Taildraggers

[Ripcord]

 

For the life of me, I cannot seem to figure out how to manage a tail-dragger while it is on the ground.  I see folks around here posting great screen shots of a number of them, which I own, and I would like to enjoy, but here is my main challenge:  I simply do not see where I am going!  How do you steer and keep the thing on the runway/taxiway?

 

Is it a function of simply adjusting the eyepoint?  Any good pointers to help a feller out?

[paddler]

In reality, and thus in the sim for fidelity, you zig zag down the taxi ways. 

[hwh86]

You lean over the side in small craft like the Tiger Moth, in closed cockpits you taxi in a zig zag pattern and take it slowly. In larger craft like the Dc-3 or the Antonov An-2 you can see over the nose, if you can't then increase the eye point height slightly in the aircraft,cfg file. It has become more difficult since taxiways and sealed runways, even on grass fields there was a need for wing walkers to act as lookouts and to stop ground loops. However, if you can handle a taildragger skilfully, you stand a better chance at everything else. There is another point in flightsim taildraggers. Some just don't want to turn using the rudder because the developer insisted on faithfully replicating the real thing which requires differential braking to make it turn. Every time I install a new aeroplane I go into the aircraft.cfg or the .air file and edit the tail wheel turning angle by changing it to 45.000 if it is any other value, it is the 7th item after the = sign in the first line of the contact points group of data.

[Ron Attwood]

On take off, you keep the edges of the runway in your peripheral vision.

[dominique]

26 minutes ago, Ripcord said:

  I simply do not see where I am going!  How do you steer and keep the thing on the runway/taxiway?

 

Is it a function of simply adjusting the eyepoint?  Any good pointers to help a feller out?

 

Why do you mean you don't see where youre going, nobody sees anything  ! 

 

Recipe : be cool, glances to the left and right to keep the distance from the edge of the runway, some right rudder as needed to keep straight. Wait for the glorious moment when the nose lowers down (don't rush it by pushing the stick forward).

 

To taxi, zig zag your way to the threshold.

 

 

 

[hwh86]

30 minutes ago, Ripcord said:

 

For the life of me, I cannot seem to figure out how to manage a tail-dragger while it is on the ground.  I see folks around here posting great screen shots of a number of them, which I own, and I would like to enjoy, but here is my main challenge:  I simply do not see where I am going!  How do you steer and keep the thing on the runway/taxiway?

 

Is it a function of simply adjusting the eyepoint?  Any good pointers to help a feller out?

Actually I cheat, I taxi from the locked spot view, looking from behind the aircraft.

[JimmiG]

It depends on the aircraft. With the RealAir Scout, forward visibility is so good that you can just taxi straight from the default viewpoint. The A2A Cub is so narrow that you can easily zig zag. Obviously with some aircraft you only see clouds from your default viewpoint, which makes things harder.

 

Also, you probably have to use TrackIR for the best effect. In real life, pilots can shift in their seat, lean to one side etc. You aren't limited to just changing which direction you're looking.

[Griphos]

Flying that lovely girl to the left, I S-turn while taxiing, which others here call zig-zagging. Just taxi Slowly from one side of the taxiway to the other at a slight angle so you can see out the side window down the taxiway to ensure you're not going to run into anything/one(deer). Imagine the taxiway line is actually a long series of curves like a snake and track that. 

 

If you're sure nothing is in front of you (as you can be in the sim) just look out the sides at the edges of the taxi way to keep the plane in the middle. You'll have to S-turn a bit near the end to see where to turn onto the runway. 

 

On takeoff, it is perfectly fine (and the usual practice) to push the stick forward to raise the tail.  Most taildraggers are NOT flown off the runway in a three-point attitude. I do so once I have full throttle applied, which I do slowly, so after about five seconds. Push the stick forward slowly and get ready with a little more right rudder to counter-act the P-factor. The slower the tail raises, the less yaw you will experience. By the time the tail raises, there is enough air over the rudder for control. 

 

On landing, you can either three-point or wheel land. In a cross-wind of any real force, I wheel land. Three-pointing is easier, as you are no longer at flying speed when you touch. Still, ground looping is always a possibility. The main thing is to land straight, with no side loading on the gear. Land on one wheel if necessary to be straight and keep her straight until she is slow enough to just be a ground vehicle again (a walking pace). 

 

Taildragger pilots are real pilots, they say. :-)  Give me a taildragger and a nice grass field over any other kind of flying!