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#11
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Avid flyer
On Wed, 07 Oct 2009 06:02:32 +0000, jan olieslagers
wrote: So allow me to repeat the question: what kind and amount of work would it take to convert a taildragger Avid Flyer to tricycle? simple answer ...goes for any taildragger to milkstool conversion. determin CG position. cut fuselage apart and move the main gear rearward of the cg and weld new mounts in position. either replace the engine mount with one beefed up to support the new nosewheel or cut apart and modify the forward fuselage to take the new nosewheel mount. this is probably major surgery on the airframe and will involve a structural savvy aeronautical engineer to design the mods. now speaking as a taildragger pilot myself it would be far better if you polished those stainless steel testicles of yours and went and got a taildragger endorsement. you'll never regret mastering the change back to real aeroplanes. they are lighter, they have less drag, and no matter the swagger of the milkstool pilot you'll be way cooler.(you wont even need raybans to look cooler) Stealth Pilot |
#12
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Avid flyer
On 10/7/2009 8:02 AM, Stealth Pilot wrote:
On Wed, 07 Oct 2009 06:02:32 +0000, jan olieslagers wrote: So allow me to repeat the question: what kind and amount of work would it take to convert a taildragger Avid Flyer to tricycle? simple answer ...goes for any taildragger to milkstool conversion. determin CG position. cut fuselage apart and move the main gear rearward of the cg and weld new mounts in position. either replace the engine mount with one beefed up to support the new nosewheel or cut apart and modify the forward fuselage to take the new nosewheel mount. this is probably major surgery on the airframe and will involve a structural savvy aeronautical engineer to design the mods. now speaking as a taildragger pilot myself it would be far better if you polished those stainless steel testicles of yours and went and got a taildragger endorsement. you'll never regret mastering the change back to real aeroplanes. they are lighter, they have less drag, and no matter the swagger of the milkstool pilot you'll be way cooler.(you wont even need raybans to look cooler) Stealth Pilot and much safer in and out of rough field, IMO. |
#13
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Avid flyer
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#14
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Avid flyer
Tom De Moor schreef:
Nobody who want to teach TD either: I went to France to get the -in my eyes necessary- training and even there they would no allow TD-flying when there was more than 5 knots crosswind-component. In this respect I know better: two of my instructors are experienced PPL-taildragger pilots, both making beautiful 3-point landings occasionally. Mind you, they are my instructors on Belgium ultralight (2-seater, 450 kg max gross) which is more like a US-an LSA, and fits the Avid Flyer neatly. As for the endorsement: perhaps it doesn't exist legally, I don't doubt you are right. But no club will let me fly its taildraggers without proper training, and neither will I risk my own - if ever I buy this Flyer, at the moment I don't think so. De groeten, Tom! |
#15
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Avid flyer
On Oct 7, 10:28 am, Tom De Moor
wrote: But, Sir, there is no tailwheel endorsement in Belgium... Nobody who want to teach TD either: I went to France to get the -in my eyes necessary- training and even there they would no allow TD-flying when there was more than 5 knots crosswind-component. No 5 knots cross means that our flying will be restricted to about 15 days a year. Nobody argues about the 'cool'-factor but insurances have no 'coolness'- factor: they charge significantly more for a TD than tricycle. Sadly they do that for a valid reason. There's no tailwheel endorsement in Canada, either. And we pay no more for insurance on a taildragger than a trike. The taildragger's dragon- breath is way overestimated. We train all of our students on the Citabria, including teenage girls and a few folks who have some trouble learning. They all get it. And the Citabria (7ECA) is going to be way more squirrelly than an Avid, with its touchdown speed of over 50 mph. They demonstrate 10 kt crosswind landings and TOs before they solo. I've done 15-20 kt xwinds in these. They will teach you how to *actually* fly, something rather handy. Dan |
#16
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Avid flyer
wrote in message
