what is the advantage of a tailwheel plane?

Jaybird180 said:
2- Got me thinking...I wonder why modern fighters aren't designed as t/w?
:stirpot:
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Believe it or not, early in the jet age, the Navy actually experimented with removing all landing gear (for weight) and belly landing jets on a rubber runway. They ditched that idea fairly quickly.
 
Might also be of interest that the prototype ME-262 was a tail wheel and the swept wings blocked airflow to the tail during take off. An application of the brakes to raise the tail was required.
 
Fearless Tower said:
Believe it or not, early in the jet age, the Navy actually experimented with removing all landing gear (for weight) and belly landing jets on a rubber runway. They ditched that idea fairly quickly.
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Here's a prime example of not only a jet with a tailwheel but also that the military, given enough cash, will try virtually ANYTHING they can think of.

Convair F2YSea Dart
 
David said:
:confused:, all that for a typo? WOW
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All that for education. Wow. And nobody was knocking anyone - it was a simple, objective restatement of the error and alternative. One hopes we are all mature enough to accept such without thinking it's some public bashing.
 
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Skylane81E said:
Might also be of interest that the prototype ME-262 was a tail wheel and the swept wings blocked airflow to the tail during take off. An application of the brakes to raise the tail was required.
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I thought the underslung engines caused the nose to pitch up, making it hard to raise the tail.

The Me-262 and other early jet taildraggers didn't last long, primarily because with zero prop-blast over the vertical stab, they had little or no yaw stability at low speed. Hello groundloop!
 
Skylane81E said:
In a military setting the tail wheel has another advantage, the plane doesn't tip over with the engine removed. This means no tail stands to haul around and keeps the plane moveable during engine off service.
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Must come in handy on F-16s.
 
Now for the next question. What is the fastest tailwheel plane?
 
no one has mentioned how easy it is to place a tail wheeled aircraft on floats or skis
 
rbridges said:
that's what I've read. OK, you guys answered my question. I just thought I was overlooking something. I'd like to put it on my bucket list.
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Additional advantages to tailwheel:


  1. Most of them are less expensive to buy and maintain than equally equipped tricycles.
  2. Many of them are lighter than the average tricycle and as a result, they can be flown as Light Sport without a current medical.
  3. They are very responsive to pilot and wind input, making the pilot more competent.
  4. Really great visibility flying low and slow with windows everywhere.
  5. Wind in your hair, sun on your back and freedom from the radio.
Besides, they look cool and they are so much FUN!!!
 
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Another advantage to tailwheel:

So you don't end up looking like this:

J-3-Tricycle.jpg
 
AuntPeggy said:
Additional advantages to tailwheel:


  1. Most of them are less expensive to buy and maintain than equally equipped tricycles.
  2. Many of them are lighter than the average tricycle and as a result, they can be flown as Light Sport without a current medical.
  3. They are very responsive to pilot and wind input, making the pilot more competent.
  4. Really great visibility flying low and slow with windows everywhere.
  5. Wind in your hair, sun on your back and freedom from the radio.
Besides, they look cool and they are so much FUN!!!
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Wow. There's a bunch of completely made up poppycock if I ever saw it.

For the cost item, feel free to show identical airframes, like the tailwheel 180/185 and the nosewheel 182 and your higher costs for the 182.

Same thing with the weight comment.

The "responsiveness" comment... Yeah, no one has ever built a responsive nosedragger. Right.

Windows: Same. Not a single nosedragger with great visibility to be seen anywhere.

And wind in your hair... Yup. The windows are welded shut on all nosedraggers.
 
When we started looking at RVs, I wanted an -8. (Tailwheel.)

My wife, also a pilot, didn't particularly like the idea of tandem seating, and really didn't like the idea of a tailwheel.

Especially when we priced insurance. Yikes!

S0...she compromised on the tandem seating. I compromised on the nosewheel. Here's the result, which ain't all bad:
haga8une.jpg
 
Jay Honeck said:
When we started looking at RVs, I wanted an -8. (Tailwheel.)

My wife, also a pilot, didn't particularly like the idea of tandem seating, and really didn't like the idea of a tailwheel.

Especially when we priced insurance. Yikes!

S0...she compromised on the tandem seating. I compromised on the nosewheel. Here's the result, which ain't all bad:
haga8une.jpg
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You are just looking for excuses to post pictures of your new plane, aren't you Jay?
 
