Group Poll: Best 2+kids or 4 place taildragger?

What's your opinion about the best taildragger that has room for at least 2
adults plus kids? Reasons and experiences please.
--
Jim Burns III

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The Stinson 108 series is the best buy in cost, maintenance, room, capacity
and fun to fly. The -3 has the bigger rudder designed for float operations
that can give some problems in cross winds, but the the earlier models are
just fine. The Franklins are 1/2 price on parts and overhauls and the
Razorback Fabric gives the plane the durability to leave on the ramp with
the spam-cans. So, built like a tank, can have a good one for mid-twenties
and smooth running Franklin, gives this plane thumbs up. More new parts are
available for a Stinson through TC holder,Univair than for a new Cessna or
Piper. Robert Little




than a new Cessna or Piper --


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"Jim" wrote in message
...
What's your opinion about the best taildragger that has room for at least
2
adults plus kids? Reasons and experiences please.
--
Jim Burns III

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What's your opinion about the best taildragger that has room for at least
2
adults plus kids? Reasons and experiences please.

Well, choosing a "best" plane for any missions needs a little more info than
a general class and how big inside it needs to be.

But ... to me, you buy a taildragger so you can enjoy the backcountry, haul
gear, and enjoy some real utility out of an airplane. And it's hard to beat
a C185 for overall utility.

- Mark

ok, ok, "best" was a poor choice of words.... how about "favorite"? )
--
Jim Burns III

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"Jim" wrote in message
...
What's your opinion about the best taildragger that has room for at least
2
adults plus kids? Reasons and experiences please.
--
Jim Burns III

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How about the Maule - I have a '95 MX7180a. Simple, newer, cheaper

We use it to haul 2 and anything we want. Can take 4 adults plus bags and
2/3rd fuel. 1,000 lb useful, 180 horses is a cost/ performance sweet spot.
Fixed prop is cheap and easy. 114knot cruise with our normal load and full
power. I plan and get 110 with it backed off 100rpms. 10gph first hour
9gph afterwards. Can easily get 8gph but why.

Why a tail dragger? There is no good reason other than 'something to do' in
this pilot's opinion. I love it but have no illusions. Maule is 'more
different' than most ramp visitors. Nice to standout from the Cessna/Piper
crowd.

I'd love more and bigger but can't justify the price. CS prop, bigger
engine, bigger body Maule would all be good but...

Minuses might include fabric and paint quality. You need a hangar. Butt
dragging will cost you in insurance - much at first, less later if you are
new to it.

Cessna 180s and 185s seem great but older stuff is well, older, and clean
newer stuff is expensive - especially the 185s. Will cost more to operate
in any case. Will maintain value until they belly up.


"Jim" wrote in message
...
What's your opinion about the best taildragger that has room for at least
2
adults plus kids? Reasons and experiences please.
--
Jim Burns III

Remove "nospam" to reply

Jim wrote:

What's your opinion about the best taildragger that has room for at least 2
adults plus kids? Reasons and experiences please.

My wife and I own a 150hp Piper Pacer we bought to get tailwheel
experience. Its a fun little airplane. We have gone airplane camping in
the Ut/Id/Mt mountains. I recommend the Pacer highly as a two-place plus
some gear airplane, but wouldn't put my kids (and gear) in the back, at
least not to the places we go...

For serious backcountry hauling, I use my stol-equipped Skylane. I have
recently been thinking about a 180/185, but cant justify spending double
what the 182 is worth to buy a 180/185 project which is going to take a
year or more to get it up to the same standards that my 182 is already at...

I'm looking for a large nosefork for the 182, and plan to put a 6.00
nose wheel and 8.00 mains on it, and call it good... I can already
operate out of 97% of the places where 185s go...

MikeM
Skylane '1MM see: http://home.utah.edu/~mgm17160/TwoMM.JPG
Pacer '00Z see: http://home.utah.edu/~mgm17160/miken007.jpg

Jim wrote:

What's your opinion about the best taildragger that has room for at least 2
adults plus kids? Reasons and experiences please.

I'd say a Cessna 180. Kids don't stay kids for long, and the 180 will carry
four adults. All metal, so it doesn't have to be hangared. Any A&P knows how
to work on one. They *are* getting old, though, and good ones don't come cheap.

The Maule MX-7-180B would be cheaper. They will also carry four, but they're
a bit more cramped inside. Fuselage is fabric, which may give periodic trouble
if kept outside. They're newer planes and parts are very easy to find. The 180B
has a 180hp Lycoming with a CS prop. Avoid the 160 and 235hp models. They won't
carry the load that the 180 carries. Check http://www.mauleairinc.com for
performance specs.

