Posted by Bob Grimstead on Sunday, February 10, 2013 @ 06:49 AM:
Hi Guys,
When we were at Gap (what a long time ago that now seems) I saw several RF4s and RF5s with tailwheels that swivelled through 360 degrees once a small, spring-loaded pin had been removed.
I believe that this was a modification designed by the great Eugenio Lansa de Casalansa, fount of all modern Fournier knowledge, but again I am not certain.
I think this is a picture of one http://www.cfiamerica.com/show_image.html?linkedwidth=actual&linkpath=images/new_tail_wheel.jpg&target=_self but I am not certain.
Some time , somewhere, I have seen drawings for this modification. I think they were annotated in German.
Right now, I am confined to bed by my doctor, in great pain, and told to rest flat on my back for at least two weeks because of serious lower back damage.
That damage was of course caused by nine years of lifting the tails of my Founiers and pulling/pushing them back into my hangars.
I will not be allowed to fly again until I have incorporated this modification to both of my tailwheels.
I have searched this forum using every combination of words I can think of to find these drawings, but with no luck.
Please, does somebody out there have drawings or step-by-step photos of this modification, and better still could somebody make two of them for me?
Until then, I am truly 'Fournicated'!
Thanks guys.
Yours, Bob
--------------------
Flying and displaying Fournier RF4Ds VH-HDO and G-AWGN, building replica RF6B G-RFGB and custodian of RF6B prototype F-BPXV
Posted by Donald on Sunday, February 10, 2013 @ 03:22 PM:
Bob, sorry to hear of your back problems and your incapacitation. Coincidentally I stumbled across the very thing you want just the other day while poking around in Patrick's new CFI website. (The old one is still up and running but it's life may be limited.)
Here's the download page: http://www.cfi-ev.scram.de/dev/?cat=12
And here's the document: http://www.cfi-ev.scram.de/dev/wp-content/uploads/2003/08/RF3-RF4-TM08_Certification_Swivelling_Tailwheel.pdf
Can't help with manufacture, though.
Donald
Posted by D. Porter on Sunday, February 10, 2013 @ 03:24 PM:
Hi Bob,
I have a solution that might help, at least temporarily.
I use one of these one of these plastic dollys as a tailwheel dolly. http://www.lowes.com/pd_46996-1097-FG264020+BLA_0__?productId=3088681&Ntt=dolly&pl=1¤tURL=%3FNtt%3Ddolly&facetInfo= There's a dimple on top that the tailwheel sits on. Then with the five fully swiveling casters I can easily maneuver the plane backwards by the prop. A furniture dolly with a slot for the tailwheel would work equally well.
To lift the tailwheel onto the dolly I use a length of 1" climber's webbing (about 4'-5'?) with a knotted handle on each end. Slip that under the fuse forward of the stab and just lift on the ends with one hand, no back bending required.
Anyway, not as elegant as a swiveling tailwheel, but cheap and quick.
Posted by Jorgen on Sunday, February 10, 2013 @ 04:35 PM:
Sorry to hear about your back Bob, hope it goes away quickly. Thanks for the links Donald, I have the "Wezel 1"- variant of free swivelling tailwheel on the RF 5 b and I'm very pleased with it. To me it makes sense to get down on the ground to lock/unlock since that makes it easíer to remember what you did. I also checked to do rudder control with unlocked tailwheel, I can feel that the "tailwaggle" is noticeably less if you do that with unlocked tailwheel.
May the 4's be with you/ Jörgen
Posted by Bob Grimstead on Monday, February 11, 2013 @ 05:40 AM:
That's brilliant guys, thank you so much for such quick replies.
The doctor stabbed my L2/3 nerve root with anaesthetic & cortisone this afternoon, so here's hoping for a quick recovery. But I must be certain it will never happen again, thus some serious metal cutting & drilling to come next week.... Or so.
