wrote in message
ups.com...
The shorter wings would decrease slightly the moment of
inertia about the vertical axis, making the airplane a bit quicker in
yaw. A groundloop might be easier to start, but would also be easier
to
stop.

Stealth (wittman tailwind) Pilot

What's the Tailwind like for ground handling? I've always liked
that airplane and hope to own one someday, perhaps as a restoration
project. Steve Wittman designed some fantastic airplanes for his time,
and they're still excellent performers for their power.

Dan
Never flew the Tailwind, but have flown formula 1 prototypes and the
Cassutt formula racing planes among others. Never found any of them to
be a ground loop problem if handled correctly. The AT6 can get a bit
squirrelly on the roll out, as can the S1 Pitts and the Stearman. The Mk
16 Spitfire surprisingly enough with the narrow gear spread tracks as
straight as an arrow on roll out. The P51 is even straighter if landed
tail low on the mains.
I can't honestly say that any single airplane I flew during my tenure in
aviation was a ground loop candidate. Duane Cole flew a clipped wing
Taylorcraft for many years. I've watched him put it down numerous times
with no noticeable excess rudder use on the roll out. I believe the
original wingspan on his airplane was 36 feet. He had clipped a full 7
feet off of it.
It was fuselage loaded, but didn't seem to bother him at all on landing.
Of course, nothing REALLY bothered Duane when it came to flying an
airplane!! :-))