Microlighters

For the Bushbaby builders who want a break away tailwheel, modify that standard one, takes just a couple of hours.

M,

By baby is a tri-gear, but was a tailie and after 5 hrs of operation was changed to the tri-gear after the owner missed the runway a couple of times and saw his naught. All the brackets are still in place, what does it entail to change this aerie back to a tailie? Is it a matter of fitting the rear wheel and swopping the wheelstruts around, or is it totaly new struts?

I did my first tailie training past weekend on a Aeronca Scout and my teacher (15000+ hrs, not instructor) gave me another 2-3 hrs before he reckons I am ready. I am seriously considering changing mine back

Check with Boet. Some aeries have ability to change between the 2. Suspect BB is one of these...

RV4ker wrote:Check with Boet. Some aeries have ability to change between the 2. Suspect BB is one of these...

Hi RV, yep, tried to, but the oke is MIA, assume he is still checking out the talent at the beach

I think you are right wrt the changeability, or I hope you are, for my eyes are busy opening wrt tailwheels...

Gerhard,

Yes, your BB is convertable to taildragger. You will need: Two tailragger main gear legs, and a tailwheel assy. The tailwheel assy as supplied by Kitplanes is a non free swiveling type, ie, you have to lift the tail up to push your aerie back. A painfull thing to do if your back is as buggered as mine is. I would suggest, if you go the tailly route, invest in a Maule semi-free castering tailwheel unit, or similar. But be warned: VERRY VERRY expensive.
Ek dink jou gat jeuk sommer. Gaan sit stil in die hoek tot jou geit bedaar het!

Boet :D

Or a tailwheel Dolly. Cheap and simple to weld up at home.

Boet wrote:Gerhard,

Yes, your BB is convertable to taildragger. You will need: Two tailragger main gear legs, and a tailwheel assy. The tailwheel assy as supplied by Kitplanes is a non free swiveling type, ie, you have to lift the tail up to push your aerie back. A painfull thing to do if your back is as buggered as mine is. I would suggest, if you go the tailly route, invest in a Maule semi-free castering tailwheel unit, or similar. But be warned: VERRY VERRY expensive.
Ek dink jou gat jeuk sommer. Gaan sit stil in die hoek tot jou geit bedaar het!

Boet :D

Aha.... daar is lewe. Welkom terug Boet!

Hoe verskil die Tailie main gear legs van die tri-gear s'n?

GR8, the tailie main gear is different in that when fitted the axels are forward of the Cof G. The trigear legs are opposite, the axels are furtherback so can not simply be moved to the front brackets.
As soon as I can I will dismantle my tail wheel and post some pics on my site. IMO you must have a semi-free castering TW unit for the ground handeling side of it.
As you have probably guessed IMO you also must have a TW on a Bushbaby! She was designed that way, flies better (less drag/weight), lands better (shorter) and simply looks better.

Boet wrote:Gerhard,

.....
Ek dink jou gat jeuk sommer. Gaan sit stil in die hoek tot jou geit bedaar het!

Boet :D

Boet. Would you not recommend converting to a tail dragger??

Griff, definitely a lot more difficult than tri-gear A lot riskier than tri. I need to build 100 hrs on tailie for insurance purposes so that I can fly other nicer tailies at our hanger. So definitely a lot cheaper doing it on my own aerie than to build the hours on rentals

NO. ....BUT if he insists, gee die man sy sin, voor hy al sy speelgoed uit die cot uit gooi en sy teddy se arms afskeur en sy neus in n pulp in kou. O jes, and bring it back when you buggerred it up. I will fix it up again. Come to think about it, I should only sell taildraggers.....that way I will get more work :D :D :D :D