I want to be able to land taildragger type aircraft that when I fly it the next time I can make a good landing I have hyper cam well I did I can go get it agian and make a 30second or a minute video of it

Usually a landing would be made on the main wheels, very rarely is a three wheel landing made. Never make a three point landing in a DC3. The wing effectively blanks out the airflow over the rudder in the three point attitude and the fuselage is weakest at the door. A botched three point landing is a good way to damage the tailwheel structure and fuselage around the cabin door. Landings would be made at just above stall speed at about 70 knotsBut... not to 'muddle' the water,.. on the matter of three pointing the DC-3. It 'can' be done reasonably safely if one is practiced at it AND it will put more stress on the airframe if not done correctly. Also, there just is not the directional control with the tail down as w/ the tail up. One other 'thing' about the procedures in regard to using power. We NEVER reduce the MP below the RPM until the final reduction as the landing is assured. To reduce the power earlier invites the propeller to drive the engine and starve the main bearings of oil - this regardless of the speed of the aircraft - but especially if the speed is higher. If there is any question about this, the next time you fly, put the props full forward on downwind or at the outer marker, hold 100 kts and pull the power off to get down - you can actually hear the lugging of the engines. Proper use of the flaps w/ a MP setting no lower than the RPM will allow for a very nice descent rate. The above is not critical but how it has been done overt the years.Regards.. TrevVisit "The DC-3 Hangar"http://www.douglasdc3.comhttp://www.douglasdc3.com/1/dc3.jpg

Thanks Trev I will do just that the only taildragger planes I have is the pt-17 stearman the p26a peashooter and 402A/B airtractor and 2 SU29's and 2 extra's 300S 330XS

TrevCould you advise on where to get a good DC3 -- I have tried many times but find getting a DC3 to be the most difficult of all. There are 20+ meg downloads that do not support "RESUME" by download programmes - so everytime I try to download them , I eventually get dropped offline (I only have a slow phoneline connection) sometime during the long download and cannot resume it.There are other 20+ meg downloads that require 3-4 addons to make them work in FS2002 - plus a university degree to be able to figure them out.I know that you have links in your website to downloadable aircraft - but when I go to the linked pages , I have to admit to becoming confused between the numerous options. FS2000 or FS2002 , with or without "fixes" , etc, upgrade models files, Ideally what I would love to be directed to is a one-stop standalone "package" file which is at a site that supports the resume feature of download programmes.Thanks for any helpBarry

You can get the best dc3 on a CD by following this link...and you get to make a charitable contribution to a respected air museum in the bargain...http://www.avialantic.com/shop/entrypage.htmlYou can also download a variety of goonies at www.dc3airways.com. Go to the download page and take a look around. In fact, you might even want to become part of this dc3 dedicated VA...Sherm

Hi Barry,You could download a DC3 from http://www.dc3airways.com/entry.htmlThey have Jan Vissers beautifull DDA DC3, with an outstanding panel.Hi Shermank :-) our posts crossed.Also, you could try a Douglas DC2, from the site below, look for the package-download section. It's 10 MB for FS2k, including fotoreal panel and custom gauges, with 360

Stick with a main wheel landing and you'll be fine.Regards.. TrevVisit "The DC-3 Hangar"http://www.douglasdc3.comhttp://www.douglasdc3.com/1/dc3.jpg

Well,There is no perfect DC-3 available if you are talking GMAX that includes a VC. Unfortunately, the better ones are the bigger files. I use Jan Vissers Dutch DDA version for FS2000, but it needs a lot of work when used in FS2002.. such as the gauges, the cfg file etc..A lot of what you see available right now, are really for the R4D-6 and not the DC-3. Depends on what you are looking for I guess.I have no idea when a proper GMAX *DC-3* version with VC will be available. Supposedly, it is being worked on, but I have no other news than that and, it may be the R4D-6 to be released first and maybe we wait a while longer for a 'real' DC-3 with panel gauges that reflect the type along with the VC for it for FS2002.We really need a commercial outfit that will release one I think, dedicated to being a DC-3 and not a derivative of the R4D-6.Regards.. TrevVisit "The DC-3 Hangar"http://www.douglasdc3.comhttp://www.douglasdc3.com/1/dc3.jpg

aaaaahhh tail draggers :DI usually end floating about halfway down the runway, then I bounce and bounce for the rest of the runway, then end it all with a nice groundloop on the grass beyond the runway... :-lol

