On Tue, 25 Sep 2007 10:39:37 -0700, wrote:

What my instructor seemed to imply (and things didn't really sink in
till about a day after the flying) was that the takeoff roll is more
stable when the tail is up. So I was wondering if the CG shifts
forward when the tail is raised because this is a more stable
configuration than when the CG is behind the main wheels.

It's still aft of the mains!

I get the tailwheel off the ground as soon as the Cub begins to roll.
You don't want to do a takeoff roll flat on the asphalt, though, or
even on the grass. The plane will pound. Have the tail enough below
parallel that some of the weight of the plane is carried by the wings.

(I never really thought about this before, so excuse me if the wording
is awkward.)


Blue skies! -- Dan Ford

Claire Chennault and His American Volunteers, 1941-1942
new from HarperCollins www.FlyingTigersBook.com