Tailwheeling is definitely a 'riding a bike' or 'hovering a helicopter' skill. It's a nightmare to start with but one day it clicks and then you can do it without too much concious effort. Also noticably, your control inputs will go from coarse to very fine.
My top tips for the Chippy are:
- Treat it with respect. It is a classic, historic, irreplaceable. As has been said, you are merely the custodian. Be gentle and look after it.
- Weave the nose when taxiing. You CANNOT see from your 1130 to 1230 o/c in the ground attitude. Too many people have taxied into obstructions and damaged the aircraft. Set a couple of notches of brake so that you have differential braking at the limits of rudder travel. Likewise, weave the nose in the climb.
- Open her up progressively and gently on T/O and you'll get no significant swing. Slamming the throttle open is unnecessary, rags the Gypsy Major. Directional control on T/O is good because of the rudder authority in the slipstream. Therefore for T/O brakes should be fully off ie application of full rudder does not apply any differential braking - you won't need it. If the crosswind is so sporty that you think you do, then maybe you should go flying another day.
- On landing, with less rudder authority than takeoff, directional control can be more of a handfull. Set a couple of notches of brake as for taxiing. Not too much though.
- A tailwheeler is more prone to bouncing on landing. Don't be shy to go around. If you bounce high or the bounces are increasing in size, go around otherwise you'll hit the ground hard.
- The Chippy flies great aeros if you treat it gently. Nice wide gentle aerobatics are a treat. If you try to pull the wings off and rag it around at 4.5G all the time, you'll bleed of energy quickly and fatigue a vintage airframe. If you want to do that do it in something modern. Watch the RPM as it can easily be oversped in aeros and make sure the brakes are fully off as part of your HASELLs (brakes interfere with rudder movement, remember).
Cold carb air gives you an extra 3 hp to play with!
- The Chippy glides beautifully. (Anyone know the L/D?) You have a lot of time during a PFL to get it right compared to many other types. Don't forget to warm the engine regularly.
That's all I can think of right now. Enjoy.