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flynlow(at)usaviator.net
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 Posted: Wed Apr 04, 2007 5:13 pm Post subject: Real Men! Real Women! and REAL TAIL DRAGGERS! |
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Hello all;
I don't comment much on this group, but I find myself compelled to speak
here.
How many of you have ever flown a "REAL" tail dragger?
Many years ago I was fortunate enough to own a 1944 DeHavilland Tiger Moth.
It was rustic at best. The airspeed was a spring and plate affair on the
wing strut. The compass was mounted between the pilots legs and you had to
look down on it. Of course, it had no electrical system at all. No starter,
no generator, no lights, no radios and most certainly no glass panel. It
also had no brakes! and NO TAIL WHEEL! It came from the DeHavilland factory
equipped with a steerable skid on the tail. To stop one simply held back on
the stick to place more weight on the tail. Yep, the tail really did DRAG! I
have not flown my RV8 yet as it is not finished, but you can be sure it will
not have a glass panel. It will have some vintage vacuum gauges. The Tiger
Moth was an incredibly fun airplane to fly. Low n slo, guts and struts......
It was very very very slow! A 300 mile trip was a long one. When I bought it
I flew it from New Jersey to Kansas. Took three days. I expect the RV8 will
be a bit faster than that.
OK, I have reminisced enough, but I would still like to know if there are
others out there who have flown anything with a skid and no brakes.
Bud Silvers
RV8 under construction.
--
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Gary.A.Sobek
Joined: 09 Jan 2006
Posts: 217
Location: SoCAL USA
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| Posted: Wed Apr 04, 2007 5:39 pm Post subject: Real Men! Real Women! and REAL TAIL DRAGGERS! |
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Bud:
That is a REAL "Tail Dragger" and not a WANTABE tail dragger with a tail
wheel like I fly.
Thanks for sharing.
Gary A. Sobek
"My Sanity" RV-6 N157GS O-320 Hartzell,
1,988 + Flying Hours So. CA, USA
DO NOT ARCHIVE
----Original Message Follows----
From: <flynlow(at)usaviator.net>
Reply-To: rv-list(at)matronics.com
To: <rv-list(at)matronics.com>
Subject: Real Men! Real Women! and REAL TAIL DRAGGERS!
Date: Wed, 4 Apr 2007 19:10:26 -0600
Hello all;
I don't comment much on this group, but I find myself compelled to speak
here.
How many of you have ever flown a "REAL" tail dragger?
Many years ago I was fortunate enough to own a 1944 DeHavilland Tiger Moth.
It was rustic at best. The airspeed was a spring and plate affair on the
wing strut. The compass was mounted between the pilots legs and you had to
look down on it. Of course, it had no electrical system at all. No starter,
no generator, no lights, no radios and most certainly no glass panel. It
also had no brakes! and NO TAIL WHEEL! It came from the DeHavilland factory
equipped with a steerable skid on the tail. To stop one simply held back on
the stick to place more weight on the tail. Yep, the tail really did DRAG! I
have not flown my RV8 yet as it is not finished, but you can be sure it will
not have a glass panel. It will have some vintage vacuum gauges. The Tiger
Moth was an incredibly fun airplane to fly. Low n slo, guts and struts......
It was very very very slow! A 300 mile trip was a long one. When I bought it
I flew it from New Jersey to Kansas. Took three days. I expect the RV8 will
be a bit faster than that.
OK, I have reminisced enough, but I would still like to know if there are
others out there who have flown anything with a skid and no brakes.
Bud Silvers
RV8 under construction.
_________________________________________________________________
MSN is giving away a trip to Vegas to see Elton John. Enter to win today.
http://msnconcertcontest.com?icid-nceltontagline
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bud27(at)bellsouth.net
Guest
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| Posted: Wed Apr 04, 2007 6:20 pm Post subject: Real Men! Real Women! and REAL TAIL DRAGGERS! |
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Sorry, but I have to do this (and I fully expect to receive a ration of
s(tuff) over this): just as modern conventional gear aircraft with
tailwheels are not technically "taildraggers" as you imply, neither is the
Tiger Moth a "tail dragger." Technically speaking, the term taildragger is
derived from the earliest aircraft that literally "dragged their tails"
across the ground (i.e., NO tail skid). That practice quickly faded away in
favor of the tail skid, since tails didn't last too long when they hit ruts,
holes, and other obstacles lying in the grass. Trust me when I say that the
ride in this condition is a VERY rough ride...you WILL feel every little
anomaly in the landing surface!  It was also a lot easier to replace a
shorn tail skid than it was to replace the back portion of the fuselage,
rudder post, etc.
