Okent
07-03-2022, 08:52 AM
Flying off phase 1 hours in my Super Sport S7 and seriously contemplating switching to a nosewheel configuration.
I went to Stick and Rudder in 2020 and got my tailwheel endorsement during a weeks worth of flying so I am reasonable comfortable with a tailwheel.
However, knowing that the hours of practice needed to maintain proficiency for me in a tailwheel will be tough to do has me looking at this.
I'm not saying I couldn't be a safe flyer but the accident rates for tailwheel airplanes speaks for itself. I put in a parachute so my mindset is generally about risk mitigation.
I am also trying to be realistic in that every strip we landed at in Idaho I could have landed my CTLSi and I have no plans to land on river banks or gravel bars, just local grass strips.
So my question is whether there is a big tire trailing link or some other robust nosewheel option for the S7?
I have the factory nosewheel gear already and could change it to take a larger tire but don't want to reinvent the wheel (literally) if I don't have to.
I don't have big tires on it now, just the ones that came with the kit but have some 26"ers ready to go and would like a "balanced" nosewheel option.
Don't misunderstand this post as saying that tailwheel planes are dangerous but my experience is that the margin for error in a tailwheel is smaller than a tricycle gear plane for me.
Thanks
I went to Stick and Rudder in 2020 and got my tailwheel endorsement during a weeks worth of flying so I am reasonable comfortable with a tailwheel.
However, knowing that the hours of practice needed to maintain proficiency for me in a tailwheel will be tough to do has me looking at this.
I'm not saying I couldn't be a safe flyer but the accident rates for tailwheel airplanes speaks for itself. I put in a parachute so my mindset is generally about risk mitigation.
I am also trying to be realistic in that every strip we landed at in Idaho I could have landed my CTLSi and I have no plans to land on river banks or gravel bars, just local grass strips.
So my question is whether there is a big tire trailing link or some other robust nosewheel option for the S7?
I have the factory nosewheel gear already and could change it to take a larger tire but don't want to reinvent the wheel (literally) if I don't have to.
I don't have big tires on it now, just the ones that came with the kit but have some 26"ers ready to go and would like a "balanced" nosewheel option.
Don't misunderstand this post as saying that tailwheel planes are dangerous but my experience is that the margin for error in a tailwheel is smaller than a tricycle gear plane for me.
Thanks