[f-AA] Scott Vs Maule

['Rafael Gomez Blanco' via aeronca]

My '38 came with a Maule 30D tailwheel, which as every part of the airplane needs total rebuild.  Some how I have come up with a Scott 3000 with the Aeronca brass plate but I believe I am missing pieces for it but I need to check.  I dont believe either is the correct model for my year. 

The Maule has a pneumatic tire and the scott is set up for a solid rubber tire.  Which tail wheel is better?, is it better to have a solid tire or a pneumatic?

Thanks

Rafael

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[Richard Murray]

I've got several Maule tailwheels. What original model are you looking for.

I am no expert, but my limited experience has shown the Maule to be equipped with a solid tire and the Scott 3200 to be a tire with a tube that needs to be inflated to 50psi (don't how I learned it the hard way)

[Aeronca Flyer]

There aren't many parts to a Scott 3000, the non pivoting with cast into the fork steering arms model. I have one on a Chief that says Aeronca, but it doesn't look airworthy. The fork looks to be bronze, and has a lot of wear and is sloppy. I have the fork from another with deep visible wear on the same axis. I thought it would look cool mounted on a wood bookend frame, cosmetically restored with Aeronca facing out. 

So I guess I'm saying I'd use the Maule.

Richard in Creswell, who just sent 36 tappets to Aircraft Specialities, hoping to get 8 good ones back

[Richard Holcombe]

Original has merit 

I've flow with solid tire and Scott. Don't really feel the difference as long as it doesn't kick out on you while landing.

Given a choice, cost aside, I'd grab a new Scott.

On Tue, Feb 23, 2021, 12:37 PM 'Rafael Gomez Blanco' via aeronca <aer...@westmont.edu> wrote:

[Don Harvie]

Rafael,

Dad's Chief came with a Scott 3000 (-A1 I think). It's a brass/bronze colored casting, is steerable but can't unlock and swivel and has a solid rubber tire.

He has since replaced it with a Scott 3200.

The 3000 gave wonderfully direct precise steering and worked well on grass/dirt. BUT it was a bear (next to impossible) to push the plane backwards. For the hangar Dad built a taildragger dragger, but it wasn't portable enough to take to other airfields. Pix of the taildragger dragger here:

https://harvie.cable.nu/gallery2/main.php/v/Don/Flying/Aeronca_VH-IDH/td-dragger/

(So easy my 12 year old daughter in heels can pull the plane)

The Scott 3200 is not as direct or precise for steering on the ground as the 3000 and is smoother rolling on dirt/grass with the larger pneumatic tire. It is easier to touch down tailwheel first though in 3 point landings as the larger tailwheel and tire lift the tail to a lower angle of attack when all wheels are on the ground. It unlocks and swivels so pushing the plane backwards is now possible. The same taildragger dragger works as well with the 3200 as it did on the 3000 with a slight modification to cope with the wider tire.

My Auster came with a solid rubber Maule SFSA solid rubber tailwheel which I replaced with a second hand Scott 3200 that I've rebuilt. I don't regret the swap - but never flew the Auster with the Maule either ;-)

I have the same issues as the Chief with 3 point landings touching tailwheel first. (Not really a problem though as muscle memory has taught me the right attitude for a proper 3 point - but I'm not touching down at the slowest possible airspeed)

I would think the Scott you have would be more original and the Maule would be more usable.

Don H

Sent from my 'phone

[tom boyle]

Guys, at an inflation pressure of 50 psi, it may as well be solid rubber.

tom

[Don Harvie]

Tom,

I think 50 psi is probably what is recommended for the heavier aircraft like C-180's and Stinson 108's etc. the Scott 3200 was originally intended for. On the Auster, which has a fairly light tail that I can lift, I run mine down to to about 30PSI and then back up to about 35 PSI. Otherwise it just wears the centre of the tread.

The Chief tail is heavier, (takes Dad and I together to lift), and I guess I'd probably run it at about 40PSI - I'd have to check what its at currently though.

Don H

Sent from my 'phone

[Richard Murray]

Tom-

The 3200 was on a 7ECA and at 30 psi the tube would shift in the wheel and tear the stem. Desser told me to keep it inflated to 50 psi and never has an issue afterward.

[tom boyle]

Don,

With my 7AC, if the edges of the tail wheel ever get to the pavement I'm going to have a shimmy.  It's an experiment in physics unfortunately.  Like a shopping cart.  So I keep mine at or over 50 psi.  I don't really mind it.  It could be better though.  I would like to get full utilization of my tail wheel tire life.

Tom

[Richard Holcombe]

Bad things happen to tailwheels while your attention is ahead. They have to be able to take whatever hits them.

[Don Harvie]

Tom,

My tailwheel shimmies too but only when fully loaded landing on hard surface runways. But that is because the leaf spring has sagged and the pivot angle is no longer vertical with a load in the plane. The tire pressure hasn't had any effect that I've noticed. Getting a new tailwheel leafspring for an Auster isn't that easy unfortunately. 

The only time I got shimmy otherwise was when I had grease on the friction damper and/or insufficient torque on the pivot nut.

And yeah, it was attempting to extend the life if the tire that got me reducing the pressure in steps - 5 PSI at a time

Do you have 3 or 5 springs on the friction damper plate? Mine has 3.

Don H

Sent from my 'phone