sounds like a turbine ag..............

On Eyre

Without getting into who is better qualified than blah blah blah arguments let me sum up Centaurus' experience FOR YOU

23000 hrs plus +++
Tailwheel types flown
Lincoln 4 engine tailwheel maritime (QFI, where awarded AFC)
Mustang
Sea Fury
DC 3
Tiger Moth
Chipmunk
various other GA tailwheel types.
Other Military types ranging from
Vampire
HS748
Convair
Civil types
B737 200/300/400/500
F28
F27
a multitude of turboprop type(s).
Now i think he may know what he is talking about when we discuss tailwheel techniques and CORRECT understanding of POH applications.:= := :=

Applications closed on the 17th.

I'll bet that jon s gull flies AT802s for a living. :E

It could also be a turbine Drom' Led Zep.

How are things in WW JSG , hope you're all surviving the drought ok , I've almost forgotten how it's done as have barely turned a blade since mid April !

http://www.airtractor.com/models/802A/

and the winner is.........

Dry mostly but a little herbicide work after the little rain, badly need to fill the dam though.

:O Only if you're a tail gunner!!!!

Confused
 

I have a question that I can’t seem to find an answer for...

Why are most aerobatics aircraft a tailwheel? I can’t seem to find an answer anywhere.... the zlin is a nose dragger and performs beautifully.... I've got lots of time on the decath and Pitts...Ok, fair enough to say the CofG is the main difference between the taildrager and nose dragger... and why are most aerobatics machines taildraggers? What’s the reason behind this? I can’t think of a logical explanation! loll someone help me out here? I'm pretty sure it’s a simple answer.... maybe something to do with the CofG? But, apart from the taxing, takeoff and landing, I can’t see much of a difference in the air.

Hey, good question...

Aerobatics is all about power to weight and for large power you need a large fine pitch prop, and that needs to clear the ground... and for weight fabric is lighter that Aluminium.

Consequently you GENERALLY find that medium level aerobatic aircraft are fabric covered and tail draggers.

Now that being said most of the top performance aircraft are mostly metal or now carbon fibre as this helps with rigidity and increased the G limits, however due to the prop size they remain tail draggers.

Cheers and again good question

Wombat

Wombat , there are plenty of Qantas pilots who could have benefited from learning how to land properly, something which requires more concentration in a taildragger.

For fun flying this little Aerobat Texas Taildragger is afordable.

http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e3...h/P1010783.jpg

In fact I have it for sale ...but it in in Canada...

A long way from Aus.

And tailwheel time makes for a better all around pilot, with aerobatics you will be that much better.

Chuck E.

T/W aircraft have less drag and less weight so better performance for aerobatics. The bigger rudder required for a T/W aircraft just happens to go along with aerobatic capability. Aerobatic aircraft are sporty so less incentive to make them easier to fly by having a nose-wheel.

Isn't there also a small efficiency penalty in having a nosewheel in the immediate path of the thrust produced by the propellor? Add to that the increased weight of nosegear vs. tailwheel .....

The Columbia 300 series seems to do OK with a nosewheel - the top of the range model has a 235 kt cruise.
Frankly, with an aircraft like a Pitts, there's so much drag from the wings and wires that a nosewheel wouldn't really matter. Efficiency is about converting fuel into distance or speed. Aerobatics is about converting fuel into fun. But as others have pointed out, a large prop really needs a tailwheel, and a nosewheel or retractable gear simply adds weight, compared to a tailwheel fixed gear configuration. So most aerobatic aircraft are tailwheel, fixed gear. The modern crop of aerobatic monoplane aircraft tend to be relatively slippery and accelerate very quickly going downhill. And drag can be helpful in aeros - gives you more time on the downline.
Which is why an aircraft like the Siai Marchetti SF260 is lovely to look at and fly, but won't win many aerobatic contests...

I think it should be a prerequisite for student pilot to have an aerobatics endorsement to help improve handling skills and confidence. Also, a tailwheel aeroplane is a much more aerodynamically pronounced aeroplane because it requires more skill and effort to fly. The nose wheel aircraft is considerably easier to handle and therefore the pilot becomes lazy. Learn on a taildragger and you can convert straight into a nose wheel. Learn on a nosewheel and you may require several hours more training for a safe conversion to a taildragger. A good parallel is in driving. If you learn on an automatic car you will have trouble adjusting to a manual car and will require some practice. Learn on a manual and you can get straight into an automatic. It’s also more exciting to fly a taildraggers and much more challenging.

Also thanks to those who answered my question... very interesting points! very clever answers..

yeah i applied, but havn't heard anything yet. has anyone else heard anything?

Apart from the obvious benefits of learning to handle a real aircraft on the ground gaining a tailwheel endorsement may get you a job!
In a previous life I got a job mainly flying a Cessna 310 because I had TW time so could also fly the boss's Grummand AgCat!
When 310 sold I went with it as CP for the new owner and from there to QF.:p
So a TW endorsement helped me to a jet command! :E

Could you image a Pitts with a nosehweel? It would be sacrilige!!!!

Cheers
CB

What? Let the pilot see where he's going? be able to see the runway whilst in the flare? That would spoil the whole experience, not to mention diluting the hero image somwhat....

Out of the frying pan, into the fire!!
 

Just thought I would let you guys know, I did my first 0.5 in the J3 cub today, and now i understand what real flying is all about! I loved every second of it, and I can see already how it is going to increase my skill level, and add that little extra finesse to my flying.

Definitely going to be a long standing member of the taildragger club!

YEEEEEEHAW