On 3/28/2010 8:50 AM, Randy Smith wrote:
> And I bet it made him feel good too. Answer 1 question why put a nosegear on
> it?
Easier, safer, cheaper insurance, and increased sale opportunities
(there are more younger standard tricycle gear pilots than there are
taildragger pilots these days, which is who would be buying it if you
had to sell it).
The only downside I can see to a tricycle gear setup is a very slight
decrease in the top end speed (maybe 5 kts?).
Overall, the pros of the tricycle gear setup outweigh the cons. I
think most people go with a taildragger simply because they want to, not
because it makes any sense to do so. Nothing wrong with that, as it is
one of the reasons why we are involved in experimental aviation.
The simple fact is, you only spend a very small fraction of each flight
on the ground, which is where there is any real substantial difference
between a tricycle and a taildragger. Once you are in the air, there is
effectively no difference between the two.
If only a small fraction of the time it makes any difference (when in
the flare and on the ground), from my perspective, why wouldn't you want
to have the safest KR that you can, which implies tricycle gear?
-Dj
--
Dj Merrill - N1JOV
Glastar Sportsman 2+2 Builder #7118 N421DJ - http://deej.net/sportsman/
Grumman Yankee Driver N9870L - http://deej.net/yankee/
