[rebel-builders] Rebel Tail Spring

[Bob Patterson]

Hi Dave !

I prefer the original Murphy composite spring - used it on all of
our Rebels, since about 1993 .... Works well, and has a benign failure
mode - it delaminates, but still works, and can be spliced to get
you home ..... Unfortunately, no longer available from MAM,
but can be found elsewhere, with digging, or made from scratch.

If you have the thick (almost 1") aluminum spring, and a lighter
airframe, you could leave it full thickness at the front, and mill
or grind it down to taper to about half the thickness at the rear.
This will leave you with good clamping at the front, and a
reasonable bit of springiness at the rear.....

Of course, some have used modified steel trailer springs -
never liked steel springs - heavy, too much bounce, and sooner or
later, they fracture, bending your rudder, or worse ! We
never got a full season out of the steel springs on the
Super Cubs towing gliders.... (50+ landings a day ...)

All just MHO .... ;-) :-)

--
......bobp
http://www.prosumers.ca
http://bpatterson.qhealthbeauty.com
http://apatterson2.qhealthzone.com

-------------------------------orig.-------------------------
On Sunday 19 August 2007 13:34, David L. Tuck wrote:
[quote]I have the Murphy tail spring and I remember quite some time ago about
trimming or cutting it down in thickness? Can anyone tell me just what is
meant by this? Or is there a better spring to use? I have checked the
archives and saw some mention of composites and also someone using a spring
from a 7AC.
Any help out there?
Thanks
Dave T
Rebel 009

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