Hello VAF,
My name is Taylor, and I'm the owner/operator of the Aero Garage; a small company devoted to designing and manufacturing aftermarket components for experimental aircraft. I spent 7 years on the engineering team at Van's Aircraft during which time I designed, manufactured, and tested hundreds of components and tools for everything from the RV-3 to the RV-15. Nearly every machined part on the RV-15 came out of the Haas mill in my garage, and the ones too big to run at home I went in and machined on the larger factory machines. In August, when new-management decided to eliminate all remote work, I opted to dive into my "side hustle" full time.
I currently fly/own an RV-4 that I co-built with the help of some amazing colleagues. Having used a composite MT prop, I have since developed an obsession with weight reduction; particularly at the tail of the aircraft.
One of the first products I developed and just recently launched, Lite Links (below), are inspired by the previous Tail Lynx. However, I redesigned them to utilize a titanium body, titanium tongue and tang. I also reconfigured the spring to use a considerably lighter weight spring, while still delivering an appropriate spring rate. Furthermore, each end gets a bronze clamp-up bushing and brass capture washers which the eye and tongue pivot on, for smooth motion with tight fasteners at each end. The total installed weight, is just 120 grams (4.2 oz) per pair, less than half the weight of anything else I've found available. (Factory chains and springs are 260 grams).
With over 100 hours of flight test, and 250 takeoffs/landings, Lite Links are available now and will start shipping next week. I'm running an introductory/holiday sale through the weekend on https://www.aero-garage.com/store
To all the early-adopters who've already ordered after seeing them in the "Tail Lynx" thread, I thank you sincerely, and am excited to get these into your hands.
Now that you've seen what's out, I'd like to share a product that's currently in testing... The Lite Fork.
The fork is machined from a single piece of billet aluminum on the 5 axis CNC mill. In the next machine over, the steerer spindle is turned and milled from titanium bar. And of course, a custom hollow titanium axle has been designed to perfectly fit the assembly, offering easy grabbing for a pin-style tow bar.
There's already half a dozen tailwheel forks out there, so what sets the Lite Fork apart?
Lightweight: 6.7 oz with axle (10 oz lighter than a standard Van's TW Fork assembly)
Lower profile: Designed to perfectly fit a lightweight DJM tailwheel, there is no extra width that needs to be shimmed with washers or spacers. In fact, the inside of the fork has a machined boss on each side for clean bearing contact, eliminating the need to try and slide washers into the cracks.
Better rudder clearance: The typical top stud, jam nut, and washer were omitted in favor of a low profile titanium top cap, saving 1/2" of vertical room. For airplanes equipped with titanium tails prings, this significantly reduces the chance of damaging your rudder fairing.
Static and dynamic testing are under way, as well as wear-surface material/treatment comparison. Production forks will be anodized in a variety of colors, and shared in this forum post when ready.
I look forward to meeting more of you, and revealing the next several components under development at The Aero Garage. Most updates/new products/sales will be announced in this thread, so subscribe to stay in the loop. You can also sign up for updates on the site, at:
-Taylor
My name is Taylor, and I'm the owner/operator of the Aero Garage; a small company devoted to designing and manufacturing aftermarket components for experimental aircraft. I spent 7 years on the engineering team at Van's Aircraft during which time I designed, manufactured, and tested hundreds of components and tools for everything from the RV-3 to the RV-15. Nearly every machined part on the RV-15 came out of the Haas mill in my garage, and the ones too big to run at home I went in and machined on the larger factory machines. In August, when new-management decided to eliminate all remote work, I opted to dive into my "side hustle" full time.
I currently fly/own an RV-4 that I co-built with the help of some amazing colleagues. Having used a composite MT prop, I have since developed an obsession with weight reduction; particularly at the tail of the aircraft.
One of the first products I developed and just recently launched, Lite Links (below), are inspired by the previous Tail Lynx. However, I redesigned them to utilize a titanium body, titanium tongue and tang. I also reconfigured the spring to use a considerably lighter weight spring, while still delivering an appropriate spring rate. Furthermore, each end gets a bronze clamp-up bushing and brass capture washers which the eye and tongue pivot on, for smooth motion with tight fasteners at each end. The total installed weight, is just 120 grams (4.2 oz) per pair, less than half the weight of anything else I've found available. (Factory chains and springs are 260 grams).
With over 100 hours of flight test, and 250 takeoffs/landings, Lite Links are available now and will start shipping next week. I'm running an introductory/holiday sale through the weekend on https://www.aero-garage.com/store
To all the early-adopters who've already ordered after seeing them in the "Tail Lynx" thread, I thank you sincerely, and am excited to get these into your hands.
Now that you've seen what's out, I'd like to share a product that's currently in testing... The Lite Fork.
The fork is machined from a single piece of billet aluminum on the 5 axis CNC mill. In the next machine over, the steerer spindle is turned and milled from titanium bar. And of course, a custom hollow titanium axle has been designed to perfectly fit the assembly, offering easy grabbing for a pin-style tow bar.
There's already half a dozen tailwheel forks out there, so what sets the Lite Fork apart?
Lightweight: 6.7 oz with axle (10 oz lighter than a standard Van's TW Fork assembly)
Lower profile: Designed to perfectly fit a lightweight DJM tailwheel, there is no extra width that needs to be shimmed with washers or spacers. In fact, the inside of the fork has a machined boss on each side for clean bearing contact, eliminating the need to try and slide washers into the cracks.
Better rudder clearance: The typical top stud, jam nut, and washer were omitted in favor of a low profile titanium top cap, saving 1/2" of vertical room. For airplanes equipped with titanium tails prings, this significantly reduces the chance of damaging your rudder fairing.
Static and dynamic testing are under way, as well as wear-surface material/treatment comparison. Production forks will be anodized in a variety of colors, and shared in this forum post when ready.
I look forward to meeting more of you, and revealing the next several components under development at The Aero Garage. Most updates/new products/sales will be announced in this thread, so subscribe to stay in the loop. You can also sign up for updates on the site, at:
-Taylor
