Do you like your chains Loose or Tight?

[allbee]

You know, I actually thought about this very thing through the night, ya believe it.

Now with that said, I found it really doesn't matter. At least once you get some real good experience in the tail wheel. I've had mine tight and loose and really couldn't say which way matters to me. I will say if the wheel doesn't lock in possision, woa!!! you better be up on what you are doing.

Now, in my RC days, well I still do them. If you have a tail wheel that was too sensitive, wow, that little plane was all over the runway, if you put in some differential steering it was much more controllable. Now if you have a loose chain I guess you can say you have a little differential and could be a little more controllable on the taxi way, don't know, could be a bunch of bs, sounds good to me.

[Christopher Murphy]

I keep mine loose when they are installed. I take them off when I am racing. Iwill leave them off until I have the time to put them back on.

These RV's have plenty of rudder and decent brakes. If the xwind is bad enough the springs won't matter anyway. I forked out the cash for the full swivel tailwheel and I find it doesn't work half the time anyway.

Chris Murphy
RV-4

[N55CU]

Loose, gives the rudder some movement while taxiing for small corrections!
Randy
RV-7

[jetjok]

When I bought my RV-6 the springs were loose, and that is the way I learned to fly it. I have landed in some pretty stiff winds (not always down the runway either) and on grass runways without any problems.
On the good advice of Rick Gray, I recently purchased a full swivel tailwheel (mine is the old non-swivel type, with the big nut just begging to be knocked off), and will hopefully get it installed soon. At that time I may try the method of "snug with the tail in the air" and take what play results from the weight on the tail spring.
I guess I got lucky in that my RV seems to have good landing gear geometry and tracks fairly straight on the ground without much correction.
On another topic (which is currently under discussion in another thread) I appreciate the suggestions about whether to use standard AN or tapered bolts for the mounting.

[Steve Barnes]

Years ago I totally eliminated the chains and springs on my 4, worked perfectly. Only one problem. Taxing with a X wind I was wearing out my brakes quickly. If there was never a X wind for taxi I would have left it that way. On the RV4 you cannot get full rudder deflection with out exercising the springs, unless you leave a sufficient amount of slack. I never did like the slack, but felt I needed it.

[Ironflight]

I like mine as tight as possible - so much so that I went away from chains, and went to a link. (Many folks who like loose chains don't like the links, becuase they behave like tight chains, but I actually found it to be a little bit looser than chains - that's how tight I like them!) I just like to have instant response from all my controls, and that includes the tailwheel on the ground.

Paul

[William Slaughter]

Originally Posted by Ironflight

I just like to have instant response from all my controls, and that includes the tailwheel on the ground.

Amen, brother. I don't like any "slop" in the steering, regardless of what kind of vehicle I'm in.

[allbee]

Originally Posted by jetjok

When I bought my RV-6 the springs were loose, and that is the way I learned to fly it. I have landed in some pretty stiff winds (not always down the runway either) and on grass runways without any problems.
On the good advice of Rick Gray, I recently purchased a full swivel tailwheel (mine is the old non-swivel type, with the big nut just begging to be knocked off), and will hopefully get it installed soon. At that time I may try the method of "snug with the tail in the air" and take what play results from the weight on the tail spring.
I guess I got lucky in that my RV seems to have good landing gear geometry and tracks fairly straight on the ground without much correction.
On another topic (which is currently under discussion in another thread) I appreciate the suggestions about whether to use standard AN or tapered bolts for the mounting.

Full swivel a must, you also need to keep it greased good. I generally take mine apart and clean it and grease it about every two months or when needed. When landing in the dirt and grass thay can get pretty gummed up.

[kentb]

You should put more info in the title.

This might mean different thing effecting the answer:

1. Because of the snow we have been having in the NW.
Tight, because you will get better traction in the snow.

2. If the woman in black leathers has a whip.
Loose, because I may be able to escape if needed.

3. Oh, I have a nose dragger, so I don't need chains.

Kent

[JonJay]

Originally Posted by Ironflight

Just for the record, I only started this poll because "JonJay" mentioned it in another thread! you can blame him....

....just trying to have fun. I think it is a personnal preference so not really an argument either way.