Question Tailwheel training in a Carbon Cub?

[Meconiates]

If you haven't yet done your build I'd have CubCrafters do it and just have it done with. I don't know the current cost, my guess it's in the neighborhood of 20K now, mine in 2021 was 17K. @turbopilot I believe is working on the retrofit side on his recent purchase of an xcub so he may be able to share some info soon.

My goal was to get it all done at build and not chase down who can install and how much and will it be done right, after the build.

Welcome to Flightinfo.com. Tell us more about yourself, have you ordered, have a build date yet, etc.???

Hi Neal, thanks for the quick response.

I am based out of KHPN and fly a TBM850 and Cirrus SR22. I have about 20 hours of tailwheel between a Decathlon and Citabria and just got my tailwheel endorsement last week. I would love to get some hours in a Carbon Cub but I am finding it extremely difficult as its not typically a plane that's offered for rent or dual instruction. So I am considering ordering a brand new FX3, or buying something in the used market to build time & experience, and would even considering partnering with someone in the NYC area (either newbuild or used).

I would even be willing to trade TBM time for Carbon Cub time if there is a CFI here that happens to own a Carbon Cub...

 

[Neal]

I'm not sure if you reached out to the dealer in your area but he may be able to help. I didn't have any carbon cub time, just about 20 hours of TW time I think it was when I took delivery of mine. I did my TW endorsement and then the TacAero FX-3 training week which was about 10 hours in type. I don't know that specific time in type is critical as is tailwheel time being something to build is most important, IMHO. We can discuss in another thread outside of this BRS discussion thread if desired. Good group of folks here that can chime in as well which are mostly Carbon Cub owners as well.

 

[Tsquared]

Another FX3 owner here. Get as much tailwheel time as you can before you take delivery and I strongly second Neal’s recommendation that you take the TacAero class in one of their FX3’s.

You mentioned you had time in a decathlon. I started my tailwheel training in a 90hp champ which doesn’t even remotely compare to an FX3. I moved to a Decathalon with a 180hp and constant speed prop to finish my training and found it pretty similar to the FX3.

My 2 cents is to keep flying the Decathalon until you can get down to TacAero, then keep flying the Decathalon to keep proficient until you get your own FX3.

 

[Neal]

I moved the posts out of the BRS thread into this new thread on the topic of Carbon Cub tailwheel training.

 

[Cactus Charlie]

I have given tailwheel instruction but none recently. I have flown about 10 different tailwheel types but only the FX-3 recently.

Before I took delivery of my FX-3 I had read several NTSB reports that seemed to indicate that FX-3 were being wrecked by pilots who had little tailwheel experience and who lost control while making high speed wheel landings. I have seen people making high speed wheel landing in tailwheel aircraft and going missed before the tail comes down. In my opinion no tailwheel landing is complete until the tail has come down and the aircraft has stopped (or at least come close to stopping).

Please learn to make low speed approaches and to touch down with minimum energy. Wheel landings don't require high speed although many are introduced to wheel landings by using high speed touchdowns. Remember that the energy that will cause damage when directional control is lost is proportional the square of the ground speed.

 

[Cactus Charlie]

One of the reasons there is almost no possibility of getting instruction in a non-owned experimental Carbon Cub is that the aircraft itself cannot be offered for rental without a LODA (Letter of Deviation Authority). This limitation still exists despite the elimination of LODA for giving or receiving instruction in an experimental aircraft.

Years ago, before I took delivery of my FX-3, I looked into the possibility of offering instruction in my own aircraft. It appeared there would plenty of demand to keep TacAero and at least one other training provider busy. The more I looked into it the less attractive it became. I did get as far a getting the LODAs for giving and receiving instruction but never used either of them.

EAA comments here - FAA Rescinds LODA Requirement for Noncommercial Flight Training in Experimental Aircraft | EAA