How to land a tail dragger?
07-08-2003, 02:33 PM
#1
Junior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: FL
Posts: 12
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
How to land a tail dragger?
I've had 3 planes, all of them tricycle gear. I'm thinking of getting a new plane like the extra 300 style plane or a biplane, is there a major difference in landing that I need to be aware of? I'm assuming on approach, I lower the throttle and slightly flare up on the elevator and cut the throttle and let it sink on its own? A step by step on this would be very helpful.
07-08-2003, 07:40 PM
#2
Senior Member
Join Date: Dec 2002
Location: Moreland, GA
Posts: 809
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
How to land a tail dragger?
There is really not much difference in landing a tailwheel aircraft. All of my models have tail wheels, and range in size from a Saito .80 to a Norvell .061. Here is how I do it.
Make a normal approach. All of the difference is in the last foot before touchdown. If you can fly an approach so that the airplane arrives at the runway at a reasonably slow speed and properly aligned, you don’t need to make any changes. At a height of about three or so feet above the ground, retard the throttle to idle. Try to hold the airplane about a foot off the runway adding up elevator as it slows. Hold it off until it is in a three point attitude, then let it touch. Keep the elevator up until it has slowed to a stop.
If you have only flown aircraft with a nose wheel, it’s likely that you have formed a habit, when it is over the runway, of just cutting the power and letting it smash down. Do that with a tail wheel and it will probably bounce back into the air with less than flying speed and drop a wing into the ground for a maneuver called a cartwheel.
Once you have learned the procedure you will find that it works equally well regardless which end the third wheel is on.
Like the nose wheel configuration, it helps if the landing gear is adjusted so that the model rolls straight. A slight toe-in in the main gear will help the ground handling some. If the tailwheel is steerable, be gentle during landing. If you touch down going straight, you usually don’t need to touch the rudder.
The biggest problem for those used to nose wheel airplanes seems to be on takeoff. Keep the tail on the ground with a little up elevator during the first part of the takeoff roll. If the tail wheel is steerable, be gentle with the rudder until lift off. Over control is a common fault, and can result in a ground loop. If the airplane rolls straight, it shouldn’t require much if any rudder input on takeoff.
After you make the transition you will wonder why anyone ever puts the third wheel up front. Have fun.
Make a normal approach. All of the difference is in the last foot before touchdown. If you can fly an approach so that the airplane arrives at the runway at a reasonably slow speed and properly aligned, you don’t need to make any changes. At a height of about three or so feet above the ground, retard the throttle to idle. Try to hold the airplane about a foot off the runway adding up elevator as it slows. Hold it off until it is in a three point attitude, then let it touch. Keep the elevator up until it has slowed to a stop.
If you have only flown aircraft with a nose wheel, it’s likely that you have formed a habit, when it is over the runway, of just cutting the power and letting it smash down. Do that with a tail wheel and it will probably bounce back into the air with less than flying speed and drop a wing into the ground for a maneuver called a cartwheel.
Once you have learned the procedure you will find that it works equally well regardless which end the third wheel is on.
Like the nose wheel configuration, it helps if the landing gear is adjusted so that the model rolls straight. A slight toe-in in the main gear will help the ground handling some. If the tailwheel is steerable, be gentle during landing. If you touch down going straight, you usually don’t need to touch the rudder.
The biggest problem for those used to nose wheel airplanes seems to be on takeoff. Keep the tail on the ground with a little up elevator during the first part of the takeoff roll. If the tail wheel is steerable, be gentle with the rudder until lift off. Over control is a common fault, and can result in a ground loop. If the airplane rolls straight, it shouldn’t require much if any rudder input on takeoff.
After you make the transition you will wonder why anyone ever puts the third wheel up front. Have fun.
07-10-2003, 09:00 AM
#4
Banned
Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: gone,
Posts: 4,923
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
How to land a tail dragger?
Land it just like a Trike gear plane... you try to have the tailwheel and the main wheels touch at the same time. about the same angle as is proper for landing a trike gear plane... which you want the nosewheel well off the ground when the mains touch down. This is where the term "3 point landing" came from [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-wink.gif[/img] properly landing a trike gear airplane. [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif[/img]
07-10-2003, 10:01 PM
#5
Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2002
Location: perkasie, PA
Posts: 135
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
How to land a tail dragger?
first of all, the somethin extra is not the same as a regular oh say......extra 300 s. Secondly, tail dragger land the exact same as a trike plane.........wheels down, wings up!! GL
07-13-2003, 02:58 PM
#6
Junior Member
Join Date: Oct 2002
Location: Calgary| Alberta,
AB, CANADA
Posts: 5
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
How to land a tail dragger?
Something Extra 40 from Sig....just started flying mine. Ive got about 30 flights in so far. Mine was nose heavy and wouldnt hover so I moved the battery way back now is better. Some hardware junky though. My wheel axle broke the other day, that pissed me off. I replaced it with a 5/32 Klett axle...way better. This plane can land extremely slow. Chop power and glide down, work it into a nice big flare and you can land all three at once with not much (if any) forward speed. Very easy. Have fun.
08-14-2003, 01:57 AM
#7
Junior Member
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: AZ
Posts: 23
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
How to land a tail dragger?
Hi
Its true that you basically land a tail dragger the same way you do a tricycle geared airplane. You should slow way down before letting touch the groud though because if your going too fast it will bounce a lot. Just try to keep it close to the groud as it loses speed and once you have to hold the elevator up a little to make it fly straight, then very gently let it land.
And ofcourse be very gentle when taxiing it
Rob
Its true that you basically land a tail dragger the same way you do a tricycle geared airplane. You should slow way down before letting touch the groud though because if your going too fast it will bounce a lot. Just try to keep it close to the groud as it loses speed and once you have to hold the elevator up a little to make it fly straight, then very gently let it land.
And ofcourse be very gentle when taxiing it
Rob
