Nosedraggers... what are you thinking?

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jim_geo
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Post by jim_geo »

I think I'll be happy with my uncool 7-A.

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captain_john
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Post by captain_john »

Hmmmm, OK

That sounds feasible enough. Any way you slice it, a DAMN shame!

I guess this just goes to reinforce correct stick postiion when taxiing and always "fly her to the ropes", as they say.

:oops: CJ
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Spike
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Post by Spike »

I am not agitated per se about the third wheel conversations. I encourage conversations like this. Multiple viewpoints is a good thing around here. I like a balanced perspective. Though I have to say that I wasn't trying to pick on you guys or say that the FAA should outlaw them. I dont think they should, and at some point in the future I want a tail dragger. Though I am looking for a tube and fabric one with potentially 2 wings. Got to get through the RV first though ;)

It sucks for that RV driver and I feel for him big time. My intention was to only say that there are operating aspects of conventional gear that I dont personally want to deal with and hence I am building an 'A'. I am not looking to pick this guy apart or second guess what he should have done. Poop happens, lets learn from it. Personally, I was able to reinforce that I made the right decision for me, not for you guys. Thats up to you.


Speaking of which, it seems that we have a new guest here that was at SNF. Welcome, and please feel free to stick around and enjoy yourself.

-- Spike

PS. Dont worry about your throttle CJ, if I get tired of hearing you I'll just put on my new ANR's and turn them on :roll:
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rvator51
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Post by rvator51 »

I think the taildragges look sexier. My wife and I each have an rv-4 and I am finishing up an rv-6a. The rv-4s are a blast to fly. We do a lot of cross countries and usually take just one rv-4. Building the rv-6a to use instead of the rv-4 for the cross country trips. We need more baggage room and cg limits are a concern in the rv-4 with two people and baggage. Decided on the nose gear for the rv-6a. Seems like whenever we go on XC, that we always run into real windy, gusty conditions. We got blown sideways by a strong gust on landing at Carlsbad last year. When we taxied out two days later, there was a Cessna 182? balled up in the dirt off the runway. Coure he was a nosedragger and the gusts still got him. Also going to put the bigger rudder on the rv-6 for more rudder authority with high crosswinds. My wife still hasnt agreed to fly in the rv-6a so might have to fly it alone with our luggage while she flies her rv-4.

Regards,
Tom Velvick

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arffguy
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Post by arffguy »

Murrish, that was hysterically funny. Cyphergirl makes a good point too.

I did a runup one time facing downwind in a Cessna 152 on a very windy day during my student cross country days. The way the damn thing shook at high power scared the crap out of me. (That's why I am 2 inches tall now. :) ) Ever since then I am leery of doing downwind facing runups. It's a bad idea for engine cooling too. A friend of mine one time tried to "help out the tower" by doing a super short approach to expedite traffic flow and promptly crashed his RV on the runway during the process. It took him a year to rebuild it. It is amazing how sometimes pilots let other factors distract them from normal techniques. As a matter of fact, one of the local examiners (longtime commercial pilot and music teacher too) makes you sing while on your check ride. As they say "There but for the grace of God go I"
Mikey
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"If it was easy, everyone would be doing it."

dirtmanf800
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Post by dirtmanf800 »

Isn't this a great time to live :luv: We get to build our own aircraft and decide whether the third wheel goes in the front or back.
As a low time pilot with a little over 100 hrs in a nose dragger, that's what I choose to build. Yes, we will be proficient and have transition training before even thinking about taking off in an RV. To do otherwise seems very foolish to me.
I do have a few hours on a large forklift that I ground looped once! Driving too fast unloaded and it just jumped sideways and didn't roll. Scared the :evil: out of me and we never ever drove it that fast again :!:
collecting tools, planning shop, studying -9A preview plans, old and new training project on hand, fabricating stiffeners.
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arffguy
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Post by arffguy »

My cousin damn near got killed when a forklift rolled and landed on him. That was a complete life changing experience for the whole family. Watch out for those things.
Mikey
RV-6A Wings
"If it was easy, everyone would be doing it."

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cjensen
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Post by cjensen »

I am going to build the -7 because I love the nostalgia of a tailwheel airplane. I have but 1 hour of tail wheel time, and no sing off-the last remaining signoff needed in my book-but I am planning on getting a group of partners together to buy a Champ/120/140/108, something to build the tailwheel time while working on the project. I have plenty of total, complex, HP time to be insured in most nose-wheel airplanes, but need to build that TW time.

I have ridden in several TW's, and I love the practice of flying chock to chock, and as they say "really learning to fly".

:)
Chad Jensen
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captain_john
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Post by captain_john »

Chad, I like the way you think!

Lemme guess the rest...

200 HP injected, C/S Prop, glass panel and a slider.

Am I right?

8) CJ
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Post by Guest »

Exaclty right! Wouldn't have it any other way. Is that the route you are gonna go?