As the Tiger Moth is a tail skid aircraft, it does not deserve the
taildragger moniker any more than a "modern" aircraft with a tailwheel
deserves the name.
That all being said, the term taildragger lives on for ALL conventional
aircraft, be they true taildraggers, tail skid, or tailwheel, in recognition
of those great aircraft of yesteryear and the special skills required by
pilots to fly them. So, acknowledge your fellow taildragging brethren as
true "taildraggers"...or else be ready to be accused of not being one
yourself if the best you can do is come up a Tiger Moth! LOL
Bud
--
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lifeofreiley2003(at)yahoo
Guest
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pilots2(at)yahoo.com
Guest
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| Posted: Wed Apr 04, 2007 8:08 pm Post subject: Real Men! Real Women! and REAL TAIL DRAGGERS! |
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But what kind of primer did the ole folks use to prime their dragged tails?? Curious minds want to know.
Bud Williams <bud27(at)bellsouth.net> wrote:[quote] --> RV-List message posted by: "Bud Williams"
Sorry, but I have to do this (and I fully expect to receive a ration of
s(tuff) over this): just as modern conventional gear aircraft with
tailwheels are not technically "taildraggers" as you imply, neither is the
Tiger Moth a "tail dragger." Technically speaking, the term taildragger is
derived from the earliest aircraft that literally "dragged their tails"
across the ground (i.e., NO tail skid). That practice quickly faded away in
favor of the tail skid, since tails didn't last too long when they hit ruts,
holes, and other obstacles lying in the grass. Trust me when I say that the
ride in this condition is a VERY rough ride...you WILL feel every little
anomaly in the landing surface! It was also a lot easier to replace a
shorn tail skid than it was to replace the back portion of the fuselage,
rudder post, etc.
As the Tiger Moth is a tail skid aircraft, it does not deserve the
taildragger moniker any more than a "modern" aircraft with a tailwheel
deserves the name.
That all being said, the term taildragger lives on for ALL conventional
aircraft, be they true taildraggers, tail skid, or tailwheel, in recognition
of those great aircraft of yesteryear and the special skills required by
pilots to fly them. So, acknowledge your fellow taildragging brethren as
true "taildraggers"...or else be ready to be accused of not being one
yourself if the best you can do is come up a Tiger Moth! LOL
Bud
--
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jeffpoint
Joined: 10 Jan 2006
Posts: 72
Location: MKE
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| Posted: Wed Apr 04, 2007 10:17 pm Post subject: Real Men! Real Women! and REAL TAIL DRAGGERS! |
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Wow, that must have been quite a bird. I'll bet it wasn't even
matched-hole construction!
Jeff Point
do not archive
flynlow(at)usaviator.net wrote:
| Quote: | How many of you have ever flown a "REAL" tail dragger?
|
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_________________
Jeff Point
RV-6
Milwaukee WI |
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bud27(at)bellsouth.net
Guest
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| Posted: Thu Apr 05, 2007 2:53 am Post subject: Real Men! Real Women! and REAL TAIL DRAGGERS! |
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The old birds were made of wood…no primer (and not much life expectancy for the aircraft)
--
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Hopperdhh(at)aol.com
Guest
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| Posted: Thu Apr 05, 2007 5:20 am Post subject: Real Men! Real Women! and REAL TAIL DRAGGERS! |
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In a message dated 4/4/2007 11:02:25 PM Eastern Standard Time, lifeofreiley2003(at)yahoo.com writes:
| Quote: | --> RV-List message posted by: Darrell Reiley <lifeofreiley2003(at)yahoo.com>
All I know is that I'm not dragging my *&^ around
anywhere... 
Darrell Reiley
RV7A QB Slider "Reiley Rocket"
N622DR Reserved
N469RV Reserved
CenTex_RV_Aircraft-owner(at)yahoogroups.com
|
Good post Darrell. Why would anyone want to drag their airplanes tail? I can see better when I taxi on the ground. And does it really matter in the air? I know they say 2 or 3 mph, but I have to wonder about that number. I'll bet my faired in nose gear is as clean as that dirty tail wheel and all its springs and horns and stuff sticking out there in the wind. Also, I don't have to stay at home when the wind blows across the runway.
Dan Hopper
RV-7A
See what's free at AOL.com.
[quote][b]
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rocketbob(at)gmail.com
Guest
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| Posted: Thu Apr 05, 2007 5:38 am Post subject: Real Men! Real Women! and REAL TAIL DRAGGERS! |
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| Quote: | Good post Darrell. Why would anyone want to drag their airplanes tail? I can see better when I taxi on the ground. And does it really matter in the air? I know they say 2 or 3 mph, but I have to wonder about that number. I'll bet my faired in nose gear is as clean as that dirty tail wheel and all its springs and horns and stuff sticking out there in the wind. Also, I don't have to stay at home when the wind blows across the runway.
