I searched old threads , but could not find a definitive answer on whether you can fly the ultralight MiniMax without setting up wheel brakes. I am presently working on the landing gear. (The gear came assembled with the project.) My question now is whether it is absolutely necessary to have brakes on the wheels ? I can save a few pounds of weight if I go without them.
As suggested in some old threads, I slightly altered the layout of of the steering arm of the tail wheel, for the pilot to have more steering control ( as shown in picture below.) The change involves moving the steering rod’s front end about 1.5 inches outward from position shown in plans. I am sure this change is an old and tested idea, and with this change I was wondering whether brakes were really necessary. ( My aim is to fly this build with the least frills, but not compromising on basic safety. )
I tried to fly without brakes initially and quickly added them on never would fly without them again . Don't listen to people telling you you don't need them , when you find yourself headed wrong direction into a fence or trees or spectators and no means of stopping the plane, these people advising you will not be there.
Thanks Antoni, and thanks George. I love to hear both sides of the story. Which is also the reason I pose such questions on this board, so as to get a spectrum of opinion on issues and choices that builders face.
Differential brakes are very handy on narrow strips in order to brake a wheel when turning. There is also the great advantage of being able to get the aircraft stopped quickly when wheeling it on in a crosswind, when the need is to get through the phase between running out of rudder authority and getting the tailwheel pinned down well before the MiniMax gets interested in choosing its own direction. Getting the speed down quickly is a Very Good Idea. Fitting brakes enlarges the weather window.
Could someone, who feels he has a very simple and very basic brake system setup, please post a picture of how it is built ? I am slowly veering to the idea that some sort of elementary braking aid may be necessary, (if not for differential braking), at least to just avoid going into some obstacle. I would like to use the stock plastic wheels that came with the kit. Thanks
I do not have brakes on my Max but I fly from a huge old WWII reliever airport that has very little traffic and is really quit flat.We do have sky diving at the airport in the summer. I visit a couple other strips that are private farm type strips with little or no traffic and so far I have not had any problems. But George is right and I would not advise you to go without brakes. If there other planes on the ramp or in my vicinity I shut her down and get out and grab the tail spring and get a little exercise. The plane moves easy. Looking at your picture of your wheel I see the bushing in the hub and it reminds me that you might have to hone the bushing to fit the axle; I had to do it and was lucky cause a friend had a hone the right size to do the job. The previous owner might have already done it . Have you test fit the wheels to the axle yet?
The drum brake setup that most Maxes use is powerful enough and probably the most cost effective way of doing it. It is well documented and well understood. John Riley in England has fitted an Airbike with disc brakes from a bicycle and those work well, too. They may be lighter. There are details on our Facebook group; if you would like to join, you would be welcome. http://www.facebook.com/groups/MinimaxUK/
I do not have brakes on my Max but I fly from a huge old WWII reliever airport that has very little traffic and is really quit flat.We do have sky diving at the airport in the summer. I visit a couple other strips that are private farm type strips with little or no traffic and so far I have not had any problems. But George is right and I would not advise you to go without brakes. If there other planes on the ramp or in my vicinity I shut her down and get out and grab the tail spring and get a little exercise. The plane moves easy. Looking at your picture of your wheel I see the bushing in the hub and it reminds me that you might have to hone the bushing to fit the axle; I had to do it and was lucky cause a friend had a hone the right size to do the job. The previous owner might have already done it . Have you test fit the wheels to the axle yet?
Aeronut, thanks for your nice analysis of various issues involved in flying a Max without brakes. The insight is very useful. Regarding my wheels, the bushing fits the axle perfectly, so I presume the first builder must have already honed the bush to fit the axle. Thanks again.
my skypup didn't have brakes it had a hole in the floor bottom to drag your feet, my gyrobee doesn't have brakes, The rotor works perfectly as a braking system. This is all flying from a grass strip occupied by nobody but me. If you plan on flying from a airport with traffic I would have brakes but I feel you should base descision on what you need instead of a federal weight limit.
Until last November I was flying from a country airfield with light traffic, both asphalt & grass strips. My Max has differential brakes. I can only hold up to about 3500 rpm for engine check, so my brakes aren't much good for full power runup prior to takeoff.
