Easiest tailwheel type
Thread Starter
Joined: Apr 2008
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From: France
Easiest tailwheel type
Enjoyed a flight today in my half of of a very nice and definitely overpowered Stern Vega and stayed on to watch the rest of the happy pilots. A superbly bouncy landing in a visiting Chipmunk (which went to a go around off the third bounce, by then A Very Good Idea) sparked a discussion about which was the easiest tailwheel aircraft to land. Let's assume grass and benign conditions.
I'm voting for the Piper Pawnee. Super Cub second place. What do you think?
I'm voting for the Piper Pawnee. Super Cub second place. What do you think?
Joined: Apr 2009
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From: DM33
I don't have any idea which is easiest. I have flown several different types and they usually did what the pilot told them to do. The Pawnee was probably easier than the PA-18-180 in strong cross winds but was limited by wingtip clearance.
The Aeronca 11BC Chief that I owned in partnership, and in which I checked out all my partners, stood out as being one of the least forgiving. It would far rather go backwards than forwards. Having no brakes on the right side didn't help.
Current favorite is the FX-3 Carbon Cub but I hope my type list hasn't hit its limit yet.
(I don't think I have landed on grass since 1984 - 7-GCBC at Thruxton. All recent tailwheel time is on dirt/gravel or paved runways)
The Aeronca 11BC Chief that I owned in partnership, and in which I checked out all my partners, stood out as being one of the least forgiving. It would far rather go backwards than forwards. Having no brakes on the right side didn't help.
Current favorite is the FX-3 Carbon Cub but I hope my type list hasn't hit its limit yet.
(I don't think I have landed on grass since 1984 - 7-GCBC at Thruxton. All recent tailwheel time is on dirt/gravel or paved runways)
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From: Ontario, Canada
For my experience, most pleasant taildraggers: DHC-2 Beaver, Cessna 180/185/170B/172TW/140, Piper PA12/18/J3, Found Expedition, Wilga. Less pleasant (you have to work at it/worry more: Maule, Harvard, Stearman, SM1019, and a the least forgiving; Thurston Teal. I have found that the Scout/Citabria and Decathlon are rather middle of the road, and thus good trainers. They will let you learn, and get a good lesson, without biting you too fast/hard.
That all said, some tailwheel flying skills will make any pilot a little better, and are well worth the effort!
That all said, some tailwheel flying skills will make any pilot a little better, and are well worth the effort!
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From: Poplar Grove, IL, USA
The Pawnee is a sweetheart! I have more hours in a Pawnee than any other single type. In the last year I've put 130 hours on my Sonex Waiex. Definitely easy and forgiving, but lacks rudder power in strong crosswinds. I think part of what makes the Sonex forgiving is a solid link to the tailwheel, and no differential brakes.
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From: Aus
All my tailwheel time was done in the first 100 hours and can only think of one humiliating aircraft and that was the Auster, Chipmunk and Tiger Moth not an issue. Early solo in the Auster doing circuits I came to thinking that the only way a permanent meeting of ground and aircraft was only going to occur by running out of fuel or by being shot down. Four decades latter reintroduced myself to tail wheels and was checked out in a Super Cub prior to test flying an RV-6, the RV took a little practice to land nicely but the Cub was a street walk, thou it was a nice day, Decathlon seemed the same as a Cub.
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From: N.YORKSHIRE
Joined: Jan 2004
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From: Canada
"Easiest" can be airplane specific. I learned taildragging on a early model Citabria that was a perfect bitch on the runway. It had been been rolled up into a ball and they didn't quite get the gear attachment points right on the rebuild. The next Citabria I flew was friends very nice low time GCBC. It handled beautifully on the ground.
Worst airplane was unquestionably a tail wheel converted C 150. It was a terrible taildragger.
Worst airplane was unquestionably a tail wheel converted C 150. It was a terrible taildragger.
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From: South East.
Always thought that the Chipmunk was one of the nicest, predictable taildraggers around.
The Auster could be an absolute pig, This was partly because the landing attitude AoA was still within the flying envelope and any bounce would produce a "balloon".
Heavier tailwheel aircraft like the Harvard or Beech 18 were no problem if you were trained correctly and could deal carefully with the extra power available, coupled with the accompanying torque and slipstream effects.
All taildraggers will bite if you lose concentration. If the wind is a nuisance, just keep "peddling" until the aircraft is safely at a halt - or carefully go around and have another go !
The Auster could be an absolute pig, This was partly because the landing attitude AoA was still within the flying envelope and any bounce would produce a "balloon".
Heavier tailwheel aircraft like the Harvard or Beech 18 were no problem if you were trained correctly and could deal carefully with the extra power available, coupled with the accompanying torque and slipstream effects.
All taildraggers will bite if you lose concentration. If the wind is a nuisance, just keep "peddling" until the aircraft is safely at a halt - or carefully go around and have another go !
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From: UK
Super Cub would be the aeroplane I've flown that is about the most forgiving.
Aeronca 11AC Chief is about the least forgiving, very very easy to groundloop, along with a tendency to pitch PIO on take-off.
In my opinion, this is because too many pilots fly the Auster approach at least 10mph faster than recommended by the pilots notes. At the right speed, it really doesn't.
G
Aeronca 11AC Chief is about the least forgiving, very very easy to groundloop, along with a tendency to pitch PIO on take-off.
The Auster could be an absolute pig, This was partly because the landing attitude AoA was still within the flying envelope and any bounce would produce a "balloon"
In my opinion, this is because too many pilots fly the Auster approach at least 10mph faster than recommended by the pilots notes. At the right speed, it really doesn't.
G
Joined: Aug 2000
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From: uk
I learned on a Tiger Moth which is pretty easy as long as your landing into wind. The best handling light aircraft I've flown is the Condor. Very easy to land even in a crosswind with its wide undercarriage.
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From: DM33
I never saw the takeoff PIO tendency in the 11BC but the bigger engine didn't make it want to swap ends any less frequently. I always wondered if ours was bent or incorrectly rigged but never found anything wrong with it. Nice to hear from someone with a similar opinion of the type.
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FP.