Do we as RC fliers prefer tail draggers to tricycle gear? If so, why?

easier to build. Whenever I do a trike gear the steering linkage is just a PITA. Much easier hooking up a tailwheel.

JP,

For most of my aircraft I prefer TD. I fly giants and there is very limited nose gear equipment available in that class. If I am flying from grass I prefer TD. If I am flying from pavement, I like to have at least one 'just for fun' knock-around bird that is a nose dragger. More relaxing on the ground and more tolerant of my cross-wind landing technique.

... but that is just me. We do this for fun and that should be the prime driver of the choices made.

Bedford

I like both.

My current favourite model is a Birdie .40 with tricycle gear. Mind you, in 25 years' flying, this has been only the second nose-wheel that I've owned; as far as I can recall.

BUT, I've recently acquired an Astro-Hog ... a "gizzit" that arrived in tat order, but is now lovely again. This flies really nicely and is, of course, a tail-dragger. Conventional gear is more challenging, and is therefore more satisfying to use. It's generally easier to make it rugged, too.




I suppose that, on balance, conventional gear is more practical for the rough surfaces which usually masquerade as our runways... though nothing beats the practicality of simply discarding the undercarriage.

I really don't feel a difference when flying...I learned on a trike gear...went to a tail dragger...back to trike and have been a tail dragger since

I like both. Of my 13 currently flying planes, 4 have nose gear and the others are tail draggers.

Bruce

I have one plane as a trike, it's the only plane I have ever built as a trike. I like it. Ground handling is really easy both on take off and landing. Other then ease of hauling the tail dragger has nothing better to offer. I have just always built TDs?? This one trike I built I did add a small servo just for the streering so I have no linkage problems.

I fly both and have no problems with either. I agree that taildraggers are simpler and have less issues than a trike gear plane. But if pushed I'd probably pick trikes as my favorite though. Don't know why but I just like the looks of a trike as it sets down in a landing. But that's just me.

Ken

Tail draggers. Nose draggers are a pain.

After reading Kens post I gave it more though, I think the only reason I don't have more trike geared planes is just because I build only planes I like and most of those are TDs. I think the reason I don't use trikes for my smaller pattern type planes is just the ease of set up on a TD?? The plane I learned to fly with was a TD so maybe I'm just stuck in a rut? When I built my Daddy Rabbit, a small pattern plane designed in 66, I was talked into building it as close to old school stock as I could force myself. That goes against my nature but I did it. It's a nice plane, handels well in the air and on the ground. I cut out a card board box to set it in for hauling. I like them both, I just seem to build TDs??

The reason I asked the question is that we see posts where guys are changing trikes to tail draggers and I'm wondering why. I don't recall ever seeing a post where someone did it the other way. Like Ken, I pesonally prefer the appearance of trikes as they sit on the ground and don't really see the advantage of tail draggers other than they are easier to build. I kind of had the idea in the back of my mind that maybe some guys prefer tail draggers because they are more of a challenge to get off the ground and we enjoy a challenge. It is true that setting up that nose wheel and keeping it where it belongs can be a pain in the butt at times. I don't know, but I like both.

I live near a small local airport. On one of the cars parked at a hanger I saw a bumper sticker that said "Real Pilots Fly Taildraggers".

My experience with RC says that take off with a tail dragger is MUCH more challenging to the left thumb.

Les

When I was doing fun fly events and we were flying on a hard surface if someone was using a trike we knew right away who was going to win any of the ground events. If we were on a grass or rough surface we knew who was going to come in last. At my first local field you couldn't use a trike so every plane there was a TD. That may be why I have always used the TD?? Where I fly now they are great. I have my one little pattern plane and a trainer with trike. They are easy to use but I don't have any trouble keeping a TD straight, I'm pretty sure they are going to pull left so as soon as I see that I just hit a little rudder and hold it there, no stick moving. Just give it what it needs and stay there.

For me, it depends on what genre aircraft is flying.

Classics I try to keep trikes as original, with a few exceptions like the stick.

It would be strange to fly some civilian aircraft as taildraggers.

Newer models all seem to go as taildraggers. I like them just fine...

I guess I like both in proper contexts.

Brian

I've been trying to visualize an SR71 or B52 or F22 as a tail dragger. Ain't happening.

Taildraggers handle tall grass and rough fields better than trikes. Trikes tend to tip over forward to the left or right.