I have a new tail dragger but have never flown tail dragger before. I am currently flying a trycicle plane. Is it that much different. Should i get a trainer to help me or just try flying the tail dragger my self.

Cambo, When I started flying a 4*40 from flying an Avistar I don't recall it being a big deal at all. I think I just focused on the main wheels and let the tail follow. One of the planes I fly now is a little tricky on the ground and wants to nose over sometimes but I just add a little up elevator to keep the tail down and it's no problem. I don't think it will be all that much for you to worry about.

It shouldn't be a problem. I took some kidding when I first started to solo because I would walk out on the runway and stand behind my plane when I took off. It helped my learn to not over control the rudder. Always keep up elevator when you taxi. I keep up elevator until I get up some speed, then release it and immediatly add up again and the plane lifts off. Never have nose overs either. I've never owned a tri gear plane.

I'm another one that's never flown a tricycle gear R/C aircraft. I learned on a LT40 that I converted to a taildragger before it ever flew. Progressed to the Four Star 60, and am now flying a Goldberg Pitts 12 Monster. All of the aircraft I had any desire to fly after training were taildraggers, so I figured I would be way ahead of the game to learn on one. As far as flying, there is no difference in how a taildragger and trike FLY, the difference is in the takeoff and landing. You will need to hold up elevator while taxiing, and as you start your takeoff roll. Hold a bit of right rudder to keep her straight on your roll, and let the elevator go to neutral, and the tail will come up. Depending on what you're flying, it may fly right off without the tail coming up. The main thing is just keeping it straight with the rudder. Doesnt take much! Landing, some airplanes like three point landings, some like to be wheel landed on the mains. You'll just have to experiment and see which works better for you. Fly it down to within a few feet of the runway and let her settle in on either the mains, or pull it on back into a three point attitude, and it should just ease right onto the runway!

What kind of plane is it? I was in the same boat. flew trikes for years, but now i'm going to ressurect my fathers Skybolt. I bought a $60 Sky Raider Mach II just to try the tail dragger, and it really was a non-event. Even on a rough grass strip, I find it fairly easy. I suspect that it's cause I'm concentrating all through the landing roll, but I have to admit it is more fun landing a tail dragger.
John

I found taildraggers way easier to get off the ground than the trike gear planes.

Joel

Yes that's a great point especially on grass as the nose gear really takes abuse with a fast airplane especially
John

I prefer tail draggers. When you first go to fly, try to get a fellow pilot who is into tailwheels to go with you for moral support. Pick a windless day or a day when the wid is straight down the pike. Practice taxiing for awhile. Get it lined into the wind slowly apply power and add elevator as you add power very slight to get tail off the ground. Once it reaches take off speed gently apply more up trim. Keep you movements slight and do not over control. If you ground loop cut throttle immediatley.
Landing...straight into the wind and keep pulling back in ground effect until you make a three pointer. You'll never go back to tricycles...those are for children...hehe.

One bad habit I have seen trike flyers do is to fly down to the runway,plant the gear in the grass and then chop the throttle and use the drag of the nosegear to stop. That same pilot will one day be watching his tailwheel airplane either fly by him in ground effect or ballon up and stall from carrying too much forward speed. Tailwheel models teach you to contol airspeed so you can make that 3 point landing just as the wing is losing lift.

Hay guys,
I have asked the same question about the first tail dragger in another post. I asked because I have a J-3 cup, 80", and I want to fly it but in the other post evryone said "NO" to flying it as the first tail dragger. No one really said why not, just to get another plane. Can anyone explaine why the J-3 is a bad first tail dragger or give me some idea of what to watch out for.
I sholud say that I do not fly with a club, but i do fly with several other friends and when I got my first tranier they all showed me what, how, and why to do the things I needed to do to fly. Then everyone of them stayed with me, for support, when I took it up for the first time. I have about 5 gallons of fuel thru it now and never crashed. I am wondering if the reason I have been able to fly the trainer so well is because I never had anyone tell me I can't. And of course they are trying to talk me into flying the cub now, but I am worried because of so many people here saying don't do it.

I dont think it's so much that the Cub is "hard" to fly, it is the fact that the Cub is more of a scale aircraft, and scale aircraft fly differently than trainers and other sport type taildragger aircraft. Which Cub do you have? Most I have seen have a fairly scale wing, in that it is thinner, with more of the characteristics of the real full scale Cub. Your trainer, like other trainers, has self correcting tendencies that will help it right itself in the event you lose control. The large amount of dihedral in the wings of most trainers makes them inherently stable. The Cub is not going to have that same ability, and it's going to go for the most part exactly where you point it. If you've flown 5 gallons of fuel through your trainer, I'd say you've got a good bit of experience. I've heard instructors say "if you can consistently fly a complete circuit of the field several times inverted, without loss of control or orientation, then you are ready to move to another plane". I dont agree with that. I dont think that a person's skill level can be judged by how well they perform one maneuver, it has to be a combination of all their skills. Someone that is watching you and helping you can tell you "yes you are ready" or "no, not yet", but in the end YOU are the only one that can make the final determination as to whether you think you are ready to move on or not. Truly look at your flying skills and see how you feel about them. Are your landings consistently good? Do you maintain your orientation well in the air or do you have momentary lapses where you have to think about what to do next? All of that has to go into your decision. I dont agree with ANYONE, instructor, friend, whatever, telling a pilot that they CAN'T do something, and then not giving them any explanation as to why not. If you tell someone they cant do something, and then cant explain to them "why", you have no business advising them in the first place. I would say, if YOU honestly think you are ready for the Cub, get an experienced pilot on a buddy box with you for the first few flights. That way, you will be able to learn the aircraft's handling qualities without fear of destroying your plane in the process.

