Which Taildragger would you buy?

[rfeathe1]

LR 25--A good 3 place tailwheel airplane is the PA 12 Piper Super Cruiser--it has a wide back seat that will accomadate 2 adults. I used to take my 3 children with me in my PA 12--they were 6, 7 & 8 years old at the time. The PA 12 came from the factory with a 100 HP Lycoming O 235 engine--it was no fireball performance wise but I used to fly it out of a 1300' sod strip with 2 adults in the back & never had a problem. Many PA 12s have been converted to larger engines--some with the O 320 Lyc.(150 HP).

 

[LR25]

Yeah, I forgot about the PA-12. Thats about what I would be looking for when the time comes to get an airplane to fit my wife and 2 yr old girl in.

I used to do 2 people in a Citabria(back seat), but they had to be 2 small kids and that would about to be it.

I want something to tote the family in, but I want it to be a taildragger, and speed aint an issue(to a point), style is.

Thanks

 

[Dragonbravo]

I'd say go with the 120. Only the wings are fabric, so there is less mx there. The engine is simple. It performs well for what it is. And it flies real nice.

 

[Frank Bama]

TAYLORCRAFT, need I say More.

 

[mnboyev]

Long live the T-Crates !! I have a pre-war open cowl 65. Fast and cheap to fly. I am partial to the Crates, but I have flown Cubs and Champs. Both are real good birds. Each have their little 'thing' that is good and bad. Champs do have a little more room. Cubs are a pain to get into. T-Crates are tight.

The Stinson 108 is a good taildragger. Cheap and big. Advanced airplane for its vintage. 4 Place

Cant beat a 90HP Cub. Although it burns more gas and is a little slow. Dream to fly. The stick thing is kinda fun.

The T-Crates are the best all around I believe if your of a medium size. I think it was 500 to insure. I know you can find a mid range Crate for around 12-15K.

 

[flydoc]

Originally learned tailwheel flying in a Citabria 7ECA. Very docile and fun to fly! About two years later I bought my first airplane which also happened to be a '65 7ECA. I had a lot of fun with that airplane. Right before I purchased, I had it narrowed down to two airplanes. Both were great inside/out and priced about the same (approx $27k). One had the 150hp conversion and bare-bones VFR, the other had an O-200 with (believe it or not) an IFR panel! I got the one with the panel thinking it would be convenient to get out of the clag if you had to. I think I flew in IMC twice (once to be stupid, twice to make sure I was being stupid). Don't get me wrong, I loved that airplane. It was great, but looking back, I'm sure I would have gotten a lot more use out of the extra 50 horses.

Maintenance was easy on this airplane also. I learned a lot about part 43 and owner conducted preventative maintenance. Plus, when you own a classic little airplane like this, A&P's WANT to help you out. Just because it is something different. When it comes to Citabria's, I would look for a good wood spar aircraft (spelled, hangared). I believe that there may be some ADs on the metal spar. Either way, check into this CAREFULLY.

Also keep in mind that any fabric airplane needs to be hangared. This can become a stumbling block unless you have something lined up or happen to live next to 2000' of grass with your own hangar. I got away with leaving my Citabria outside for 2 years, but only because 1) I had a cover, 2) I wasn't married, 3) I could afford the time to wash it every week and wax it every other week. (This helped keep UV damage to a minimum) If this could be a problem for you, I would go with a Luscombe or a 140.

I've upgraded to an aerobatic biplane now. Not nearly as docile as the Citabria, insurance is much higher and my wife hates it. But that doesn't matter, because it is an ABSOLUTE BLAST to fly. (apparently her requirements for a nice airplane are: a roof and luggage space. Weird.)

Good luck with whatever you decide. Remember, it's not hard to own an aircraft. You just have to make up your mind that you WANT to be poor....

 

[SATCFI]

I've owned my Aeronca 7AC (65hp) Champ since August and really enjoy it. By the way, you can solo the Champ from the front seat where the Cub can only be soloed from the back. Cubs are very expensive compared to the Champ or Chief. I'd also consider a 4-place Piper Pacer or Stinson Voyager. Both can be found in the 17-25K range.

