When my baby flipped back in 2007, I decided that if it ever happened again, there would be no question whose fault it was.
I had originally shied away from building it as a tail dragger, foolishly thinking it would be more difficult to land, harder to insure, and harder to sell, if it ever came to that.
Well, after 100+ hours as a TD (about 220 TD total) in my 7, the verdict is in.
Flying a 7 TD is a piece of cake. It is so solid on approach and so docile on the runway, it's hard to believe I was ever fearful.
I have landed in some pretty hairy winds, gusty, quartering. Makes no real difference. My worst landings have been "double bouncers" where I thought we would settle in, but didn't. Power on, go around. Try again. Those are getting far and few between. Practice does make perfect.
Takeoffs are dead simple. I don't even have to raise the tail (I can, but I usually don't). Power in, stick neutral and fly off when ready. I like the extra control of keeping the tail wheel on the ground until liftoff. Just my personal preference.
To top it all off, I can land SHORTER than before using the "wheeler with brakes". Takes some practice to do a no-bounce wheeler, but it can be done.
Yeah, I had to get some TW training in type. I had to get nosewheel training in type for insurance as well. Can't talk about the cost yet, I'm still in the "you had an accident" period where you get to pay extra.
And yes, I do feel a lot more comfortable flying into my new terminal, a 2200' grass crop duster strip (right next door). I routinely use less than half of it.
So, if you're thinking about building a TD, just consider this one more data point to consider.
Later,
The first 100(or so) hours as a taildragger.
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