Originally Posted by
Hipper
I presume aerodynamics was the reason for having the tail wheel raised in flight but was it worth the extra complication/weight? I can't recall any other tail wheeled aircraft having this facility.
Off the top of my shiny bald head: B17, Mosquito, P51, Later marks of Spitfire, FW190 (semi retractable), Typhoon all had retractable tailwheels. Drag affects speed
and range.