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Thread: T3 Tailwheel Suspension?

  1. #1
    Junior Member
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    Default T3 Tailwheel Suspension?

    Has anyone at the factory seen the new T3 Tailwheel Suspension system? It is claimed to be lighter than the Pawnee spring and looks like it could be much more effective. Mitch/Pete/Randy any thoughts for use on an EX?

    T3 Tailwheel Suspension.jpg

  2. #2
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    Default Re: T3 Tailwheel Suspension?

    Looks really cool. My last Carbon Cub had the baby bush wheel and it "shuddered" a lot. I ordered my FX with the 3200 but this looks interesting.

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    Default Re: T3 Tailwheel Suspension?


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    Senior Member N867SP's Avatar
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    Default Re: T3 Tailwheel Suspension?

    I'm checking with them to see if they can adapt the rear mounting point to match the spacing on the EX. Once confirmed I'm going to order it and give it a shot..


    Pete
    CCK-1865-0078
    ️N9PW
    Severna Park, MD
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    Pete
    ✈️CCK-1865-0078 N9PW
    Severna Park, MD W18

  5. #5
    Senior Member stede52's Avatar
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    Default Re: T3 Tailwheel Suspension?

    Looks like it would really reduce the tail fatigue if you are doing lots of high angle of attach landings and with the two cylinders it should eliminate the shimmy on the Babybush tailwheel. The down side for me would be the fact it looks like it substantially reduces the angle of attack on the ground which is what I want for short field take-off performance. I've got the shimmy problem solved with a Tundra Lite tailwheel, if you don't mind a spring-less tail wheel, which is manufactured in Aberdeen, Wa by Jim Pekola (http://www.tundratailwheel.com/)
    Steve Dentz
    N419LD
    Carnation, WA

  6. #6
    Senior Member Clay Hammond's Avatar
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    Default Re: T3 Tailwheel Suspension?

    The only thing that prevents true tailwheel shimmy is proper "positive (leading)" deck angle of the pivoting plane of the yoke. If there isn't a stop limit on the suspension that prevents it from going past that positive angle to a negative (trailing) one, then you can and may still experience shimmy if the struts let go for some reason.

  7. #7
    Member jim plaster's Avatar
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    Default Re: T3 Tailwheel Suspension?

    I saw two videos where no steering linkages were used....no chain,springs etc. Does this mean differential braking and rudder only for ground ops? Not liking that idea,but love the setup otherwise.

  8. #8
    Senior Member Dan L's Avatar
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    Default Re: T3 Tailwheel Suspension?

    Quote Originally Posted by jim plaster View Post
    I saw two videos where no steering linkages were used....no chain,springs etc. Does this mean differential braking and rudder only for ground ops? Not liking that idea,but love the setup otherwise.
    It would. I've been flying my CC with a Baby Bushwheel without chains for years. If you're doing any taxi work in rough stuff like big rocks, drift wood trash, holes etc. it is easier on everything back there. And in the air the rudder has a free feeling. I like it.
    Flying Carbon Cub EX #11 since 2011

  9. #9
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    Default Re: T3 Tailwheel Suspension?

    Quote Originally Posted by stede52 View Post
    Looks like it would really reduce the tail fatigue if you are doing lots of high angle of attach landings and with the two cylinders it should eliminate the shimmy on the Babybush tailwheel. The down side for me would be the fact it looks like it substantially reduces the angle of attack on the ground which is what I want for short field take-off performance. I've got the shimmy problem solved with a Tundra Lite tailwheel, if you don't mind a spring-less tail wheel, which is manufactured in Aberdeen, Wa by Jim Pekola (http://www.tundratailwheel.com/)
    Hi Steve, can you tell us about the spring less operation, is it much rougher on landing / taxying than a spring.
    I have a Baby Bushwheel which works well but is heavy and I have had a couple of loops which I am sure was my fault but the concept of a locking wheel appeals,
    Bruce
    EX 41
    Australia

  10. #10
    Senior Member stede52's Avatar
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    Default Re: T3 Tailwheel Suspension?

    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 Dentz
    N419LD
    Carnation, WA

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