Flying the tail.

[Kindling Maker]

When I started to learn to fly 1 to 1, I started in a J-3 Cub, for those who dont know that is a Ground loop waiting to happen in a cross wind. My dad always told me to keep the feet awake on landing, otherwise the tail will go around so fast that you will see your own "N" number. He was and still is right. With tail wheel airplane you have to fly it till it is tied down. I have been flying R/C helis for about a year now. I have noticed that everyone puts bigger gyros on their helis. On my CPPro I had a 90 gyro on it and it helped a little. Although I could not get more than 3 or 4 flights out of a tail motor, between crashing and, well crashing. Is their a problem in just learning to fly the tail. The B-400 is the first decent bird I have ever had so I have nothing to go by. I have a CX2 but that is easy to fly. I have been flying 1to 1 for over 20 years and whether I am flying a milk stool or a tailwheel I always keep my feet awake on landing. what would the difference between that and just keeping the left thumb awake? It may be a stupid question but I just wondered.

[Heli Jim]

Learning on a heli that requires you to actually fly the tail
is a good thing but if and when you start doing some stunt,
or 3D flying, you will need a gyro to keep the tail lined up for
you. It would just be too complicated to do that along with
everything else you have going on.

[Kindling Maker]

OK makes sense, I think I am along way from doing stunts.

[skigolfmike]

When I started to learn to fly 1 to 1, I started in a J-3 Cub, for those who don't know that is a Ground loop waiting to happen in a cross wind.

I learned to fly in a Citabria, not as tail happy as a Cub, but it's still a taildragger. I do have some Super Cub time, so I know what you are talking about.

Having learned to fly helis before with a rate gyro, I actually thought it was easier in forward flight than with a HH gyro since the tail would follow a little better. I know I can do more with the HH gyro than I could with the rate gyro. I think the HH gyro makes it easier to hover, coordinating turns in forward flight takes more effort, but it's less work in 3D.

Imagine Curtis doing all the stuff he does now with a rate gyro. The truth is, he did.

[Kindling Maker]

Aint that the truth. Citabria's are great airplanes. By far the most tail happy plane I have ever flown was a Pietenpole aircamper with a 5 cylinder Lambert, It was so nose heavy that you could pick the tail up with one hand, and it did not have breaks because we were worried that is one of the other museum pilots flew it they would step on the breaks if they got into trouble and stand it on the nose, but it was so much fun to fly it was Back to basics. Grease, no compass, and the tach was so nervous that you had to average the needle. But it was fun.