This is sad but funny, Your trying to improve your skills on a plane that is the worst on the market for tracking down the runway. If you ever get it in the air, it does fly very well.
ORIGINAL: bayareajeff
LAst year I purchased a Great Planes .40 size A-t6 to learn how to better fly a tail dragger. I took it out to fly it and it flew well. It was a windy day but the wind was down the runway and there were no worries. I flew it a few times and even though it was squirrly on the ground It flew. Well I took it out when there was little to no wind and it is useless on the ground. All it does is ground loop eventally breaking the retracts out. I repaired and modified the retracts - basically widened them as far as I could - Maybe another 3/8 to 1/2 inch. I took it back out and it was the same. Well maybe it was just me? Opperator error is known to effect things
So i had a club expert try it for me - the same. He at least made it most of the way down the runway before the gremlins attacked the plane. It was almost funny.. Its tracking .. tracking.. tracking... then its like someone just swats it. I don't know how else to explain it. It got all crazy and ground looped and broke the gear out once again.. and basically broke the very flimsy main spar. I was going to just sell/give it away or something and took the radio and engine out and put in my GP .40 Mustang. But I don't want to give up.. it SHOULD fly somehow??
I know someone is flying this plane and have read and read on here about it. SO what is the Secret to this plane??
Thanks
Jeff