ORIGINAL: Charlie P.
It's more than the steering. The nose wheel also cuts down in the likelyhood of nosing forward and snapping the prop. Doing that often enough isn't good for the engine, either.
true but a well placed LG on a tail dragger has a more forward point of rotation and with a little up elev they taxi fine.
A landing gear metal or plastic as opposed to music wire is a more durable set up( with plastic mounting bolts) . Converts to skis or pontoons easily as well so ? MORE FUN?
My instructer had and club at the time recomended Carl Goldberg Eagle with Alum LGs. I was instructed to use a tail skid to learn rudder / throttle control right off the bat. We did a lot of float flying in those days as a lot of our members had lake houses. So rudder control on the water was required.
The club was the LORCS in Eldon, Mo. Guess who was my instructer .... HINT: he designed/flys very FLAT SQUARE CORO planes.
I would hate to guess how many RC pilots he has taught. There is two guys at my current club near springfield mo that were taught by him and we both teach new pilots as well.