Bigger is better!

Or so one supposes, up to a point.... Recent rains have made the grass at BMF thicker, the small potholes bigger, and the ants more industrious. The grounds crew has been doing a great job keeping up with the rapid grass growth rate, but with all that thickness etc, smaller wheels, like those on the Alpha, have trouble negotiating roll outs. In my recent video you may have seen how quickly she ground to a halt. Take offs were breatholders as she would run, and run, and run, and then just break free. Touch and go's were touch-stop and run way out then go. Once the nose gear came up she leapt into the air but getting her to Vr was tough. Any taxiing was a gamble if her nose wheel dipped into a hole. The prop cut grass (and painted her green), and she would tip head over into the dip.

Today I stopped by Orange Grove Hobby and purchased a pair of 2.75 wheels and 2.5 wheels. The smaller one is the nose wheel. Looks good, doesn't seem to have added much more weight. I did have to MacGuyver the nose gear as the axle strut was a bit short if I had collars on both sides of the wheel (its always something). I CA'd a prop adapter plastic ring to the strut and set a thin washer on. The wheel went on with just enough axle to spare to secure the lock nut pretty well.

Off with the small, on with the bigger! 2.75" tires on the back, 2.5"nose wheel. The old wheels were nose about 1.5 and mains 1.75. In the foreground are a 2.5 and 1.75.