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Thread: Aluminum Overcast tail wheel

  1. #11

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    I see the point, but to me it seems trivial to the fact that AO is out there spreading the gospel on a fairly heavy schedule. Don't lose sight of the fact that the plane is 70+ years old. Perhaps maintenance required on the tail wheel can be better utilized elsewhere on the airframe. I can easily ignore non-retracting tail wheel for the fact that I am looking UP to see it.Rick

  2. #12

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    I too am glad to see Aluminum Overcast flying overhead and spreading the gospel of the "greatest generation". And I understand a busy schedule of places to go and people to carry. I get that! However, when you see a number of other B-17's flying and AO is the ONLY one with a tail wheel hanging out it just looks WRONG!!! Seems to me there should be adequate time in the off season to correct this deficiency. To me this has got to be an embarrassment to the EAA and in particular to the EAA warbirders. Every year awards are given for the best restorations and we cannot even get the tail wheel to retract! Like I said, if you are not going to do it right...................

  3. #13

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    Quote Originally Posted by gmilty View Post
    I too am glad to see Aluminum Overcast flying overhead and spreading the gospel of the "greatest generation". And I understand a busy schedule of places to go and people to carry. I get that! However, when you see a number of other B-17's flying and AO is the ONLY one with a tail wheel hanging out it just looks WRONG!!! Seems to me there should be adequate time in the off season to correct this deficiency. To me this has got to be an embarrassment to the EAA and in particular to the EAA warbirders. Every year awards are given for the best restorations and we cannot even get the tail wheel to retract! Like I said, if you are not going to do it right...................
    Mountain...molehill.

  4. #14
    FlyingRon's Avatar
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    There's a big difference between a award-competing airplane and a working plane.

  5. #15

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    Ever see pictures of Korean war Mustangs flying missions with their tailwheels pinned down? When I was a Guard pilot years ago, one of the maintenance Sgts told me that about all the L-17s had their landing gear pinned down. All three.

    He was talking about Korea.
    Last edited by Bob Dingley; 06-12-2016 at 01:03 PM.

  6. #16

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    EAA has lots of aircraft to maintain and a limited staff to do it. Keeping it flying is far more important to me than if the tailwheel retracts or not. If you want it changed, volunteer, there's always room for more volunteers.

    Bill H.

  7. #17
    FlyingRon's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Bob Dingley View Post
    Ever see pictures of Korean war Mustangs flying missions with their tailwheels pinned down? When I was a Guard pilot years ago, one of the maintenance Sgts told me that about all the L-17s had their landing gear pinned down. All three.

    He was talking about Korea.
    I'm not even sure how you'd "pin" a L-17 gear down without drilling a hole through the actuator. It certainly is going to make a dog out of the airplane as the Vle is only 100 MPH. I'm not even sure why you'd do this. An L-17 gear is dirt simple

  8. #18

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    The Sgt seemed to be an honest man. My Guard unit's L-17 went to Davis Monthan years before I joined it, so my L-17 knowledge is nil. The military does things like that when logistic support dries up. 100 mph means it could cruise side-by-side with a BirdDog and still have twice the seats. That alone would makeit an asset during a war. I feel your pain about pinning gear. Had to fly some that way when I was in comm aviation and it sure sucks on a hot day when you're in a hurry. At least I had a 130kt vle.

  9. #19
    EAA Staff
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    As for the tail wheel of the B-17 "Aluminum Overcast", it has been modified to not retract. The modification was done to and complies with FAA regulations. It is NOT because of any mechanical issues.

  10. #20
    FlyingRon's Avatar
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    I could believe they pinned the HANDLE so you couldn't operate it (that's easily doable, there's already a place there that the secondary latch fits into). There's no "pinning" of the gear itself from the factory as unlike other aircraft where you need to put pins in when the airplane is parked without the engines/hydraulics on, the L-17 gear stays down from being over center.

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