[MarkOlding]

Following on form the discussion on the GA board about the Yak 3 incident, I have just started my tail wheel converstion at Waltham and had a great first flight.
I passed my Skills test in September last year and a tail wheel conversion has been high on the priority list ever since. I bit the bullet and signed up for a 5 hour course with the first flight this evening in good if a little breezy conditions.
Having done a walkround of the Cub and digested the useful written information on the differences between tail and tricycle we started off with some ground manoeuvers, keeping it straight, turning on the spot and so on but ensuring that the ailerons / elevators were always in the right place with respect the wind direction.
My instructor carried out the first take off with a cross wind around 30 to 40 degrees off the nose and then handed the plane over. The quirky Ford Cortina trim handle is obviously used a lot more than in the Warrior but my overall impression was that the Cub is more responsive and ultimately more rewarding to fly than a Warrior if you get your hands and feet working together.
We did a few stalls, some slow flight (50mph IAS with a 25 to 30mph head wind makes the world go by really slowly ) and then some medium and steep turns with a very quick PFL thrown in before heading back to the airfield.
The FI took over for the last 100 feet and carried out a 3 point landing and we lined up for another take off. This time it was 80% me and felt pretty good. I flew the circuit and the FI took over again for a wheeler to demonstrate the differences between the two.
After getting reminded to keept the stick back a couple of times we got back to the clubhouse and shutdown. It took a while to get the smile off my face and I have to say I am really looking forward to next weeks installment.

Heres to a change in the cr**py weather and no cancellations.

[Genghis the Engineer]

Nice post.

One observation - the Super Cub, a lovely aeroplane but a very dated design is such that in all likelihood you're learning to fly a Cub as much as you're learning to fly tailwheel at the moment. It's a very different cockpit to most current training aeroplanes.

Not that this is a criticism at-all, I love flying Super Cubs.

G

[Rob P]

...the Cub is more responsive and ultimately more rewarding to fly than a Warrior

That definitely falls solidly in the "No s**t Sherlock" category

Have fun.

Rob P

[MarkOlding]

Nice post.

It's a very different cockpit to most current training aeroplanes.


G

As in a bit sparse and dated or things like you operate the mag switches and carb heat with your left elbow ?

[Genghis the Engineer]

I recall once operating the mag switches with my left elbow without meaning to. That sort of thing concentrates the mind on cockpit ergonomics somewhat

G

[David Wood]

Glad to hear that you and your instructor are taking the conversion seriously. It sounds as if you have a good one.

I recall with a mixture of horror and astonishment my own tail-wheel 'training' many years ago. It consisted of two take-offs and landings after which my 'instructor' walked off saying "all you need now is some practice!"

I have probably over 1,500 tail-wheel hours now, but with a tail-wheel aeroplane you quickly learn that you can never completely relax, and I never do.

Have fun!

[BehyBill]

Good to hear that you enjoy it, actually the conversion may take ages after the training as the learning curve is never flat on TWs

I only relax when I am 10 metres away and she is setting inside the hangar, the last time it did bite me was on evacuation after shutdown when my head hits the flaps !

The best advice to someone converting from PA28 to Cubs is to watch their heads

[wesleyrowe]

Great post, thanks! I too am thinking of doing TW from WW so will be interested to follow your progress!

[treborsnave]

Sounds great, been up in ECUB a couple of times in the past few years and it's a lot of fun. Very tempting!!!

[wesleyrowe]

Something I have noticed when looking at two super cubs is that their MTOW is different by over 100 kg's. Is this because of the different engine sizes?

[TopCat]

I've not done any tailwheel flying for a long time, but during what little I did do (Super Decathlon and Pitts S2A in the 90s, one trip in a Cub at White Waltham), I didn't find landing at all difficult - with many years of landing Grummans by stalling them on, aiming for a three point attitude always came completely naturally.

What I found virtually impossible was pushing the stick forward positively enough to get the tail off the ground for takeoff. It was so counter to my nosewheel takeoff technique that I was invariably too tentative, and ended up squirreling around comically in the take off roll until it finally lifted off.

So a question - how easy is it in reality to risk smacking the prop on the ground on takeoff by pushing too hard?

[Flyin'Dutch']

So a question - how easy is it in reality to risk smacking the prop on the ground on takeoff by pushing too hard?

Depends on type.

Some very easily done, some it requires quite an effort.

[wesleyrowe]

Will the tail not eventually lift by itself with stick in nuetral position? (with T/0 trim set)

[Flyin'Dutch']

Will the tail not eventually lift by itself with stick in nuetral position? (with T/0 trim set)

Yup but tail down/low means the wing may well be stalled, certainly during the initial take-off run, and in low power types forever.

And a stalled wing causes a lot off drag.

Lifting the tail also improves the look forward.

[Crash one]

I was once told "get the angle of attack off it as soon as possible" for short field takeoff.
So I used to push hard initially till it came up. This caused the elevator to act as a drag flap and slowed it down, plus it got covered in mud! Keeping it neutral certainly works better, it comes up when it's ready and with the stick neutral there is no tendency to pitch nose down. The difference is about 30metres shorter in the run.
I was also reminded that a tailwheel landing is not over until the pilot is in bed with someone!
The only time, so far, in ten years, that it tried to bite me was landing with 5 knots tailwind.
Piel Emeraude.