TKK

If you are using proper take off and landing techniques and still haveing troubles> "Simply tow in the landing gear" try it you"ll like it!

Mr67Stang

Your absolutely correct. I wish I had known this a few years ago before I killed my Decathalon. This technique works on all tail draggers (when needed).

Deathbunny_SG

My Feedback: (6)

Took me a bit but I now understand what your saying.

If your gonna make an entire post about this tip maybe you could explain what you meen good enough that someone that doesn't already know how to do it will understand what you are saying enough to do it...

and welcome to RCU

opjose

Couple adjusting "Toe-in" with raising the tail when the plane sits on the ground and you have a winning pair!

For those playing the home game:

"Toe-in" refers to changing the angle of the two front wheels so that they are no longer parallel to each other.

Instead there is instroduced a small "inward" angle so that the wheels are slightly angled toward each other at the front of the plane.

In effect the left wheel will want to travel in a slightly rightward direction and the right wheel in a slightly leftward direction.

As the plane picks up speed there is less of a tendancy to yaw away towards the wheel bearing most of the weight... which is why this helps.


Raising the tail, involves moving the tail wheel "out" away from the fuselage so that the plane sits more level than before.

This puts the tail into the prop air wash more quickly, so that the control surfaces have more authority at run-up.

Mojavegold

My Feedback: (71)

The biggest issue with this plane is the instructions. If you are not an ace builder, you will miss the fact that this plane has zero right thrust built into the firewall. Put 2 degrees of right thrust into the motor and she flys like a wet dream. Also, max toe in helps with the ground driving.

Jetdesign

My Feedback: (8)

My Decathlon had right thrust built in.

Gray Beard

My Feedback: (-1)

Yes Joe, and look what happened with that!! Not all planes need/want/like engine thrust but most tail draggers like toe in and A high tail wheel like Jose mentioned. I have had Bipes that I put A couple degrees of up trim on A switch in my radio to keep the tail wheel on the ground so I could steer them during take off. When I was just learning to fly this helped A lot too but the toe in and tail wheel up was the real trick. Short coupled planes can be A hand full.
My 90 inch Decathlon is great on the ground, so was my GP 40 size. I kept hearing about how nasty they were but mine wern't?? Then last week I saw A good pilot with one of the smaller ARFs try to take his off, my oh my!!! I guess some are just better then others or it could be the set up??? I just gave my big Decathlon to one of my students, he doesn't have any problems with it either and now he has A plane he can see.

Mojavegold

My Feedback: (71)

You are talking about the Seagull Decathalon, right? I measured it and my seagull (recent production) does not have any right thrust built into the firewall. I added 2 degrees right thrust and max toe in and mine flew fine. Here is a link to my maiden flight with this plane. Notice the short roll take off and no monkey business hard left turn issues. Matter of fact, after the second flight I noticed that the gear had adjusted back to the normal zero toe and it still drove fine on the take off run. I have since put the toe in back into the gear and added an extra screw to make it stay put. Hope this info helps you.
http://www.soaringunionoflosangeles....Decathalon.wmv

Jetdesign

My Feedback: (8)

Nope, Phoenix, like mentioned in the title of the post.

Wasn't trying to start an argument here, but the claim was made the the Phoenix Decathlon does not have right thrust built in. Mine did. Plane flew very well, and still does.

Gray Beard

My Feedback: (-1)

And I'm just having fun with GA and thought the way Jose explained things was very well stated. Each ARF and kit is going to be different and not handle the same by doing the same set up, that's why they make A lot of proto types before we get them. Then it's up to us to set them up the way we like them.

Mojavegold

My Feedback: (71)

Yeah, my bad, no insult taken. I thought that the seagull/phoenix decathalons were the same plane under different company names.

Jetdesign

My Feedback: (8)

They are very similar planes; they are made in the same country (Vietnam) and possibly (likely) from the same manufacturer (Vmar?). However, there are quite a few subtle differences between the two, which does include a mildly different structure/frame work. It is very possible that Phoenix has something like engine thrust angles built in and Seagull does not. Again, VERY similar, NOT the same.

Gray Beard: I'm working on loosening up, I swear!