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Thread: Anyone have experience with groundloop-resistant tailwheel from Beringer?

  1. #1

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    Default Anyone have experience with groundloop-resistant tailwheel from Beringer?

    Does this work?

    beringer.jpg

  2. #2
    Senior Member Rodney's Avatar
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    Default Re: Anyone have experience with groundloop-resistant tailwheel from Beringer?

    I bought a lockable tailwheel from Jim Pekola. Got the 10 inch tail wheel.

    http://www.tundratailwheel.com/

    Absolutely love it. It's saved my bacon a few times. I just converted to a tail wheel and I've got about 20 hours on it now. No experience with the Beringer model, but a lockable tail wheel of some type is really great.

    Regards
    Rodney

  3. #3
    Senior Member
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    Default Re: Anyone have experience with groundloop-resistant tailwheel from Beringer?

    Nothing new about this type of tail wheel. I fly a T-6 which has been retrofitted to the "P-51 style" tail wheel. It is locked/unlocked with the controls. You push the stick all the way forward and it will free swivel. Hold the stick back and it engages the tail wheel to steer via the rudder pedals up to a certain limit.

    In practice it's not that simple. You have to get the plane taxiing straight ahead before you pull the stick back, and that is usually the hardest part since you can only do that with the brakes (and it likes to jump back and forth across the center line at a mere tap). Add some wind and it's a good time.

    Early T-6s had a true locking tail wheel. Big check list item for takeoff and landing. I never flew a plane with that type but my understanding is that it locks it dead nuts straight ahead. You unlock it for taxi and steer with the brakes. It must not have been that awesome because the upgrade is considered very desirable.

    All this said, I'm not sure what it gets you that isn't already incorporated into a tail wheel like the Scott 3200 which steers via rudder pedal, or via free swiveling by breaking away past a certain angle (probably about 20 degrees).

    I have the Scott 3200 on my Citabria and the re-badged version of it (Alaska Bush Wheel) on my Kitfox. The BT-13 I used to fly functioned exactly the same as the Scott 3200. No extra controls to move and it re-engages automatically if you get the nose even fairly close to straight ahead.

    I know that in the T-6 it is a huge no-no to push the plane back without first assuring the tail wheel is free (thankfully the control lock locates the stick far enough forward do this, but you do need to remember or things get bent). No risk of this with the Scott/AWB.

    Not trashing the product mentioned at all. But my $0.02 is that if you get to the 20 degree limit and haven't got things headed back away from the pear shaped direction a mechanical lock isn't going to prevent a ground loop.

    I say this as someone who gives dual instruction in that Citabria. I can assure you I have had students test out my theory, including a couple of excursions into the grass. I don't recall the Scott breaking away during those excursions, and if it did things didn't get worse because of it.
    Kitfox 5 (under construction)
    Commercial SE/ME, CFII

  4. #4

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    Default Re: Anyone have experience with groundloop-resistant tailwheel from Beringer?

    Thanks for the info Alex. I was able to find the Scott 3200 for sale online but I have not been able
    to find anything that describes the exact functioning (when does it break away etc). If anyone
    has found such info let me know.

    In the Kitfox pricing guide is the ABI-3200 upgrade what you're talking about?

    I like the idea of not having to use a control of some sort.

    Victor

  5. #5

    Join Date
    Sep 2019
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    Park City, UT
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    Default Re: Anyone have experience with groundloop-resistant tailwheel from Beringer?

    I purchased one of these but only 1/2 way on the build. The catalog states 20* of turning but the instructions state to set the limit between 5* & 8* which makes more sense than the 20* in the brochure. Hopefully I will never have the need to find out but the theory sounded solid to me.

  6. #6

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    Idaho
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    Default Re: Anyone have experience with groundloop-resistant tailwheel from Beringer?

    I assume the correct setting is based on typical touchdown speed and/or preference?

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