Tailwheel to tricycle

[SNX1508]

I completed tail dragger training last year, and I was taught that if there is a tail wind while taxiing, the stick goes all of the way forward, and all the way left/forward or right/forward for a quartering tail wind. Then the stick goes all the way back if boosting the throttle, momentary stick back if the throttle is only increased momentarily while taxiing.

With all due respect to whoever your tailwheel instructor was, that's not really correct. That procedure completely discounts the fact that there is about 15 knots of wind over the tail AT IDLE due to propeller blast. AT IDLE! Any increase in power to move the airplane increases this blast over the tail. So you need to be in enough wind to overcome the propeller blast before you go stick forward while taxiing with a tailwind. This seldom happens, but it can. And you can feel it. When you're taxiing and you can feel the wind pushing on the elevator (through feedback to the stick) you then go stick forward. MOST of the time you will be stick-back while taxiing a tailwheel airplane, even in a tailwind (until that wind gets strong enough to over come propeller blast).

Now, some airplanes have enough weight on the tail that you can get away with stick-forward taxiing in light tailwinds and not have a problem. But some aren't! Know your airplane!

Ailerons are not in the propeller blast, so the procedure you describe for ailerons is correct.

and from a couple of previous posts.....

Postby Sonerai13 » Wed Feb 07, 2018 7:59 am

pfhoeycfi wrote:
The Compleat Taildragger Pilot by Harvey S. Plourde.

That is the BEST book ever on tailwheel flying. Highly recommended. There are details and info in that book that have never shown up anywhere else. Get it!!

Joe Norris

I am certainly no expert at tail dragger flying, in fact I consider myself a rookie at this, but I think we can agree that Harvey S. Plourde has written an excellent reference for the taildragger pilot. If we look at chapter 4 "Ground Operations" of the book The Compleat Taildragger, page 52, it states:
"The elevators should be up, stick (yoke) back, when taxiing upwind and positioned down, stick (yoke) forward, when taxiing downwind. The latter is the step usually forgotten. It is important however since a sudden gust of wind while taxiing downwind with the elevators up could very easily pick up the tail and result in a very quick conversion to a roto-tiller."

Of course everyone can conduct their ground handling as they prefer.

Terry L. Cooper
SNX #1508
Tail Wheel
AeroVee #0736
N296SX
2005 construction hours, and was completed in October 2016
http://www.mykitlog.com/SNX1508
First engine run: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K9wP77I ... e=youtu.be
FAA Inspected & Airworthiness Certificate issued 11/4/2016
Sport ASEL endorsement on 8/9/2017
Tailwheel endorsement on 9/7/2017
Sonex #1508 N296SX first flight on 11/29/2017

[caveman370]

I agree that takeoff can be challenging until you get used to the sensitivity. I find that all other phases of flight are very manageable


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[daleandee]

I agree that takeoff can be challenging until you get used to the sensitivity.

That's because you have have that big ol' honkin' engine on the front! 8~) At least yours turns in a "certified direction" as opposed to the VW or Corvair conversions.

As mentioned earlier I like to keep that stick back and add power s-l-o-w-l-y on the initial takeoff roll. As my aircraft with its wrong way turning propeller wants to head to the right with power and tail up movements, I tend to favor the left side of the runway. Others reasons for that are to keep the tail wheel out of the center groove, and I've read that you will be easier to see by other aircraft if you are off of the center line just a bit. Of course landing should be on the center line unless you are hedging room against a crosswind.

The following is a music video I made but the first 60 seconds or so are of a normal takeoff complete with the wonder Corvair engine sound as I add power incrementally. Note that I keep the stick back and move it forward slightly to lift the tail but at lift off I have to give it a bit of a push to set the climb out angle. You'll also notice that to keep the ball centered I have in gobs of left rudder on the initial climb out.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1VP7UYEqQ-g

FWIW I earned my tail wheel endorsement from Greg Collins: http://blueridgesportflight.com/smokiescfi/

I also found this Tail Wheel Instruction CD to have excellent information: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M22Ri8ecXP0

Dale Williams
N319WF @ 6J2
Myunn - "daughter of Cleanex"
120 HP - 3.0 Corvair
Tail Wheel - Center Stick
Signature Finish 2200 Paint Job
169.4 hours / Status - Flying
Member # 109 - Florida Sonex Association

[rizzz]

One thing you need to be aware of as a new Sonex owner is those bend lines in the glareshield are not straight, they go inwards, and so especially on landing you do have a tendency to align the left bend line with the direction of the runway, which of course means you end up landing slightly sideways. I've caught myself doing that a few times in the beginning and obviously those were not my best landings.
I read somewhere here the recommendation for when you're learning to fly a Sonex, to put a straight line of masking tape or something similar centered over the whole length glareshield, that way you have a straight line for reference as you're coming in to land.

Regarding high speed taxi tests,
When I was about to fly my aircraft for the first time I was strongly recommended against that, too many accidents happen that way.
Once you push the throttle all the way forward, you better be prepared to go flying.

[Bryan Cotton]

One thing you need to be aware of as a new Sonex owner is those bend lines in the glareshield are not straight, they go inwards, and so especially on landing you do have a tendency to align the left bend line with the direction of the runway, which of course means you end up landing slightly sideways.

Same thing for the Cessna 140!

[Sonerai13]

I am certainly no expert at tail dragger flying, in fact I consider myself a rookie at this, but I think we can agree that Harvey S. Plourde has written an excellent reference for the taildragger pilot.....

Thanks for your post. I did say it was the best book about tailwheel flying. I believe it is. However, I didn't say I agreed with everything in it. My experience, and the experience of other tailwheel instructors I have conversed with, result in the comments I posted previously regarding taxiing in a tailwind. I have had a fair amount of experience taxiing a variety of aircraft in some pretty "sporty" wind conditions. I know what works for me, and what works for others whose input I value. Your mileage may vary. Do as you wish.

[kenandkatie2]

Tailwheel Taxi Controversy............?

Dale....you said it right.....and Joe Norris brought the point "home" even better. Most of the time a tail wind while taxing is overcome by the prop blast over the elevators. If the tail wind is so severe to change that scenario then I likely would be staying on the ground anyway......sitting in the airport coffee shop "talking about flying"......rather than doing it. I am a "fair weather" flyer these days with nothing to prove any more.

Yes I know when you fly long cross country's you CAN get caught at times......... been there done that.

We still haven't heard from Ken have we........As to what lead up to his nose over in his Sonex? Maybe it was something completely different.......locked brake, flat tire, taxied into a hole or rut....there are a number of things that can cause a prop strike.

Gordon........Onex.....Hummel 2400

Gordon,
I'm not sure what caused the nose over. I realize now I shouldn't have been doing high speed taxiing. The plane started fishtailing, and I think I pulled back the throttle back to idle and then pulled back on the brake. I did a 180 before nosing over. Thanks for the input.
Ken