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Ed,
Mine is a bone stock Avid 'C/D' STOL wing taildragger. When I'm back in the same state as the airplane, I'll be happy to measure that. Do you want that measurement when the plane is level (flying mode, like doing weight and balance), or sitting on the gear?
Mark
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Maybe someone with a "real" Avid TD will post their dimensions as shown on W/B from leading edge to main axle - That should be a good place to put the gear.
EDMO
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Ed,
Thanks for the tip. Doesn't look too far to me, but then I'm making regular trips between Illinois and our new Florida house with the truck and trailer.
Getting it over there won't be a problem, it fits into the trailer fine when the wings and horizontal stabilizer are off. The stab is a royal pain, and was a surprise. I knew a wing had to come off when I bought it, but the stab was a surprise. Fun grinding down a wrench to get the nut off 1500 miles from home!
If Travis is interested, I'd still like to get up there with a leg (maybe both) so we can compare. If they are different, then we can discuss a swap, or just make drawings of both kinds (and share them here), and then we can both make our own alternate gear.
Even though it might not be in my best interest, I'd recommend to Travis to consider some kind of wider gear if he converts to taildragger. The stock gear is a handful on the ground, at least on asphalt.
Mark
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No grease on the starter gear, but it wont hurt to put just a dab on the starter shaft. You can make your own bungee or you can buy them from highwingLLC Lowell and Dan are great guys and I bought my last set of bungees from them.
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Goldendale Flyer,
Try listing your nose gear and standard main gear in the "FOR SALE" section on this site - someone may want them.
EDMO
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hmmmm... problem solved, actually my own mistake.... new to the tiny tach and did not pay attention. I bought it from this guys and I mean to click on the TT2A instead I ordered TT2B ----
manual says it will work on 2 strokes 2 cylinder engines!!! anyway waiting for the other one to arrive...
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Here is a link to build your own shock cords for the landing gear. Be sure to buy the good aviation bungee to build them. Also do a search on this forum there is a lot of info that has been posted here.
http://avidflyer.wikia.com/wiki/Shock_Cord_Fabrication_and_Replacement
You should not need any grease on the gears of the starter. IMO
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Bryce,
If you have measurements of the "good" and "bad" positions for the axles in TD configuration, it might help Travis and Mark. That should be on your W/B sheets, and maybe you still have the old ones.
EdMO
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Travis,
My mkiv originally had factory tri gear. I converted it to a taildragger by swapping the mains left to right and moving them to the forward attach point and flew it for 50 hrs off grass and pavement. So it can be done. Looks like shit tho. And it's too easy to get the tail up/nose down with the brakes cause the axle is too far rearward. I posted an ad on Barnstormers for some mains and was able to get them for a couple hundred. They're out there, you gotta hunt 'em down tho. Bryce
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Mark,
It would be a fairly long trip for you, but maybe not much farther than the 100 mile round trip I make, to go to a FAA approved certified repair station welder, who does my work now that the doctors told me to stay out of welding smoke. I can give you the info on PM if you want it. You would have to truck it to him - hopefully you could talk him into welding it while you wait. He is at New Melle, Missouri. I have to take mine and the struts over to him this fall.
I don't know which Avid gearlegs are good for the conversion, but it will make a big difference to use the wrong ones.
EDMO
BTW: He builds WACO fuselages from factory blueprints, and the FAA goes to him for welding. He is good!
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Ed,
My build manual talks about nose gear, I have both main gear attach points, but don't have the nose gear weldment in the frame right now. I have a nose gear weldment to put in. Have to practice a lot more with the TIG or find a good welder though!
Mark
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Travis,
It is hard to tell from the pictures. Level my plane up like yours, swap the legs, and then move the fairing to the other tube, and the difference might just be an optical illusion.
Mark
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Travis,
The wheel location on the gear leg would possibly have lots to do with balance and handling on the ground - You need someone with better technical info - Now, Mark, is yours a convertible?
I can look at the gear in my Magnum book and get an axle/wheel location from the leading edge, if that would help - Got the same in my Kitfox books too - I think. The original Kitfox gearlegs were offset from center, and when they went convertible it was with the Grove gear.
do you use a different set of brackets when you go from ND to TD?