Thanks again, Fournierfliers rule! :-)
Yours, Bob
--------------------
Flying and displaying Fournier RF4Ds VH-HDO and G-AWGN, building replica RF6B G-RFGB and custodian of RF6B prototype F-BPXV
Posted by eugenio on Monday, February 11, 2013 @ 03:56 PM:
Hi Bob, the original modification SB was done by Patrick Faucheron, mine is slightly simpler and is based on the RF9 tailwheel modification done by René Fournier. Mine is not automatic, but is simpler.
Both works fine.
Eugenio
Posted by Donald on Monday, February 11, 2013 @ 04:40 PM:
That sounds like a solution to me Eugenio and I rather wondered if you would have expertise in this. Out of interest, are there any photographs of your's online?
I've had a look at the sketches in Patrick's document and to me it's not the sort of thing you could just hand off to a third party for manufacture as there are places where no dimension is given. I don't doubt it can be built and will work just fine but I think anyone tackling it would need to be 'hands on' to make the decisions as they arose.
Donald
Posted by Collin on Monday, February 11, 2013 @ 07:03 PM:
Posted by Donald on Tuesday, February 12, 2013 @ 04:03 PM:
Thanks Collin, Your picture had me puzzled for a while until I realised that one significant part is largely concealed behind the spring.
Posted by eugenio on Wednesday, February 13, 2013 @ 03:08 PM:
Not exactly, the tailwheel is rotated backword, the parts that mate with the spring loaded pin (now kept down by the red ribboned pin) is on the back of the airplane. The bellcrank, connected with the two springs, is swivelling over the tailwheel and is engaged by the spring loaded pin. The only modifications you have to do are the bellcrank, a spacer that allow the bellcrank to rotate freely and the spring loaded pin and his support, that is welded to the upper fork of th tailwheel. It easier to do it than to explain. It can be done just removing the whole tailwheel, in order to modify it in the workshop/at home, than you just fit it again.
Unfortunately the modification works only on RF4 and RF5, the RF3 Tailwheel is completely different. I'm studying a modification for those too, but at the moment there's nothing ready.
Eugenio
Posted by SteveBeaver on Sunday, February 17, 2013 @ 03:42 PM:
N7724 has a tailwheel I have not seen elsewhere. The cable from the rudder wraps around a pulley and is prevented from slipping by a copper sleeve swaged on the cable that locates in a notch in the pulley. The pulley can rotate freely, or can be locked to the tailwheel by a key that drops into slot in the pulley and the TW.
At the other end of the locking lever where is a nylon roller that rubs on the underside of the fuselage. When the rudder is more or less central, the tailwheel is locked to the ruder. At full rudder deflection, however, the key is raised and the TW becomes free to swivel independently of the rudder.
How well does this work in practice? I don't know. It was only while inspecting the TW as part of the recovering process that I discovered it. I also discovered that the nylon roller had worn to the point where the locking key never actually releases. It will be fun to test this system once the RF4 is back together.
Posted by Martin Hill on Tuesday, February 19, 2013 @ 02:05 PM:
Bob
Sorry to hear about the back.
Aren't you still in the ZJC syndicate because I thought it had a swivelling tailwheel made by John French. I discussed this with him a couple of years ago when he made my new exhaust. He was going to make me one but we never got around to it.
In case you don't him John works with Dave Bland at Staverton.
The mod they made has got LAA approval.
One needs to be careful of the locking mechanism. I know of another RF5 that has a swivelling tailwheel, which I have to say I am not impressed with. There is some suggestion it was implicated in the aircraft swerving off a narrow runway and ending up in a ditch
--------------------
RF5 #5107 G-BEVO
Posted by Bob Grimstead on Sunday, March 3, 2013 @ 06:50 AM:
No Martin, I left the JC syndicate before that swivelling tailwheel was fitted.
So I downloaded that German document, in the hopes of making two for myself.
Translated via Google into English, it reads:
Version 1 Wezel
Beid ieserV ersionw irdd as Spornradd urche inenD ruckbolzeanm Spomauslegeern emergency release.
