Thorp Air Command - T18.net

I'm not real sure if this is important or not, but I like to use "real" talcum powder, not the newer corn starch based "baby-safe" stuff. You can still get either at the grocery store. Use it sparingly but spread it around good. Keep it off of the bead area. Put a little bit of air in the tube, insert it in the tire with the valve stem aligned with the red dot on tire (if there is one), then put just enough more air so the tube fills the tire, but not too much so that the wheel halfs can be inserted without pinching the tube. Torque the wheel assembly bolts, fill the tire with air, then let the air out & refill again. Recheck pressure after first use.

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John Evens
Arvada, Colorado
T-18 N71JE (sold)
Kitfox 7 SS N27JE

Looks like I’m doing everything mostly by the book. Sounds like I need to read a couple of newsletters, drink a beer and adjust the alignment.

Thanks for the help.
Lou

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When you say you rotate the tires , does that mean you take the left tire and put it on the right side and the right tire on the left side ?

Yes.

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I personally think it is the alignment problem that is imposing excessive side loads on the tire and tube .

" Putting some angle on the Tail wheel Pivot" Actually Rich I have read more than one article that said that this could cause shimmy, and I guess in some cases that could happen, just hasn't happened in my case. I have short gear legs, so I lowered the tail by taking some arc outta the tail wheel spring instead of hunting up a set of long legs. The angle in the tail wheel pivot causes the tail wheel to want to run continuously straight, and it does. That flat spring now hits the airstream at an angle more so than the standard spring prolly not enough to make a hoots worth of difference but never the less its not flat into the wind. I learned to Fly the crazy thing as it is, and have flown a couple Ts that are of conventional flat spring heritage with short legs also, no complaints either way. But then think about it, what good pilot with a little tail wheel time would have any complaints about the Thorp anyway. My only complaint would be that I don't get to fly the slippery little devil enough....Dan

Lou, I had to shim one of my Axles to get my wheel alignment just one not both. I used a piece of a tape measure blade, I believe it was a .750 wide blade to get things in tolerance. I used up my right tire real quick during the time I was getting to know the plane but have long sense been able to get good tire wear there after......You coming to the KVIS Gathering?? Dan

[You coming to the KVIS Gathering?? Dan[/quote]


Does a scout poop in the woods?

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