DO you have a manual for this bird?
EdMO
I checked my Avid Magnum manual and the sample gives the axle at 1.25 inches in front of the leading edge, with the plane in a level position. My Kitfox 4 sample gives average of 3.25 inches to rear of Leading edge.
I will bet the Doug Holly has some technical info on this.....
ED
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Yes Ed, there's TWO bungee attach points one in front and one behing the seat.
Mark I just looked at a pic of your plane and I think I'm seeing a difference in the gear leg. I took a pic of mine and it looks like the axle is centered on the leg. The gear leg on yours looks to have the front tube at a 90 moving the axle farther forward. I'm not sure if that would make a whole lot of difference but I'm sure theres a reason for it.
Travis
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Travis,
You mean the Avid has TWO attach points, so the gear CAN be swapped? My Kitfoxes were not convertible, and only had the TD attach at the front of the seat - Maybe you can do that? But why not just drag the tailskid until you want to stop - or go!
My latest is Nose Dragger only - would need new attach points to be TD. Thanks for the belly pictures of the convertible Avid - Never had seen one before. Bet that others have not seen one either - suggest you post them in the proper Avid section for all to see.EX-TD Pilot, EDMO
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Travis,
I'm just south of you in central Illinois (KIJX). I have what is either a late C or early D (later mk IV, the build manual says 'D', the tail was still square originally though) taildragger I'm thinking of converting to a nose gear. I'm stripping the fabric off to recover this fall, and would be willing to throw one of the taildragger main gear legs in the Cherokee and head that way so we can both see if there are any differences.
Mark
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Ed, here's another pic showing the bungee attach point for the tri gear. The front bungee attach point for the tail dragger is at the front of the fabric
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Unless your gear is different than Kitfox, the attachment is in the front of the seat area normally, swapping it is going to change positions of the bungee arms front to rear. Think about it a while.
EDMO
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Travis,
Contrary to the things you heard about swapping the gear - It don't work! The arms on the bungee type gear would be at the rear of the seat instead of in the front where the bungees attach. I guess you could cut the arms off and reweld them, but still not sure the wheels would be in correct location.
With cabane type gear - it might work??? But, why would you want to change - So you could practice groundloops???
EDMO
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Back in the early days of Avid I know they were using the same gear for the Tri gear and tail dragger, just swapping them side to side and I'm wondering how this worked out. I'm going to be changing from the tri gear to tail dragger and with so many different gear out there is it worth it to change to more of a bush style taller/wider gear. I've got the c model legs without the step.
The area I fly is either paved runways or fairly smooth grass
Travis
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Its me again. my Avid Mark IV has bungee cords but they are 20 years old, never used but should be replaced. Do any of you have a source that can make them up?
I am about to mount a starter to a 582 Rotax. I assume the gears need some grease, what kind should be used? Back to the asle grease?
Thanks for your help!
Jon
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Tri gear to tail dragger
in Avidfoxflyers General Hangar
EDMO
Posted · Edited by Ed In Missouri
Mark,
I think what I am trying to find out for Travis, is what gear was the standard for the TD, and maybe not the same as convertible.
IMO - For use on pavement and short grass, I would stay with the nose dragger.
The Kitfox gear is offset, with the front strut being like at a 90 degree angle to the fuselage, and the back strut at an angle.
(I think this is right - I have a set stored away for my KF1)
I sold a set of the Kitfox gear to Robert and he said they worked fine on his Avid until he changed to the bush gear.
(Again - I think that is right - Too dang old this morning and forgot to take memory pills!}
The dimensions at level should be on your W/B sheets. You could measure with tail down, but this could vary between planes depending on what tires, gear, tailwheel and spring is on the planes. The planes with the heavy engines would have the gear farther forward than the 2-strokes.
I would like to see a comparison of your W/B axle location to Bryce and lots of others with standard TD gear.
Maybe we could get a consensus of where the axle is supposed to be for TD operations from the W/B papers?
EdMO