Conversion:
The SpornradtriebshebTeel il-Nr4 .41.02 tcb hen RF4-Dw irda usgebauut nd s byd
drehbarenW ezel-1 Spornradtriebhebmel ITV erriegelungskerb (eb estehenda us 3 parts)
replaced.
On the boom part-ID4 (.41. AilQ is articulated in 12 mm Verriegelungsbolzmenit return spring
eingebaut.S ieheF otosu CE, eichnungenW ezel 1 rotary spur.
- All andereT it eiled Spornradsb nverändert leibenu.
- The system is maintenance free.
Well, I'm glad it's maintenance-free, but I'm lost when it comes to making them, or getting them made more likely.
Babylon translates it as:
Version Wezel 1 which judged the IESERV ersionw irdd as Spornradd urche inenD ruckbolzeanm Spomauslegeern triegelt. Rework: The SpornradtriebshebTeel il-NR4 .41.02TCB egg of the RF4-dw irda usgebauut nd drehbarenW ezel due en- 1 Spornradtriebhebmel ITV erriegelungskerb(eb estehenda us 3 Parts) replaced. On the boom( part number 4 4.1 ..AilQ gamble in 12 mm Verriegelungsbolzmenit return spring installed.S ieheF otosu optionsat eichnungenW Drehsporn ezel 1. - All andereT Spornradsb leibenu nuser eiled it.
I would guess that Eugenio's modification is better, but that since this modification is approved, and perhaps his is not, we could legally fit this German mod to our British EASA Permit to Fly Fourniers.
--------------------
Flying and displaying Fournier RF4Ds VH-HDO and G-AWGN, building replica RF6B G-RFGB and custodian of RF6B prototype F-BPXV
Posted by Bob Grimstead on Sunday, March 3, 2013 @ 07:01 AM:
Freetranslation and Paralink were worse, IMtranslator was no better
I am not surprised, this is obviously very technical German.
I shall keep trying. I have a German and a good Austrian friend, who is an engineer (He built my 1750cc VW engine) so I think it will be best to go and see him.
That won't be for a couple of weeks, meanwhile I must photograph my cobbled-up tailwheel-lifter, but don't hold your breaths.
My doctors said 'four to six weeks flat on your back'.
I did spend one whole day flat on my back under HDO, cleaning its belly, replacing some fairing screws and improving the breather tube attachments, but I don't think I'll get away with that again!
Yours, Bob
--------------------
Flying and displaying Fournier RF4Ds VH-HDO and G-AWGN, building replica RF6B G-RFGB and custodian of RF6B prototype F-BPXV
Posted by Jorgen on Sunday, March 3, 2013 @ 12:21 PM:
Bob,
cheer up- you give a whole new meaning to the mandatory aviation related intro:"-There I was, flat on my back...."
I've got a bit of a back ache myself, but it's all muscular and all my own fault. I did actually get a spot of sun today though...
May the 4th (and all the other lumbar vertebrae) be with you/ Jörgen
[Edit by Jorgen on Sunday, March 3, 2013 @ 12:31 PM]
Posted by Mike-RM on Saturday, March 16, 2013 @ 10:52 AM:
Hi Bob
The Wezel 1 mod is LAA approved for the RF5, but not the 4. If you hunt through the LAA website for the Fournier mods you will find it. Several of us have fitted them to the 5. Jon French has CNC machining stuff set up for making the RF5 parts, so he may be able to help for your UK Fournier, and possibly your Oz one too although it's not difficult to machine. I did it manually on my lathe and mill. If you want to email me I can give you Jon's email address. I think it's best to stick to the exact design of the locking system shown on the drawings. Others have made various alterations to it but it needs to be bullet proof. RK departed sideways from a narrow farm strip causing a lot of damage and there has been a suggestion that the lock wasn't engaging properly. I'm not sure what the difference betwen the RF5 and RF4 mods was. Note that you are adding about 1kg on a long moment arm to the tail so it does have an effect on CG.
I don't really see any need to fit one to the RF3 as the tail is very light and easy to lift compared to the 4 & 5.
Mike
