BayDesigns
Active member
Hey! I'm working on a lightweight hinged taildragger landing gear system to be installed on RC aircraft- it's intended for smaller planes- it'll probably take a maximum 3-inch wheel, but it's still in early stages, plus, you're free to scale it up. Once I actually test it, I'll make it available for your use! Just to give you an idea of how it'll work, there will be a central piece attached to the fuselage. This part has mount points for a hinge on both sides, and the gear struts will hang from those. The gear struts themselves will be roughly 4 inches long (at this point in development, I will almost certainly change this), and they'll have attachment points for 2 shock-absorbing options- they can either be held to each other, or they can be attached independently to a central point on the main plate. The actual shock absorbers themselves will be rubber bands- Eclipson inspired me with their trailing-link style gear, but there wasn't a cheap bungee option for taildraggers that I knew of- this one will be free! The end goal for weight is for the printed parts to be under 20 grams, and currently, the estimated weight is 17 grams. The all-up weight will be somewhat higher, since I'm not including bands, wheels, and screws or other fasteners, because those parts will vary from model to model. However, the end product will be a low-to-no-cost, lightweight product that should be able to take a beating and move on. I love flying, but I hate breaking things and having to wait for new parts to be delivered or printed, so rest assured, this will be a quality product. And if it does break, it's not like you need to pay to replace it! Ultimately, this project will protect your airplane, whether you fly STOL or aerobatics!