Which taildragger to learn in?
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Aerbabe - all my early light aircraft flying was done in the back of a Chippie as an air cadet - great fun!
First 3 hrs of my PPL were in a Chippie (BDIC at ANT, Blackpool) - probably about 2.5 hrs of those were spent attempting to taxi it!! Mind you, I was a youthful 18 year old then and not aging / grey as I am now....!!
I vote for the Chippie, but have never experienced an Auster / Cub / Citabria / Moth, so maybe should keep my mouth shut due to lack of experience. A major part of my vote comes from the Gypsy Major experience - an absolute classic sound (so that covers Auster and Moth as well!).
First 3 hrs of my PPL were in a Chippie (BDIC at ANT, Blackpool) - probably about 2.5 hrs of those were spent attempting to taxi it!! Mind you, I was a youthful 18 year old then and not aging / grey as I am now....!!
I vote for the Chippie, but have never experienced an Auster / Cub / Citabria / Moth, so maybe should keep my mouth shut due to lack of experience. A major part of my vote comes from the Gypsy Major experience - an absolute classic sound (so that covers Auster and Moth as well!).
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cb
It is clear that You have never had to maintain the "good old gypsy major" in the hangar it is an oil drenched pig to work on.
From the tiger moth to the trident De havilland have made the worst aircraft that I have ever worked on fortunatly that dose not stop the chippie being a delight to fly.
From the tiger moth to the trident De havilland have made the worst aircraft that I have ever worked on fortunatly that dose not stop the chippie being a delight to fly.
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Thoughts on the Gypsy
My Cub lives at the Auster capital of Britain -- Eggesford, with, I believe, 9 flying and 13 Austers in total -- so I'd better be careful what I say, but... by God the Gypsy is a noisy engine to fly behind. And thirsty too -- 30 litres an hour plus a couple of litres of oil.
Pays your money, takes your choice.
QDM
Pays your money, takes your choice.
QDM
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If you can get it at the right price go for the Chipmunk. Pig to own - great to fly. I fly both Chippy and Tiger Moth. Very different handling. DH obviously did some homework between designs. The Chippy is a great handler, can't think I have flown anything better for 'feel'. The Tiger is just great fun but forget crispness and harmonisation.
For training I would go Chipmunk or Super Cub with a slight prefence for the Piper beast as they should be slightly cheaper. The alternative is to go straight to the Tiger as once you have mastered that the chippy should be easy.
Once converted, mounts such as the Jodel D11 series are a good option for cheap(ish) but responsive taildragger time.
If you take up the offer from Stik I can probably arrange trips in each of the types above at a location only a few miles from Stik International.
I had a share in a Kitfox a few years ago and to be honset I would not call it a good coversion mount nor a delight to fly. If you are cash limited after conversion and want to build taildragger hours it is an O.K option but I wouldn't start with it (although it does depend on the model a little).
Glad to see you have realised 'wheel at the back' is better. Skid at the back is even better.
For training I would go Chipmunk or Super Cub with a slight prefence for the Piper beast as they should be slightly cheaper. The alternative is to go straight to the Tiger as once you have mastered that the chippy should be easy.
Once converted, mounts such as the Jodel D11 series are a good option for cheap(ish) but responsive taildragger time.
If you take up the offer from Stik I can probably arrange trips in each of the types above at a location only a few miles from Stik International.
I had a share in a Kitfox a few years ago and to be honset I would not call it a good coversion mount nor a delight to fly. If you are cash limited after conversion and want to build taildragger hours it is an O.K option but I wouldn't start with it (although it does depend on the model a little).
Glad to see you have realised 'wheel at the back' is better. Skid at the back is even better.
High Flying Bird
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Thank you everyone for your input, what a fine resource this forum is 
FF thank you for that, very kind! I'll keep you posted with my ETA... hopefully won't be too late in the year
FF thank you for that, very kind! I'll keep you posted with my ETA... hopefully won't be too late in the year
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Taildraggin'
Hi AerBabe
Why not take a break and get yourself across to Clacton for some Cub time?
Best fish, chips and mushie peas in the universe.
Once you have some tailwheel time, let me know and I'll give you a go in one of my vintage machines.
I promise to wear a paper bag if you insist on buying me a beer afterwards!
I learned on Condors. Great tailwheel trainer. I doubt whether you will find anybody offering Condors these days but hopefully somebody out there will prove me wrong.
Anyway, if I was going to do it all again I'd go to Clackers for a week. You can always go on the beach shell-suit spotting when you aren't flying.
Why not take a break and get yourself across to Clacton for some Cub time?
Best fish, chips and mushie peas in the universe.
Once you have some tailwheel time, let me know and I'll give you a go in one of my vintage machines.
I promise to wear a paper bag if you insist on buying me a beer afterwards!
I learned on Condors. Great tailwheel trainer. I doubt whether you will find anybody offering Condors these days but hopefully somebody out there will prove me wrong.
Anyway, if I was going to do it all again I'd go to Clackers for a week. You can always go on the beach shell-suit spotting when you aren't flying.
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Gypsy engine
Sounds as though the Gypsy engines being discussed here need overhauling.
I flew behind my 10/2 to Stockholm and back. In 26 hours it used 3 litres of oil. 30 litres of fuel ain't bad either??
It is a Vintec overhaul with all the mods.
