Hey Tyler, (and everone else with a tailwheel ship)

The Alaska Bushwheel Tailwheel assembly is STC'd for the 175. Fancy that! These guys approved nearly all the small single engine Cessna aircraft. That was a good move. Their non tundra version is PMA'd as a replacement for the Scott 3200, it looks like the High prices for Scott tailwheels are for the Birds. A new Alaska Bushwheel Scott replacement is about 1K, the Tundra version is about 1750. Not bad considering the Scott tailwheel is around 3K.

You'll like the tundra tailwheel if you do any off field work. I can land in dry loose sand with mine now.

AK Bushwheels STC'd it for everything so someone can't field approve it. I was able to field approve my Gar-Aero tundra tailwheel since Floats AK (they own the Gar-Aero line) wasn't trying to get an STC done for what is normally a nose wheel airplane. Otherwise I would have had to buy the paperwork.

Isn't the cost of the paperwork included in the price of the wheel? I guess if you already have a wheel maybe you didn't want to buy the paperwork, but does the tundra tire fit your old wheel?

I have to buy a new assembly so the STC thing is actually a benefit for me.

The paperwork is included. When I got my tailwheel tundra kit it didn't come with paperwork. They were working on getting all the STC's done so they could sell it for more.

The tundra kit uses the old wheel. What you get is a plastic spacer to seperate the wheel halves by about 3 inches or so.

What size mains are you going to run? I really want a set of 31" tundra tires.

I will start out with 6.00's, I don't have any terrain to deal with and I want [i]speed[i]! I am just learning to fly tailwheel so I won't be puddle jumping for a while. I bought the Alaska Bushwheel 3224 which is the equivalent of the Scott 3200A, mainly has a stronger steering assembly.

I can put wheel pants on my 6'00's to bump it up even more. I hope to get 140kts+ out of the bird after all changes. 10kts or more speed increase. Who thinks I can do it?

Before - Trike, 76" prop, C175 cowl, wheelpants, = 130kts @ 2600RPM
After - Tailwheel, 80" prop, Hawk XP cowl, wheelpants = ????kts

Wheel pants on a taildragger is so wrong.

I agree, any taildragger pilot with wheelpants should hang his head in shame.

Now in Alaska them moose pearls are usually frozen and not a problem, but in lower farm country things are somewhat greener and squishier. Wheel pants are used to keep the bottom of the wings clean. If you don't got wheel pants you got s**t.

Well if you avoid practicing T&Gs on a pasture you wouldn't have cow pies on the bottom of the wing!

My only experience with wheel pants is the Cherokee 180 I learned in. And do you know how hard it is to remove grass stains from wheel pants!?

Seriously though I haven't had $#!t on my wings, though I have had them CAKED in mud.

Sounds like you need mud flaps. When I lived in Alaska, I even had mudflaps on my 20" Murray Bicycle.

Hey, I've even seen a Boeing stearman with wheelpants! And it has a radial!

Speed, speed, speed. Need lots more of it. check out this page on eliminating cooling drag-I think I can do this on my plane. www.n91cx.com So what if its an experimental...

Kris,

I tried the website and all I get is a DNS error (whatever that is?)

Sorry, n91cz.com

Thats pretty neat. A top notch cooling system is a big plus. Correctly directing flow over the cylinders can help with a slight amount of thrust. A lot better than OLD aircraft like the Sopwith Camel. Imagine trying to shroud cylinders that move around!

Tyler,

I have the lower end of a Gar-Aero (fork & tire) that came off my brother's 180. The bearing appears to be pressed on and there is a pin that has been sheared off. I have been told that this is a common trait with the older forks and they cannot be repaired. Is this your experience? I was hoping to get it fixed up to install on the cub to match the 29"X11X10 Gar-Aero mains.

Also, there was a used 90" prop at Stoddard's that should fit your bird for you STOL work? Crazy George at MFP had a brand new one that he said he would pitch to my choosing. What are you turning right now? Mine is 84/62 if you want to try it out.

My prop shop is looking for a set of 90DCA-10's for my new prop. If anyone knows of a set let me know. My guess is a longer one can be cut down but I don't know much about props. They already have a C203 hub. I am hoping they will take my whole prop in on trade, I already delivered it to them and they are trying to piece one together for me now.

Doc, I'd have to pull out an IPC or have the tailwheel infront of me. I'm trying to think of the "pin". The only two pins that come to mind right now is the pin that holds the spring tabs that control the turning of the fork & the pin that centers the slip rings for the phenolic plates. I'd like to take a look at it.

90" prop isn't allowed per the TCDS. I'm turning an 8467. Be nice to loose 10 inches of pitch.

90" prop is on the TCDS as the seaplane propeller. Since you have the tailwheel conversion, you can probably get a field approval on a landplane if you can show compliance with the FAR's. (clearance)

Good to know Kirs. Speaking of the TCDS when do you think the manuals and such will be back up online?

The manuals are online. The other stuff is not. - After Arktika is flying I'll update the pages more. I have finally gotten the plane gutted enough to start installing The new gearboxes. I hope to have the tailwheel conversion done by Sunday. Maybe not the legs but everything else. See my blog for updates.

Sounds like you are moving right along on Arktika. By the way, what does that mean?

As for the manuals I tried to log into them but it keeps popping the password prompt up each time I attempt to log in. Obviously I have my password to log into the forums.

Tyler - send an email to the Club address and Debbie will reset/ remind you of your login info for both areas.

So Doc, did you end up using the used tailwheel assembly or not? I chuckle to read my old post and how quickly I thought my tailwheel conversion would be finished. This forum certainly shows how little experience I had when the Club began.

Tyler are you running 8.5" mains?

Erik,

I sold the Gar-aero/3400 fork last fall, then picked up a new Gar-aero fork (now called Tundra Tires) that replaces the Scott 3200 8" fork on my Cub. The Bushwheel tire does not fit a Gar-areo fork due to profile and clearance issues. The Bushwheel tire is smooth and the Gar-areo is grooved. The Gar-aero tire may fit the Bushwheel fork, but I don't think it is an approved assembly from what I understand.

I think Floats Alaska is the Tundra Tire dealer, google "Tundra Tires" to check on pictures & prices. The Bushwheel or Gar-aero are great for soft sand, or a lot of folks use them in lieu of a tail ski in the winter. You can also get a 10" (taller) fork and tailwheel/tire for the Scott to replace the stock 8" tire & fork. Some complain about tailwheel shimmy when landing on paved surface with the fat tires, but probably just set up issues.

My PA-12 "fix the wing and fly it while I decide what to do with the 175 engine" project is now coming up on two years. I have given up on skis for this spring, but now I am faced with the temptation of floats.

Hang in there, the house is mortgaged to the hilt, but I think I can see the light at the end of the tunnel!

I figured when it came time to have a tundra tire I would buy a new assembly. The Tundra tire from Bushwheel has a different fork I think... but you have to run at least 8.5" up front for the STC to work, I also think.