Just got done spinning the 152 for an hour for my CFI training. That's fun to a point, but one after another for an hour gets old pretty quick.

hngrflyr
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Post by hngrflyr »

I learned to fly during the middle 1950s in Cessna 120s and 140s. I've owned a 120 since 1970, and a RV-6 for just over a year. I think the Cessna is more demanding in a crosswind than the RV-6. The RV-6 will bite you on take off if you're not ready for it. Once you know what it is going to do, no problem. The RV's rudder authority has been adequate for any crosswind I've experienced so far. The most was 15-18 kts 90 degrees to the runway.
A couple of days ago, I got a chance to fly a friend's N3N-3. The N3N-3 does not have a steerable tailwheel. The tailwheel is full castering, but lockable for take off and landing. If you are not a tailwheel pilot, you'd have a hard time getting it to the end of the runway, much less successfully getting it off the ground and back down. It took almost 1/4 mile of taxiing before I had it doing my bidding. The trick is a combination of power, rudder and differential braking. The owner was in the back seat protecting his baby. The sound of the R-985 is gorgeous. I want more!

Bobby S

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captain_john
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Post by captain_john »

Chad, pretty much! Still a tossup on the slider, though.

Looks like we are building the same plane!

:lol:

Bobby, you got a pic of that N3N-3? I have NO IDEA what you are talking about!

Sounds like a wild ride!

:mrgreen: CJ
RV-7
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It's all over but the flying! 800+ hours in only 3 years!

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4kilo
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Post by 4kilo »

Bobby's description of castering, lockable tailwheels takes me back to my cargo pilot days. I flew a Twin Beech (that's a Beech 18 for those of you young enough to think Twin Beech means a Baron), and although the Beech was a sweet flying airplane (as long as both engines were running), it was a booger on the ground. After getting the plane lined up on the runway, you lock the tailwheel, bring the engines up, and let the fun begin. Just to make things interesting, the rudders are pretty much ineffective until the tail comes up, and using the brakes on a take-off roll is not really a good idea in a cargo airplane with home-made brake pads. That pretty much leaves differential power and ailerons for steering (yes, you can use the adverse yaw of the ailerons to steer a tailwheel airplane on the ground). For even more fun, some of our Beeches had been converted to turboprops, and with the long spool-up time of a PT-6, the differential power was not too effective either.

The jets I fly now a days have nosewheel steering connected directy to the rudder pedals, and yaw dampers once you get airborne. Many of the pilots I fly with today think that the rudder pedals are nothing but mountings for the toe brakes, and the ailerons are not used until the airplane leaves the ground (at least that is better than the ones who try to 'drive' the airplane down the runway using the yoke as a steering wheel!).

It really is easy to tell when you fly with a pilot who has some time in a tailwheel airplane!

Pat
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cjensen
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Post by cjensen »

Looks like I forgot to sign in the last time I posted! :bang:

CJ,

They do sound like they are going to be similar when finished. What are your thoughts on the canopy decision? I like the extra vis available with the tilt, but I want to be able to taxi with the canopy slide open.

4kilo,

what kind of jets are you flying? I have just started flying right seat in our Lear 24 and 35A.
Chad Jensen
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captain_john
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Post by captain_john »

Well, Dan makes a strong argument on his page:

http://www.rvproject.com/tip_up_vs_slider.html

The vis is tremendous, but the slider in the summer (and the looking cool with the arm hanging out) is hard to beat.

Image

It will be a tough decision!

:bang: CJ
RV-7
Garmin G3X with VP-X & a TMX-IO-360 with G3i
It's all over but the flying! 800+ hours in only 3 years!

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captain_john
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Post by captain_john »

Bobby, here is the N3N-3:

Image

Cool plane! That would be a GAS to blast around in on any summer day!

:o

...and is that YOUR little doggie?

:) CJ
RV-7
Garmin G3X with VP-X & a TMX-IO-360 with G3i
It's all over but the flying! 800+ hours in only 3 years!

hngrflyr
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Post by hngrflyr »

That's Bill's dog, Monty. She came out to help us push the "N" back in the hangar. Bill is in the background removing his jacket, after our flight. We had just finished installing new disc brakes on the N3N. They still need a little bit of tweaking, but work very well. You need the brakes for normal taxiing in this airplane. We fly from a big tower controlled airport. The old drum brakes would heat up and be fading by the time he got to run-up position.

Bobby S

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Post by Guest »

Wow, that is a strong argument! Me thinks I'll be thinking about this until the day comes to order one or the other...hmmmm..... :?

I am trying, ever so slowly, to read all of Dan's site. Information overload...can't think straight anymore...must rest.

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cjensen
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Post by cjensen »

Dang it! Forgot to log in again! :bang:
Chad Jensen
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spikescopilot
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Post by spikescopilot »

cjensen wrote:Dang it! Forgot to log in again! :bang:
There's a checkbox near the login button that will set a cookie and keep you logged in. :P
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