Fairchild Club Forum

> I've only got about an hour flight time on my F24R since purchase.

> I've been reading about other members tail wheel shimmy problems with
> a lot of interest. I haven't experienced that trouble yet, but I think
> it unusual that the problem is not mentioned on the takeoff run. Could
> it be that the tail wheel is slightly cocked during landing.

> I mean, what keeps the tire streamlined and centered as the tailwheel
> makes
> contact, even though the pilot is imputing rudder corrections for
> landing. Just curious.

----- Original Message -----
From: "danMichael"
To:
Sent: Sunday, April 03, 2005 12:36 PM
Subject: Re: [fairchildclub] Tailwheel shimmy...


>
> Tom:
>
>> I've only got about an hour flight time on my F24R since purchase.
>
> Congratulations on your new plane!
>
>> I've been reading about other members tail wheel shimmy problems with
>> a lot of interest. I haven't experienced that trouble yet, but I think
>> it unusual that the problem is not mentioned on the takeoff run. Could
>> it be that the tail wheel is slightly cocked during landing.
>
> As the shimmy on my 24 became worse, it started to occur on the takeoff
> roll, too, on hard-surface runways. As you note, it is far more likely
> to be excited on landing since the tailwheel wont be perfectly aligned
> with the track at touchdown unless there is no crosswind correction and
> you are perfectly aligned with no drift. In my case, thats almost
> never true!
>
> Rebuilding the splines last year helped and I plan to install new
> bushings soon.
>
>> I mean, what keeps the tire streamlined and centered as the tailwheel
>> makes
>> contact, even though the pilot is imputing rudder corrections for
>> landing. Just curious.
>
> Nothing. Unlike, say, a typical Cessna nosewheel, there is no
> mechanism to disable the steering and align the wheel when the strut is
> extended. As long as the steering cam is engaged, the tailwheel steers
> with rudder inputs. There are compression springs in the steering
> cables where they attach to the mixer in the aft fuselage to
> accommodate the shock of self-alignment as the tailwheel touches down.
> These springs also allow you to move the rudder with the tailwheel on
> the ground and make ground steering less precise. Almost all steerable
> tailwheels have a similar arrangement: often the springs are mounted
> externally right at the steering horns.
>
> :Dan Michael
> :NC81323
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