My opinion is that up and down just increases your chances of ground looping before you completely get the hang of it. Just keeping the tail up the length of the runway gives you enough bobbles, undercontrolling, and overcontrolling to get used to the plane and be able to reach that zen moment where you and the plane become one without the added risk of repeatedly bringing the tail up and down.
I also found that the most dangerous time during tail up runs is when you throttle back and get the tail back down. That is when the torque of the engine goes away and you veer off to the side if you were not on the rudder pedals as you brought the throttle back. Best to get some long easy runs to get used to things and only have to put the tail down once each run, at least until you get more proficient. I also liked the idea of getting the tail down and getting things slowed down a considerable distance before those runway lights at the end. Saved my bacon the time when my rudder pedal snapped completely off and I had no brakes. I do agree that high speed runs before your first flight is a good idea. My zillion hour flight instructor in the Citabria also tought me that way for hours before he let me attempt my first landing. Just my humble opinion. Do get things slowed up and under control long before the end of the runway. You already know how things that were just perfect can break at any time. Also remember that if you need to throttle back fast for some reason to get right on the ruder pedals. Brian Kraut Engineering Alternatives, Inc. www.engalt.com -----Original Message----- From: krnet-boun...@mylist.net [mailto:krnet-boun...@mylist.net]On Behalf Of Mark Langford Sent: Monday, May 16, 2005 10:51 PM To: KRnet Subject: KR> taxi testing? KRnetHeads, I've already made a lot of friends out at MDQ. Chris, the A&P that held the flashlight for me last night while we installed the wings, dropped by every half hour or so to see if I needed a hand, and a new guy came by and pretty much made a day of it, helping me remove the wings again so I could route the cables around the pullies at the roots. I'd forgotten to do that last night in all the excitement. They not only bought me a BBQ lunch, but "flew" to get it and insisted that I stay and keep rigging the controls so I could taxi test before quitting time. They bought lunch because I was the "entertainment" for the day. Everybody there loves the Corvair, based on sound alone, and nobody's actually seen it yet! There's a picture that my 10 year old daughter took at http://home.hiwaay.net/~langford/05051642m.jpg . I need a little advice here. I got the controls rigged and did about 10 runs down the runway today, and fortunately only almost lost it once. I think I had one wheel off the runway completely (it's "only" 100' wide). The last two runs I just gave it a good bit of throttle and got the tail up immediately, and then backed it down to slightly above idle to keep it up 3/4 of the way down. Towards the end I'd slow it down enough to let the tail drop, and at that point it got real interesting, but I maintained control. My Flight Advisor guy said he wouldn't do high speed tests at all...his theory being that it's way too dangerious to go through that transition period repeatedly, when I could be flying it for an hour between each of these flirts with disaster. But I definitely got better as the day went on. The thing taxis great. At one point the tailwheel quit working, so steering became a real problem. I parked it and took a look back in the fuselage and found the cable lying loose on the floor, with no evidence of there ever having been a nut on the connection, much less a cotter pin. The other side had no cotter pin either, so I remedied that and went back to the runway for more. At one point Chris and Mike appeared with scissors saying "4:19 PM, first flight...let's have that T-shirt". I don't know that I was flying, but I wouldn't be surprised. About two more days of this and I might start thinking "if I've survived this many runs, I could probably take off and land it". Anyway, what do y'all KR taildragger pilots think I should be doing to prepare myself for first flight? Is tail up all the way down the thing to do, or maybe up and down and up and down would be better... Thanks, Mark Langford, Huntsville, Alabama see homebuilt airplane at http://home.hiwaay.net/~langford email to N56ML "at" hiwaay.net _______________________________________ Search the KRnet Archives at http://www.maddyhome.com/krsrch/index.jsp to UNsubscribe from KRnet, send a message to krnet-le...@mylist.net please see other KRnet info at http://www.krnet.org/info.html
