Making a Wing WheelTow Out Gear?

On Monday, July 1, 2013 3:21:44 PM UTC-4, JohnDeRosa wrote:
Unicycle - Interesting and inexpensive starting point.



Padding - I was planning on using thick felt. Is the blue foam preferable due to the grabby nature? What is the source and part number if you have it handy?



- John

Hi John,

Not to get off topic, but if you think about what commonly goes wrong with wing walker wheels and the solutions people have come up with (partial list):

- Too big; make it fold up or make a really small tip cuff/wheel.
- Twists on the wing whenever there is a minor side load; castering wheel or grippy padding.
- Punishes the glider on rough ground; add shock absorbing strut or other suspension.
- Can't get it over winglets; hinged at the trailing edge to slider over wing.
- etc. etc. etc.

Depending on what problem(s) your trying to solve, the design emphasis might be different.

Anyway, as far as the padding is concerned, the blue foam is just standard camping pad material (google something like Coleman Rest Easy) which comes in different thicknesses. One $12 pad would be enough for three wing wheels and it's easy to attach to the cuff with spray adhesive or contact cement. Plus, it probably has more give than felt and the grip from the closed cell foam helps to prevent twisting. Just my view; I'm sure the professionals who fabricate these things have put more thought into it.