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  #11  
Old 04-20-2008, 04:57 AM
kiwipete kiwipete is offline
 
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: Birmingham United Kingdom
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I found mine fit best with a new line drawn approx 3/8ths below the line at the front tappering back to the orginal line at the trailling edge. If you have the fin and tail wheel on you can just work a bit off at a time

Peter

Last edited by kiwipete : 04-20-2008 at 08:37 AM. Reason: typo
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  #12  
Old 04-20-2008, 08:39 AM
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uk_figs uk_figs is offline
 
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Think I have it all figured out now and will cut at an angle as most have done to clear the tailwheel spring (thanks Bill for the pictures). Next trick is figuring out where to run the wires to the rear strobe/light combo, seems like multiple approaches have been taken.
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  #13  
Old 11-27-2011, 09:35 PM
hudgin hudgin is offline
 
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I have a problem with the angle of the tailwheel fork pointing aft too much and the gear spring too close to the bottom of the rudder cap. It has been smashed twice. I re checked the build sheets and found it was installed as per plans. My question is that I want to raise the forward bulkhead attach weldement to lower the spring and change the angle of the fork. Any pros or cons to that idea?
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  #14  
Old 11-27-2011, 09:52 PM
Lars Lars is offline
 
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Quote:
Originally Posted by hudgin View Post
I have a problem with the angle of the tailwheel fork pointing aft too much and the gear spring too close to the bottom of the rudder cap. It has been smashed twice. I re checked the build sheets and found it was installed as per plans. My question is that I want to raise the forward bulkhead attach weldement to lower the spring and change the angle of the fork. Any pros or cons to that idea?
Have you considered re-shaping the rudder fairing instead? Getting to the bulkhead to change the attach points, which would possibly result in either repairs to the bulkhead or replacement of same due to new holes being to close to old, would be a substantial amount of work with a risk of additional damage due to all the rivets that have to come out, etc. Fiberglass work on the other hand, is pretty easy.
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  #15  
Old 11-29-2011, 08:41 PM
hudgin hudgin is offline
 
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What would you recommend for a fix the angle of the "king Pin"?

The forward weldement is attached with only 2 bolts. It would not be hard to raise it but I wonder how it would effect the rear weldement. Or would it?
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  #16  
Old 11-29-2011, 09:00 PM
alpinelakespilot2000 alpinelakespilot2000 is offline
 
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This is really a no brainer. Moving the spring weldment seems like a solution looking for a problem. Just trim the fiberglass anywhere it is likely to rub and reshape. Or, if you want to keep the same profile of the rudder tip, buy a new one and install it so that the forward edge sits higher. Even if you try to reposition the weldment on the fwd bulkhead and are able to drill new holes with sufficient edge distance, your holes on the aft bulkhead, that also go through the spar of the VS, will no longer line up at the same angle.

The reason your tip may stick down too far is that the builder followed the plans for nosewheel plane and installed it prior to having the plane on the tailgear.
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Last edited by alpinelakespilot2000 : 11-29-2011 at 09:02 PM.
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  #17  
Old 11-29-2011, 09:23 PM
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L.Adamson L.Adamson is offline
 
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I just put in new bulkheads & the tailwheel spring & mount. Changing from an A model. As suggested, reshape the fiberglass fairing if required. Moving the tailspring mount is a bad idea. Those two 1/4" bolts attach to the angled vertical bars that hold the horizontal stab to the tail. To get proper distance between bolt holes, the mount would have to be raised much too high. It would also require shims, as the surface of the mount & bulkhead would be out of alignment. It would also require shims on the aft bulkheads, as the mount weldment would no longer sit flat against the surface.

So far, my fiberglass fairing, misses the tailspring, but not by much. I may end up reshaping the fiberglass also. But............much easier & stronger, than attempting to change anything else........once they've been drilled.

L.Adamson
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  #18  
Old 11-29-2011, 11:09 PM
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dhall_polo dhall_polo is offline
 
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Quote:
Originally Posted by uk_figs View Post
Think I have it all figured out now and will cut at an angle as most have done to clear the tailwheel spring (thanks Bill for the pictures). Next trick is figuring out where to run the wires to the rear strobe/light combo, seems like multiple approaches have been taken.
For clearance, double check how the spring sits with weight on the tail. (You could put the tailwheel on a scale and add weight until the scale reads 70#.)
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  #19  
Old 11-29-2011, 11:19 PM
Lars Lars is offline
 
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Quote:
Originally Posted by hudgin View Post
What would you recommend for a fix the angle of the "king Pin"?

The forward weldement is attached with only 2 bolts. It would not be hard to raise it but I wonder how it would effect the rear weldement. Or would it?
By "kingpin" do you mean the post on the tailwheel fork? If the tailwheel spring is straight and the weldment is installed correctly (easy to check if you have the plans) then the angle of the fork post should be ok.

In any case, the forward and aft plates on the tailwheel mount weldment are parallel, assuming that it's not bent. If you try to raise the front, you'll have to make tapered shims for both fore and aft mounting plates, since they'll no longer be parallel to their respective bulkheads. That's in addition to the issues previously raised.

At this point, it might be best if you could post a photo or two of your setup. That would make it easier to offer constructive advice.
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  #20  
Old 11-30-2011, 09:44 PM
hudgin hudgin is offline
 
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I am surprised by the replys that are more concerned about the aesthetics than the mechanics. I only mentioned the rudder fairing to give an idea where things were.
I went back and looked at pictures that were taken of the plane when it was finished. The "kingpin" was vertical then. Now it is not. Something has to be bent but I can not see it. I want to put it back to the original position but dont see what needs to be fixed. I dont think repositioning the forward bracket is the fix but a band-aid. I pulled the tailwheel strut out and rolled it on the flat surface. It's not bent. I cant see any damage to the fork holding devise thing.
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