Taildragger Directional Control

[Pilotguy]

Conventional gear airplanes(taildraggers) have the CG aft of the main gear. Because of this directional control during takeoff roll & landing rollout can be quite sporty. Torque, P-factor, gyroscopic precession, slipstream associated with single engine propeller airplanes all contribute to turning forces also as do crosswinds.

To maintain better directional control on the ground during takeoff & landing keeping the tailwheel off the ground as long as possible is key as are tiny stick rudder stick inputs.

I was wondering if some of you flyers can share your technique for takeoff & landing roll directional control. Oh and flying EDF, turbine or counter-rotating props dont count. he .. he .. he ..

[putput]

I think I have GREAT technique.. I aim the plane, smash the throttle, grab a copious amount of maximum right rudder and pray not to hit the fence when I lift off way to early and start to pitch stall... Now others claim to have better luck with small movement and light throttle application but for the life of me I dont find as much fun in that....
FWIW, this technique is proven to work with ANY type of plane. (although not as much rudder needed on EDF)

[Ole-Timer]

I do not have gyro’s in my planes.
Even in the world of taildraggers they may have to be flown differently depending on type and power available. There is no single do it all technique other than easy on the throttle, stay on the rudder, learn the type your flying. My FlightLine Spitfire requires small rudder inputs and as long as I don’t jam the throttle up it’s a slow gradual affair keeping it straight. My big PC-6 Porter will behave the same with gradual power input and a long takeoff run. Jam that throttle up with 150 amps, 9 horsepower, on a 22inch prop and you will be out of control quickly. My big DH.82 Tiger Moth requires a lil up elevator to keep it from nosing over but that’s quickly neutralized once the run begins and it must be flown off and landed on the mains. Wheel landings only for that one. The big FMS Pitts must be full stalled three pointed when landing. A lot of variation due to types...
For me it’s all about easy on the throttle with rudder inputs as required...
A friend of mine who built a real Pitts told me one day that flying a tail dragger, the guy that isn’t on the rudder constantly correcting direction during takeoff n landing is the guy that’s gonna crash.

I have a Flex Cessna 170 that I can drop flaps, smash the throttle, and takeoff in three feet but that’s not a technique. All my smaller foam birds can be smashed around like that and also be landed by simply pulling power off. Don’t try it with large scale model aircraft.

[Pilotguy]

Beautiful Tiger Moth!

I tend to prefer smooth throttle on takeoffs while applying some down elevator to raise the tailwheel asap. Of course thats when you must be ready to apply right rudder to counteract the left turning tendency of gyroscopic precession.

I fly the Parkzone F4U-1A (no AS3X) with 30% aileron Expo & to my luck and amazement, only 1 time on landing ground-looped into the 2 foot high fence luckily only little nick in wing foam. Never flown it in stiff crosswinds though.

My new Eflite Pitts 850mm (no AS3X) with 30% aileron Expo seems to be twitchier than the Corsair. I'm going to try 40% aileron Expo. Standing sideways to the runway also screws up your visual and interferes with your tracking down the runway too. I wish they would make the nosewheel/tailwheel steering independent of the rudder.

[Ole-Timer]

Thank you

With the Tiger Moth I fly from rough ground and a lil up elevator at first helps avert a nose over due to the cg being close to the axles. Just a little at first and I never have to use down elevator to bring the tail up. It does that on its own. Over time it all becomes automatic and there is no longer a cerebral approach to any of it. You just do whatever the airplane and conditions warrant.

The best advice I can give to anyone who is not well versed in that left stick is to Shut off the gyro’s and use it! If you have an old trainer, take off get it up 50-100ft and use the left stick only to turn it and fly a pattern. Obviously the right stick will be up n down but refrain from using ailerons. Only when necessary! Use the rudder to turn and line up on the runway. Practice figure eights, then landings n takeoffs. If you have a three channel training model with some dihedral put the rudder on the left stick and fly it that way. You may find out you haven’t really been using the left stick ..., rudder, as much as you’d believed and now it’s a holly crap revelation.

[Pilotguy]

Wise advice on using the rudder! When I was giving basic flight instruction I found that most full scale pilots ( mostly private pilot level but some commercial too) are week on using rudder. I would have them apply a whole lotta pressure to the rudder pedals in flight left then right and repeat a few times just to get them used to using their legs. There a reason those rudder pedals (rudder stick for RC) are there and it aint for looks. With over 5000 flight hours total time I have never flown a taildragger. Always glad to learn something new. Hopefully it wont be too expensive or embarrasing while learning how to takeoff & land RC taildraggers.