N2124v said:
You are just looking for excuses to post pictures of your new plane, aren't you Jay?
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But...but...she's so danged purty! :D

I do still wish she had a little wheel in back, but in the air it doesn't matter.
 
I'd still say the best part of tailwheel is answering that 'how do you see over the nose' question with 'you don't'. Then you just tell them you feel for the landings with your peripheral vision. If you put on Tundras the visibility gets much worse - but you can always fix it with a big bush tailwheel tire ;P
 
Advantage to Taildragger?
It's pretty much common knowledge that the conventional geared aircraft gives pilots that can't fly nose gears into places without busting them up, just enough help so they can stay into some type of flying.
 
When Champion Aircraft took over from Aeronca in 1954 They did some absolutely bizarre things with the old Champ. The first was the 7FC Tri-Traveler which was a tricycle gear version of the 7EC. It apparently wasn't such a good modification though as they tended to flip over like a kids tricycle when you turned a corner too fast. So, not willing to give up on the idea or maybe just because they had a bunch of nose wheels left over in inventory they came up with the 7JC Tri-Con which was some sort of tricycle geared contraption with the "nose" wheel placed behind the main gear.

Don't think that one panned out too well either....

Aeronca.jpg
 
denverpilot said:
Wow. There's a bunch of completely made up poppycock if I ever saw it.

For the cost item, feel free to show identical airframes, like the tailwheel 180/185 and the nosewheel 182 and your higher costs for the 182.

Same thing with the weight comment.

The "responsiveness" comment... Yeah, no one has ever built a responsive nosedragger. Right.

Windows: Same. Not a single nosedragger with great visibility to be seen anywhere.

And wind in your hair... Yup. The windows are welded shut on all nosedraggers.
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Give it a rest. I am not attacking nosewheel aircraft or you. If none of those reasons are compelling to you, ok. I'm sure your 182 is a far superior plane to any tailwheel I could hope to fly. Sheesh. :hairraise:
 
AuntPeggy said:
Give it a rest. I am not attacking nosewheel aircraft or you. If none of those reasons are compelling to you, ok. I'm sure your 182 is a far superior plane to any tailwheel I could hope to fly. Sheesh. :hairraise:
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It's not that they are or aren't compelling. They just aren't entirely accurate, nor inherent solely to taildraggers.
 
EdFred said:
It's not that they are or aren't compelling. They just aren't entirely accurate, nor inherent solely to taildraggers.
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I really like the color yellow, especially for a kitchen. It just seems to bring sunshine into the room and make it cheerful. And that makes me happy.

This is not to say that no other color looks good in a kitchen. It does not have anything to do with those who prefer a kitchen to be blue. Nor does it suggest that a yellow kitchen actually brings sunshine into a room. It has nothing to do with whether other colors might have the same effect. It doesn't mean that nothing else makes me happy. It doesn't even mean that I'm always happy in a yellow kitchen.

I just like the color yellow, especially for a kitchen. It seems cheerful to me. If you were to ask me about the color yellow for a kitchen, I'd probably tell you these things.
 
AuntPeggy said:
Give it a rest. I am not attacking nosewheel aircraft or you. If none of those reasons are compelling to you, ok. I'm sure your 182 is a far superior plane to any tailwheel I could hope to fly. Sheesh. :hairraise:
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Give what a rest? I simply pointed out made up silliness.

If I took it personally, or thought you attacked me, you'd know it. I didn't.

Those reasons are quite compelling to most pilots, but they aren't limited to taildraggers.

The 182 is absolutely not superior to a great many aircraft. I'd fly that Husky that's in my logbook again any day and twice on Sundays.

Just wouldn't be making stuff up about it.
 
6. Easier to move around on the ground
7. No wrinkles in the firewall
8. Your insurance agent gets a bigger commission
 
Capt. Geoffrey Thorpe said:
6. Easier to move around on the ground
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Until I got the -8A, I would have agreed with you. However, the first time my transition trainer pulled Amelia into our hangar nose first -- and then proceeded to do a very tank-like pirouette, turning 180 degrees in her own footprint -- I just stood there with my mouth hanging open.

A free-castering nose wheel makes a nose-dragger just as easy to maneuver on the ground.
 
One of the big advantages is that not every weenie who has played with MFS can potentially steal your aircraft. They will suffer an off-runway excursion and conveniently crash it for you on takeoff to make things much more clear cut for you and the insurance company.
 
