I am building a midstar 40. It's the first plane I've ever built. The instruction manual says to make the nose wheel steerable. Is that really necessay? Do most planes have steerable landing gear. Is it a good thing to have or not.

In order of your questions. Yes, yes, and yes.

And to back up what Barracuda said. Yes, yes, and yes.

Ken

You DO have an instructor, right?
Edwin

I do not have an instructor. I used to build control line planes 30 years ago. I like building models. I purchased a plane, and all the radio stuff.

My plan is to meet the guys in the club. (I know one of them from years back), and let them fly it. I'd be satisfied just to watch. Maybe one of my kids will want to take up the hobby. I'm having fun just reading up and investigating the hobby.

Sounds like you have a good plan.

A flight simulator will pay for itself in no time.

Actually, no. Most planes are, in fact, taildraggers!

If your model has nose-gear, it absolutely NO QUESTION ABOUT IT has to be steerable. That having been said, I absolutely hate nose-gear models and will never ever again fly one (unless someone happens to give me a P-38). Seriously, I converted my very first trainer to a taildragger after about the third flight. And every model I've had since is a taildragger. And in most cases that tail wheel hasn't been steerable at all.

Okay, I'll make the nose steerable just like the book says.

Yep! A good plan. We have a few older members that only build and have other club members they trust to fly their planes for them. At least they are still involved. Both are in their 80's.
Edwin

Just make sure you don't have to much steering on the nose wheel. About 5 to 10 Degrees is all you want. More than that, it gets really hard to steer.

On the tail wheels, not all planes can stear with rudder only on the ground. Life is so much easier if there is a stearable tail wheel. A plane like my 4*60 will turn into a cross wind once it has landed if the tail wheel is not planted firmly on the ground. I have become so accustomed to touching down, then pulling full up elevator to get traction on the tail wheel that when I dug out my old trainer a couple months ago, I ran off the runway the first three times I landed. You can't steer a tri gear plane with full up elevator. Old habits I guess.

Don