Finally, a pneumatic tail wheel!

Original (solid) Maule tailwheel

Like most Avid Flyers mine came with the classic Maule tail wheel. I find the Maule mechanism working great but the solid wheel way too hard. On a smooth paved runway it works great but anywhere else you really want something more shock absorbing...
Real tundra tail wheels are ridiculously expensive as they require a complete tail wheel assembly so I decided to go for a low-cost compromise.
Matco sell a 6 inch pneumatic nose wheel that is also used in one of their tail wheel assemblies. (Links to wheel and tire)

It is made for a thicker axis but with a few tubes, ordered from an on line bearing supplier, it is easy to adapt.
I mounted it on the plane just before my last flight and made 3 landings. With approximately the same diameter the mechanism is working like before but the vibrations and the "shaking" is reduced. It is not a dramatic difference but well worth the investment.
It should be noted that the Matco wheel is, once in place, 750g (1.63 lbs) lighter than the Maule wheel.