Good luck,

SATCFI

 

[N8157B]

I've spent a decent amout of time in both a 170 and 140. Both are a joy to fly. In my limited experience I would go with Cessna. Lots of parts out there.

 

[Fr8DoggyStyle]

My .02

Aeronca Champ (or chief)-
Good little planes, just not quite a cub.

Cessna 120/140- Great little planes, especially the 140a with the newer wing but those usually bring more money.

Luscombe- Fun, aerobatic, strong, cool wing construction with almost no full ribs if i remember right. but i would not recommend them to someone with low tailwheel time. I'd check insurance costs before getting one too.

Taylorcraft bc-12- Good plane, fast for the power, but i hate the visibility out of it. Made me feel like i was in a sardine can (and i'm not a big guy)

J-3-
ROCKS- its the most fun i have had in an airplane- chasing cows, waving at girls on the beach with the door open, flying into little grass strips in upstate NY, ahhhh those were the days. The one i flew was a '46 model that was pretty decked out for a cub- it had a slip-skid ball (not standard equipment). But i dont think youll find a decent one now for 20k, although i think itd be worth the extra as an investment. No radio, no electrics, no starter, and no worries. You cant beat a cork on a wire for a fuel gauge!


With any plane of that age you have to be carefull about corrosion. I would be wary of any plane that hasnt had the covering off for years but will still pass a punch test. Very often whats underneath the fabric is UGLY because the planes dont need to be recovered as often as they used to (due to newer covering materials that dont decay like cotton). The problem is no one gets to see whats underneath to fix it much anymore.

 

[flywithastick]

J-3-
ROCKS- its the most fun i have had in an airplane- chasing cows,

I used to do that until meeting some livestock owners... I *really* believe some of these folks would shoot at you if they saw what you were doing! Be careful! BTW, never buzz horses they'll hurt themselves. Now pulling the power back and sneaking up on people riding 4 wheelers or jet skiis. They're open season and fair game.

waving at girls on the beach with the door open,

Now that is a fact... something about a Cub and easing down the beach with the doors open, waving at the ladies. Must be the low noise level and being able to see each other... more personal I guess.

 

[bugchaser]

The J-5 is a great airplane if you are looking for a little more room in the back. Back seat is big enough for 2 small ones. With an O-200 the aiplane performs very well. For the money it is probably one of the best deals out there. If you have some more cash, a supercub will always be the one to have. The 140/120's are also great little airplanes for the money. They will give you a good education in tailwheel flying. If you can handle a gusty x-wind in a 140, you can fly just about any tailwheel airplane out there. The bigger they get, the easier they are to handle.

 

[RFtech]

Citabria

Anyone know of a club or Citabria website?

Looking for more info...

 

[LJDRVR]

If you want to do low and slow, the Champ cannot be beat. If you are looking to do sometravelling, the 120/140 is a lot of jet for the money. If you are looking for something different and sort of "in-between", the Rearwin/Commonwealth Skyranger is very goodlooking.

Cheers

 

[PilotoHalcon]

The AN2. easy to fly, kinda cheap and VERY strong.
j

 

[griffith30@mchs]

Good luck finding a Cub for 20K.I you might find one but either the engine is runout or it needs new cover or both.I probably paid too much for mine but I grew up with Cubs and nothing else would be the same.One the plus side,Cubs do tend to hold their value better than some.For good,fun,cheap(relatively)flying go with a Chief or Taylorcraft.They can be had for less than20K but aren't as sought after when you decide to sell.Champs are a little higher than Chiefs,probably because of tandem seating and having a stick(must be a 'guy' thing).Luscombes' have,I feel,an undeserved reputation for being ground-loopers.The 'problem' being that they have a very light rudder and it takes a little getting used to.Great airplanes as long as you're not too long or wide,much faster than a Cub,and can be found for reasonable prices although the 8Es and Fs are starting to rise.Buy whatever you decide on right and you can have alot of fun.Be very carefull and have someone you trust and who knows old taildraggers look over the intended airplane and logs.I thought I'd done my homework and still had to lay out some $$$ for some things that were 'overhauled'.Good luck and enjoy!