How tail wheelers are different.

[Teckair]

Tail wheelers superior to nose wheel aircraft in almost every way, stronger, faster, lighter and here is why they are not as popular as nose wheel aircraft.

 

 

 

 

[facthunter]

yes, they can do those things. Of course you can have similar things happen to a tricycle if you land too fast. Worth a look for sure. nev

 

 

[geoffreywh]

What a bunch of wooden legged, lead footed amateurs!!!!

 

 

[foxy]

thats actually a really interesting video to watch from the prospective of a nosewheel flyer, wanting to get a TW endo.....was a little trepidatious about the landings in them....now im a lot!!!

 

 

[rocket1172]

Thats what makes a tailwheel take-off and landing, that little more special and skillful. All good fun. How many times did you yell out "Go around dude!!", while watching that video? It's a balancing act between aileron, rudder and braking, especially when x-wind is present. Two things I was taught when doing my endorsement, act quickly and comfortably, and stick that tail on the ground. When I was getting ready to be signed off, he told me the only thing I have to demonstrate on landing, was pull the stick into your guts!! The thing about Ag work, is that you have plenty, and I mean plenty, of practice landing with different conditions. The most landings I had to do in one day was 70! All of them where wheeler landings, which when you have airstrip length and x-wind, is the only way to go. Anyone who may be put off with that video, don't be. 1 tailwheel landing is worth 4 tricycle landings to your ego. (biased maybe, but) Rod.

 

 

[Spin]

Beware the three pointer - when flying a nosewheel equipped aircraft!

 

 

 

[rocket1172]

Ouch! Bit fast? Had a couple of opportunties to bail out and try again. ""If in doubt.....bail out...!!"" Anyway, I doubt he/she will do it again.

 

 

[Tomo]

Tail wheelers superior to nose wheel aircraft in almost every way, stronger, faster, lighter and here is why they are not as popular as nose wheel aircraft.

 

Nice vid, I nearly spun a TW around before, wakes you up! Managed to keep it, but it certainly showed me how easy it was to do with a bit of x-wind and tar.

 

 

[Teckair]

Beware the three pointer - when flying a nosewheel equipped aircraft!

 

 

 

Quite correct nose wheelers are forgiving if you land on the main wheels first. Never land nose wheel first, which is not hard you just have to get the nose up a bit before the wheels touch. Once that bouncing starts you must do something about it, either go around or add power and set up another flare.

 

 

[Guest ozzie]

Some aircraft were designed to be ground looped if needed. The P47 Thunderbolt with it's wide stance gear was one example.

 

 

[rgmwa]

Downwind landing

 

Saw a good example of a Stearman getting into trouble at the local airfield last weekend. For some reason he decided to land with about a 10kt tailwind. All fine initially, rolling along nicely on two wheels down the bitumen, but then he slowed to a point where the rudder lost effectiveness due to the tailwind, but he was apparently still rolling too fast to brake effectively without tipping up. Not a good situation!

 

The wind took over and the plane careered elegantly off the runway into the sandy scrub and looped around in a wide circle. Pretty mild ground loop fortunately, and no damage done due to the big wheels and massively strong undercarriage. The 20 or so pilots standing around watching found it very entertaining. If it had been a Cessna 180 or some other more lightly built aircraft, the outcome might have been different.

 

Good lesson - check the windsock!

 

rgmwa

 

 

[Old Koreelah]

Damned tailwinds! I have had two ground loops, both when taxying in gusty conditions. Finally figured out why hard rudder input made it worse- the deflected rudder picked up heaps of tailwind and carried the beast around in a big loop. Solution: use opposite rudder when tailwind is faster than airspeed.

 

 

[Guest ozzie]

same effect with the elevator. use neutral or opposite input in stongish TWinds

 

 

[denmit]

And that my friends is why I'm a member of this forum. An interesting and entertaining initial post followed by equally entertaining and informative responses. Thank you all.

 

Mitch:clap2:

 

 

[Student Pilot]

Tailwheel is just different, it used to be called "Conventional". Any aircraft can bite if not handled correctly. The rubbish carried on by some about how you have to be a Special" pilot is just that, rubbish. It's just another thing to learn in a constant non stop learning curve. I mean how hard can it be, they let girls do it?