My other vintage type is powered by a Gypsy 1 - this time a Rollason overhaul and without the ring mod so it does chuck a bit of oil out - probably a half-litre per hour even when being driven hard in display practise.
Whip the cowlings off at the end of every flyiing day and wipe the engine down - it will not be an 'oil soaked pig' or anything like.
Leave it and I am sure it will quickly become nasty.
A bit of pride in ownership pays dividends. Pulling cowlings off to reveal an oil-soaked pig does suggest that soething is lacking here (other than oil that is...).
It is quite gratifying to listen to the wows when I remove the cowlings at a fly-in. Keep it nice - thats all. Takes 5 minutes with a rag.
Great engine - huge contribution to our light aircraft industry. Don't forget that these motors date back to the 30's. View them in that context and be kind!
I flew behind my 10/2 to Stockholm and back. In 26 hours it used 3 litres of oil. 30 litres of fuel ain't bad either??
It is a Vintec overhaul with all the mods.
My other vintage type is powered by a Gypsy 1 - this time a Rollason overhaul and without the ring mod so it does chuck a bit of oil out - probably a half-litre per hour even when being driven hard in display practise.
Whip the cowlings off at the end of every flyiing day and wipe the engine down - it will not be an 'oil soaked pig' or anything like.
Leave it and I am sure it will quickly become nasty.
A bit of pride in ownership pays dividends. Pulling cowlings off to reveal an oil-soaked pig does suggest that soething is lacking here (other than oil that is...).
It is quite gratifying to listen to the wows when I remove the cowlings at a fly-in. Keep it nice - thats all. Takes 5 minutes with a rag.
Great engine - huge contribution to our light aircraft industry. Don't forget that these motors date back to the 30's. View them in that context and be kind!
I'm with NearlyStol, try an Auster; with a free castoring tailwheel and a main undercarriage designed by the chap who got the credit for the kangaroo and the wallabie, they make life interesting 
Hairyplane, I'm with you, there isn't a seriously leaky Gypsy in the hangar at Rush Green. Even my Cirrus doesn't leak that much (12 year old Norvic rebuild).
Hairyplane, I'm with you, there isn't a seriously leaky Gypsy in the hangar at Rush Green. Even my Cirrus doesn't leak that much (12 year old Norvic rebuild).
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Would recommend the Chippie. I did my tailwheel convertion in one with Flying Lawyer. Fun and fairly easy to land. Have flown about 20 different tailwheel types since and would still say go for the Chippie.
FL - have just checked my logbook and it says 1985 surely neither of us are that old?
FL - have just checked my logbook and it says 1985 surely neither of us are that old?
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Don't get me wrong I love Chippies. I owned half a share in one in the 1980s. But expensive they certainly are. If you want to get LOTS of time in at a more affordable rate, why not try Tatenhill's Citabria first (to get the fundamentals done) before moving on to Chippies?
Most of the other types mentioned are great in terms of experience but scarce in terms of legal training opportunities (though Cubs/Super Cubs are to be found at a few places) & even scarcer in terms of affordable hourly rates...
What you want is to get that "tailwheel complex" stuff signed off in the logbook at an affordable amount, and then get on to savouring the various types on offer thereafter. Otherwise you may well get confused with the different types, as they all have their own delightful little quirks and nuances.
Most of the other types mentioned are great in terms of experience but scarce in terms of legal training opportunities (though Cubs/Super Cubs are to be found at a few places) & even scarcer in terms of affordable hourly rates...
What you want is to get that "tailwheel complex" stuff signed off in the logbook at an affordable amount, and then get on to savouring the various types on offer thereafter. Otherwise you may well get confused with the different types, as they all have their own delightful little quirks and nuances.
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Poet makes a lot of sense. I've booked in at Clacton in September for the Cub farm strip course. Gotta start somewhere. All this different type stuff can come later. 
Eight hours, more grass experience and 2 nights accommodation for a few quid shy of 800 nicker. Hey make a weekend of it?
Aerbabe, Baginton will seem miles long afterwards...
Eight hours, more grass experience and 2 nights accommodation for a few quid shy of 800 nicker. Hey make a weekend of it?
Aerbabe, Baginton will seem miles long afterwards...
High Flying Bird
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BlueRobin... it already seems long My instructor used to love making me do spot landings and see how quickly I could stop. Love a good challenge
The farm strip course has already been suggested to me, and I will hopefully do it some time next year (depending on when someone is foolish enough to give me a job). Seems like a very good deal. Enjoy yourself, and let me know how you do
My instructor used to love making me do spot landings and see how quickly I could stop. Love a good challenge The farm strip course has already been suggested to me, and I will hopefully do it some time next year (depending on when someone is foolish enough to give me a job). Seems like a very good deal. Enjoy yourself, and let me know how you do
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The Cub is a forgiving taildragger.
Harvey S. Plourde, he of 'The Compleat Taildragger', advocates one of the lower powered cubs -- i.e. 65HP -- as ideal for learning taildragging on. He reckons the Super Cubs (I presume he means 135hp up) have too much power and don't give you a really good feel and understanding for the various torque / gyropscopic forces etc. as it's all over too quickly.
I can see his point. In a 150HP Super Cub you're off the ground pretty much before you know what's happened and in the early days it's just a question of lots of frantic footwork and then a desperate leap into the air. Lower power would give you more time to suss things out.
Like I say, just a thought. Anyway, at the risk of getting flamed about it (again) -- buy his book!
QDM
