Question Taking the Tailwheel Plunge

[lrobichaux]

I've flown my NXCub for a little more than 8 months and ~ 100 hours and I just love it. It's a beast of a plane which has afforded me the opportunity to develop some basic Cub flying skills. Low, slow, short grass strips, windows open ... it's the most fun I've had in aviation ... so far. That said, the internal critic deep in my head constantly reminds me "yeah, that's all great, but it's not a tailwheel." So, after a few months of consideration, I've signed up to but a brand new EX-3 built by an experienced A&P/IA builder who I trust completely. I'm going to own the plane in partnership with my stepson. So this post is combo announcement and request for suggestions / recommendations.

2025 EX-3, CC363i, 83" 2-blade CS prop, 31" ABW, Acme suspension, 3x3 extended landing gear, ABW baby bushwheel with an IFR panel w/ AP, BEW of 1,169 lbs.

@Neal , I've watched just about all of your YT videos, but would appreciate it if you would point me the top 2 or 3 most relevant for a new EX-3 owner. Would also love everyone's opinion on whether the the following is worth the cost: (1) forward facing camera, and (2) dual caliper Beringer brakes.

Comments and suggestions welcome.

 

[Cactus Charlie]

would appreciate it if you would point me the top 2 or 3 most relevant for a new EX-3 owner. Would also love everyone's opinion on whether the the following is worth the cost: (1) forward facing camera, and (2) dual caliper Beringer brakes.

Forget the toys and learn to fly it.

With that empty weight I have to wonder if the builder understood "unusable fuel". The FX-3 has 5 gallons unusable when tested by CC. That's a 30 lb penalty over builders who assume unusable fuel is what is left after draining the tanks with the aircraft level.

 

[lrobichaux]

Forget the toys and learn to fly it.

Yep. Good advice. I've got a little TW time now, and I plan to get 10 hours dual before flying solo PIC.

With that empty weight I have to wonder if the builder understood "unusable fuel".

See attached.

 

[Cactus Charlie]

Well I see 30 lb unusable in there I'm but still surprised at the weight. My FX-3 with 80 inch prop and 26 inch ABW, GPS175, and G5, has an empty weight of 1170 lb. (Extrapolated for post delivery mods from factory weighing).

Maybe you got an unusually light build which should be good.

 

[Neal]

Congrats @lrobichaux - sounds like you're having a blast and that's priority #1. Priority #2 - get some Aeroguard and clean that windscreen

As to the brakes? No, you have grove which I am not familiar with but the brake issue I mention is for Beringer 6 inch wheels/brakes with 31" ABW. I could barely hold the tires at runup without dual calipers.

Forward looking camera? With larger tires it's harder to see over the front but it's just a safety device and I never taxi without it. I've had times where I've landed on a grass strip that has those cone things for runway edge markers and you have to go between two to turn around at the end and I wondered "Did I go between them?" and of course looking for construction cones or anything stupid that wants to attack my credit card. Trent Palmer hit a cone and I think that's when it all started. It's an easy mod but it will require drilling into the lower cowl and installing it. But I love it, as you know.

It seems to me the gross weight is a little low by about 100 lbs but my sample size is 2. My second FX-3 I think is around 1300 lbs for some reason, prior was around 1270. With cargo pod.

I think in your original post you mean IA not AI after A&P? Let me know and I can fix it for you.

 

[Cubonaut875]

My 2 cents: I'd skip the baby bushwheel. No matter what they have a shimmy on pavement, it generally obligates a wheel landing on pavement. On sandbars the regular tailwheel actually acts like a brake. Soft wet grass or snow is where the BB bushwheel shines. I'd skip the whole Berringer wheels and brake fiasco entirely. They are like that decorative couch my wife has that looks great but is totally uncomfortable and non functional.

 

[Cactus Charlie]

I put a baby bushwheel on my FX-3 after I spent about 30 minutes at a remote strip with the standard tailwheel buried up to the axle in mud. The baby bushwheel floats over everything.

I land 3 point on pavement and it took a while to tame the shimmy. Now I sometimes have some mild shimmy that is usually stopped by relaxing the stick back pressure. Maybe one pavement landing in ten I have to get the tail back off the ground.

The shimmy is now infrequent, mild, and tolerable. When I started it was so violent I was concerned about structural damage.

I would not take the baby bushwheel off but I would not recommend it to anyone that is not likely to bury the standard tailwheel.

 

[lrobichaux]

I land 3 point on pavement and it took a while to tame the shimmy.

For the uninitiated like me, what's the process for diagnosing and taming the shimmy?