Oh, I never really did answer the original question clearly about what would be the problem with a free swiveling wheel with a limit on it. It works and several designs use free castering wheels. When you have some speed it is hard to tell the difference. When you are going slow strong crosswinds tend to blow the tail and cock you into the wind. A tailwheel that steers will have enough resistance to keep the tail from swinging around when you are keeping the rudder straight and you have weight on the tail.
What it boils down to is that a steerable wheel gives you a better margin of safety at slow and medium speeds when you don't have the rudder authority to keep the nose pointed where you want it. Once you are trucking down the runway at a good speed it really doesn't make much difference. When you are taxxing to the fuel pump between rows of planes on a gusty day it makes a big difference. Brian Kraut Engineering Alternatives, Inc. www.engalt.com -----Original Message----- From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]]On Behalf Of Brian Kraut Sent: Monday, August 28, 2006 10:38 PM To: KRnet Subject: RE: KR> tailwheel thingie I had my steerable tailwheel in the Mustang get stuck in the unlocked position once where it became just a free castering wheel. I could
