Taildragger tail dragging?

Woooahhh...that test was done 35 years ago and yet the conclusion holds
true today!
Therein lies/lays the problem in todays flying! What has happened to
those skills?
I can vividly recall my primary instructor reducing power and saying,
"show me what ya got.." Then he said you can reduce it, but not
increase it. Hae used that same scenario ever since. So many times that
I ran into difficulties when I could not get more power and had to do
with what I had.
My whole thing is to fly the edges of the aircraft envelope at both
ends of the spectrum. Generally though, the lower speeds are where most
pilots run into problems and have the serious accidents.when they do
the silly stall/spin thing.
Silly because it should never happen. Serious of course when people get
hurt or killed. Stupid when the pilot fails to get the proper training.
arrggghhh Ol SOB

Ol SOB,
I agree with you completely. Until I got the Pitts, about 75% of my
tailwheel time was within gliding distance of a field. I practice every
conceiveable approach, takeoff, engine failure, landing, you name it. I
liked to think I flew the airplane better at idle than I did at cruise and I
certainly knew what it was going to be like (or as near as you can get) if
the engine quit. I haven't carried any power in an approach in years, using
only a trickle if I have to to recover a low approach angle. And that's how
every airplane out to be flown regularly (on the edges of the envelope) to
keep your skills sharp and so you'll know what to do if everything goes to a
ball of chalk.

In the vein, some of the most fun I've had flying has been the hours I've
spent in a Cub or Tcraft under 300 feet and within the airfield fence.
Fantastic!!!

Shawn
wrote in message
oups.com...
Woooahhh...that test was done 35 years ago and yet the conclusion holds
true today!
Therein lies/lays the problem in todays flying! What has happened to
those skills?
I can vividly recall my primary instructor reducing power and saying,
"show me what ya got.." Then he said you can reduce it, but not
increase it. Hae used that same scenario ever since. So many times that
I ran into difficulties when I could not get more power and had to do
with what I had.
My whole thing is to fly the edges of the aircraft envelope at both
ends of the spectrum. Generally though, the lower speeds are where most
pilots run into problems and have the serious accidents.when they do
the silly stall/spin thing.
Silly because it should never happen. Serious of course when people get
hurt or killed. Stupid when the pilot fails to get the proper training.
arrggghhh Ol SOB

Now that, to me, describes real stick and rudder skills and sounds like a
hell of a lot of fun. I can't wait to get back in the Tcraft and give it a
go!

Shawn
wrote in message
oups.com...
Shawn,

As folks have told you, the answer is yes for most tailwheel airplanes
(not all, it's a question of elevator authority and c.g.).

Interestingly, in about 1970 the Iowa State University flying team used
an 85 hp. J-3 Cub as one of its competition airplanes in the national
championships of the Intercollegiate flying competition in Bozeman,
Montana. The rules at that time for the spot landing for tailwheel
airplanes was to measure the point at which the mains touched. On
approach, power could be reduced, but never reapplied. The Iowa State
guys figured out the minimum power setting to roll the tailwheel, but
keep the mains aloft in that Cub. They'd roll the tailwheel at some
point short of the "line", keep the mains in the air until just about
there, then close the throttle. They got so their accuracy was
incredible. After the meet, the rules were changed.

All the best,
Rick

ShawnD2112 wrote:
Got a question for you taildragger old-timers.

I've often thought about attitude and altitude control with power and

elevator in various combinations and have wondered if it's possible
to get a
taildragger to literally drag it's tailwheel on the runway with the
mains
off, and do it intentionally, kind of like slowflight but REALLY low
over
the runway. I mean, we often try to land tailwheel first, so I was
wondering if it's possible to set up to do it partially and prevent
the
mains from touching. I've tried in the Tcraft but can't seem to
manage it.

Anyone here ever done such a thing?

Shawn