The International Cessna 170 Association

I'm trying to find out if we can install a solid tailwheel on the 170B. The Scott 3200 does not have a solid wheel to my knowlege, and the 170B type certificate does not approve a Maule solid tire assy. Does anyone know of an STC available for adapting a solid wheel to the Scott 3200?

The Scott 3200 is an OPTIONAL tailwheel for all the 170 models. The original equipment tailwheel is a Scott 3-24B which is now known as the Scott 2000. It has a 6 inch solid tire.
I've only seen one 170 with this wheel installed. It's pretty small for the 170. You are right the Maule 6"x2" solid tailwheel is not approved for the 170. Why would you want a solid tire?

Many years ago, when making a night landing at a remote rural airport, the stub axle on my Maule tail wheel on my 170A broke off. 'We could not find the wheel in the dark so we spent the night. The next morning I found the wheel in the grass by the runway. While looking around the unattended airport for something to make a temporary fix with, I found a old solid tailwheel off of something, probably a Cub, hanging on the wall in a long abandonded building. It was for the right width tail spring so I just bolted it on to fly home. I flew with it for two or three weeks untill I received the replacement Maule axle for my wheel. The solid wheel was much noiser than the pnemmatic but other than that, it was fine.I later returned the borrowed wheel to the same abandonded building on another flight to that areas.

I'm curious too - why would you want a solid tail wheel? My Stinson 108 had one, it rode like it was made of stone and transmitted taxiway noise up from the rear fuselage like a megaphone. I couldn't get rid of it fast enough. Russ Farris

My Scott 3200 broke in the spring and I used a solid Maule type (solid tire) for a while as a short term fix. I was glad to get rid of it when the parts came in for the Scott. As mentioned, the solid type absolutely beats the crap out of the airframe, in soft grass it digs in, and ground handling is not as responsive. Stay with a pneumatic.

I've heard of guys who fill the tailwheel tube with expanding urethane foam, so it stays somewhat resilient but can never go flat. I don't know how you'd do it and keep the foam from over-expanding or causing lumps and imbalance. Thinking about it further, it seems like a bad idea because the tire is no longer pressurized, so has no incentive to stick to the wheel halves.

If you're really worried about flats you could put a squirt of Slime or other anti-flat goo into the tube.

Here's one that is solid...and doesn't need any wheel-bearing maintenance EITHER..!

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(Doesn't STEER as nice as the Scott does tho'......

That's some fiiiiiiiine craftsmanship!

I was planning on something like George's wood skid pictured to fly home with that many years ago, when I found the old Cub tail wheel to borrow.