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Thread: T3 Tailwheel Suspension?

  1. #11
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    Default Re: T3 Tailwheel Suspension?

    Quote Originally Posted by stede52 View Post
    Bruce,
    I've been using springless tailwheels for about 4 or 5 years and I really like them. There is very little difference when taking off or landing with a spring less tailwheel. The only difference is that you will use a small amount of brakes when slow taxing which I tended to do anyway when I did have springs, and when I need quick or larger corrections I used brakes anyway so the transition what not difficult.
    The Tundra Lite tailwheel is a full castering tailwheel' however, it uses a small amount of adjustable tension to keep the tailwheel from free castering, big difference!
    The tension does a number of things I like, 1) it keeps the tailwheel in the same position for landing as it was when it took off, 2) There is no difference in the feel of the rudder pedals when the tailwheel is making the transition from ground to air or air to ground, 3) While making turns on the ground they are very smooth and controllable throughout the radius of the turn regardless of how tight you make the turn. Because there is no break away pin the tail will not snap around on you unexpectedly, and 4) it eliminates all shimmy.
    I'll be installing the locking mechanism winter but from the pilots I've talked with and the reports I've heard from CFI who where training pilots in Highlanders(much shorter coupled then the CC), it was a great/must have tool, especially in crosswinds in which it kept the airplane straight down the runway. Granted you will need to remember to release it for turning but if it saved just one bad ground loop I'd say it was worth it. The release handle will fit very nicely onto the front right side of the seat pan and will be easy to get to.
    I installed the large Babybush tailwheel originally even though I knew it had a shimmy problem but I thought I could eliminate that by converting it to full castering with tension like the Tundra Lite, NOT!! It would still shimmied with any of the tailspring combinations available from CubCrafters. The main problem with the large Babybush is its round cross profile of the tire, as soon as it starts turning it wants to fall off to the direction of the turn which is the main cause for its shimmy, if the deck angle is the critical factor, well that changes with the size of tires you put on the mains, weight of the airplane and the springs you use. Like I said, I tried all the springs from CubCrafter and none of them worked with my CC using 29 or 31" tires. I still got shimmy most of the time when the tail touched the ground on any hard surface and once it starts to shimmy the two springs can't control the airplane and at that point I was relying on brakes.
    The other positive feature of the Tundra Lite tailwheel is it's flat cross profile tire which makes it want to naturally track itself in the direction its moving, so when you put it into a turn it naturally wants to straight itself rather then falling off to the side like the BabyBush.
    I know I've heard others that have found success with the alternative spring from CubCrafters but I didn't. If your looking for something that will work every time and can live with using some braking during turns I would definitely recommend the Tundra Lite.
    Steve, Thanks for your comprehensive reply a couple more questions please, what width spring are you using
    1 1/4" or 1 1/2" and from the photo it looks like you are using the 8" diameter wheel.
    Bruce

  2. #12
    Senior Member stede52's Avatar
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    Default Re: T3 Tailwheel Suspension?

    If you read this post yesterday I had to make a couple of correction today to the measurements in this post, such as tail spring widths and tire size, I did some measuring this morning and confirmed the measurements below are correct.

    Bruce, I'm using the three stack pawnee spring(1.75") and I had to take about an 1/8" off on each side of the spring to fit the Tundra Lite wheel receiver. If you have access to the 1.5" three stack cub spring it would fit with no modification. The wheel I'm running is an 10" dia and 4 or 5" width. The actual tire surface on the ground is as much or slightly more then the 12" babybush because of the flat profile.
    Last edited by stede52; 12-21-2015 at 08:15 AM.
    Steve Dentz
    N419LD
    Carnation, WA

  3. #13
    Senior Member 40m's Avatar
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    Smile Re: T3 Tailwheel Suspension?

    Had my T3 installed this week and flew with it today. Never had a tailwheel feel so responsive on the ground, stable and smooth. Bushwheels, AOSS and T3 it just keeps getting better and better.

  4. #14
    Senior Member N867SP's Avatar
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    Default Re: T3 Tailwheel Suspension?

    Quote Originally Posted by 40m View Post
    Had my T3 installed this week and flew with it today. Never had a tailwheel feel so responsive on the ground, stable and smooth. Bushwheels, AOSS and T3 it just keeps getting better and better.
    3200 or 3400 TW?

    Pictures?

    Shocks or springs on your T3?


    Pete
    CCK-1865-0078
    ✈️N9PW
    Severna Park, MD
    Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
    Pete
    ✈️CCK-1865-0078 N9PW
    Severna Park, MD W18

  5. #15
    Senior Member 40m's Avatar
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    Default Re: T3 Tailwheel Suspension?

    Quote Originally Posted by N867SP View Post
    3200 or 3400 TW?

    Pictures?

    Shocks or springs on your T3?


    Pete
    CCK-1865-0078
    ✈️N9PW
    Severna Park, MD
    Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
    LSA model, spring over shock. 3200 on S2.
    ABI-51215-LSA-2T.jpg

  6. #16
    Senior Member 40m's Avatar
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    Default Re: T3 Tailwheel Suspension?

    Quote Originally Posted by 40m View Post
    LSA model, spring over shock. 3200 on S2.
    ABI-51215-LSA-2T.jpg
    Picture was from T3 website, not my S2!

  7. #17
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    Default Re: T3 Tailwheel Suspension?

    Installed on CC11 4 weeks ago and would not want to go back to old system.

    IMG_0060.jpg

  8. #18
    Senior Member N867SP's Avatar
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    Default Re: T3 Tailwheel Suspension?

    How are they at holding caster angle?


    Pete
    CCK-1865-0078
    ✈️N9PW Completed 10/10/2015
    Severna Park, MD

    Sent from my iPhone 7 using Tapatalk
    Pete
    ✈️CCK-1865-0078 N9PW
    Severna Park, MD W18

  9. #19
    Senior Member 40m's Avatar
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    Red face Re: T3 Tailwheel Suspension?

    Quote Originally Posted by N867SP View Post
    How are they at holding caster angle?


    Pete
    CCK-1865-0078
    ✈️N9PW Completed 10/10/2015
    Severna Park, MD

    Sent from my iPhone 7 using Tapatalk
    My tailwheel was beginning to shimmy which is why I made the switch to the T3. Although I have only a handful of take-offs and landings since the installation I did challenge it running it up and down the runway at different speeds lifting and setting it back down. I played with in on grass and pavement until I began feeling guilty keeping my BW on the pavement that long. No hint of a shimmy, excellent direction control and smooth. Caster angle was correct out of the box. (thanks for the peppermint patties). I don't see a reason it will change.

  10. #20
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    Default Re: T3 Tailwheel Suspension?

    I have had no problem at all, and I got aprox. 30 to 40 landings. I like both hard and soft surface.

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