I never had to use brakes on the runway, & only ever used them to assist in turning on the taxiway to get to & from the grass strip, & lining up outside the hangar. When you have a bit of confidence, it's quite easy to lift the tail & give it a blast of propwash to tighten your turns on the ground.
As has been suggested, you could look at attaching a disc brake using standoffs to the plastic wheel, but this will add weight and it will be neither easy nor cheap.
I think I would be inclined to finish your plane, play around taxiing where you intend to fly from, & see how you get on. If you decide brakes are a must, then retro fit them.
I think I would be inclined to finish your plane, play around taxiing where you intend to fly from, & see how you get on. If you decide brakes are a must, then retro fit them. Bruce
My Max is brake less. It would be nice to have them, but it probably makes me more cautious. So far all my flying has been from grass. Remember that originally they didn't have brakes. I was fortunate to fly the "proof of concept" 103 legal Mini Max about 30 years ago. It didn't have brakes, and Wayne let almost anybody fly it. He kept track of how many people had flown it, and at the time I flew it the list was close to 40.
My Max is brake less. It would be nice to have them, but it probably makes me more cautious. So far all my flying has been from grass. Remember that originally they didn't have brakes. I was fortunate to fly the "proof of concept" 103 legal Mini Max about 30 years ago. It didn't have brakes, and Wayne let almost anybody fly it. He kept track of how many people had flown it, and at the time I flew it the list was close to 40.
Thanks Greg Doe. From what I can make out from above replies, if you are not operating from pavement, brakes are optional, though having brakes may help in some situations.
Peter, I'm not sure if you meant to ask about a "run up" or a a "run out"? If I feel I need to warm up my engine, I do it with the airplane tied down. If I need a per-flight run up, I do it taxiing to the end of the runway. Actually it's fun taxiing at 30 mph with the tail up!
If you don’t have any breaks how do you do a run out before you go fly? Just wondering thanks.
With a two stroke engine there isn't much need for a run up. The important thing is to get the engine up to temperature (200 F). Five minutes at a fast idle generally is enough. Many don't have two ignitions so no "mag check" needed. For those engines with two ignitions just checking to see that each is working is enough.
Thanks for the pictures. For now, I am trying avoid changing the wheels. And I am not able to get a brake rotor that would fit my wheels without some modification. But this is right on top of my to-do list, and as soon as the initial flight testing is done, I plan to come back to take up this unfinished job.
By the way, just wondering, does any Max have a tail wheel brake ? Differential braking is technically impossible with brakes only on the lone tail wheel, but it may be just enough to stop the airplane at slow speeds.
Differential braking isn't just possible, it has been installed on many a 'Max. mine included. Our runways are narrow compared to yours so we use them for turning tightly as well as coming to a stop.
I've never owned a plane with differential brakes and never missed them. I could turn my old Sonex in it's own length with rudder by locking the brakes, pushing forward on the stick and goosing the engine so that the tail just lifted and moved sideways. Same with the Eindecker and all the other light planes I've had.
Or just keep the drum brake with something like this... For the cost of a small length of aluminum angle and some assorted hardware. And of course the time cutting and grinding the shape of the pedals. All the hardware is located under the floor board so it's not (unsightly) like some of the other designs I have seen where they run the cables on top. It has been said/suggested by some in the past that the drum brake is the most (protected) and least prone to being damaged/bent as is evident by some of the above comments. But I don't know which design will weigh less. TTT
Couple more. Adjustable Rudder & Tail wheel linkage allows for easy pedal angle adjustment as well as easy ability to disconnect individual cables (not shown in these photos), Should maintenance require it. IE: It's not just a single looped cable for both the rudder & tail wheel. They are separated and individually detachable. (again, not shown in these photos).
I think the biggest advantage is the separated cables and ability to disconnect them individually as well as once they are disconnected the floor board can be removed. Actually that's not really true. The brake lines are still connected and unfortunately, Any disconnection of them requires a bit of work to get them adjusted again. Because all the mechanical/hardware is under the floor board you pretty much must disconnect the cables at the wheel/ brake activation lever and sliding the cable out of it's housing. Not Hard, just a bit of a PITA. TTT
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