DH-82A Tiger Question...

[Ex FSO GRIFFO]

Hi Guys and Gals,

After about 40 years or so, I am about to launch again in Tigers - just for the heck of it!

I have always flown them solo from the rear cockpit - as the 'good book' says,
but cannot remember why?

IS this simply a C of G problem, or is there another reason or two..??

(I mean, the vis would be better from the front..?)

All answers will be gratefully considered......

Cheers

[ABUKABOY]

As I seem to recall, being in the rear seat puts the C of G in a much better position for ground stability and resistance to tail-lift in rear-gust conditions, and the biting-in of the tail skid for steering and retardation, besides which I rather enjoyed the excellent long forward-empennage reference to the horizon available from the rear seat, a great visual aid to attitude-holding. The a/c when flown solo from the front seat is certainly more skittish. A careful calculation of exactly where the C of G is would need to be done before doing so, (I had a large movie-camera in the rear when I did it). Anyway, seeing where you've been and what you haven't hit in the process is all part of the fun. Why try and be different from the thousands of people who have tried and succeeded in ably flying this fine machine, from the rear "pilots" cockpit? The absence of a full set of engine and air instruments in the front of a lot of Tiger Moths would seem to bear out the designers' wish for the aeronautically competent to officiate from the rear.

[dsc810]

Almost certainly CofG requirements as the primary consideration.

Not an expert in the Tiger...but weren't the wings altered in config when it became the defaco RAF trainer to give the forward seat a better view and/or better escape egress possibility in the event of a bale out being necessary......
As I recall the centre portion of the wing was moved forward on the fuselage thus giving the a/c a swept back wing config. This in turn would have required some dihedral to be introduced to maintain stability. I think the upper and lower wings have different dihedrals.
All this would certainly have changed the CoG calcs on the a/c.
Regards

[clunckdriver]

The reason I was given regarding the student being in the rear seat was that when he/she lost their lunch it would not splater all over the instructor! Having had a Harvard{T6} student do just this when vertical in a stall turn I can vouch for this being a very good reason! {He did however graduate and went on to senior rank in the RAF, only after buying me many beers on graduation night}

[Ex FSO GRIFFO]

Aye Aye Mr 'cd',

When instructing on Chippys, I too had a particular student in the front 'do it' - first to the left - and then to the right.....I couldn't win....and neither could he.

He then had BOTH sides of the aeroplane to clean..!!

And, yes, Mr d810,

The centre section of the top wings were moved fwd so that if the 'front guy' had to 'bale out' then he would not have to crawl between the front centre struts, which may have blocked / retarded his egress...

And, so I was told all those years ago, that the wings were then swept back to keep the C of G 'where it ought to be' and that the advantages of 'swept back wings' were largely unknown at the time....but it all worked out for the better...

However, the answer to my original question had evaded me.

Many thanks guys...

Those 'little details' I do remember, but I just could not for the life of me remember just why it was / is 'REAR' only when solo.....

And, at this stage of my life, I don't wish to 'find out' the 'hard way'.....

Cheers..