The International Cessna^® 170 Association

I visited my hangar neighbor today and saw what seems to me like a great idea. He owns a Great Lakes and has doubled the tail wheel chains - two per side. One pair is tight and is actually controlling the tail wheel. The second pair is one or two links losser than the first and is acting as a back-up in the event a chain breaks. This appears to be a great idea - however, I have to ask myself - if this is a great idea why arn't we all already doing it?

Because the chains don't break?

I'm just guessing. I've heard of a lot of other things breaking at the tail wheel but not the chain itself.

Anybody else have a guess?

And if one breaks.... (most likely one of the shorter ones)... won't the opposite side short-chain pull the aircraft that direction? And wouldn't the pilot simply step on the broken-chain-side brake and pop the tailwheel out of detent and regain control?
To me it seems like an unapproved, unnecessary solution to a non existant problem.

there are alot of bad parts floating around these days. I have purchased chains that had the center holes punched off center these were approved parts but totally useless. I have also had chains with defective links, they were also supposed to be approved parts. they failed after the first flight. I now use the heavy duty chains from univair and haven't had any more problems. I can certainly understand why one might consider using double chains in a pinch, I don't know why you wouldn't make them the same length though.

Can I climb on a soapbox? ....I hate the combination of chains and airplanes.

I am personally aware of one Cub that lost a wing due to the failure of a spar attach fitting that the FAA/NTSB attributed to fatigue cracks caused by using chains for tie downs. The pilot was killed when wing came off right after takeoff. The aircraft had been recently inspected for wind damage and had been deemed airworthy.

The theory was that unlike ropes, chains obviously have nearly zero elasticity and if not tightened well, any movement caused by wind will result in a sharp load compared to a material with more elastic give like nylon ropes.

I suppose that some chains, when used in conjunction with cables laid out on the tarmac, might be OK depending of the proximity of the cable's anchor to the vertical chain if the wing can lift the cable a bit before becoming completely tight.

However, why not be kind to your 50 year old airplane and spend a few bucks every other year on some high quality, suitably sized nylon rope. Even tailwheels can get banged aroung in strong wings and I would rather have some modest degree of elasticity in the system to take up some of the shock rather than the fittings of my plane.

I'm with Pete Brown. I never tie my airplane down with chains for the very reason Pete outlined. If the wind is strong enough to move the airplane, it will come to the end of the slack, and there WILL be slack, and it will be jerked to a stop with a gut wrenching bang. I saw it rip the tail tie down ring right out of a C-177 with a nice sized chunk of skin and bulkhead attached.

When chain tie downs are supplied, I use a piece of rope between the chain and the airplane and pull it up tight, with a double reduction loop, so the airplane cannot move.

Pete and Dick, I believe they were refering to tail wheel steering chains. I am with you guys on ropes for tiedowns and not chains though. I remember that cub you are talking about Pete.
Shawn

doesn't s.o. make a nice stout tailwheel chain?

and i have always used ropes to tie down.
one can pull them pretty tight,
and i've never had them slack up to much.
iowa

When I lived in Montana I used chains on my plane in the winter, but I havent bin stuck in the in the snow sice moving out here

Larry

Nice, stout, tailwheel chains? That's an oxymoron.
Why would you want stout chains on a delicate mechanism? So you can tear up the expensive, delicate mechanism?
I'd rather replace the cheap, hardware-store-quality chains.

I think there is supposed to be a hardwire loop somewhere in the connection from rudder to tailwheel. This, as I understand it, is supposed to be the weak link so you don't tear up something if your chains and/or springs are too robust.

Buck..................Galena

there for awhile
i was losing chains.
solution was simple:
i bought a couple of spares!
never lost one since.
(Murphy's Law?)
iowa