Brooke, do any of the guys you fly with fly Cubs? Cubs are favorites of many people, and they do look great, both in the air and on the ground. Even though they look trainer-like, they handle MUCH differently than your typical trike gear, high wing trainer particularly on the ground. They are, quite obviously, tail draggers, so you have to be reasonably proficient in using the rudder,particularly in your takeoff run to steer. The more scale the Cub, the more pronounced this is. In flight, best turns are made by adding some rudder as well. Other tail draggers, particularly the 4* series, also require use of the rudder as well in ground handling but are not as sensitive and don`t ground loop as easily. Hope this helps.

Here's something else worth mentioning....

Due to tail-draggers being a lot more squirrelly on take-off than a trike, First-time tail-dragger fliers will sometimes lift off before they have sufficient airspeed. Their thought process is, "Get that take-off run over with as quickly as possible, and get her in the air, where I'm comfortable".

This can lead to some REALLY creative aerobatics as soon as the plane is airborne.

So keep it on the ground for a few extra seconds to get that proper airspeed.

I converted my first avistar to a tail dragger after about 4 flights. I think it's the only way to go if you're flying off grass. Like others have said keep the tail down with up elevator to retain control when taxiing . One thing a lot of people do on take offs is jam the throttle open and then jump into the air as quick as possible. Try opening your throttle gradually until you are moving forward than a little more until the tail comes up and let it lift off with as little up as possible.Jamming the trottle open increases the amount of torque and most have a tendancy to over correct. If this happens and you are able, stand behind the plane as you take off to see how much you have to correct. If the wind allows, try starting your take off from the side of the runway so that you have the whole witdth of the runway. Important thing to remember. As you begin moving forward on your takeoff you want to retain control by keeping some up elevator but remember that if you forget to bring the elevator to neutral the plane may lift off before it has sufficient airspeed.
one important advantage to tail draggers over nose gear is after a rough landing you may need to fix a bent landing gear strut or replace a prop etc but almost never fix or replace your firewall.

The cub I have is the H-9 P-N-P. The guys I fly with do not have any cub's, but they fly some tail draggers. The one has the Telemaster, I think that's what it is it looks alot like the cub.
As far as flying inverted I do fly inverted, but not close to a whole circuit. Flying inverted is easy for me on the sims, but a whole lot different on the field. With my trainer I am at the point that, don't get me wrong here because I love flying it, I am getting bored with it. I think I have tried everything you can do with one, but I can not say that for sure. I have taxied the cub around some and was able to get the tail off the ground, but never took flight, just working on getting the tail to come up.
I was just looking for a reason why some would say it's not a good second plane, besides just saying it's not. I do like the info. you guys have input. I do think I am ready to fly it and I look at it in two ways. 1- I will try it and love it or 2- I will crash it and now I will be forced to learn to do repair and cover work. I guess I win either way, but i hope I don't have to start learning repair work yet.

Brooke,

Cubs are very, very wind sensitive and like to weather vane into the wind on landing and take off. You will definitely have to use the rudder both on take off and landings. I've been flying tail draggers for almost 6 years now and still find flying my cub a bit challenging especially at our field that usually has cross winds. What I now do is practice touch-n-go's like crazy to get the rudder action down. Also, on landing, they like to be brought down on their mains, then their tail gear.

Brooke, If you read over the discription of what you are doing with your cub, it sounds just like what a fledgling does before it takes flight. Feel it out and when your confidence builds so will your altitude. You are the only one who can really answer whether you'rre ready.
The cub might be a little tricky on the ground, but you're already dealing with that. You may need to make coordinated turns with rudder and aileron. If that's a problem practice them on your trainer. I like your attitude. Its always better to be able to pack up your plane intact after a days flying but if you crash, make the most of it by trying to find out what went wrong. Be careful about being bored with a plane. When I get that way I always end up with trashbag of pieces.

Thinks for the input guys. I'll try to let you know how it goes once I try it out. It may be a while due to weather. I would like for it to warm up some so I can taxi it around for another tank and then try and take it to the air. All I can do is give it my best.

What is the rudder for?
#1 In the air?
#2 On the ground?