Phil Matheson wrote: >I have the Matco tail wheel that needs a 1 1/2 inch spring, what is the length you are using?
I've seen tail springs that were 4" long, and some that were probably 18" long. Apparently they both work. Somewhere around 14"-16" seems to work well, at least on my plane. Length is a factor in determining the thickness as well. Most of us try a quarter inch thick, and if that' not enough, add a reinforcing layer of 1/8" 4130 or something...a "built up" spring. If width is your concern, as with the Aviation Products tail wheel, it's easily ground down on the width where it interfaces with the tail spring (see http://www.n56ml.com/kgear.html for a photo of that). Does nvAero even sell a tail spring? Mark Langford, Harvest, AL ML at N56ML.com www.N56ML.com
