madman4049

I have a question for everyone. I am currently building a Top-Flite P47D Thunderbolt and the only tail dragger experience I have is with a Piper Cub seeing as how this is a warbird and I will be sinking a decent amount of money and time into this one I was considering putting a gyro on my rudder to maintain straight tracking on take-off and landing? I was also wondering if this would or even could assist me with coordinated turns. I had looked at the PA2 Pilot assist thing but I used to fly real planes and have a little experience with RC and I am not at all comfortable with a machine having control of my plane. Please tell me if you think this would work or feel free to share any other suggestions or ideas

khodges

My Feedback: (1)

Get a computer radio (if you don't already have one) and mix your rudder to your aileron on a separate toggle switch; you can turn the mix on or off as desired. Put your ailerons on separate channels and you can put differential in to minimize adverse yaw. Practice with your cub using right rudder input to keep it straight on takeoff while you're building the Jug, by the time it's finished you should be able to handle all the P-factor it can dish out. I think practicing and being able to handle normal flight "quirks" without all those googaws like PA2 or gyros makes you better able to handle the unexpected when it comes your way.

Flyfalcons

If your Cub is relatively scale and you can take off with it comfortably, you should do fine with the P-47. Cubs, for some reason, are very squirrely on takeoff compared with other taildraggers.

mglavin

My Feedback: (31)

Ryans comments are spot on. The Cub's or similar craft can be a handful on takeoff, been here done this. In some cases the mechanical setup/linkage exasperates the problem. I also have the T/F P47 with a highly modified YS-120SC which turns a 14/14, 80% nitro is used when needed... Its not to bad on take off, you simply have to ease up on the throttle while accelerating.

Utilizing and or learning how to use the rudder stick is a must with any aircraft IMO. It seems this is often overlooked with fledgling pilot's.

A gyro would work fine, but this pane can be very docile.

The PA-2 will not help with rudder function. They do work well IMO, and you can adjust the sensitivity or how quickly the assume control. You operate them with an AUX switch too. Additionally your control stick input overrides the autonomous control.

khodges

My Feedback: (1)

Was exactly my point in my recommendation to practice with the Cub while building the Jug. I found that putting about 50-60% exponential in the rudder helped me initially; I could use greater stick excursion without overcontrolling. As I got more used to how much rt. rudder input I needed to keep straight on take-off roll, I started decreasing the expo. I find the Cub to be very sensitive to rudder input, so I keep about 35% expo in mine. Mine is a 1/5 SIG, very scale. Obviously, flight performance will be greatly different from the Thunderbolt, but the Cub demands much more coordinated control flying than a trainer, so I think it makes an excellent transitional plane from trainers to more high performance type flying.