To taildragger or NOT to taildrag??

[Scudrunner]

I have read on this forum that a Bushbaby with a tailwheel is a difficult airplane to land. ( Ground handling??)

[Boet]

Scudrunner,

The Taildragger takes a little more ATTENTION to handle than it`s tri-gear counterpart. Once mastered NOT really any more difficult to handle than other taildraggers. But, as I said: Attention.








But then again: NOT everyone`s cuppa tea....... :D

[RV4ker (RIP)]

Little wheel aeries just look right.....

[Biggles]

Little wheel aeries just look right.....

Exactly... can you imagine the Spitfire winning the Battle of Britain with a woosy tricycle undercarriage?

[Morph]

Not that I have experience landing tail wheel BB's but,

we have a guy at Morning Star who went from a trike straight to tail-dragger kitfox. It did take him longer to master and he has already had a incident wrt a prop-strike that wouldn't have happened on a tricycle version.

I heard once, it's not if a taildragger bites you, it's when.

However would I like to learn to fly a taildragger, absolutely, I like the challenge and once my BB Explorer is flying(tricycle undercarrage) I am going to look at doing a tail dragger conversion.

[RV4ker (RIP)]

It did take him longer to master and he has already had a incident wrt a prop-strike that wouldn't have happened on a tricycle version.

I heard once, it's not if a taildragger bites you, it's when.

he he he

If it was a nose dragger it would have had broken U/C

Been bitten 4 times, but luckily none resulted in damage other than ego. (2x on initial intro with instructor in control). If you know what to avoid it not a big deal. It is awesome flying, but you need to remain current. I would suggest that if it a 1ce a month flyer maybe a nose dragger may be better option....

[Willie]

If there is a small wheel at the back it is a tailwheel. With no wheel it is a taildragger. Most taildragger were converted to tailwheel craft due to the damage it makes on runways. Anyhow….if you can fly a Bushbaby with a tailwheel you can fly any tailwheel aircraft. I find the Busbaby more difficult than my other tailwheel planes due to the side by side seating on the turning point. You can not fly this little wonder by the seat of your pants.

[Henni]

The guy who bought & restored my Koala in Saldanha recently told me that he does not like flying it at all. He has nearly 200 hours on it & says that every so often he nearly looses it on landings. Although he owns this aircraft, at the moment he pays Johan Froneman to rather fly his Raven 2 hours every second day.

Of everything I've attempted to fly, the KR2 that I built was the most difficult on the ground. In my flight tests I taxied it up to 85mph indicated on the ground at Vanderbylpark. It was super sensitive in this regards & there were absolutely no room for snoozing. If you did not apply rudder input correction immediately, youre were likely to loose it in a ground loop.

I saw an experienced pilot land a Tiger Moth in a crosswind at Swartkops airfield during a radio controlled jet competion recently. He could not hold it on the runway and ended up stopping in the field, quite far away from the runway - now if there were obstacles next to the runway...

So, if you built or assemble any aircraft & you do have a choice, rather go for the tricycle option. Makes life much less complicated.

Henni

[Willie]

Of everything I've attempted to fly, the KR2 that I built was the most difficult on the ground. In my flight tests I taxied it up to 85mph indicated on the ground at Vanderbylpark.

So, if you built or assemble any aircraft & you do have a choice, rather go for the tricycle option. Makes life much less complicated.

Henni

I agree with the last part of your reply but if you taxi a KR2 at 85mph you are looking for K@k.
Most KR's stall at about 52mph and if you are on finals at 75mph the wheels will touch down at below stall speed due to ground effect.

Funny my only ground loop was at Vanderbijlpark with my VP2 :D

[Henni]

Hi Willie,

"Looking for k':oops:' k" (':lol:')

In my infinite wisdom, I mounted my carburators on top of my type IV VW engine with a scoop on top of the cowling to relay air to the carburators.

During taxi tests, at high speeds, the lower pressure being created on the upper part of the cowling caused the air to be sucked out of the carbs instead of being blown in.

Under those conditions, 85 mph was the highest speed attainable on the ground and I wanted to test the effect of the super strong belly brake I've installed.

I made very, very sure to push the stick very forward during those taxi tests and never at any stage did she try to leave the ground.

Regards,

Henni

[Willie]

Willie,

85 mph was the highest speed attainable on the ground and I wanted to test the effect of the super strong belly brake I've installed.

I made very, very sure to push the stick very forward during those taxi tests and never at any stage did she try to leave the ground.

Regards,

Henni

I dont like a carburotor on top of an engine with a static fuel feed. The needle and seat does not block the fuel 100% and over time you contaminate the oil. The 1st time yo forget to turn the fuel off, while parking in the hanger, you end up with petrol or Avgas in the sump.

Jy maak my bang What happend when you apply the belly brake at high speed taxi Did you not stick the nose in the ground Normaly you will apply the brake before you land and the pitch will not be effected.

I would like to see some pictures of your installation.

[Henni]

Hi Willie,

Nah, no serious pitching down moment caused by the belly brake. I hinged it right on the rear of the main spar.

It worked EXTREMELY well in slowing the KR down very quickly - as you know Vanderbylpark runway is not super long and I stopped in time every single time.

If I would ever build a KRII again, a belly airbrake would be an absolute certainty.

I'll see if I can locate my old photo album and scan a few pics - this was in the mid 80's & jpg's were'nt so popular back then.

During this flight testing phase, my work relocated me to Sappi Ngodwana where I had a prefab home with no garage. To the late Sakkie Hallgreen's dismay, I swopped my nearly completed KRII project for a MXII microlight with instruments & ballistic chute. Sakkie even posted a comment in the SA Aeronews about this crazy guy swopping a KRII for a microlight.

But I had some great flying with the MXII & did not regret my swop in any way or form.

"Maak my bang" (':lol:') - definitely not. Especially not now,when being older. I consider myself to be very conservative with regards to any type of flying. Yes, I might fly in high winds now & then, but then I've been there many, many times before and this very fact saved my life more than once.

Have you ever heard the crop spraying guys tell stories of water skiing? Or KRII flyers flying low in unfamiliar places, or doing aerobatics, or doing low fly passes near VNE in turbulant conditions? Or the best one I've heard, doing regular 6g pullups with passengers (with an accelerometer to prove it) and bragging about it!!! THAT scares me! I believe in the saying "You get old pilots & you get bold pilots - you do not get old bold pilots.

Nothing agrivates me more than to hear of a microlight pilot/instructor who died because of an engine out situation. When flying, you have to keep your wits around you under all circumstances.

Regards,

Henni

[Mogas]

Nosewheel Bushbaby???
Don't get me started, I type to slow.............

[Boet]

Mogas, die lyk darem ook maar MOOI ne?

[Willie]

Mogas, die lyk darem ook maar MOOI ne?

Amper soos 'n melk stoel