Since a picture is worth a thousand words...I just posted a pic of an ERCO taildragger in the files section. Rick, 611GC
--- In [email protected], "Ed Burkhead" <e...@...> wrote: > > > Daniel Arditi wrote: > > For those who got accustomed in taking off and landing > > with a "low tail" (especially during take off): Did you have > > any problem or something to tell about the difference? > > > > I once heard that after rising the tail, and on a short grass > > field the pilot had to abort a take off because he felt > > uncomfortable as it was a bit hard to rotate in that same > > field as he used to operate ? > > Daniel, > > Tail dragger aircraft drag their tails on the ground largely because that > angle of attack is about right for absolute minimum speed liftoff. In > other words, according to Wolfgang Langewiesche, author of ¡°Stick and > Rudder,¡± a tail dragger gear (called the ¡°conventional¡± gear in antique > days) is really a ¡°takeoff¡± gear. > > A Coupe with a tail low condition is rolling down the runway part-way to > being a taildragger and could, conceivably, lift off sooner than a properly > rigged Coupe - as long as the crosswind is mild, otherwise the plane is in > danger. > > When you lift off at that minimum airspeed, you have little reserve lift > and a lull in the wind could drop you back to the runway in a bad way. > > Over many years, I was able to operate comfortably out of 1800 ft. grass > runways (with no obstacles) and would sometimes accept a 1600 ft. grass > runway if conditions were right. I found this in the worst configuration, > 1400 pounds gross weight and tail at the normal height on a plane rigged > with the 9¢ª elevator up travel.: > > 1. The plane will pick up speed faster when it is level on the ground as > the wings are at a low angle of attack presenting their lowest parasitic > and induced drag. > > 2. When you are on a very short runway, as you get close to liftoff speed, > you can use the elevator to raise the nose, lift off a couple of feet, > lower the nose a bit and let the plane pick up speed in low ground effect. > In low ground effect, you have no rolling friction from the ground or grass > AND you have almost no induced drag as you are in close ground effect. So, > you quickly pick up the extra few mph you need for a safe climb out at best > angle or best rate of climb airspeed, your choice. This technique is > especially important on long grass, muddy or rough air fields. > > 3. If the runway is so short that having a tail low Coupe instead of a > correctly rigged Coupe makes a significant difference in safety, you do NOT > have enough safety margin to be operating out of that airfield. Get an > aggressive climb prop and/or a bigger engine and/or lighten you load > considerably so you can change to a different airfield. > > Ed > > Ed Burkhead > http://edburkhead/Ercoupe/index.htm > ed -at- edburkh???ead . com (change -at- to @ and remove ??? and > spaces) > _ >