Hi Guys,Just like to add my '2 cents' if I may. I've logged nearly a thousand hours in taildraggers (J-3s, Cessna 120 & 140, and Citabrias). Certainly not DC-3s, but they all follow the same laws of physics involving the center of mass attempting to lead the decelerating body on touchdown and rollout (read groundloop). In all that time I've made very few intentional 'wheel' landings with anything except the J-3. I find the disadvantages are 1.) carrying unnecessary speed to touchdown - requiring more runway, 2.) spring-steel gear on any taildragger, not planted correctly, will have you airborne again real quick (and all the rules change on the second hop), and 3.) the transition from tail up to tail firmly planted on the ground can be precarious (particularly in a crosswind).I generally carry a little power down final, round-out to a three-point attitude just above the runway, gently pull the power and settle on to the runway. That way I'm home with no tendency to lift off again (barring gusts - but much better equipped to handle them planted firmly on the ground). Finally you must 'fly' the taildragger all the way to the hangar, as you can lose it at ANY point.But yes Trev, my father has many hours in the left seat of a DC-3, and the preferred method is a tail-low touchdown on the mains - lest ye break the airplane.Just my experience,Leon

Leon, you've echoed my thoughts exactly and we have about the same amount of experience. The only intentional wheel landings I can recall were when my aerobatics instructor made me do several touch n go's with the Citabria and run the rull length of the runway on the mains before lifting off. He made do this at the start of the first two or three flights.I like your description of your approach & landing -- the only thing I'd add is your speed down the chute has to be bang-on or it's usually go-around time.Ah yes.... the groundloop. That's why rudders are included in the design of airplanes . If you learn what a rudder is for and how to use it, groundloops are non-existent.I've been flying the recently uploaded DHC2 Beaver Pak available here at AVSIM. I find it's flying characteristics excellent. Doing 3-pointers with a wheeled version with NO FLAPS is a bit of a challenge and takes some practise and precise speeds to put "on" in first 1/3 of the runway. The Chipmunk is nice too.And I agree with Trev about the DC-3. The one in FS2000 seemed most comfortable that way.Calhover long and prosper

Have you flown the FSD J-3? They did a really good job on it.http://ftp.avsim.com/library/esearch.php?D...hor=&CatID=RootIt does a fine full-stall landing.Although created for FS2000, it does well in FS2002.My conventional time is confined to couple of dozen hours in a Cessna 172/170 with a Horton STOL kit. Every landing I did in it was what I'm going to call a full-stall...held it off till it just wouldn't fly any more. The tail on that plane seemed real heavy...it (the tail) didn't fly as soon as I thought it should. By the time the tail came off the ground, the plane was ready to fly. With that Horton leading edge, it got off the ground quick.I tried one afternoon to solo a C-140 and the thing ate my lunch!

Man I had an experence like that in a J-3 Cub in a 10kts cross wind

Gee, thanks for pointing out the FS2000 FSD J3 -- it never occured to me to bring it into FS2002. I spent quite a bit of time on it in FS2000 and I shall drag it in.I used to do an hour of circuits every so often (mostly C172) and one objective was to have the horn blowing at least a few seconds before touching down. It was easiest at night because of the calmer air.I did an hour of circuits in C152 a couple months ago -- first time I've flown a fixed-wing in just over 20 years. I had to take a passenger, an Instructor, because my license has lapsed. I was happy to find my old grooves right where I left them, thanks in part to FS. I even managed a couple of touchdowns with the horn blowing. The instructor never looked scared once! Gonna go again soon.In the meantime, the FS2002 Beavers and Dash7's are getting a workout from this old retiree.Calhover long and prosper

What work does it need?I just pulled it out of the zip and everything worked right away.Maybe the flight dynamics need a bit of tweaking but I wouldn't know that as I have never flown the real thing of course, but all the gauges seem to function properly and the mdl is good too.