Yaw bearing and tail made from pipe fittings

[elt]

I'm not good at metal fabrication so I looked into making the yaw bearings, etc out of pipe fittings.

I found Windstuff Ed's page of formulas for furling, entered them into a spread sheet and saw solutions with 45 degree tail angles so I went ahead and put one together.

The first thing I noticed was that my tail drooped a little, about 6 degrees, but if reality matches the math then that should work okay too.

The tail would have been a little more compact if the supply house had a 1-1/4" wye. I got a 1" wye to use on the tail boom but had to use nipples and an elbow to get the 45 degrees off of the yaw bearing.

When everything is ready I'll get the parts welded up so they don't move.

Truth is I think the fittings look clunky and there's about $35 in pieces there. I imagine that's a lot more than if I'd made the parts myself but probably less than paying someone else do it...

More:

I got a used Saturn rear wheel hub off of ebay for $10, double checked the hole measurements, and emailed a DXF file to my laser cutter to get a hub mounting plate and two rotors; am waiting for those.

... the back cover on the hub popped off while I was hammering out the studs and I got a nice look at the ABS sensor. I got a notion that that'd be a good way to measure RPMs but there I read somewhere on the board about using a frequency counter on one of the alternator lines and that sounds simpler and better so I chucked that idea...

Reminds me of this anecdote: If two people come together and give each other a dollar then they both leave with one dollar. If two people come together and give other an idea then they both leave with two ideas.

I really appreciate that so many people share their ideas.

Thank you,

 - Ed.

[kitno455]

that will work just fine right up till it breaks pipe threads are notoriously weak, and the metal they are made from often welds poorly, it is very low grade stuff. i would not trust it.

allan

[Norm]

I'm not good at metal fabrication

Well then consider made of wood the bearing

parts can be from oil cooked/soaked wood...

  I'd take my chances on wood before welded

pipe fittings....

This is one made by Hiker...

http://www.otherpower.com/images/scimages/1236/MUDFLA_6_400.jpg

                  ( :>) Norm.

[Dan_NS_CAN]

Check out Frankenmill.http://www.fieldlines.com/story/2003/8/22/171154/307

Havn't heard how its doing but looks cool.

 

[elt]

Well, I'll end up flying it anyway; hopefully I'll get to replace it with a big brother version built a little better before it breaks! Thanks for the feedback, - Ed.

[elvin1949]

elt

 Allan is right IT WON'T HOLD UP.

But all is not lost--build it and take it to a fabricator as a pattern.That way you will not      

have to try to explain what you want he can see it.

later

elvin

[elt]

That's a great idea, thanks!

 - Ed.

[elt]

Hi Allan,

Just to double check, you're saying that it's the pipe threads that are weak; not the pipe? I mean, it looks like practically all the plans I see call for welding pieces on to "pipe" ...

 - Ed.

[elvin1949]

Ed

 It is weak in the threads.Had to remove a lot of metal to screw it together.

later

elvin