Originally Posted by
joy ride
I would be interested to know which planes of similar design, purpose and age are considered to be significantly better or worse, and the reasons for this.
I suppose the Stearman was the equivalent in the US. Like the Tiger moth, if you are not careful with it you will be embarrassing yourself with a groundloop.
From a pilots point of view, you are flying a huge aircraft compared to the Tiger Moth. Everything is larger from cockpit size to height above the ground. From an operational point of view, this means more hangar space will be used.
If one goes by the theory that more coordination inputs are an advantage to teaching a new student flying skills, then the Tiger Moth wins in that area as a lack of rudder input for initiating a turn will send the ball to the far limits of its tube. For an experienced pilot, the Stearman inflight handling is much more pleasant and responsive.
A fleet of Stearmans will burn significantly more fuel than Tiger Moth's. So if cost or fuel shortages enter the picture during a war, the Stearman can be at a disadvantage.
A handcrank for the stearman back in the old days seems much safer than handpropping on a slippery grass field for a Tiger Moth.
I think ground visibility is better in the Tiger Moth with its narrow engine allowing you to stick your head out the side of the aircraft for a better view.
Ground handling in the Stearman is more responsive with its brake system using toe brakes compared to Tiger Moths with no brakes installed. It is much less of an issue on grass where the Tiger Moth did most of its flying of course but a grass surface can become quite hard in the dry summer and the Tiger Moths with tailwheels are really affected by the wind in that case. On pavement, the Tiger Moths with brakes obviously are better but taxiing in a significant wind is more complicated as hands are needed for throttle, control stick and hand brake. Stearman is much easier with its toe brakes.
While I read stories of people flying Tiger moths in quite strong winds, I would rather be in a Stearman if the wind picks up, especially on a hard surface as most Tiger moths have no brakes. Even for those that do have brakes(handbrake on left side), I think the Stearman wins out. So the training might end sooner on a windy day at the airbase with tiger Moths,
Avoiding low speed situations is so critical with these high drag aircraft and so many have stalled over the years. My feeling is that the Tiger moth is more vulnerable to its draggy airframe than the Stearman. Even in a normal climb, you have to watch that Tiger Moth airspeed carefully. After an engine failure, depending on phase of flight, I think more immediate action is required to avoid a stall in the Tiger Moth.
I would say the Stearman airframe is much more rugged.