Re: Tailwheel to tricycle
Posted: Sat Feb 10, 2018 7:01 am
Sonerai13 wrote:SNX1508 wrote:Gordon wrote:I completed tail dragger training last year, and I was taught that if there is a tail wind while taxiing, the stick goes all of the way forward, and all the way left/forward or right/forward for a quartering tail wind. Then the stick goes all the way back if boosting the throttle, momentary stick back if the throttle is only increased momentarily while taxiing.
With all due respect to whoever your tailwheel instructor was, that's not really correct. That procedure completely discounts the fact that there is about 15 knots of wind over the tail AT IDLE due to propeller blast. AT IDLE! Any increase in power to move the airplane increases this blast over the tail. So you need to be in enough wind to overcome the propeller blast before you go stick forward while taxiing with a tailwind. This seldom happens, but it can. And you can feel it. When you're taxiing and you can feel the wind pushing on the elevator (through feedback to the stick) you then go stick forward. MOST of the time you will be stick-back while taxiing a tailwheel airplane, even in a tailwind (until that wind gets strong enough to over come propeller blast).
Now, some airplanes have enough weight on the tail that you can get away with stick-forward taxiing in light tailwinds and not have a problem. But some aren't! Know your airplane!
Ailerons are not in the propeller blast, so the procedure you describe for ailerons is correct.
and from a couple of previous posts.....
Postby Sonerai13 ยป Wed Feb 07, 2018 7:59 am
pfhoeycfi wrote:
The Compleat Taildragger Pilot by Harvey S. Plourde.
That is the BEST book ever on tailwheel flying. Highly recommended. There are details and info in that book that have never shown up anywhere else. Get it!!
Joe Norris
I am certainly no expert at tail dragger flying, in fact I consider myself a rookie at this, but I think we can agree that Harvey S. Plourde has written an excellent reference for the taildragger pilot. If we look at chapter 4 "Ground Operations" of the book The Compleat Taildragger, page 52, it states:
"The elevators should be up, stick (yoke) back, when taxiing upwind and positioned down, stick (yoke) forward, when taxiing downwind. The latter is the step usually forgotten. It is important however since a sudden gust of wind while taxiing downwind with the elevators up could very easily pick up the tail and result in a very quick conversion to a roto-tiller."
Of course everyone can conduct their ground handling as they prefer.
Terry L. Cooper
SNX #1508
Tail Wheel
AeroVee #0736
N296SX
2005 construction hours, and was completed in October 2016
http://www.mykitlog.com/SNX1508
First engine run: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K9wP77I ... e=youtu.be
FAA Inspected & Airworthiness Certificate issued 11/4/2016
Sport ASEL endorsement on 8/9/2017
Tailwheel endorsement on 9/7/2017
Sonex #1508 N296SX first flight on 11/29/2017