AuntPeggy said:
I really like the color yellow, especially for a kitchen. It just seems to bring sunshine into the room and make it cheerful. And that makes me happy.

This is not to say that no other color looks good in a kitchen. It does not have anything to do with those who prefer a kitchen to be blue. Nor does it suggest that a yellow kitchen actually brings sunshine into a room. It has nothing to do with whether other colors might have the same effect. It doesn't mean that nothing else makes me happy. It doesn't even mean that I'm always happy in a yellow kitchen.

I just like the color yellow, especially for a kitchen. It seems cheerful to me. If you were to ask me about the color yellow for a kitchen, I'd probably tell you these things.
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Best response I've ever seen on this forum.
 
Jaybird180; said:
2- Got me thinking...I wonder why modern fighters aren't designed as t/w?
:stirpot:
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That's an easy one. Everyone knows the real fighters are flown by Naval Aviators. Can't have a T/W aircraft and land on a carrier with today's fighter power!



Sent from my iPhone using An APP that doesn't pay me to advertise for them.
 
Jay Honeck said:
When we started looking at RVs, I wanted an -8. (Tailwheel.)

My wife, also a pilot, didn't particularly like the idea of tandem seating, and really didn't like the idea of a tailwheel.

Especially when we priced insurance. Yikes!

S0...she compromised on the tandem seating. I compromised on the nosewheel. Here's the result, which ain't all bad:
haga8une.jpg
Click to expand...

How does one afford a new plane? I am a young person in college, how do you buy a plane?
 
AuntPeggy said:
I really like the color yellow, especially for a kitchen. It just seems to bring sunshine into the room and make it cheerful. And that makes me happy.

This is not to say that no other color looks good in a kitchen. It does not have anything to do with those who prefer a kitchen to be blue. Nor does it suggest that a yellow kitchen actually brings sunshine into a room. It has nothing to do with whether other colors might have the same effect. It doesn't mean that nothing else makes me happy. It doesn't even mean that I'm always happy in a yellow kitchen.

I just like the color yellow, especially for a kitchen. It seems cheerful to me. If you were to ask me about the color yellow for a kitchen, I'd probably tell you these things.
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So what's the advantage of a yellow kitchen? I understand the preference of a yellow kitchen, but I fail to see how the color yellow...

makes food taste better
prevents burning of baked goods
reduces energy usage of appliances in the kitchen
cooks food faster
is cheaper than other colors


Sure, the color yellow may look better in a kitchen than other colors, but to declare it as an advantage just because one likes the color, when all other colors have the same effect on the food and appliances, not so much.
 
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MultiMediaWill said:
How does one afford a new plane? I am a young person in college, how do you buy a plane?
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Save money by not wasting it on crap.

For me it was 10 years of no movies, no vacations, no dating, etc...
 
MultiMediaWill said:
How does one afford a new plane? I am a young person in college, how do you buy a plane?
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Here is what I did... I lived off of only half of what I made. The other half was put into a stock portfolio that paid dividends. I reinvested the dividends so compound interest would work in my favor. As time went on, those dividends have grown to a point to where they can pay for the price of owning a plane.

If you are on college now, this is a great time to start. Sacrifice in your younger years, so you can enjoy life once you hit your 30's and beyond! My son is 11, and because I set him up an account when he was born, his college is paid for by dividends. By the time he is in his 30's he will be able to live a lifestyle to where he won't have to work unless he wants to live a lavish lifestyle.

Proper planning can get you there. You just have to be willing to not develop the bad habits when you are young, which causes you to miss out on things when you are older.


Sent from my iPhone using An APP that doesn't pay me to advertise for them.
 
MultiMediaWill said:
How does one afford a new plane? I am a young person in college, how do you buy a plane?
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Marry into money (didn't work for me.)

Hit the lottery (also no go for me, sorry.)

Don't be a young person in college (worked for me, didn't work for David!)

Avoid debt (getting warmer!)

Seriously, the ways people afford airplanes are as varied as the airplanes themselves. Smart investing, family money, scrimping and saving, being really really good at what you do, working in a high-income profession, just plain getting lucky, the list goes on. Flying clubs are nice. I'm 1/45th owner of three airplanes, and it didn't cost much to buy in. You can also decide to build something and stretch the cost over as many years as you need to.

Best advice I have is to not waste much of your future financial well-being by going into debt for a bunch of crap you can live without.
 
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