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Re: Taildragger in a crosswind

PostPosted:Wed Jun 12, 2019 10:47 am
by hatzflyer
Nothing wrong with that , better than most of mine !

Re: Taildragger in a crosswind

PostPosted:Wed Jun 12, 2019 11:08 am
by patowalker
Tue Jun 11, 2019 6:45 pm
The recently completed Radial Rocket ZU-IJP has been involved in an accident at Bara-G
Undercarriage ripped off and damaged propeller
I dont know further details but it looks like nobody was hurt other than the plane
:(

Re: Taildragger in a crosswind

PostPosted:Wed Jun 12, 2019 2:10 pm
by seanxair
Looked fine to me :)

Re: Taildragger in a crosswind

PostPosted:Wed Jun 12, 2019 2:34 pm
by Wildcat One
I've flown into that strip a few times in Tigers, Cubs and Pitts'.

He could have made it easier for himself but looked like he just wanted to get it down on the ground!

Re: Taildragger in a crosswind

PostPosted:Wed Jun 12, 2019 3:30 pm
by Flyin'Dutch'
patowalker wrote:
Tue Jun 11, 2019 6:45 pm
The recently completed Radial Rocket ZU-IJP has been involved in an accident at Bara-G
Undercarriage ripped off and damaged propeller
I dont know further details but it looks like nobody was hurt other than the plane
:(


If it was flown by the same person we might not be too surprised.

Re: Taildragger in a crosswind

PostPosted:Wed Jun 12, 2019 4:34 pm
by Sooty25
Flyin'Dutch' wrote:
patowalker wrote:
Tue Jun 11, 2019 6:45 pm
The recently completed Radial Rocket ZU-IJP has been involved in an accident at Bara-G
Undercarriage ripped off and damaged propeller
I dont know further details but it looks like nobody was hurt other than the plane
:(


If it was flown by the same person we might not be too surprised.


or it might have been a perfect landing destroyed by a rabbit hole.

Re: Taildragger in a crosswind

PostPosted:Wed Jun 12, 2019 4:38 pm
by Flyin'Dutch'
I will buy two hats!

:D

Re: Taildragger in a crosswind

PostPosted:Wed Jun 12, 2019 5:46 pm
by seanxair
Near the end of this video at 11.00 there is a Pitts demonstrating its robustness :)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vDYFi_-GwE0

Re: Taildragger in a crosswind

PostPosted:Wed Jun 12, 2019 9:05 pm
by Chris Martyr
ChampChump wrote:I'm not casting nasturtiums.


Neither are you a shrinking violet Nic . :D

But like your good self , I also fly a tailwheeler that I am happy with . Not that any of 'em won't bite you in the rear though , given half a chance !

But that particular one , which I couldn't for the life of me identify [ thanks @patowalker :thumright: ] looks a real bad @ss mother . Short wingspan , big engine , and an altogether unforgiving beast . Even on roll-out , it was having naughty thoughts . It couldn't quite decide whether to ride up and ding its prop . or go for a groundloop .

Like Lockhaven , I'm not going to sit in my comfort zone and criticise the guy , but that is definitely not for me . Neither my ego nor my budget are up to it . [ thankfully :D ]

Re: Taildragger in a crosswind

PostPosted:Wed Jun 12, 2019 9:25 pm
by Martinbguk
I saw a camera person filming from the side of the runway, camera on a tripod.
Perhaps the pilot was trying to demonstrate something fabulous for the camera?

Re: Taildragger in a crosswind

PostPosted:Wed Jun 12, 2019 9:33 pm
by G-JWTP
Is it just perspective or was it downhill too?

G-JWTP

Re: Taildragger in a crosswind

PostPosted:Wed Jun 12, 2019 10:09 pm
by seanxair
G-JWTP wrote:Is it just perspective or was it downhill too?

G-JWTP


It would have felt downhill I suspect :shock:

Re: Taildragger in a crosswind

PostPosted:Wed Jun 12, 2019 10:22 pm
by Wildcat One
Near the end of this video at 11.00 there is a Pitts demonstrating its robustness :)

I don't normally watch vids - bandwidth issues. However, as it was a Pitts I was compelled to - just in case I had to defend myself!

I know that aeroplane very well - in fact I built it 20 years ago from a broken fuselage and a few other bits.

Again, its intrepid pilot could have made life so much easier for himself. Nothing wrong with being a wee bit faster and landing on one main and tailwheel at similar times - then allowing the other main to touch down whilst keeping it straight.

Re: Taildragger in a crosswind

PostPosted:Wed Jun 12, 2019 10:37 pm
by TheFarmer
Tailwheel landings on tarmac can sometimes be a horrible combination. There is little forgiveness when it suddenly grips, and a short coupled aircraft like that can often make matters worse, not giving much warning before it decides to let the tail overtake the nose, and travel backwards.

Add in a high wing loading (and subsequently high stall speed), and an engine that the slightest blip on will add in some torque, and things get even spicier.

Then there are the unknowns. He might have had all sorts of issues we know nothing about, such as fatigue, a technical matter that was worrying him, a wife nagging him over the radio, or even a flipping great hornet in the cockpit with him. We don’t know.

Then, add in a load of people filming him.

To top it off, there’s nil headwind, so his touchdown speed is as high as he will ever have had, and with a tailwheel aircraft that means a longer period of time to have to be ever so slightly ahead of the aircraft all the way to walking pace.

Was it pretty? No.

Did he mess up? Not really.

Are we ones to judge? No.


However, he might also just be really rubbish at flying.

We will never know.

Re: Taildragger in a crosswind

PostPosted:Thu Jun 13, 2019 4:34 am
by seanxair
Definitely not judgemental as I've made some unattractive arrivals. Well designed aircraft are pretty sturdy really. And if you can use it again it's win win :D