Tail dragger disease...

[GDN]

Yesterday i was taxiing to control my engine after my 50 h overhaul then suddenly i heard a crack sound and my angle of attack increased and the KF wanted to go right. i switch of the engine went out the cockpit and realized that my tail's wheel was broken...

More precisely it was the arcuate segment spring ( not sure for the english term...)

I've got only a single thickness leaf and it broked where is curved just after the airframe attachment.

For information was it a default in the steel or the thickness is not sufficient ?

I heard someone doubled it. For information the thickness is 0,236 inch for 1,22 inch of width.

The broken wheel rebound on the ground and choked the stabilizer (the moving part) provoking a hole in the Diatex covering.

With the weight of the aircraft without is tail wheel the stabilizer was bent too

Was lucky that it broked during taxi and not during landing...

If others have ideas or pictures ?

Other problem if i put a stronger one i think that the bolt that fix it will be too short to put the nut. And this bolt seems to be inserted from the inside part of the airframe before covering. So i have to cut that Diatex to put a longer one

[akflyer]

The single leaf spring breaking is well known, and has happened to most who had the single leaf. Upgrade to the dual leaf spring and 98% of the problem goes away. If you are operating off rough strips, I would suggest going to a pneumatic tail wheel to help smooth it out with the dual leaf spring.

[avidflyer]

I've broken the tail spring on my B model Avid, and the Avid is probably identical to your Kitfox in that part of the plane. I took off the aluminum cover under the horizontal stabilizer and was able to get to the bolt with a 1/2" socket pluss several long extentions. When I put a longer bolt in, I got my wife who has much smaller arms and hands then mine reach in and pick out the old bolt. That way I didn't have to cut the fabric to get access to the bolt. Just a though that may help you out. When I was covering my Mk IV Avid and recently the Kitfox 4, I epoxied in another short aluminum tube and then was able to make an aluminum access panel so I can get at the bolt in the future. Take care, Jim Chuk

[GDN]

thanks for that quick response have to find a new leaf. And try to straighten the moving part of the rudder that was bent...End after recovering mission... never done that !
So to sum up long time without flying...

Is anybody can take a picture of his double leaf ?

How are they fixed between us ? Because i think they can move together to absorb chocks so you can only fix them together with the airframe bolt and nut and the other extremity part must be free no ? To let them slip each others ?

Thanks in advance !

The froggy with bad english

[GDN]

Doubled mine will try to install it tomorrow morning.
Will sweat a lot to change for a longer bolt...

[akflyer]

I put an inspection hole in the back right above the bolts so I can easily reach in and get to the bolts. Its only a few bucks and you can have one in and up to silver in about an hour.

[avidflyer]

When I needed a longer bolt in my Avid, I took a piece of safty wire and wrapped it around the socket extention and tied it off tight there. The other end of the wire I wrapped around the bolt which keep it in the socket. I fished around with the long extention until I hit the hole in the tail for the bolt. Started the nut on the bolt and then pulled up on the extention and the wire pulled off the bolt. Took the wire off the extention, got back on the bolt and tightened it up. If you drop the bolt and have one of those telescoping magnets, you can pull the bolt out with that and try again. Take care, Jim Chuk

[GDN]

Problem :

His anybody knows where can i find an unusual leaf spring ?
I explain: they use to be 1,25 or 1,5" wide but mine is about 1,22"

I have to find a good one and with the right angle (to keep the tail wheel axel vertical). I found old one from certified aircraft but too wide 1,57"

And i want to put 2 pieces .

Hard to do i think or hard to found more precisely

[carlisle]

Agree. Can the double leaf be obtained seperately or do you have to buy the entire Matco pneumatic setup?

Chris Carlisle
Model 2, 582, 'C' box
Sioux Falls, SD

[carlisle]

Thanks. I see now that Kitfox has the 3-leaf springs for $95.

Noticed today while landing in grass with some tire ruts in it that single leaf spring on present Maule tailwheel flexes enough so that bearing cap strikes under side of rudder and bent it a little. I figure spring failure is next so will be ordering new spring tomorrow.

Chris