Shimmy-free aircraft tail wheel assembly

摘要

A vibration-preventing tail wheel assembly prevents an aircraft tail wheel from shimmying during the takeoffs and landings. The unit retrofits and mounts between the aircraft tail spring and the original equipment tail wheel fork. A rigid hub assembly comprising a sleeve-like, central hub is rotatably coupled to the spindle assembly. The spindle assembly has a mounting flange connected to the aircraft tail wheel fork. A rigid arm projecting from the hub is bolted to the tail spring. The spindle assembly comprises a rigid sleeve coaxially extending from a mounting flange through and within the hub assembly. A pair of bearing assemblies fitted within suitable recesses on opposite ends of the central hub contact a special bushing. An internal, elongated bolt extending upwardly from the spindle assembly terminates in a threaded terminus engaged by a castellated nut that axially secures pressures the bushing and preloads the bearings, that are secured within suitable races fitted on opposite ends of the central hub. The specially designed bushing goes under the castellated nut and fits into the upper bearing to give the alignment and proper strength needed to complete the assembly. A "pre-load" condition is then introduced to the bearings by applying a minimum of 100 fps torque to the castellated nut, compressing the bearings together axially but allowing rotation about the bolt in response to predetermined forces.