Dan Hopper
RV-7A
|
Dan, you forget to mention that your nosegear has collapsed. I've landed in a 30KT crosswind, the wind's never made me stay home.
Regards,
Bob Japundza
RV-6 flying F1 under const
do not archive
[quote][b]
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n616tb(at)btsapps.com
Guest
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| Posted: Thu Apr 05, 2007 6:13 am Post subject: Real Men! Real Women! and REAL TAIL DRAGGERS! |
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If I stayed at home when the wind blew across the runway I would never get to fly. Wind don’t matter much more in the td than the nose wheel. If anything we are off the ground sooner so it matters less. J
Flame suit on
Tim
Do Not Archive
Good post Darrell. Why would anyone want to drag their airplanes tail? I can see better when I taxi on the ground. And does it really matter in the air? I know they say 2 or 3 mph, but I have to wonder about that number. I'll bet my faired in nose gear is as clean as that dirty tail wheel and all its springs and horns and stuff sticking out there in the wind. Also, I don't have to stay at home when the wind blows across the runway.
Dan Hopper
RV-7A
See what's free at AOL.com.
| Quote: | | http://www.matronics.com/Navigator?RV-List |
01234
[quote][b]
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Terry Watson
Joined: 09 Jan 2006
Posts: 290
Location: Seattle, WA USA
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| Posted: Thu Apr 05, 2007 7:31 am Post subject: Real Men! Real Women! and REAL TAIL DRAGGERS! |
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The question that has been bugging me is where to tail-dragger pilots get those big brass balls you hear clanging when they climb out of their airplane and swagger bow-legged across the ramp? I was thinking about hanging a pair of them by the tail tie-down on my 8A.
Terry
From: owner-rv-list-server(at)matronics.com [mailto:owner-rv-list-server(at)matronics.com] On Behalf Of Reuven Silberman
Sent: Wednesday, April 04, 2007 9:08 PM
To: rv-list(at)matronics.com
Subject: RE: Real Men! Real Women! and REAL TAIL DRAGGERS!
But what kind of primer did the ole folks use to prime their dragged tails?? Curious minds want to know.
Bud Williams <bud27(at)bellsouth.net> wrote:
--> RV-List message posted by: "Bud Williams"
Sorry, but I have to do this (and I fully expect to receive a ration of
s(tuff) over this): just as modern conventional gear aircraft with
tailwheels are not technically "taildraggers" as you imply, neither is the
Tiger Moth a "tail dragger." Technically speaking, the term taildragger is
derived from the earliest aircraft that literally "dragged their tails"
across the ground (i.e., NO tail skid). That practice quickly faded away in
favor of the tail skid, since tails didn't last too long when they hit ruts,
holes, and other obstacles lying in the grass. Trust me when I say that the
ride in this condition is a VERY rough ride...you WILL feel every little
anomaly in the landing surface! It was also a lot easier to replace a
shorn tail skid than it was to replace the back portion of the fuselage,
rudder post, etc.
As the Tiger Moth is a tail skid aircraft, it does not deserve the
taildragger moniker any more than a "modern" aircraft with a tailwheel
deserves the name.
That all being said, the term taildragger lives on for ALL conventional
aircraft, be they true taildraggers, tail skid, or tailwheel, in recognition
of those great aircraft of yesteryear and the special skills required by
pilots to fly them. So, acknowledge your fellow taildragging brethren as
true "taildraggers"...or else be ready to be accused of not being one
yourself if the best you can do is come up a Tiger Moth! LOL
Bud
--
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rv7(at)b4.ca
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pitts_pilot(at)bellsouth.
Guest
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| Posted: Thu Apr 05, 2007 7:52 am Post subject: Real Men! Real Women! and REAL TAIL DRAGGERS! |
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Terry, I can answer that! All pilots have them!!! They actually start out really small, and grow bigger as the TD hours build. Then, if an OH SH** happens, they go back to being little again, and the pilot starts over. 
What a refreshing food fight .... haven't seen this one in quite a while!!! 
Linn ..... got both
do not archive
Terry Watson wrote:
[quote] v\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);} o\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);} w\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);} .shape {behavior:url(#default#VML);} <![endif]--> st1\:*{behavior:url(#default#ieooui) } <![endif]-->
The question that has been bugging me is where to tail-dragger pilots get those big brass balls you hear clanging when they climb out of their airplane and swagger bow-legged across the ramp? I was thinking about hanging a pair of them by the tail tie-down on my 8A.
