A taildragger incident today

Peter R. wrote:

In all the excitement, I didn't have the opportunity to ask what type of
aircraft this was, but in looking at various pictures on the web tonight, I
*believe* the aircraft was a Stinson 108-3.

You pilots who have mastered these light taildraggers have my sincerest
respect.

*I* wouldn't classify a Stationwagon as a "light taildragger"...

Darrel Toepfer wrote:

*I* wouldn't classify a Stationwagon as a "light taildragger"...

What is a Stationwagon?

--
Peter

Peter R. wrote:

What is a Stationwagon?

A type of Stinson.
http://homepage.mac.com/splons/sample1/

George Patterson
Coffee is only a way of stealing time that should by rights belong to
your slightly older self.

Peter R. wrote:
Darrel Toepfer wrote:

*I* wouldn't classify a Stationwagon as a "light taildragger"...

What is a Stationwagon?

Stinson 108 series, 1, 2, 3...

Part you snipped that I quoted of your post:

"I *believe* the aircraft was a Stinson 108-3. You pilots who have
mastered these light taildraggers have my sincerest respect."

"Darrel Toepfer" wrote in message
...
Peter R. wrote:

In all the excitement, I didn't have the opportunity to ask what type of
aircraft this was, but in looking at various pictures on the web
tonight, I
*believe* the aircraft was a Stinson 108-3.

You pilots who have mastered these light taildraggers have my sincerest
respect.

*I* wouldn't classify a Stationwagon as a "light taildragger"...

It is a light taildragger. Think B17, DC3, etc. as heavy. A 108 will get
tossed around at will by wind and turbulence.

Dave Stadt wrote:
"Darrel Toepfer" wrote in message

*I* wouldn't classify a Stationwagon as a "light taildragger"...

It is a light taildragger. Think B17, DC3, etc. as heavy. A 108 will get
tossed around at will by wind and turbulence.

When compared to that I would agree that its "light"... Its "heavy"er
compared to a Kitfox, Cub, Taylorcraft, Tailwind, etc...

I've admired them from outside the cockpit, haven't rode in one yet,
nearly bought one though, missed it by 24 hours...

Darrel Toepfer wrote:

*I* wouldn't classify a Stationwagon as a "light taildragger"...

Compared to what? A Cub, a Beech 18, or a DC-3?


Jack

"Peter R." wrote:
[snip story]
You pilots who have mastered these light taildraggers
have my sincerest respect.

Taildragger pilots have my sincere respect, too ...
From what I've heard, the biggest mistake one can make is to believe
they've "mastered" it.

unicate wrote:
"Peter R." wrote:
[snip story]

You pilots who have mastered these light taildraggers
have my sincerest respect.


Taildragger pilots have my sincere respect, too ...
From what I've heard, the biggest mistake one can make is to believe
they've "mastered" it.

You said it.....
I fly a tailwheel airplane now, it's probably the most docile of the
tailwheel planes out there (a Kolb) and I've still been humbled several
times in it already.

Once was when turning around for a back taxi very early on. I swung it
around a bit too fast and well my 180 turned into a 360 instead .
Fortunately, I was pretty slow so I didn't go up on a wheel and drag a
wing tip. Whew.... That was early on when I still wasn't quite fully
cognizant of the "energy management" of the plane on the ground. The
fully castering wheel can really help this to happen if I carry too much
momentum into a sharp turn. Not anymore - I go nice and slow now, no
whipping the tail around

Another time I got almost out of control on the takeoff roll. I let the
tail swing to left a little more than I had rudder for, then it went
back to the right a bit more. Because the plane is a high-wing pusher,
there's usually plenty of airflow over the tail from the prop blast to
allow me to null such things out, but this time it wasn't enough and I
knew if I didn't back off it it was going to ground loop. I pulled the
power back and got it straightened out.

Still, all that said, I had no idea that tailwheel could be so much fun
and such good rudder-pedal training. It's probably the funnest thing of
all the different stuff in aviation I've tried (funnest thing you can do
in a plane on the ground that is)......

LS
N646F

"ls" wrote in message news:YPikf.28260

Another time I got almost out of control on the takeoff roll. I let the
tail swing to left a little more than I had rudder for, then it went back
to the right a bit more.

Here's a bit of the bizarro - in the DC3 you can steer on the takeoff roll
with reverse aileron. They're so big, they drag a lot. Hard left aileron
will cause the right aileron drag to pull you right. That big rudder is
usually enough, so you'd only have to augment if you were looking at the
puckerbrush.