Been flying the RealAir Scout quite a bit lately. It's supposed to be one of the best aircraft to simulate the handling of taildraggers and it is indeed a new challenge for me. I thought I had pretty much mastered landings in FS but the first few landings with the Scout were more like a controlled crash followed by a not-so gracefull ballet :-lolTwo-pointer or three pointer?I read that with large aircraft like the DC3, you want to land on the main wheels first for whatever reasons. It seems like when flying smaller taildraggers, pilots take pride in doing the perfect "three-pointer". Any reason why I should try to do three-pointers or are mains-first landings OK with the Scout?Take offsHow long should I hold the tail down? I read that IRL if you hold it down for too long you risk lifting off the ground, then stalling and falling back again.Is it ok to take off slighty "cross controled"? I feel I need to do that to keep the wing from lifting when I use the rudder to keep the aircraft going straight down the runway :-hmmm but maybe that's just a bad habbit?CrosswindsHow to I handle take offs and landings in a crosswind?Do I try to keep the tail down longer when taking off in a crosswind?What about landings? It seems to me that landing on one wheel first (like you would in a strong crosswind) is the perfect recipe for a groundloop. Is it better to learn the other method, approach crabbed and then straighten out before touchdown?Finally, why do most bush aircraft still use the taildragger configuration? Any advantage as far as take-off/landing distances are concerned?

>>Finally, why do most bush aircraft still use the taildragger>configuration? Any advantage as far as take-off/landing>distances are concerned?It's easier to install larger tires, and the fact that a tailwheel can drag across rut's much easier than a nosewheel digging into them.Advantages to takeoff & landings............ none that I see. This is where "brute" engine power is handy! L.Adamsonedit----- I just want to point out, that regarding various tailwheel aircraft; readup on them, as one standard doesn't fit all. There will be all kinds of variations of what works better........... or doesn't work at all regarding wheel landings versus 3-pointers.

F.E. Potts' Guide to Bush Flying can answer most of your questions and then some. Some excellent stories, tips, and explanations that no bush pilot should ignore. Most of the chapters are still on-line. Potts removed a few because of copyright infringements. Besides great reading/learning on-line it is also a positive investment for the book.Frame Versionhttp://www.fepco.com/bf.frame.htmlStandard Versionhttp://www.fepco.com/Bush_Flying.html

Good questions.<>Word was you could break the fuselage of DC-3 (and maybe similar tailwheel transports) if you misjudged a three point landing - at least according to my Dad who has a bunch of DC-3 PIC time.<Both are fine, however, in probably 2,000 tailwheel RW landings I've never made an intentional wheel (mains first) landing. It takes additional airspeed to maintain a shallow deck angle for touchdown, it takes additional runway, and during the transition period from tail up to tail down you are exposed to potential loss of directional control (ground loop). I've honestly, for my purposes, never seen a case that favored a wheel landing - including direct cross winds that exceeded the max demonstrated.<>I generally raise the tail on takeoff roll, but performing an 'attitude' takeoff is fine as well. When the airplane is ready to fly it will lift off with no tendency to stall (as long as you don't suddenly increase the angle of attack).<Most crosswind takeoff rolls will be cross controlled. You will need to apply rudder away from the wind direction as the wind is trying to 'weathervane' the airplane (as long as you are still on the ground), and aileron into the wind to maintain roll control. When you break ground you will typically move into a crab to maintain runway track (not heading). Landing approaches can be either by slip or crab as long as you touchdown on runway track AND heading. This means you would need to cross the controls just before touchdown to correct your heading. You do not want to touch down facing one direction and moving another. In my opinion this is not the best way to land a taildragger in a crosswind. I fly all of my approaches in a (hopefully stabilized) cross controlled slip right down to touchdown. Sometimes that requires touching down on the upwind main and the tailwheel first, followed by lowering the downwind main. This is not as difficult as it sounds but requires absolute attention to the task.<In addition to what was pointed out by L. Adamson, taildraggers have more prop clearance which is a benefit in rough terrain. Additionally the tailwheel configuration allows a higher angle of attack in the flare which results in a slower touchdown speed - requiring less runway length.Regards,Leon

I am presently taking lessons in a Citabria. Besides being a lot of fun, it is truly a landing experience. I have made 3-point and wheel landings (none in my opinion very good yet!, but my instructor is great).I seem to favor a crosswind from the right when doing landings. The wind was from the left, last Wednesday, and my landings stunk. Guess I will have to practice more landings with the crosswind from the left.W. Sieffert

W.,The Citabria is about as good as they get for tailwheel training, and if you survived to post, your landings were fine. As it usually works out you make the best landings when no one is around to see them. However, anytime there's a line of traffic ready to depart (waiting on you, of course) we usually entertain them. One of my now departed friends, Clancy Speal, would arrive here in Lakeland a week before Sun n' Fun every year to fly airshow promos for the local paper in his Pitts. And every time he'd taxi back in, his comment was to effect of 'just bounced another one - like the last 500 and probably the next 500'. They're not all pretty, but they can all be safe with proper technique - and - practice...practice...practice.Regards,Leon

So this guy comes back to the States from a world tour with wife, 2 kids and (presumably) a cello. Doesn't like what he sees, sells the car for a Supercub: piles family (and presumably cello) into the cub and flies off into the dark north of Alaska...Great reading, but probably requires large pinches of salt occasionally!