Recommended techniques on flying a tail dragger

[pumpkinhead]

Looking for any recommend reading material, video’s or personal insights on learning, (techniques) for flying a tail dragger, specifically a Citabria.
Thank you in advance.

 

[Rez O. Lewshun]

Taming the Taildragger and the Complete Taildragger ....

Know the wind direction for t/o, landing and taxi and apply the appropriate control response. Get proficient at wheel and 3 pt landings. The Citabria is a great taildragger... lots of wiggle room... find grass. have fun.

 

[bubbers44]

Never ever land in a crab. Make sure you are on centerline, wing into the wind and land with the longitudinal axis perfectly aligned with your ground path. Wheel landings work the best in gusty conditions. Make sure 3 pt landings are 3 pt and the mains don't touch first or you bounce. It is a very good airplane and is a great aerobatic trainer. I taught aerobatics for Art Scholl in the 70's. No one had any problems landing it with a little taildragger experience. Have fun.

 

[VNugget]

If you bounce, do something (flare again or go around) rather than nothing. If you get wide-eyed and sit there with the stick flopping around in your hand waiting for the situation to sort itself out, you're not ready.

 

[sleddriver71]

Accept that you will be humbled and prepare to have the most fun you've had flying an airplane. I never fully understood adverse yaw until I started flying a Cessna 120. I swear, if you banked into a turn without rudder it would yaw so far in the opposite direction to that which I was banking, my flight path would continue straight ahead... Great fun.

 

[Skyboy722]

Accept that you will be humbled and prepare to have the most fun you've had flying an airplane. I never fully understood adverse yaw until I started flying a Cessna 120. I swear, if you banked into a turn without rudder it would yaw so far in the opposite direction to that which I was banking, my flight path would continue straight ahead... Great fun.

Sleddriver is right. It looks like you have lots of flight time. But remember how exiting it was when you were first getting started? You, my friend, are about to be reborn and feel that all over again! Don't worry too much about it, just don't be afraid to go around. The Citabria is a great airplane! HAVE FUN!!!!

 

[GooseHZ]

With over 1000 dual given in TW.....i agree with the above post.....read all u want..i hanged learned one rule......keep it straight.....just don't sit there.

 

[embpic1]

I never fully understood adverse yaw until I started flying a Cessna 120. I swear, if you banked into a turn without rudder it would yaw so far in the opposite direction to that which I was banking, my flight path would continue straight ahead... Great fun.

My buddy let me fly his Champ. He demonstrated this very thing. I gave it a good amount of right aileron with no rudder and the damn thing just went into a slip! Crazy. My Stinson 108-3 will turn just fine using only ailerons (albeit not coordinated)

I got my private in a Citabria many moons ago. One of the early lessons I learned is that you have to 'pin' the tail when the tailwheel touches. As soon as you feel that tailwheel touch pull on full up elevator. If you don't and you let the elevator 'do its thing', you will find yourself porpoising down the runway. It will get worse if not corrected resulting in bad things.

 

[huskerpilot]

A video called Tailwheel 101 is a great reference, but like above, flying with a good instructor is the best thing you can do. I've started in a tailwheel and the best advice I can give is to remember that the center of gravity is behind the main gear not in front like a trike. This makes things like bounced landings, ground loops, and other fun things possible and makes flying the taildragger so tricky. However, it's so much fun you'll smile from ear to ear! Enjoy!

 

[belchfire]

Taming the Taildragger and the Complete Taildragger ....

Know the wind direction for t/o, landing and taxi and apply the appropriate control response. Get proficient at wheel and 3 pt landings. The Citabria is a great taildragger... lots of wiggle room... find grass. have fun.

Rez-0, I never would have guessed! You're just full of surprises...though I lean towards perhaps a Bellanca 14-13-2 or any of the Stinsons-

but I digress.

Grass, gravel, dirt, snow, ice-any unimproved surface allows for some give with regard to the main wheels and is thus more forgiving. As the Luftwaffe retreated Westward a "bitumen" runway caused more losses to at least one squadron than the USSR's Peoples Army Air Forces to their ME-109's-they'd gotten lazy with their feet on the ground from four years operating in the field-as opposed to snow, mud and gravel pavement grabs the tires!

Get it straight and keep it straight..."wings level is meaningless once a wheel touches the ground". (old FM-2 pilot's words-and he never ground looped one)-there are limits of course, but you're not likely to get a wingtip on a high wing airplane-if the nose is pointed at the end of the runway you're okay- Keep the nose pointed at the end of the runway whatever it takes!

Best pilots I've flown with have some taildragger time, the best of the best started in a taildragger!

You're not done flying until the thing is tied down...