Anyone have or know of a sonex with a free-castering, non-steering nosewheel?
I’m building a OneX and am considering adding differential brakes. I have flown two other planes with free-castering nosewheels and I like the ability to spin around one wheel in tight spaces.
Or does someone know if their steerable nose will drag around and allow a pivot around a locked wheel?
Thanks!
fred OneX 243
I’ve flown the DA-20, DA-40 and AA-1. All have a free-castering nosewheel. The geometry doesn’t allow the ability to spin around one wheel in tight spaces. They allow a very tight turn, but no pivot about a wheel. I would be more concerned about the additional mass of the castering fork, nose strut and redesigned structural support. The AA-1 has a typical installation. Diamond also has some AD’s on the nosewheel you may want to review.
I thought I would miss the ability to turn on a wheel like other aircraft, but I find I’m ok without that ability. I do like the go kart ground handling. My Waiex is a tailwheel and the solid link steering is an important part of low speed yaw authority. The rudder doesn’t have low speed power like a cub or similar.
Thanks for the feedback. I talked myself out of it (for now at least) build as is, and if I can’t stand it, then revisit it. It sounds like the turning may be just fine. Thanks!
I too lightly entertained it since I liked it flying Diamonds and I was installing the brakes for other reasons. It took less than 5 min of thinking to know as simple as it looks they’d be a lot of design to make sure it would be structurally and stability sound. I imagine that rudder authority, wheel locations and caster arm length/angle would need to be designed properly so it’s not unstable or unresponsive. It would also likely need engine mount modifications and add some significant weight.
The common Pipers/Cessna 172 have about a 30ft turning radius. Here it sounds like a nosewheel Sonex (didn’t see any numbers for the Onex) would be similar:
FWIW, my tail dragger takes about 50’ for a 180º turn (outside wingtip radius). Turning to the left appears to be a tighter turn than going right, although I’ve not verified it …
My observations are similar to Dale’s. We have a 50’ runway and with the cutout in the middle, we can do a 180. Straight 50’ width means we are going to be on the grass a little bit on both sides. 60’ is no sweat. You can see the cutout as we call it right in the middle of the runway, a little circular section off the edge. This is 30/12 at C77.
I’m based on an airport with a 75’ wide runway and it takes the full width of the runway for me to do a 180. Only have a lever operating both wheel brakes simultaneously. Wish a reversal could be done in 50’ but not possible.
Art, Sonex taildragger #95, Jabiru 3300 #261
Interesting - there is some variability here. Dale can do 50’ and keep his wingtips inside. I can do a little over 50’ and keep my wheels inside, so about 10’ more radius. Sounds like Art is in last place so far.
