Comments on: Taildragger http://www.neptunuslex.com/2009/02/11/taildragger/ The unbearable lightness of Lex. Enjoy! Thu, 09 Feb 2012 23:22:12 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: scott http://www.neptunuslex.com/2009/02/11/taildragger/comment-page-1/#comment-327320 scott Sun, 15 Feb 2009 15:49:33 +0000 http://www.neptunuslex.com/?p=7771#comment-327320 Lex, Thanks for the extra info Lex, Thanks for the extra info

]]> By: b2 http://www.neptunuslex.com/2009/02/11/taildragger/comment-page-1/#comment-326832 b2 Sat, 14 Feb 2009 15:15:00 +0000 http://www.neptunuslex.com/?p=7771#comment-326832 Congrats! And you didn't shoot your eye out! b2 Congrats! And you didn’t shoot your eye out!

b2

]]> By: lex http://www.neptunuslex.com/2009/02/11/taildragger/comment-page-1/#comment-326575 lex Sat, 14 Feb 2009 02:54:37 +0000 http://www.neptunuslex.com/?p=7771#comment-326575 Well, as you've probably surmised, the CG of a "conventional" landing gear aircraft is aft of the main wheels. That means that (unlike the tricycle gear machines your host grew up flying), the airplane would dearly love to swap ends and let the tail lead the dance. Such a notion is objectionable from the pilot's perspective, and preventing it from doing so is the constant challenge of taildragging pilot. Especially us jet guys, who have gotten used to using the rudders to park the brakes and not much more (except when at very high angles of attack, in a brawl). Letting her get away from you is called a "ground loop", and it's the bane of the unwary. It might have happened to me on landing number three, if your man hadn't been in the trunk for to give advice. Not a huge deal if you're slow - it can happen at almost any speed - but, with any kind of speed on the machine, especially in a biplane aircraft, you run the risk of dragging a wingtip or sidestressing the landing gear to failure. It's fun learning new things. Well, as you’ve probably surmised, the CG of a “conventional” landing gear aircraft is aft of the main wheels. That means that (unlike the tricycle gear machines your host grew up flying), the airplane would dearly love to swap ends and let the tail lead the dance. Such a notion is objectionable from the pilot’s perspective, and preventing it from doing so is the constant challenge of taildragging pilot. Especially us jet guys, who have gotten used to using the rudders to park the brakes and not much more (except when at very high angles of attack, in a brawl).

Letting her get away from you is called a “ground loop”, and it’s the bane of the unwary. It might have happened to me on landing number three, if your man hadn’t been in the trunk for to give advice.

Not a huge deal if you’re slow – it can happen at almost any speed – but, with any kind of speed on the machine, especially in a biplane aircraft, you run the risk of dragging a wingtip or sidestressing the landing gear to failure.

It’s fun learning new things.

]]> By: scott http://www.neptunuslex.com/2009/02/11/taildragger/comment-page-1/#comment-326571 scott Sat, 14 Feb 2009 02:44:24 +0000 http://www.neptunuslex.com/?p=7771#comment-326571 So all of this talk about taildragger certifications over the last year(?) has left me somewhat mystified. I know what a taildragger is, or I can see it in my head (2 wheels in front, 1 at the tail), but I could never figure out why there was a special cert. Based on this post and comments, I have to imagine that landing is the hard part. Especially if you are not used to landing the front wheels first. Would anyone care to fill in the details or at least confirm my supposition of why the FAA requires an extra cert? So all of this talk about taildragger certifications over the last year(?) has left me somewhat mystified. I know what a taildragger is, or I can see it in my head (2 wheels in front, 1 at the tail), but I could never figure out why there was a special cert. Based on this post and comments, I have to imagine that landing is the hard part. Especially if you are not used to landing the front wheels first. Would anyone care to fill in the details or at least confirm my supposition of why the FAA requires an extra cert?

]]> By: Foobert http://www.neptunuslex.com/2009/02/11/taildragger/comment-page-1/#comment-326145 Foobert Fri, 13 Feb 2009 07:29:14 +0000 http://www.neptunuslex.com/?p=7771#comment-326145 ahhh, the Champ. Started my primary training in one in with my father in the back seat. He wanted me to truly understand the mechanics of flying, starting from brake release; made me a better pilot because of it. Soloed in 9 hours, if memory serves. That Champ felt like a rocket ship with no back seater! There's a few more gauges on your panel than I had -- no nonsense distractions and no radio, either; talking doesn't have anything to do with the stick and rudder. I didn't appreciate this fact until we moved up to a Citabria to finish the rest of my training. Its radio left me stumbling for the right phrases and then getting distracted from the flying task at hand. Took a couple of hops to really get comfortable again. Learn, adapt, move on to the next item on the syllabus while mastering the previous one... My instrument instructor would say, "if you're not sweating, or you can carry on a conversation with me, I'm not pushing you hard enough." Didn't stop him from talking almost constantly. Have fun with this. I hope there's some Pratt & Whitney time in the works for your weekend gig! ahhh, the Champ. Started my primary training in one in with my father in the back seat. He wanted me to truly understand the mechanics of flying, starting from brake release; made me a better pilot because of it. Soloed in 9 hours, if memory serves. That Champ felt like a rocket ship with no back seater!

There’s a few more gauges on your panel than I had — no nonsense distractions and no radio, either; talking doesn’t have anything to do with the stick and rudder. I didn’t appreciate this fact until we moved up to a Citabria to finish the rest of my training. Its radio left me stumbling for the right phrases and then getting distracted from the flying task at hand. Took a couple of hops to really get comfortable again. Learn, adapt, move on to the next item on the syllabus while mastering the previous one…

My instrument instructor would say, “if you’re not sweating, or you can carry on a conversation with me, I’m not pushing you hard enough.” Didn’t stop him from talking almost constantly.

Have fun with this. I hope there’s some Pratt & Whitney time in the works for your weekend gig!

]]> By: steveH http://www.neptunuslex.com/2009/02/11/taildragger/comment-page-1/#comment-326135 steveH Fri, 13 Feb 2009 06:58:43 +0000 http://www.neptunuslex.com/?p=7771#comment-326135 Neat! Now imagine flying it from central California to upstate New York. Best 3 1/2 days of my life up to that point. (Got my (most exceedingly modest) beginning in a '46 7AC very like yours.) Except your panel seems much more complicated. Ah, the electrics. Ours didn't have any of that, at all. I guess you really can't do that so much today, though. Hope you get signed off soon. I'm jealous. Neat!

Now imagine flying it from central California to upstate New York. Best 3 1/2 days of my life up to that point. (Got my (most exceedingly modest) beginning in a ’46 7AC very like yours.)

Except your panel seems much more complicated.

Ah, the electrics. Ours didn’t have any of that, at all. I guess you really can’t do that so much today, though.

Hope you get signed off soon. I’m jealous.

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