Some tailwheel questions/comments

Not really, and I'd be surprised if you could taxi a Citabria with the
tailwheel raised anyway. Easy in a cub, though.


Firstly this isnt a troll and if somebody feels it is, they simply
need to ignore it, thats how usenet works. Anyways, the question was
based more on what I saw on the takeoff run where we raise the tail as
airspeed increases. It just felt more stable and more like a
conventional gear takeoff run in that phase, so I was just wondering.
The intent of the question wasn't about how to taxi at a high speed.

The problem with the Citabria is it's a bit too easy for tailwheel
conversion. You'll get the basics, but if you try a cub afterwards you'll
find it significantly more difficult, wheras the other way around would be
a piece of cake. Citabria is a good airplane, but it's not the best
tailwheel trainer for that reason. However, it will certainly do in a
pinch!

Thanks for the tip, I have been looking to find a place to learn in a
cub but the closest one is about 70 miles away, so that may have to
wait.

The CG doesn't change significantly when the tail is raised, though, to
answer your question, and fast taxiing is something best left to someone
with a LOT of tailwhel time. Taxiing on the mains is something best left to
airshow pilots or guys that can afford to replace props as easily as they
would buy a cup of coffee.

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.