Recommended techniques on flying a tail dragger

[LR25]

19 yrs of flying tailwheels, big an small, never heard of intentionally grounglooping. Also, who would let someone almost wreck their airplane for training? I havnt groundlooped yet, but you know what they say.

 

[avbug]

The only time one ought to consider an intentional groundloop is to stop a runaway aircraft, when all other means are no longer an option, or when it's the only method of getting stopped in an emergency. Such occasions are few and far between, and have a high probability of making things worse, not better.

 

[nosehair]

So, you never back-taxiied down a short runway and, upon reaching the end, 'unlocked' the tailwheel with a quick 180 into position?

C'mon. I'm not talking about a real fast speed reversal, but slow enough to get a feel for rudder and brakes. 'jeez, Avbug.

 

[avbug]

That's not a groundloop, and if you are groundlooping, then you're going too fast.

A standard technique when I first began flying ag, especially on short runways, was to reach the end of the runway, swing the tail and come up to takeoff power as the tail came around, and exit the turn rolling (as opposed to a standing takeoff. This enabled using every inch of the runway, which was necessary. The takeoff were sometimes done diagonally to gain a little more distance, and involved running until the tailwheel got light, then popping full flaps and full forward stick, then aft stick...and the runway was behind. A mile later, enough airspeed was built to begin climbing over the parallel powerlines, then a turn to go to the field.

This is not at all the same as 15 knots. In fact, swinging the tail isn't a groundloop; it's a turn. Swinging the tail at 15 knots during a fast taxi is a groundloop, and a very poor practice.

 

[nosehair]

to reach the end of the runway, swing the tail and come up to takeoff power as the tail came around, and exit the turn rolling (as opposed to a standing takeoff. This enabled using every inch of the runway

Now that's what I'm talking about. You said it much better than me.

 

[Waldom]

[QUOTE/ Oh yeah, if the stick ain't in your gut it's not going to land full stall (in a Cub anyways).[/QUOTE]

This statement is true, and essential for a three-point landing in a Cub, but a Citabria is not a Cub.

If you land a Citabria in a full stall, the main wheels will be about nine inches above the runway when the tailwheel touches. This will cause an inelegant "flop" onto the runway. The main landing gear legs are too short on the 7 series airplanes to allow a three-point landing in a full stall. The designers fixed that with the Bellanca/Champion - American/Champion "Scout" and put longer main gear legs on the airplane.

You can do a nice three-point landing in a Citabria, but the airplane is not fully stalled when you do it. Perhaps the best way to describe it is a tail-low wheel landing in which the tailwheel happens to touch down at the same time as the mains.

Have fun with your tail-wheel checkout: you're going to have a lot of fun and you won't regret the time and money you spent on it.

 

[avbug]

The Cub and the Citabria can both be landed three point easily enough.

 

[Rez O. Lewshun]

Yet the Citabria easier than the cub!

 

[A Squared]

[QUOTE/ Oh yeah, if the stick ain't in your gut it's not going to land full stall (in a Cub anyways).

This statement is true, and essential for a three-point landing in a Cub, but a Citabria is not a Cub.

If you land a Citabria in a full stall, the main wheels will be about nine inches above the runway when the tailwheel touches. This will cause an inelegant "flop" onto the runway. The main landing gear legs are too short on the 7 series airplanes to allow a three-point landing in a full stall. The designers fixed that with the Bellanca/Champion - American/Champion "Scout" and put longer main gear legs on the airplane.

You can do a nice three-point landing in a Citabria, but the airplane is not fully stalled when you do it. Perhaps the best way to describe it is a tail-low wheel landing in which the tailwheel happens to touch down at the same time as the mains.

Have fun with your tail-wheel checkout: you're going to have a lot of fun and you won't regret the time and money you spent on it.[/QUOTE]


Very true, in fact, as I was reading this thread, I was composing pretty much this exact post in my head. Now I don't have to, good work.

 

[A Squared]

The Cub and the Citabria can both be landed three point easily enough.

Certainly, but a perfect simultaneous 3 point in a Citabria with normal length gear legs is not stalled. You do a full stall landing, the tailwheel *will* touch well before the mains.