I don't think that nose wheels are necessarilly "harder" to deal with on grass. The differences are as follows:
Tail wheel planes are more likely to ground loop than nose wheels on any surface. They are more likely to ground loop on a hard runway than grass, but can ground loop on either. As far as tailwheel planes go though, the KR is fairly tame on the ground. A tailwheel plane is much better on soft or wet unpaved runways. Nose wheels tend to dig in, especially at lower speeds when you have more weight on the nose wheel. Nose gear has been known to break off on unpaved runways that are very soft or not smooth. The KR nose gear is not the strongest and plenty of people have landed hard on the nose wheel or hit ruts and had them fold. I have seen many a spam can with a folded nose gear also. A tailwheel plane is lighter and faster than the equivalent nose wheel plane. A tailwheel plane can take off in a shorter distance than the same nose wheel plane, even if they weighed the same and had the same drag, especially on a grass strip. Most people do not realize this, but the reason is simple. On a tailwheel plane you start the takeoff roll with the stick forward and the tail comes up shortly after you start rolling. The stabilizer is acting as a wing while you are rolling down the runway and creating lift. A look at my last KR weight and ballance shows that with a full header tank and a 170 pound pilot that there was 53 pounds on the tailwheel. Therefore, while on the takeoff roll with the tail up the stab is generating 53 pounds of lift. That is 53 pounds that the wing is not having to lift, 53 pounds that is not being supported by the main gear, and less rolling drag on the wheels that is slowing your acceleration. In the same situation in a nosewheel plane you are pulling back on the stick to lower the tail and raise the nose. This means that your stabilizer is generating lift in the downward direction to raise the nose and that is probably 30 - 50 pounds more that the wing has to lift and more weight on the mains slowing you down while you roll down the runway. This tail down or tail up force is the same on both tail and nose wheel planes once you are off the ground, but while you are rolling the wing and gear sees a "heavier" and "draggier" nose wheel plane which increases your take off roll. Anyway, it still remains that what is better depends on where and how you fly and what your comfort level, weight, and speed thresholds are. One bit of advice I can give is that if you are planing on putting on a nose wheel just because you have never flown a taildragger that you should get a few hours in a tailwheel plane with an instructor first and see how you like it. Give it at least 2-3 hours though if you are doing terrible after the first hour. It is one of those things that most people are terrible at at first until you just get it. Brian Kraut Engineering Alternatives, Inc. www.engalt.com -----Original Message----- From: krnet-bounces+brian.kraut=engalt....@mylist.net [mailto:krnet-bounces+brian.kraut=engalt....@mylist.net]On Behalf Of Steve Bray Sent: Monday, September 19, 2005 11:10 PM To: kr...@mylist.net Subject: Re: KR> Nose Gear question Mark I agree with you 100%. I am NOT a KR pilot, as yet. Are Noss wheel KR's harder to deal with on grass? I was tryin to enlighten the other gut to why taildragger pilots act like they do. I'm still trying to decide which way to go, I have a nose wheel and I will be flyin from a hard surface. There is just sometimes more adrenalin pumped with a tailwheer. Good job on your return trip, cool head and exactly the way I hope I would have done it. And congrats on your passenger, you've started something! Something that may go on down the line. When you gonna fly your wife? After all she let her car set outside all that time, she deserves a ride. Steve Bray Jackson, Tennessee >From: "Mark Jones" <flyk...@wi.rr.com> >Reply-To: KRnet <kr...@mylist.net> >To: "KRnet" <kr...@mylist.net> >Subject: Re: KR> Nose Gear question >Date: Mon, 19 Sep 2005 21:59:51 -0500 > >Steve, >For the record, first let me tell you that I have tail dragger time logged >in my log book. I have many hours in the following....J3 Cub, Citabria, >Champ, C-180 and Taylorcraft. So, I guess in reality, I am a tail dragger >pilot. Right? I chose nose gear for my KR because I like the looks of the >plane on Tri Gear. It looks larger on Tri Gear than as a tail dragger and >it >is much less prone to damage incurred by ground loops. All in all, the tri >gear KR is safer on landing, easier to control and more forgiving. In the >air, they fly the same and look the same except for the drag incurred by >the >nose gear. All of this ribbing each other is in pure fun because all KR's >are beautiful planes and ALL KR Pilots are highly skilled pilots or you >would not be flying a high performance KR. Keep smiling, keep laughing and >keep the ribbing coming because neither type of pilot is any better than >the >other. Remember, it is a choice I made after having many hours as a tail >dragger pilot. LOL :-) :-) :-) > >Mark Jones (N886MJ) >Wales, WI USA >E-mail me at flyk...@wi.rr.com >Visit my KR-2S CorvAIRCRAFT web site at >http://mywebpage.netscape.com/n886mj > > >----- Original Message ----- >From: "Steve Bray" <rsb...@hotmail.com> >To: <kr...@mylist.net> >Sent: Monday, September 19, 2005 9:36 PM >Subject: Re: KR> Nose Gear question > > > > Mark > > If you flew a taildragger you would already know that. > > That was ment to be Jones and not James in my diatribe. You. > > You shold know a taildragger pilot cand land anything anywhere. > > > > Steve Bray > > Jackson, Tennessee > > > > > > > > > > >From: "Mark Jones" <flyk...@wi.rr.com> > > >Reply-To: KRnet <kr...@mylist.net> > > >To: "KRnet" <kr...@mylist.net> > > >Subject: Re: KR> Nose Gear question > > >Date: Mon, 19 Sep 2005 21:06:29 -0500 > > > > > >Does that mean it takes a better pilot to land a nose gear on grass >than >a > > >taildragger pilot and a better pilot to land a taildragger on asphalt >or > > >concrete than a nose wheel pilot. Hmmmmmmmmmmmm....we may be on to > > >something > > >here... > > > > > >Mark Jones (N886MJ) > > >Wales, WI USA > > >E-mail me at flyk...@wi.rr.com > > >Visit my KR-2S CorvAIRCRAFT web site at > > >http://mywebpage.netscape.com/n886mj > > > > > > > > >----- Original Message ----- > > >From: "Brian Kraut" <brian.kr...@engalt.com> > > >To: "KRnet" <kr...@mylist.net> > > >Sent: Monday, September 19, 2005 8:57 PM > > >Subject: RE: KR> Nose Gear question > > > > > > > > > > This has been beat to death and the correct gear to use is not the >same > > >for > > > > everyone, but keep in mind that plenty of nose wheels have been >folded, > > > > especially on grass strips. > > > > > > > > Brian Kraut > > > > Engineering Alternatives, Inc. > > > > www.engalt.com > > > > > > > > > > > > _______________________________________ > > > > 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 > > > > > > > > > > > >_______________________________________ > > >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 > > > > > > > > _______________________________________ > > 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 > > > >_______________________________________ >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 _______________________________________ 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
