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Another Broken Tailwheel Spring
Posted: Sun Nov 18, 2018 9:31 pm
by rnealon1
After a Connecticut snowfall found the main tailwheel spring snapped in two and tail sitting on grass. No obvious existing crack. Just happy it didn't happen while landing.
Besides replacing broken main spring it makes sense to me to replace all the springs but wondering what else might be suggested while I have the Scott 3200 home in the garage.
Thanks,
Bob
Re: Another Broken Tailwheel Spring
Posted: Mon Nov 19, 2018 3:36 am
by 4583C
rnealon1 wrote:After a Connecticut snowfall found the main tailwheel spring snapped in two and tail sitting on grass. No obvious existing crack. Just happy it didn't happen while landing.
Besides replacing broken main spring it makes sense to me to replace all the springs but wondering what else might be suggested while I have the Scott 3200 home in the garage.
Thanks,
Bob
That is definitely the preferred place to discover your spring is broke!
The megaphone behind you does an excellent job of magnifying the racket of that stub dragging on the tarmac, no rudder damage and you didn’t loose your tailwheel.
Re: Another Broken Tailwheel Spring
Posted: Wed Nov 21, 2018 1:04 am
by GAHorn
rnealon1 wrote:A... it makes sense to me to replace all the springs but wondering what else might be suggested while I have the Scott 3200 home in the garage.
Thanks,
Bob
It's my opinion replacing ALL the leaf springs is a waste of money but no harm otherwise. Complete disassembly/inspection/repair of the tailwheel is always a good idea from time to time.
Re: Another Broken Tailwheel Spring
Posted: Thu Nov 22, 2018 3:53 am
by rnealon1
Thank you1
Bob
Re: Another Broken Tailwheel Spring
Posted: Thu Nov 22, 2018 2:13 pm
by Bruce Fenstermacher
I concur with George. I'd change out only the main spring. The design is a set up for a failure of the main spring which is why they break. That does not exist with the other springs in the pack. Unless you have reason to believe those have been fooled with ie changed out with home made stuff or you see some other defect in them, they are good.
BTW guess your as lucky as I am as I also discovered my main spring broken at the tie down.
Re: Another Broken Tailwheel Spring
Posted: Sun Nov 25, 2018 2:31 am
by MoonlightVFR
Bruce says it all in one sentence.
"Set up for failure"
Why do we as owner/operators of Scott 3200 tail wheel aircraft accept occasional failure? Why?
Re: Another Broken Tailwheel Spring
Posted: Sun Nov 25, 2018 12:37 pm
by GAHorn
MoonlightVFR wrote:Bruce says it all in one sentence.
"Set up for failure"
Why do we as owner/operators of Scott 3200 tail wheel aircraft accept occasional failure? Why?
It's not just us. Have you ever had to rebuild/reseal a nose-wheel oleo-strut? Or main gear oleo-struts? Our configuration is a wonderful
dream.
Simple tailspring solution: Change that cheap spring every 500 hrs.