Terry
From: owner-rv-list-server(at)matronics.com (owner-rv-list-server(at)matronics.com) [mailto:owner-rv-list-server(at)matronics.com (owner-rv-list-server(at)matronics.com)] On Behalf Of Reuven Silberman
Sent: Wednesday, April 04, 2007 9:08 PM
To: rv-list(at)matronics.com (rv-list(at)matronics.com)
Subject: RE: RV-List: Real Men! Real Women! and REAL TAIL DRAGGERS!
But what kind of primer did the ole folks use to prime their dragged tails?? Curious minds want to know.
Bud Williams <bud27(at)bellsouth.net> (bud27(at)bellsouth.net) wrote:
--> RV-List message posted by: "Bud Williams"
Sorry, but I have to do this (and I fully expect to receive a ration of
s(tuff) over this): just as modern conventional gear aircraft with
tailwheels are not technically "taildraggers" as you imply, neither is the
Tiger Moth a "tail dragger." Technically speaking, the term taildragger is
derived from the earliest aircraft that literally "dragged their tails"
across the ground (i.e., NO tail skid). That practice quickly faded away in
favor of the tail skid, since tails didn't last too long when they hit ruts,
holes, and other obstacles lying in the grass. Trust me when I say that the
ride in this condition is a VERY rough ride...you WILL feel every little
anomaly in the landing surface! It was also a lot easier to replace a
shorn tail skid than it was to replace the back portion of the fuselage,
rudder post, etc.
As the Tiger Moth is a tail skid aircraft, it does not deserve the
taildragger moniker any more than a "modern" aircraft with a tailwheel
deserves the name.
That all being said, the term taildragger lives on for ALL conventional
aircraft, be they true taildraggers, tail skid, or tailwheel, in recognition
of those great aircraft of yesteryear and the special skills required by
pilots to fly them. So, acknowledge your fellow taildragging brethren as
true "taildraggers"...or else be ready to be accused of not being one
yourself if the best you can do is come up a Tiger Moth! LOL
Bud
--
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Hopperdhh(at)aol.com
Guest
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| Posted: Thu Apr 05, 2007 8:12 am Post subject: Real Men! Real Women! and REAL TAIL DRAGGERS! |
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In a message dated 4/5/2007 9:39:39 AM Eastern Standard Time, rocketbob(at)gmail.com writes:
| Quote: |
Dan, you forget to mention that your nosegear has collapsed. I've landed in a 30KT crosswind, the wind's never made me stay home.
Regards,
Bob Japundza
RV-6 flying F1 under const
do not archive
|
I also didn't mention our race.
See what's free at AOL.com.
[quote][b]
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jfogarty(at)tds.net
Guest
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| Posted: Thu Apr 05, 2007 8:32 am Post subject: Real Men! Real Women! and REAL TAIL DRAGGERS! |
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Aircraft Spruce and you get the squeeze from Avery. They are not aluminum, they are steel in a 30 knot crosswind. Sorry!
Jim
[quote] ---
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lifeofreiley2003(at)yahoo
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Hopperdhh(at)aol.com
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walter(at)tondu.com
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rocketbob(at)gmail.com
Guest
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| Posted: Thu Apr 05, 2007 9:41 am Post subject: Real Men! Real Women! and REAL TAIL DRAGGERS! |
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Or you having 20 more HP. You didn't smoke me, that's for sure... Seems to me you enjoy telling people about that.
On 4/5/07, Hopperdhh(at)aol.com (Hopperdhh(at)aol.com) <Hopperdhh(at)aol.com (Hopperdhh(at)aol.com)> wrote: | Quote: | In a message dated 4/5/2007 9:39:39 AM Eastern Standard Time, rocketbob(at)gmail.com (rocketbob(at)gmail.com) writes:
| Quote: |
Dan, you forget to mention that your nosegear has collapsed. I've landed in a 30KT crosswind, the wind's never made me stay home.
Regards,
Bob Japundza
RV-6 flying F1 under const
do not archive
|
I also didn't mention our race.
See what's free at AOL.com.
[/b] |
[b]
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lifeofreiley2003(at)yahoo
Guest
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| Posted: Thu Apr 05, 2007 10:45 am Post subject: Real Men! Real Women! and REAL TAIL DRAGGERS! |
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No not really, but then he starts to chase his own
tail... 8^
Darrell
do not archive
--- Hopperdhh(at)aol.com wrote:
| Quote: |
In a message dated 4/5/2007 12:40:29 PM Eastern
Standard Time,
lifeofreiley2003(at)yahoo.com writes:
<lifeofreiley2003(at)yahoo.com>
You know... my dog drags his tail in the yard every
now and then... I wonder what he's trying to tell
me.
Darrell
Was he in a nose high attitude?
do not archive
************************************** See what's
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in 45,000 destinations on Yahoo! Travel to find your fit.
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