Tail Draggers... Why?..

[crimplene 631]

If the movement of the internal view is not limited you can always open the canopy in the fighters and move your viewpoint a bit to the side of the cockpit for taxiing. Might be possible in VR too and probably adds realism.

[Bobsk8 12,541]

There was a flying school in South Florida that made each student solo on a Taildragger before moving to a tricycle gear. They used a Citabria at the time. They said that a well rounded pilot was the result, and one that properly learned how to use the rudder. 

Edited May 10, 2021 by Bobsk8

[Janov 2,383]

15 minutes ago, Bobsk8 said:

They said that a well rounded pilot was the result

When I went to pilot school the 1$ per Whopper campaign took care of that!

[eslader 1,779]

That Silver Dart may not have been the first tricycle gear. The Antoinette II also flew in February of 1908, and it not only had a tri-gear, but a castering nosewheel. Though it didn't have differential brakes so you couldn't have steered it without someone outside the plane making it turn.

Of interest to us is that Antoinette also arguably made the first flight simulator, which it made by cutting a barrel in half and mounting it to a universal joint. The barrel had stubby "wings" attached. Instructors would stand outside the simulator holding the wings and watching the pilot's movements, then move the sim by hand based on what the pilot was doing. They would even simulate turbulence by shaking the thing around. 

 My opinion of that flight simulator is that the scenery is top notch but the turbulence effects aren't very realistic, thereby proving that we haven't progressed at all in the MSFS era. 😉

 

 

 

 

[bobcat999 8,444]

2 minutes ago, eslader said:

That Silver Dart may not have been the first tricycle gear. The Antoinette II also flew in February of 1908, and it not only had a tri-gear, but a castering nosewheel. Though it didn't have differential brakes so you couldn't have steered it without someone outside the plane making it turn.

Of interest to us is that Antoinette also arguably made the first flight simulator, which it made by cutting a barrel in half and mounting it to a universal joint. The barrel had stubby "wings" attached. Instructors would stand outside the simulator holding the wings and watching the pilot's movements, then move the sim by hand based on what the pilot was doing. They would even simulate turbulence by shaking the thing around. 

 My opinion of that flight simulator is that the scenery is top notch but the turbulence effects aren't very realistic, thereby proving that we haven't progressed at all in the MSFS era. 😉

What needs to change with the turbulence? 

My experience is mainly limited to Airliners.  The only GA aircraft and helicopters I have flow in were silky smooth due to good air, so I haven't experienced turbulence in anything that light.

[GearUp180 55]

5 hours ago, bobcat999 said:

There are a few tail-dragger modifications coming out for MSFS, with the bush C172 and now the Robin, both over at flightsim.to.

Considering the restricted view on take-off and potentially more difficult ground handling, why are these so popular?  Is there a good reason to have a tail-dragger?

Hi!

Taildraggers are popular (at least in real life) because flying them improves your pilot skills (stick and rudder, crosswind landings...).

Further details here:

https://www.boldmethod.com/blog/lists/2014/10/13-reasons-you-should-learn-to-fly-a-tailwheel/

[MadDog 353]

15 minutes ago, bobcat999 said:

What needs to change with the turbulence?

Read it again (note the wink).

[109Sqn 1,553]

In reality, pilots in taildraggers would weave as they taxi in order to see the way ahead is clear. And during World War II, a member of ground crew would often lie on one of the wings as a spotter.

[bobcat999 8,444]

7 minutes ago, MadDog said:

Read it again (note the wink).

Ah - I see!  It's the wink that that needs improving - I didn't notice it until you pointed it out.  😀

Edited May 10, 2021 by bobcat999

[jpc55 185]

3 hours ago, GearUp180 said:

Taildraggers are popular (at least in real life) because flying them improves your pilot skills (stick and rudder, crosswind landings...).

Bull. 

https://www.aopa.org/news-and-media/all-news/2018/february/flight-training-magazine/accident-analysis-tailwheel

☺️

Edited May 10, 2021 by jpc55

[Bobsk8 12,541]

3 hours ago, bobcat999 said:

What needs to change with the turbulence? 

My experience is mainly limited to Airliners.  The only GA aircraft and helicopters I have flow in were silky smooth due to good air, so I haven't experienced turbulence in anything that light.

I have been on many flight in the Mooney, Cessna 172, and Arrow and even yesterday in the Seminole, where I got bumped around quite a bit. I use real weather all the time, which seems to be pretty realistic when high wind speeds are forecast, 

 

[Bobsk8 12,541]

9 minutes ago, jpc55 said:

Bull. 

https://www.aopa.org/news-and-media/all-news/2018/february/flight-training-magazine/accident-analysis-tailwheel

☺️

Intelligent comment....

[eslader 1,779]

3 hours ago, bobcat999 said:

Ah - I see!  It's the wink that that needs improving - I didn't notice it until you pointed it out.  😀

It was a bit tongue in cheek, but the turb. effects do need improvement. I've flown light pistons into storms that should rip them apart, but I just bounce around for awhile and then fly out the other side. Or maybe it's a combination of turbulence effects need tweaking and the planes need to stop being made out of unobtanium. 😉

 

[sd_flyer 6,032]

7 minutes ago, jpc55 said:

Bull. 

https://www.aopa.org/news-and-media/all-news/2018/february/flight-training-magazine/accident-analysis-tailwheel

☺️

I'm not sure what thus article suppose to prove. But yes taildraggers require better stick and rudder skill. if you flown both you would know.

 Majority of training fleet (at least in US) are tricycle gear airplanes. Many flight schools don't even have taildragger because it just not the thing for "puppy mill" commercial pilot training.  So fall tail dragger more specific type of training. Obversely tail dragger training won't help one to fly airbus 🙂

[snglecoil 1,828]

21 minutes ago, jpc55 said:

Bull. 

https://www.aopa.org/news-and-media/all-news/2018/february/flight-training-magazine/accident-analysis-tailwheel

☺️

AOPA can say what they want, but from the instructor's seat, I can tell you for a fact that pilots consistently come back from tailwheel training with greater command of the airplane not only in approach and landing but all phases of flight. Tailwheel is unforgiving of slop that tricycle gear planes will let slide.

Before anyone asserts that once in the air the plane doesn't care if it is conventional or tricycle gear. There's some truth to that, but take the typical tailwheel trainer like a Cub or Champ or even a Decathlon. They are extremely honest airplanes with ample adverse aileron yaw. Pair that with a small 85hp engine like the Champ at my school and you aren't going to climb very fast if you are flying sideways, uncoordinated.

Edited May 10, 2021 by snglecoil