Tailwheel

[Danny]

Looking for feedback on how well the standard 8" Matco tailwheel assembly holds up in off field use. Once completed & the hours flown off, I will be flying my Super Sport out of a farm strip. Just want to know how much abuse the Matco is capable of, or do I need to consider alternatives.
Thanks
Danny
Hopkinsville, Ky.
Super Sport
grinding slowly toward completion

[Danny]

Anybody out there.........Am I the only one with a Matco tailwheel??

[cainbird]

I have had a couple planes with the Matco solid rubber tailwheel. Never had any trouble with them however I much prefer a pneumatic tire. They stear much better in snow and ice and give a much better ride on rough ground. I also think they transmit less shock to the tail spring and fuselage.

[cap01]

danny , i had the maule hard rubber tailwheel that came with the kit on for a hundred hours or so and had nothing but problems . it wouldnt unlock and when it did , it wouldnt lock back up . i replaced it with an iron design 8" pneumatic tailwheel assy and what a change that made . i did extend the steering horns on the rudder an inch on each side which probably would have helped the maule unlock . but the new tailwheel looks so much cooler . i fly off a grass strip and new tailwheel made a big difference , took out some of the bumps . i realize that doesnt help with your matco question but thats my experience with the 8" wheel

[Danny]

I wondered about the iron design tailwheel. Came across their website & the unit looks like a well thought out & sturdy design. Thanks for the input. I have a pneumatic tire with the Matco, so hopefully there won't be any issues that come with having a solid tire. Also, how crazy is it that tailwheels can cost upwards of $1000.....
Danny

[sdemeyer]

danny , i had the maule hard rubber tailwheel that came with the kit on for a hundred hours or so and had nothing but problems . it wouldnt unlock and when it did , it wouldnt lock back up . i replaced it with an iron design 8" pneumatic tailwheel assy and what a change that made . i did extend the steering horns on the rudder an inch on each side which probably would have helped the maule unlock . but the new tailwheel looks so much cooler . i fly off a grass strip and new tailwheel made a big difference , took out some of the bumps . i realize that doesnt help with your matco question but thats my experience with the 8" wheel


Hea, hea..... Your old Maule tailwheel works great on my KF :)....

[cap01]

ya scott , ive been meaning to ask , i havent noticed anymore wear on the droop tips . nice to hear , sure didnt work for me . probably would have worked if i had tried with the longer rudder horns . guess i already had my mind made up to get the 8 in wheel .

[wildirishtime]

I had the Matco 6" solid for rough field use and it was horrible. Felt
like the hockey-puck that it is. Switched to the 7" Pneumatic
WHLT-7P (http://www.matcomfg.com/TAILWHEEL7PNEUMATIC-idv-3689-69.html) and that's just fine for grass strips but I do land in some
pretty rough unimproved fields so I'd kind of like the 8" wide someday....
but the 7" is great. It did deform once for some strange reason, and Matco sent me a brand new wheel and tire no questions asked. Great
company, great telephone and email support.

~Wild

[Newkid]

I have landed in some really rough spots with the Matco 8" pneumatic, It holds up great.

[Danny]

Sounds like I need to hold on to the Matco and give it a try.
Thanks Guys
Danny

[flybymike]

I like the looks of the Matco dual fork tailwheel. Anyone using it yet?

http://www.matcomfg.com/TAILWHEELLIGHTWEIGHTDUALFORK8PNEU-idv-3728-70.html

[Av8r3400]

Now that's a nice looking wheel.

[cap01]

pretty reasonable price , as tailwheels go .

[BigJohn]

I went with the Alaska Bush 8" Tail Wheel, So I now have a very good Maule tail wheel I would be willing to sell for the right price :) I do prefer the Alaska over the Maule.

[SaintAero]

Danny,
I made an off-field landing with my SuperSport where I performed a max slip to touchdown. Dynon recorded data showed -800 fpm and about 45 degree difference between heading and GPS Track at touchdown. I was trying to make a Par 3 and stop before the Tee Box. I bent the cast AL fork and the gear axle. I think the guy at Matco was impressed that I could do that much damage and survive. I replaced both parts with little effort.
Don