Tell Me About Tailwheel (Citabria 7ECA)

steamee

steamee

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Steamee
I'm mostly a C172SP renter and I'm interested in switching it up as I find myself doing a lot of the same these days. I see there's a Citabria 7ECA near me for a reasonable rental fee. My total tailwheel experience is a single flight in a decathalon once (taxi, take off, no landing) a few years back.

I'm interested in hearing people's experience in either that aircraft and/or thoughts on whether there's any value in getting the tailwheel time (aside from just satisfaction of doing it). I've heard of some trickiness in handling on the ground and I've experienced the differences in the take off/landing stick action vs. conventional gear, but that's about it.
 
steamee said:
I'm mostly a C172SP renter and I'm interested in switching it up as I find myself doing a lot of the same these days. I see there's a Citabria 7ECA near me for a reasonable rental fee. My total tailwheel experience is a single flight in a decathalon once (taxi, take off, no landing) a few years back.

I'm interested in hearing people's experience in either that aircraft and/or thoughts on whether there's any value in getting the tailwheel time (aside from just satisfaction of doing it). I've heard of some trickiness in handling on the ground and I've experienced the differences in the take off/landing stick action vs. conventional gear, but that's about it.
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I rebuilt and owned a 7ECA many years ago. Mine hade the Lycoming O-235 and the champ landing gear.

Very easy for take off and landings, very docile flying airplane.
 
7ECA is a fine plane for primary acro, and just farting around casually. It has similar often better payload to the 150HP Citabria but the vertical penetration isn't a good.

I found them to be one of the more docile TW planes to land. Good rudder authority and quite safe. I started on the 150HP Citabria and drove the 7ECA around some as well.

Look for spar cracks if it still has a wood spar. Also check for gen fabric condition if you are shopping. Will make trike pilot a better lander.
 
I own and teach in a 7ECA. Pretty docile. I believe firmly that all tricycle pilots will benefit from some tailwheel time. You'll see small crab angles better and have better airspeed control after becoming tailwheel competent. Have fun!
 
I've owned a couple. Less chance of renting/buying an over-stressed airframe because the empty weight is less than the 150 hp models. Two endomorphs with full fuel tanks doing loops in a 7KCAB skeers me. The 7ECA still jumps in the air quick. :)

dtuuri
 
You'll have fun with it and some aerobatics will help out your overall confidence in controlling any airplane. Probably one of if not the most docile tail wheel planes out there.
 
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I would agree with most of what has been said, they are fun airplanes, you will learn a lot, and build confidence. I think you will find it an enjoyable experience. Regardless setup a lesson, if you have fun keep going. If not, well you have your answer, but I would be surprised if this was the case.
 
All right! Booked a training flight two weeks out. Been a while since I've done the training thing so this should be interesting all around.

That one time I flew the Decathalon I remember thinking, "If I only had started training on this I would have had such a better feel for slip/skid." It was amazing how different the feeling was vs. 172 or the arrow.
 
The 7ECA is much more airplane compared to a 172.

Getting tailwheel time will make you a better pilot, that's a fact.
 
The citabrias is also a ton more fun to fly than a skyhawk. My wife likes going up but has no interest in taking the controls, until she flew in a citabria.

Once you get good at a crosswind in a tailwheel, it helps you that much more in any plane. So even if you never do it again, the skills do transfer to tricycle gear. I've now landed a skyhawk in conditions I would not have taken off in very comfortably due to my tailwheel training.
 
hook_dupin said:
I own and teach in a 7ECA. Pretty docile. I believe firmly that all tricycle pilots will benefit from some tailwheel time. You'll see small crab angles better....
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This. I firmly believe that taildraggers aren't about "happy feet", but really training your eyes and brain to pick up smaller deviations in runway alignment.
 
MauleSkinner said:
This. I firmly believe that taildraggers aren't about "happy feet", but really training your eyes and brain to pick up smaller deviations in runway alignment.
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Yes. The "happy feet" thing gets waaay overused. To the point that you find some TW pilots wagging the tail on short final because they say they are 'waking their feet up'

I find that smooth tail wheel flying is more about anticipation and applying the appropriate action than simply moving your feet.
 
MauleSkinner said:
This. I firmly believe that taildraggers aren't about "happy feet", but really training your eyes and brain to pick up smaller deviations in runway alignment.
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Yep, I don't "dance" on the rudders, I apply small corrections at the initiation of deviation, and start backing out of corrections before I hit the mark so I'm not 'wagging the tail'. The more stable you keep the energy, the less likely you are to lose control of the energy. Inertia is your friend, so is a little toe out in your main gear. Thing is, none of this requires a TD to learn, it's just that a TD punishes you for your mistakes with $10,000+ repair bills.
 
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I groundlooped a 7ECA in Nov at Orange county right in front of a DC-8 while taxiing long ago. The wind was howling out of the north in what's called a 'Santa Ana'(I don't know why). The tail came unsprung from the detent and wheeee! Around I went. I watched the DC-8 nose strut compress as he hit the brakes. I waved at them, and jockeyed it back around, then taxied to the runway, and just taxied slowly down the runway and parked it at the GA lot. Now way was I going to try it for real.
 
docmirror said:
The wind was howling out of the north in what's called a 'Santa Ana'(I don't know why).
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Because of the effects of the winds in the Santa Ana mountains and particularly the Santa Ana Canyon. Although the effect is more widespread than that, the name association has been going for over 100 years now.
 