Stinsons are probably the best bang for the buck, but they're old and the
Franklin engines aren't made anymore. Parts are still available, since the
plant in Poland still has some engines they're parting out, but there could be
some real trouble ahead there. AOPA Pilot had a good article on them a few
months ago; should be on their web site somewhere.

George Patterson
A man who carries a cat by the tail learns something that can be learned
no other way.

Why a tail dragger? There is no good reason other than 'something to do'
in
this pilot's opinion.

Exactly my idea. Just something to have fun in but still use to haul the
wife and kids around when needed. I have the opportunity to put a 1/2 mile
grass strip right infront of my house and am currently getting a good
tailwheel checkout. I'm torn between two goals. I can either pursue a
partnership in a faster complex plane for some serious cross country flying
(which I do enough of to justify it), or I could go it on my own and pick up
a fairly nice Cessna 170 and eventually build a hanger and a strip at my
house. I'd still be able to rent a faster larger plane for the longer cross
country trips.
--
Jim Burns III

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"Jim" wrote in
:

Why a tail dragger? There is no good reason other than 'something to
do'
in
this pilot's opinion.

Exactly my idea. Just something to have fun in but still use to haul
the wife and kids around when needed. I have the opportunity to put a
1/2 mile grass strip right infront of my house and am currently
getting a good tailwheel checkout. I'm torn between two goals. I can
either pursue a partnership in a faster complex plane for some serious
cross country flying (which I do enough of to justify it), or I could
go it on my own and pick up a fairly nice Cessna 170 and eventually
build a hanger and a strip at my house. I'd still be able to rent a
faster larger plane for the longer cross country trips.

I have no experience here, and this IS an experimental, and therefore
probably not what your looking for (some assembly required ;-)) But
this seems to fit the bill: 4 place 1100-1300lbs+ usefull load, 40mph
landing speed, up to 160mph cruising speed depending on engine.

http://www.bearhawkaircraft.com/Bear...rhawkMain.html

Cost will be between 50K-100K depending on engine choice and avionics...
oh, plus a year or three of your life grin
(base "alleged quickbuild" firewall back kit is 28K)

I like the BIG cargo door.... better keep a scale in there, even with
the capacity, seems it'd be easy to be tempted to fill it up with
camping gear, moutain bike, cooler full of ice, 3 hunting dogs...... and
get over wieght/out of balance.

Take the above for what it cost you heh from an aviation newbie who's
never even MET a CFI... (well, yet anyway)

--
ET


"A common mistake people make when trying to design something
completely foolproof is to underestimate the ingenuity of complete
fools."---- Douglas Adams

Don't count yourself short. The Bearhawk was on the cover of NAFI's
magazine last month and believe me, I checked it out. No way do I have
time to build one though.
--
Jim Burns III

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"ET" wrote in message
...
"Jim" wrote in
:

Why a tail dragger? There is no good reason other than 'something to
do'
in
this pilot's opinion.

Exactly my idea. Just something to have fun in but still use to haul
the wife and kids around when needed. I have the opportunity to put a
1/2 mile grass strip right infront of my house and am currently
getting a good tailwheel checkout. I'm torn between two goals. I can
either pursue a partnership in a faster complex plane for some serious
cross country flying (which I do enough of to justify it), or I could
go it on my own and pick up a fairly nice Cessna 170 and eventually
build a hanger and a strip at my house. I'd still be able to rent a
faster larger plane for the longer cross country trips.

I have no experience here, and this IS an experimental, and therefore
probably not what your looking for (some assembly required ;-)) But
this seems to fit the bill: 4 place 1100-1300lbs+ usefull load, 40mph
landing speed, up to 160mph cruising speed depending on engine.

http://www.bearhawkaircraft.com/Bear...rhawkMain.html

Cost will be between 50K-100K depending on engine choice and avionics...
oh, plus a year or three of your life grin
(base "alleged quickbuild" firewall back kit is 28K)

I like the BIG cargo door.... better keep a scale in there, even with
the capacity, seems it'd be easy to be tempted to fill it up with
camping gear, moutain bike, cooler full of ice, 3 hunting dogs...... and
get over wieght/out of balance.

Take the above for what it cost you heh from an aviation newbie who's
never even MET a CFI... (well, yet anyway)

--
ET


"A common mistake people make when trying to design something
completely foolproof is to underestimate the ingenuity of complete
fools."---- Douglas Adams