Tailwheel Thoughts

jmdewitt · Post by **jmdewitt** » Thu Jan 05, 2012 8:15 pm

One of the airplanes I'm looking at is the Spacewalker II. Lots of nice WX where I live, and I think it would be pretty nice puttering around in an open cockpit.

I think it's ironic that taildraggers are seen as some sort of mystical creature, suspected to be in cahoots with the powers of darkness, when for decades that's what everyone flew.

With that said, one thought that occurred to me was, "If that thing flips over, somebody is going to die." Open cockpits, low wing. A structure can be built up behind the aft cockpit for rollover protection. Things could still suck in the front seat.

Am I thinking too hard?

drseti · Post by **drseti** » Thu Jan 05, 2012 9:21 pm

jmdewitt wrote:If that thing flips over, somebody is going to die.

Not to be overly morbid about this, but yes, there is an element of risk associated with low-wing taildraggers. A couple of decades back, legendary aerobatic champion Charlie Hillard was killed at Sun-n-Fun when his Sea Fury flipped, landing in a crosswind. If I recall correctly, his brakes locked up and he nosed over, breaking his neck. On the other hand...

Am I thinking too hard?

Yes, I think you probably are. You can find examples of freak accidents in just about any kind of aircraft. You could also have one while driving to the airport.

jmdewitt · Post by **jmdewitt** » Fri Jan 06, 2012 11:43 am

I understand what you're saying.

I'd be putting my best friend (my wife) in that front cockpit.

drseti · Post by **drseti** » Fri Jan 06, 2012 11:48 am

jmdewitt wrote:I'd be putting my best friend (my wife) in that front cockpit.

But not until you've become really proficient, right?

jmdewitt · Post by **jmdewitt** » Fri Jan 06, 2012 1:43 pm

Most assuredly! I've ridden motorcycles for years (and spent 5 years teaching motorcycle Safety Foundation courses), but if I got a new bike I'd ride solo until I was comfortable with the nuances of the new machine.

I see where you're going.

As Clint Eastwood said, "A man's gotta know his limitations." The other side of that coin is having a realistic assessment of your abilities.

Good training + practice = proficiency.

drseti · Post by **drseti** » Fri Jan 06, 2012 2:04 pm

jmdewitt wrote:I've ridden motorcycles for years (and spent 5 years teaching motorcycle Safety Foundation courses)

Sounds like you're well on your way toward becoming a CFI!

jmdewitt · Post by **jmdewitt** » Fri Jan 06, 2012 4:40 pm

Now you're putting ideas in my head.

c162pilot · Post by **c162pilot** » Fri Jan 06, 2012 5:20 pm

Looks like Tecnam just got into the Tailwheel business!

http://www.bydanjohnson.com/index.cfm

jmdewitt · Post by **jmdewitt** » Sat Jan 07, 2012 5:53 am

Shiny! Now all I need to do is hit the lottery. There's a simple business plan.

flyboy2007 · Post by **flyboy2007** » Sun Jan 08, 2012 3:47 pm

Do not be afraid of the taildragger. That is all they had years ago. A taildragger makes you a better pilot(in my oppinion). Once you get really proficient at a taildragger you won't want to fly a trycicle gear again. They can do a lot that a nose gear can't. I say go for it and you will be glad you did. Good luck with whatever you choose. as long as your in the air!!!!

drseti · Post by **drseti** » Sun Jan 08, 2012 4:02 pm

flyboy2007 wrote:Do not be afraid of the taildragger.

Actually, a little fear (or, at least, respect) is a healthy thing. Just don't get hung up on it!

hink · Post by **hink** » Thu Feb 09, 2012 7:25 am

flyboy2007 wrote:Do not be afraid of the taildragger. That is all they had years ago. A taildragger makes you a better pilot(in my oppinion). Once you get really proficient at a taildragger you won't want to fly a trycicle gear again. They can do a lot that a nose gear can't. I say go for it and you will be glad you did. Good luck with whatever you choose. as long as your in the air!!!!

I hear that tail draggers are a lot more fun to fly but the only reason I've ever heard cited was that in a tail dragger you are on the CG whereas in a trike the CG is in front of you. I have yet to log any dragger time, could you guys expand on why they are "more fun" or "can do a lot that nose gear can't"?

bryancobb · Post by **bryancobb** » Thu Feb 09, 2012 8:35 am

You can't deny historical records,

Insurance claims for tail draggers tell the story pretty well.

That being said, once you master the taildragger, you will have more fun and be a much better pilot.

A Kitfox III with a Maule tailwheel and marginal brakes is the squirreliest plane I have ever touched.

I taught my friend in his in preparation for his SP checkride. He was so discouraged. It took him 15 or 20 hours before he reached the BEGINNING stage of takeoffs and landings. He scared off 2 other instructors with his takeoffs and landings.

It finally "clicked" and now he is a MASTER of the Kitfox for wheel and 3-point landings. He says he thinks he could fly a Pitts now!

3Dreaming · Post by **3Dreaming** » Thu Feb 09, 2012 9:59 am

hink wrote:
flyboy2007 wrote:Do not be afraid of the taildragger. That is all they had years ago. A taildragger makes you a better pilot(in my oppinion). Once you get really proficient at a taildragger you won't want to fly a trycicle gear again. They can do a lot that a nose gear can't. I say go for it and you will be glad you did. Good luck with whatever you choose. as long as your in the air!!!!

I hear that tail draggers are a lot more fun to fly but the only reason I've ever heard cited was that in a tail dragger you are on the CG whereas in a trike the CG is in front of you. I have yet to log any dragger time, could you guys expand on why they are "more fun" or "can do a lot that nose gear can't"?

I don't think more fun to fly would be the correct term, because in the air I don't think you could tell what kind of gear the airplane has. I can say however that take offs and landings in a tailwheel airplane can be more challenging. More challenging equates to a greater sense of accomplishment once you get the hang of it. Now it could be that the airplanes that have tailwheels are airplanes that are funner to fly, but not because of the gear. I know a couple people who used to fly a J3 on tri-cycle gear, and they talk like it was great fun.

drseti · Post by **drseti** » Thu Feb 09, 2012 10:32 am

I fly them both, so here is my assessment:

Nosewheels are big and heavy. Tailwheels are small and light. As a result (all else being equal), conventional landing gear makes the plane slightly faster (less drag) and imparts a greater useful load.

Nosewheels (especially steerable ones) are generally more mechanically complex than tailwheels. So, maintenance can be simpler in a taildragger.

Taildraggers tend to sit on the ground nose-high, so they have better prop ground clearance. Better for unimproved runways and taxiways. But, when tied down, the wings of a taildragger are already at a positive angle of attack, with respect to any surface wind. So, they'd better be tied down really well. They will want to fly out of their parking spaces (which we saw at Sun-n-Fun last year, when that tornado came through Lakeland).

With a nosewheel, the CG is forward of the main gear, imparting stability on the ground. With a tailwheel, the CG is behind the mains, resulting in inherent instability on the ground. Hence, the higher incidence of ground-loop accidents in taildraggers. OTOH, an aft CG means faster airspeeds. This is because, when the nose is heavy, the tail has to exert down-lift to balance that. Nose-up elevator or trim means more drag from the horizontal tail, thus slower speeds.

As a general rule, because of their takeoff and landing characteristics, taildraggers are better at getting in and out of tight spaces. They tend to make superior short-field aircraft.

Tailwheel pilots tend to be regarded as gods in the aviation community. Cessna 172 drivers in particular seem to be in awe of them.

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Tailwheel Thoughts

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