jcmcdowell
Well Known Member
Ok- I have a WHOPPING 10 HRS in a tailwheel now.
6hrs in in a RV6 getting my tailwheel endorsement and another 4 now actually figuring out the finer points of how the devil you fly a tailwheel airplane.
PLEASE NOTE: The light bulb in my head is gently flickering, I have not started to make consistent landings (or- I am consistently making inconsistent landings)...but:
1. First and most obvious (and yet least used); The pedal thingies keep the nose straight down the runway and the stick thingy keeps the airplane centered on the runway. Why it took awhile for brain to connect with hand and foot (hand & foot disease?) I don't know. Now I look for the flag before landing and mentally make a note to correct aileron into the wind before short final- helped a lot.
2. PITCH (glideslope) not FLAIR- (I know I'm gonna get it for this) When I took private lessons; how do you slow the airplane? Attitude and/or Airspeed. Pull the nose up and airspeed slows, pull the power, speed slows. I have become accustomed to using attitude on final to stay/get in the landing speed zone. In a cessna or piper- that's ok. NOT IN A RV. So obvious and I just got it yesterday- set your pitch (glideslope) on final based on a chosen touchdown spot and CONTROL POWER (maintain your pitch all the way down). This means setting up from base to final takes more work to make sure you're at a good descent rate and airspeed combo. I'm finding 1300rpm gets me 500ft/min descent at 80kn- is a comfortable starting point (I'm using a chunk of runway, I know). If you flair too high in a RV you drop like a rock (ughh) and if you're too fast you'll balloon trying to force it on the ground. This means there's a whole lot less stick fore/aft input on a steady descent, not dipping the nose to speed up or raising the nose to slow down.
3. I think tailwheel training would benefit every pilot. If asked- I would suggest getting primary instruction in a tailwheel after personally having done just the opposite. Principle is easily applied in a tailwheel. You get a REALLY good idea of what the rudder and aileron do in a tailwheel airplane- and learn to fly the airplane from engine start to stop.
It sure is a lot of fun!
6hrs in in a RV6 getting my tailwheel endorsement and another 4 now actually figuring out the finer points of how the devil you fly a tailwheel airplane.
PLEASE NOTE: The light bulb in my head is gently flickering, I have not started to make consistent landings (or- I am consistently making inconsistent landings)...but:
1. First and most obvious (and yet least used); The pedal thingies keep the nose straight down the runway and the stick thingy keeps the airplane centered on the runway. Why it took awhile for brain to connect with hand and foot (hand & foot disease?) I don't know. Now I look for the flag before landing and mentally make a note to correct aileron into the wind before short final- helped a lot.
2. PITCH (glideslope) not FLAIR- (I know I'm gonna get it for this) When I took private lessons; how do you slow the airplane? Attitude and/or Airspeed. Pull the nose up and airspeed slows, pull the power, speed slows. I have become accustomed to using attitude on final to stay/get in the landing speed zone. In a cessna or piper- that's ok. NOT IN A RV. So obvious and I just got it yesterday- set your pitch (glideslope) on final based on a chosen touchdown spot and CONTROL POWER (maintain your pitch all the way down). This means setting up from base to final takes more work to make sure you're at a good descent rate and airspeed combo. I'm finding 1300rpm gets me 500ft/min descent at 80kn- is a comfortable starting point (I'm using a chunk of runway, I know). If you flair too high in a RV you drop like a rock (ughh) and if you're too fast you'll balloon trying to force it on the ground. This means there's a whole lot less stick fore/aft input on a steady descent, not dipping the nose to speed up or raising the nose to slow down.
3. I think tailwheel training would benefit every pilot. If asked- I would suggest getting primary instruction in a tailwheel after personally having done just the opposite. Principle is easily applied in a tailwheel. You get a REALLY good idea of what the rudder and aileron do in a tailwheel airplane- and learn to fly the airplane from engine start to stop.
It sure is a lot of fun!