 

 

[Teckair]

Tailwheel is just different, it used to be called "Conventional". Any aircraft can bite if not handled correctly. The rubbish carried on by some about how you have to be a Special" pilot is just that, rubbish. It's just another thing to learn in a constant non stop learning curve. I mean how hard can it be, they let girls do it?

Any girls care to comment on that?

 

 

[farri]

I have a mate with about 300 C185 hours, he was asking another guy with thousands of TW hours when he should feel comfortable,relaxed when about to land, the older guy says "never , the day you do the bastard will bight you

That`s about correct!

 

The landing is not over until the AC comes to a full stop!!!

 

Frank.

 

 

[Tomo]

I mean how hard can it be, they let girls do it?

I'll bite even if I'm not a girl :star:

 

What us guys can do... stops about there..... girls, well they just keep going!

 

 

[facthunter]

I think SP's comment is sexist. Women over the years have acquitted themselves pretty well. Look up "night witches" (Russians,) and there were women in England ferrying ALL types of service aircraft in varying conditions of serviceability, without previously flying the type. ( They had a book of flying tips/advice/ performance figures to go on.)

 

Hurricanes, wellingtons, mustangs Spitfires, Lancasters etc. I guess they must have been easy to fly , too. Nev

 

 

[Teckair]

I think SP's comment is sexist. Women over the years have acquitted themselves pretty well. Look up "night witches" (Russians,) and there were women in England ferrying ALL types of service aircraft in varying conditions of serviceability, without previously flying the type. ( They had a book of flying tips/advice/ performance figures to go on.)Hurricanes, wellingtons, mustangs Spitfires, Lancasters etc. I guess they must have been easy to fly , too. Nev

Yeah all those aircraft sound real easy. Jean Batten, Amelia Earhart, and a number of others were women with more ability than most.

 

 

 

[facthunter]

Just in passing I notice that whenever tailwheel A/C are mentioned as being something different, requiring a lifttle extra skill to operate. some seem to get their feathers ruffled a bit. Well let me assure you that they ARE different, (as the pictures show). However they are not COMPULSORY. But...When I AM da KING..... Hmmm. Nev

 

 

[dazza 38]

I enjoyed that especially the DC 3 landing at the 9.45 mark.

 

 

[facthunter]

There's times when I wonder why you would risk the possibility of making a fool of yourself with one when there is another option, but mostly I don't want any other. You just have to put in the extra effort. More versatile in all conditions especially extreme ones, and it's not hard to break a nosewheel off, if you have one, and then you ARE in strife. I don't recommend down wind landings though. I think everyone should take up the opportunity if it presents itself, but make sure the instructor is capable of saving the day IF you get it out of shape. They are definately harder to find now., around the traps..

 

Putting them on their nose, Can't remember it happening when I was young, but seems to happen a bit now. The Tiger didn't have any brakes and the Auster almost didn't.. Nev

 

 

[Guest ozzie]

After work on a Friday we used to go to the aeroclub at Bankstown for dinner and a beer. In summer we used to watch the entertainment of pilots getting their taildragger endorsments in C180/5 and the Rebel Air DC3. Every now and then there would be a collective OOOhh from the tables. I have done one takeoff in the DC3 but no landings. Line it up straight and make sure the tail wheel is properly locked then carefully bring the power up evenly and slowly and like any aircraft don't force it do what it don't want to do. Funny bit of advice he gave was, if it starts to swing and if you keep over correcting the Waltz will turn into a Rumba and you wont be the one leading. I can't remember the pilots name but he told me he learnt to fly on the 'King's Shilling".

 

ozzie

 

 

[Student Pilot]

In case yoo people missed it there was a that was supposed to indicate that wasn't serious suggestion.

 

Yes there were/are some very good wimmin pilots, they usually make very good pilots, willing to listen and most don't seem to have the bravado that some blokes have trouble with.

 

My statement that tailwheels are just another Aircraft, something different to learn I stand by. You don't have to be an "ACE" to fly one, it's just training. I'm sure it makes you a better pilot because of it but so does doing a NFR (or whatever they call it these days), different weather conditions, different aircraft, different strips and all the other things. As I said it's a constant learning curve, if you think you know it all it's time to give it away.