Are "three days of Santa Ana winds" still a justifiable defense for killing your spouse?
 
Hank S said:
Are "three days of Santa Ana winds" still a justifiable defense for killing your spouse?
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Probably... You should see the effect they have on Avalon harbor and the outside moorings and anchorage, especially when they start Thanksgiving morning with a full load everywhere.
 
Hank S said:
Are "three days of Santa Ana winds" still a justifiable defense for killing your spouse?
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Hmmmm, don't know, but if so we should move back to SoCal. :D

j/k
 
Fearless Tower said:
Yes. The "happy feet" thing gets waaay overused. To the point that you find some TW pilots wagging the tail on short final because they say they are 'waking their feet up'

I find that smooth tail wheel flying is more about anticipation and applying the appropriate action than simply moving your feet.
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Yep, really good TW pilots use the rudder very little. Get the airplane straight, let it roll straight, leave it alone until you need to make a small correction. Repeat. I once saw a Champ pilot flapping the rudder down the taxiway. Probably taught by another rudder flapper.
 
RoscoeT said:
Yep, really good TW pilots use the rudder very little. Get the airplane straight, let it roll straight, leave it alone until you need to make a small correction. Repeat. I once saw a Champ pilot flapping the rudder down the taxiway. Probably taught by another rudder flapper.
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Not really good pilots, just all of the ones who were trained right.

Just keep in mind mr newton, if you hit right rudder, expect the plane to continue right and be ready to arrest it with a hair of left rudder.

Dancing on the rudder, or that happy feet crap, is something people learn from CFIs who have no business teaching tailwheel.
 
My old flying club's 7ECA was one of my favorite airplanes. I was really sad (and mad as hell) when it met with a very unjust and unnecessary end.

One of my biggest challenges to becoming a smooth(er) tailwheel pilot was learning to relax my legs and feet. When I started out, I was so tense, my knees hurt by the time I got out of the airplane. Once I learned to relax, all was much better.
 
James331 said:
Not really good pilots, just all of the ones who were trained right.

Just keep in mind mr newton, if you hit right rudder, expect the plane to continue right and be ready to arrest it with a hair of left rudder.

Dancing on the rudder, or that happy feet crap, is something people learn from CFIs who have no business teaching tailwheel.
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I think it's because they're so nervous or something they over exaggerate the rudder inputs.
 
This was mine, a 1976 I bought used when it was just a couple years old:

14113430565_b16ffc85bd_c.jpg


Flew all over the place in it, plus gave mucho tailwheel instruction and basic aerobatic instruction in it.

Later owned and instructed in a 7GCBC:

10467045524_dfd0b9f9e2_z.jpg


(Sadly, that one came to a tragic end, as outlined previously elsewhere)

Both were honest, fun planes. Never groundlooped one, though my students did manage to inflict minor damage from time to time. Ultimately my fault, of course.

Still, about the most rewarding fun I've ever had in a plane!
 
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Henning said:
I think it's because they're so nervous or something they over exaggerate the rudder inputs.
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It would make sense, with how people who start from 0 in taildraggers have a easier time.
 
Surprised no one has mentioned - a nice advantage to the Citabria and Decathalon is that even the "vertically challenged" among us can usually taxi them (from the front seat) without the need for S-turns.
 
FastEddieB said:
This was mine, a 1976 I bought used when it was just a couple years old:

14113430565_b16ffc85bd_c.jpg


Flew all over the place in it, plus gave mucho tailwheel instruction and basic aerobatic instruction in it.

Later owned and instructed in a 7GCBC:

10467045524_dfd0b9f9e2_z.jpg


(Sadly, that one came to a tragic end, as outlined previously elsewhere)

Both were honest, fun planes. Never groundlooped one, though my students did manage to inflict minor damage from time to time. Ultimately my fault, of course.

Still, about the most rewarding fun I've ever had in a plane!
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FAST EDDIE B WHAT DO YOU THINK BEHIND EACH OTHER OFF THE LINE? I have tracked this 7ECA into MT, It belonged to my father when I was 4. Now Im 46 and would really like to have the opportunity to buy it back one day.
 
Definitely looks like a twin of my 7GCBC.

As an aside, about 10 years ago I tracked down my 7ECA to an owner in Jasper, GA. He told me it was not flying, but I never followed up on it. Jasper is just about 30 miles from where I live now.

Just the prod I need to call him again.
 
Like everyone says, a tail-dragger will make you a better pilot in any airplane you fly. I know you're hoping to find the particular airplane with family history, but in general there's some value to one with the all-metal wings. Eliminates the re-curring AD on the spars. We use ours for everything from just mucking about to light aerobatics. The 0-235 is relatively painless on fuel burn to boot . Ours is a '73 (from memory) but went back to the factory and had the all-metal wings/modded struts put on a few years ago. I'm 6'4", 235 and fit quite nicely.

Jim
flying 108.jpg
 
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