Hi Craig, There was a discussion on here a few months ago about springs or not to spring. Consensus was NOT TO spring. Supercubs or any aircraft with a large rudder that can have effect at low speeds have springs as you may be able to apply effective rudder while the tailwheel is pointing in a different direction. But with an ineffective rudder, you need direct steering. Most Cassuts or race planes or anything with a small rudder does not have springs. My Kr2 doesn't have springs.
The arguments are that, you need direct steering on the initial roll as there is not enough airflow over the small rudder and the rudder has no initial effect. By the time speed has increased so that the rudder can have some effect, your tail wheel is off the ground because you have already raised the tail to reduce drag and increase vision over the nose and tail wheel steering doesn't work as your tail wheel is off the ground. When you land, I believe consensus is to wheel the plane on, I don't know anyone who three points a KR2. If you try to slow down to be able to three point a KR2, you can't see anything over the nose and you are only a few knots above the stall speed. So if you wheel it on, your tail wheel is off the ground until you can no longer keep it off the ground with the effect of forward elevator, at which point the rudder is not able to do anything again because it is small, so when the tail wheel touches the ground, direct steering is what is needed. Springs just make a mess of your ability to go in a straight line. A soft pneumatic tailwheel is also much better than a hard tail wheel for traction. A hard tailwheel just skits around and slips over the surface and doesn't really do anything. I have a large pneumatic tail wheel, but that is because I wanted to be able to land on sand, gravel grass or tarmac and it is a lot quieter than a solid tail wheel which sends shocks into the sound box which is the rear of the fuselage. People may say everything I have written is wrong but then I can challenge them to land and take off with me on any beach or salt bed, grass or any surface they like with a 20knot crosswind and see who gets on best. If you mention that you will only ever take off from a hard runway, then you are limiting where you can fly, which would be a great shame. Anyway, as you like. Regards Colin H. Video of landing on Grass Gravel Hard Surface Cross winds are at the following youtube links. One thing in common, no one three points it and no one has springs. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YMOExnz7ZmI https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RSJXKZhHkfQ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hk5Ww4WYxfs https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cgdgxVgPNAk https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9FJuTyf2sJc
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