Tail lift on ground / take-off run

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metzgergva
Airman First Class
Posts: 59
Joined: 06 Jun 2012, 03:39

Tail lift on ground / take-off run

Post by metzgergva »

I have flown a couple of taildraggers in RW, unfortunately never a Cub.
I'm surprised by the effect of prop wash on the elevator. Even with idle power, the tail moves within the spring lever or sinks the tail wheel into the ground.
Rolling with 20 kts and a little power (15% lever foreward) I can lift the tail with only me at the back seat. With some wind on the nose, it is even less elevator required and I can reproduce it with brakes on. Is this what Cubs do?
Anyone who flies the Cub in RW, please help me to calibrate my experience.
Happy flying!
Alexander

Hook
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Joined: 31 Dec 2012, 01:38
Location: Bonham, Texas

Re: Tail lift on ground / take-off run

Post by Hook »

I've never flown a real Cub but I've seen videos and people have mentioned seeing this done at airshows. A lot of people say the idea makes them nervous. My best friend took lessons in a Cub. I asked him about this, and he said it was possible.

When I first got the Cub I used to taxi this way and had a lot of prop strikes. Since I got the P3Dv4 version it's the only way I taxi and haven't experienced a prop strike yet. Keep in mind that you're actually flying even though you're still on the ground, and you have to handle the stick as if you were in the air.

Hook

Hook
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Re: Tail lift on ground / take-off run

Post by Hook »

What real life taildraggers have you flown?

metzgergva
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Posts: 59
Joined: 06 Jun 2012, 03:39

Re: Tail lift on ground / take-off run

Post by metzgergva »

I have flown Super Cub and Husky and a bit larger the Do-27. I know you can lift the tail very early and even in stand still if you have most foreward CoG (pilot in front seat, low on fuel) and apply full power (airshow display), but do not expect that with just 15-25% power and pilot in the rear on the J3.
Happy flying!
Alexander

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Oracle427
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Re: Tail lift on ground / take-off run

Post by Oracle427 »

From my memory, and it's been a while since I've flown a J-3 this sounds plausible. High speed taxi runs down the runway are a normal second step in a tailwheel endorsement.

This is a done at a fairly low power setting to accelerate to somewhere around 20-25 knots (by feel). The tail will come up with two people in the plane and full fuel in the tank in the nose. Then the power is reduced to idle and the tail will come down almost immediately and the rudder will become very ineffective at the same time meaning the dance begins! :)

Now this was with a Continental engine version with 85hp. I can't speak for other configs.

Whether 20% throttle is appropriate, I can't recall, but it doesn't seem unrealistic either.

The Super Cub is a completely different plane, with different fuel tanks that are in the wings, a heavier tail, though with larger surfaces, much bigger engine and prop, etc. Hard to compare the two.
Flight Simmer since 1983. PP ASEL IR Tailwheel
N28021 1979 Super Viking 17-30A

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