eventually want to do the tail fix with
Dale's stuff. I just can't do it right now. No money and want to fly
before winter sets in.

Mike
044SR

-----Original Message-----
From: mike.davis@dcsol.com [mailto:mike.davis@dcsol.com] On Behalf Of Ralph
Baker
Sent: Thursday, August 17, 2006 5:37 PM
To: rebel-builders@dcsol.com
Subject: [rebel-builders] Tail wheel position / taxiing

Mike,
Our Elite has a similar tailwheel / stinger arrangement. In the second hole
from the bottom the plane of tailwheel rotation is tipped up about 10
degrees higher at the front. MAM says use one hole higher than we have
used. I am reluctant to go to the bottom hole for potential rudder contact
and the (remote) possibility of tearout. MAM also suggested bending (and
re-heat treating) the spring but that will bring rudder contact for sure.
Be sure you don't have a possibility of rudder contact.

We will wait for taxi to determine if there is actually a problem. However,
every certified aircraft I have seen has the plane of tailwheel rotation
parallel to the ground.
Ralph Baker



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[sa]

That is one spot they have cleared up in the manual. By bend "down" they
meant the arc of the bend "up" in the middle and the ends down. MAM has
said that the original stinger is plenty strong - guys were just mounting it
upside down making it weak. Not sure which way you mean yours is Mike. In
my opinion some of the problem with the MAM tail wheel is it is too loose and
you can turn it too far with the rudders alone - you should not be able to go
into castor without intentionally hitting a brake. Making the springs loose is a
temp fix on the loose swivel preload. The XP guys say you should only be
able to move the tail wheel about 5 degrees with the tail jacked up and the
tension on the springs should be zero to one pound.

With my XP I can now taxi straight with my feet on the floor (but of course
my feet are not on the floor)

As far as angle, I agree with this article - many on here do not, whatever
works.
http://www.pierceaero.net/tws.php

FWIW
Scott



On 8/18/2006 7:47 PM, mkimball@gci.net wrote to rebel-builders:

-> I'm pretty sure heat treating requires heat above 1000 deg F so I don't
-> think I can take care of that at home. But I do know that the stinger has
a
-> slight bend in it and the manual tells you to mount it so that it bends down
-> when mounted, if you know what I mean. One way I can think of to
improve
-> the tailwheel angle is to turn it upside down. That would bring the swivel
-> axis closer to vertical. Gotta be careful about rudder contact like you
-> said of course.
->
-> Like you, I think the possibility of the mounting bolt tearing out from the
-> bottom hole is remote since it will experience the highest stress (by far)
-> in the upwards direction. Again, gotta make sure there won't be any
rudder
-> contact.
->
-> Also, since I have the problem where my tailwheel is not quite straight up
-> and down I wonder if it would be OK to turn the stinger around and drill
new
-> mounting holes for the tailwheel and the mounting point inside the tail?
-> I'd probably end up with three unused holes in the stinger. I wonder if the
-> reduction in strength because of this would be acceptable? I don't really
-> want to buy a new stinger because I eventually want to do the tail fix with
-> Dale's stuff. I just can't do it right now. No money and want to fly
-> before winter sets in.
->
-> Mike
-> 044SR
->
-> -----Original Message-----
-> From: mike.davis@dcsol.com [mailto:mike.davis@dcsol.com] On Behalf Of
Ralph
-> Baker
-> Sent: Thursday, August 17, 2006 5:37 PM
-> To: rebel-builders@dcsol.com
-> Subject: [rebel-builders] Tail wheel position / taxiing
->
-> Mike,
-> Our Elite has a similar tailwheel / stinger arrangement. In the second hole
-> from the bottom the plane of tailwheel rotation is tipped up about 10
-> degrees higher at the front. MAM says use one hole higher than we have
-> used. I am reluctant to go to the bottom hole for potential rudder contact
-> and the (remote) possibility of tearout. MAM also suggested bending (and
-> re-heat treating) the spring but that will bring rudder contact for sure.
-> Be sure you don't have a possibility of rudder contact.
->
-> We will wait for taxi to determine if there is actually a problem. However,
-> every certified aircraft I have seen has the plane of tailwheel rotation
-> parallel to the ground.
-> Ralph Baker
->
->
->
-> -----------------------------------------------------------------
-> List archives located at: https://www.dcsol.com/login
-> username "rebel" password "builder"
-> Unsubscribe: rebel-builders-unsubscribe@dcsol.com
-> List administrator: mike.davis@dcsol.com
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->
->
->





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