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Old 30th Sep 2015, 12:42
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Pilot DAR
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Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: Ontario, Canada
Age: 63
Posts: 5,628
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Wheel landings and groundloops

I am occasionally "challenged" for the fact that most every landing I fly in a taildragger will be a wheel landing, rather than three point - where the aircraft arrangement makes that comfortable. After the wheel landing, I'll lift the tail off a little more, and hold it up as long as control effectiveness allows.

Among that reasons I do this, is my desire for a better view forward, which optimizes keeping it straight, and the fact that with the tail well up, the aircraft C of G is held a little more forward, so closer to the mainwheels. The closer the C of G is to the mainwheels, the lesser the tenancy to groundloop - perhaps not much, but every bit helps....

My experience has been that as long as the elevator is effective in holding the tail up, the rudder will be effective in keeping it straight. Indeed, the rudder will probably be more effective than tailwheel steering, as the tailwheel usually has springs, which will absorb some of the steering input initially.

So, I like wheel landings....
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