zadwit

A tail wheel lock helps hold the plane straight on takeoff and landing to reduce the initiall swerving...You are correct once you go beyound a certain point, your are screwed. Ive read that wider gear either Grove one piece aluminum or the other wide PA-18 type gear help a lot. The Midget Mustang II use  slack in the steering springs so the tail wheel mostly track straight andthe rudder keeps the plane on course until you get flying speed....This is an age old problem that is amplified by the Avid/Kitfox short fuselage and the pilots, passenger and wing fuel behind the MLG which aggrivates matters...ON a PA-18  with onlly the pilot, in level attitude, the CG is only 2" aft ofthe MLG axles so it makes it easy to steer, but also easy to tip  over orflip whichhappens a lot...I think a tw lock willhelp, not solve the entire problem, only a longer fuselage would...

I have seen videos and talked to lots of folks who fly ridge runners and sky raiders and they all say the same thing, stay off the pavement, it is a ground looping bitch.

Ive been flying mine off the gravel and it  is a handfull in even a slight breeze, problem is all the runways in eastern washington state are paved! Im looking to install a tail wheel lock to keep the tail wheel straight for take off and landing... I know Pitss, Ravens, and Steen Skybolts use some kind of locking tailwheel. I have read about a lot of ground loops that ripped the gear off kit foxes and Ridge runners, some convert to nose wheels, some just git rid of the plane....Im not ready to give up yet... I have been flying TW planes for 47 yrs, Beavers, 180s, 170s, 140s, PA-18, Pa-20s and on and on and I know landing on pavement can be a challenge but this Ridge Runner, the pilot weight and fuel weight are all behind the wheel axle center line making it more of a squirrel.

SO, have anyone made a locking tail wheel??????Thanks