... On Oct 7, 10:28 am, Tom De Moor wrote: But, Sir, there is no tailwheel endorsement in Belgium... Nobody who want to teach TD either: I went to France to get the -in my eyes necessary- training and even there they would no allow TD-flying when there was more than 5 knots crosswind-component. No 5 knots cross means that our flying will be restricted to about 15 days a year. Nobody argues about the 'cool'-factor but insurances have no 'coolness'- factor: they charge significantly more for a TD than tricycle. Sadly they do that for a valid reason. There's no tailwheel endorsement in Canada, either. And we pay no more for insurance on a taildragger than a trike. The taildragger's dragon- breath is way overestimated. We train all of our students on the Citabria, including teenage girls and a few folks who have some trouble learning. They all get it. And the Citabria (7ECA) is going to be way more squirrelly than an Avid, with its touchdown speed of over 50 mph. They demonstrate 10 kt crosswind landings and TOs before they solo. I've done 15-20 kt xwinds in these. They will teach you how to *actually* fly, something rather handy. Dan Just curious, Dan, Do you accomplish the ab initio training on grass or on pavement? I have yet to fly a tailwheeler, but I have heard that the grass is much more forgiving--and that fits with everything I know about physics. Peter |
#17
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Avid flyer
"Peter Dohm" wrote in message ... wrote in message ... On Oct 7, 10:28 am, Tom De Moor wrote: But, Sir, there is no tailwheel endorsement in Belgium... Nobody who want to teach TD either: I went to France to get the -in my eyes necessary- training and even there they would no allow TD-flying when there was more than 5 knots crosswind-component. No 5 knots cross means that our flying will be restricted to about 15 days a year. Nobody argues about the 'cool'-factor but insurances have no 'coolness'- factor: they charge significantly more for a TD than tricycle. Sadly they do that for a valid reason. There's no tailwheel endorsement in Canada, either. And we pay no more for insurance on a taildragger than a trike. The taildragger's dragon- breath is way overestimated. We train all of our students on the Citabria, including teenage girls and a few folks who have some trouble learning. They all get it. And the Citabria (7ECA) is going to be way more squirrelly than an Avid, with its touchdown speed of over 50 mph. They demonstrate 10 kt crosswind landings and TOs before they solo. I've done 15-20 kt xwinds in these. They will teach you how to *actually* fly, something rather handy. Dan Just curious, Dan, Do you accomplish the ab initio training on grass or on pavement? I have yet to fly a tailwheeler, but I have heard that the grass is much more forgiving--and that fits with everything I know about physics. Peter Letting some air out of the tires helps too. At least this is what a fellow instructor did on his 8A Luscombe. -- A man is known by the company he keeps- Unknown Anyolmouse |
#18
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Avid flyer
On Oct 7, 3:56 pm, "Peter Dohm" wrote:
Just curious, Dan, Do you accomplish the ab initio training on grass or on pavement? I have yet to fly a tailwheeler, but I have heard that the grass is much more forgiving--and that fits with everything I know about physics. Peter On pavement, and then some on the grass if it isn't deep in snow like we get here sometimes. The pavement isn't a big deal if you get the alignment right, and it'll sure tell you if you're off a bit. One thing you really DO want: a good, experienced instructor who will keep you out of trouble. I used to spend some time early on just getting the student to accelerate to a speed short of takeoff, then pull the throttle back and let him figure out how to keep it straight. Once he understands the idea that he has to anticipate the swerve and could keep it straight, then I'd start shoving the rudder pedals around to make it swerve and get him to fix it. Lotsa fun. ANd he learned soon that you used ALL the controls, not just the pedals; aileron and elevator also come into play on the ground, too. Taildraggers are flown until they're tied down. Typical first solo in a 172 will come at around 10-15 hours. Then that student, once licensed, will have to spend maybe 7-10 hours in the Citabria to get the taildragger solo. The student who starts from scratch in the Citabria (and we do a few) will solo it in the same 10-15 hours as the trike student did. There is really no magic to it, no steel-ball guts required, no special intelligence or ability needed. But *please* don't tell my trike-only buddies that. Might hurt my macho reputation:-) Dan |
#19
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Avid flyer
In this respect I know better: two of my instructors are experienced
PPL-taildragger pilots, both making beautiful 3-point landings occasionally. I just recently went on a flight with our test pilot on an Fk 14 Polaris that had a tailwheel. I got to land the thing and it was no problem at all, I just barely realized I was in a taildragger. But this probably differs from one plane to the other. Oliver |
#20
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Avid flyer
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