Kitfox Aircraft Stick and Rudder Stein Air Grove Aircraft TCW Technologies Dynon Avionics AeroLED MGL Avionics Leading Edge Airfoils Desser EarthX Batteries Garmin G3X Touch
Results 1 to 9 of 9

Thread: Matco tailwheel quetion

  1. #1
    Senior Member 109JB's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2019
    Location
    Morris, IL
    Posts
    484

    Default Matco tailwheel quetion

    I'm replacing the Maule tailwheel with an 8" Matco single arm tailwheel that I bought from one of the fine members of this forum. I was mocking it up a little tonight and it appears that at full rudder travel it probably won't be able to unlock and it may need the optional "25-degree wings" to get it to unlock. Just wondering how many using the matco tailwheel have needed to get the optional wings.

    Thanks,
    John Brannen
    Morris, IL
    Sonerai IIL (Single Seat)
    Kitfox 3/4 1050 - Rotax 582 (Back Flying and sold)
    Kitfox IV 1050 - Rotax 582 (sold)
    Kitfox IV 1200 Speedster - Rotax 912 UL (project)
    Piper Twin Comanche (Sold)
    Glasair 1 FT (Waiting to start)

  2. #2
    Super Moderator Av8r3400's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2009
    Location
    Merrill, WI
    Posts
    3,044

    Default Re: Matco tailwheel quetion

    I'm running a standard 8" mono-arm Matco wheel. It locks and unlocks just fine.
    Attached Images Attached Images
    Av8r3400
    Kitfox Model IV
    The Mangy Fox
    912UL 105hp Zipper
    YouTube Videos

  3. #3
    Senior Member ken nougaret's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2011
    Location
    North Florida
    Posts
    778

    Default Re: Matco tailwheel quetion

    I have the same, stock Marco single arm. Never a problem.
    SS7 O-200 Whirlwind

  4. #4
    Senior Member
    Join Date
    Nov 2008
    Location
    KDKB (Dekalb, Illinois)
    Posts
    644

    Default Re: Matco tailwheel quetion

    Maybe just the picture, but that tailwheel mount on N826DM looks far too extreme a pivot angle
    to my eye. If correct, I bet you would get a lot better steering if you changed spring, or made
    the angle less severe.

    Jeff

  5. #5
    JohnB's Avatar
    Join Date
    Sep 2011
    Location
    Charlotte, MI
    Posts
    99

    Default Re: Matco tailwheel quetion

    I changed mine to the 25 degree cam arms and it was an improvement. I could get it to unlock with the stock cams but it took a lot of brake pressure to overcome the spring tension enough to hit the 40 or so degrees of tailwheel travel needed to unlock. Then it would be quite a snap when it unlocked. I do keep my chains pretty snug, so maybe looser chains would make it easier to unlock.
    With the 25 degree cams, it just takes full rudder deflection and a little brake and it unlocks much more smoothly.
    _________________________________
    JohnB
    Charlotte, MI
    Kitfox 7-SS
    Rotax 912ULS / Whirlwind Prop
    Garmin G3X Touch

  6. #6
    Senior Member jrevens's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2009
    Location
    Arvada, CO
    Posts
    2,146

    Default Re: Matco tailwheel quetion

    Quote Originally Posted by n85ae View Post
    Maybe just the picture, but that tailwheel mount on N826DM looks far too extreme a pivot angle
    to my eye. If correct, I bet you would get a lot better steering if you changed spring, or made
    the angle less severe.

    Jeff

    It looks just about perfect to me Jeff. That amount of angle, in that direction (positive caster), is actually preferable to the opposite (negative caster). Keep in mind that the spring is going to straighten when there is a load in the airplane, and it will probably be at the optimum angle then. It may seem counter intuitive, but angled as you see in the picture is considered better than the other way, and I can confirm that this was true for a couple of different airplanes I flew before and after being corrected to what I've described. Both had a propensity to shimmy before correcting. Here's a good article explaining it - http://inspire.eaa.org/2019/03/20/ta...-can-go-wrong/
    John Evens
    Arvada, CO
    Kitfox SS7 N27JE
    EAA Lifetime
    Chap. 43 honorary Lifetime

  7. #7
    Super Moderator Av8r3400's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2009
    Location
    Merrill, WI
    Posts
    3,044

    Default Re: Matco tailwheel quetion

    Quote Originally Posted by n85ae View Post
    Maybe just the picture, but that tailwheel mount on N826DM looks far too extreme a pivot angle
    to my eye. If correct, I bet you would get a lot better steering if you changed spring, or made
    the angle less severe.

    Jeff

    As John mentioned that angle is more than acceptable. I have never had (with exception of a flat tire) any shimmy issues and the steering and castering features work excellent.
    Av8r3400
    Kitfox Model IV
    The Mangy Fox
    912UL 105hp Zipper
    YouTube Videos

  8. #8
    Senior Member
    Join Date
    Nov 2008
    Location
    KDKB (Dekalb, Illinois)
    Posts
    644

    Default Re: Matco tailwheel quetion

    I understand well how the angle affects shimmy, and steering.

    The angle is in the "correct" direction, it just looks to me to be excessive. However that said, I have not
    been at the controls of your airplane, nor have I used a Matco tailwheel. It simply looks like it is at an angle
    far beyond what you need to correct shimmy, and to the point where it would hinder turning.

    Seriously though - If it works, I can't argue with that

    Regards,
    Jeff
    Last edited by n85ae; 03-02-2021 at 08:03 PM.

  9. #9
    Senior Member 109JB's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2019
    Location
    Morris, IL
    Posts
    484

    Default Re: Matco tailwheel quetion

    Thanks for the replies.

    With my previous model 4-1050 I switched to the 25 degree arms at it was tons better. The horn on the rudder of that airplane was different from this one, but I was not able to unlock the tailwheel on that airplane while taxiing and braking and could only get it to unlock with the stock cams with a very forceful push on the fuselage, or kicking the tailwheel. The 25-degree arms made it so that taxiing you could give full rudder, step on a brake and it would unlick as expected. Ground handling was also a breeze.

    On this airplane, I mocked up some springs and the rudder and it appears it is going to be the same thing. I think I will go ahead and get the 25-degree arms.

    Thanks again for the replies.
    John Brannen
    Morris, IL
    Sonerai IIL (Single Seat)
    Kitfox 3/4 1050 - Rotax 582 (Back Flying and sold)
    Kitfox IV 1050 - Rotax 582 (sold)
    Kitfox IV 1200 Speedster - Rotax 912 UL (project)
    Piper Twin Comanche (Sold)
    Glasair 1 FT (Waiting to start)

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •