Tri Gear or Tail Wheel?

[Slyfox]

all kidding aside, I have both. But, I know a fella right now that took 18 yrs to build his RV6 Tail wheel. He is in a real pickel right now because he's trying to get his endorsement and is having a real hard time. Seems it's a real bugger to find someone to give him instruction. Right now he can't use his plane, need to fly off the 40, and there is no airplanes in the local area period for flying instruction in a tail wheel. So off he goes down to portland area for training with Mike Seagar. 8.5 Hrs later is is not ready yet, he has to go back down for more. Here his airplane sits waiting for him to get ready.

Ya, tail wheel is cool, my model 4 is tail wheel. I love it. My RV is nose. Don't any of you call me a sissy. I'll show you a thing or two that will prove you are the sissy.

But, when it comes to practicality, that tail wheel looses out big time. Lets say you had a ground loop. Oopps, Now the FAA gets involved, you are asked for a flight test, which the faa will do. Your airplane is broken, now the big challenge happens, how do I do my flight test that the faa wants. If you can't produce a tail wheel airplane your now back on student status, yup that's what happens. Those darn tail wheels will give you trouble.

Regular flying, not a problem, landing, that's another thing, it will humble the best, so be aware.

lastly, I love my airplane. can't argue that one.

[Monocock]

The KF was designed as a lightweight STOL machine for unmade strips and fields. Its whole ethos is based around ruggedness and practicality. That's what it became a success around, and continues to do so.

The conventional gear not only looks better, but it allows the owner/flyer to operate the a/c in the manner it was designed to be used. There are no real weak points and the standard tyres add further to the practicality of the machine from unmade strips.

I have nothing against the tricycle version other than it dilutes what the Kitfox is all about. It's a bit like putting slick road tyres on a Land Rover. Yes, it's still a Kitfox on paper but....

I have answered the OP's question with my honest views.

[FoxDB]

I have a Kitfox 1 and a Whitman Tailwind both with tailwheel. When I bought the KF 1 I had no TW time and during my transition training was tempted to swap to Tri (just could not get it through my head). But after about 4 hours it finally clicked. 2 years later I purchased my Tailwind (a decidedly more difficult one to land). Yet about half a dozon landing and I was OK. I would not think of changing the KF to trigear however a handful like the Tailwind could take a load off with the little wheel in the front.
Dave

[DesertFox4]

I'm glad the design has matured and evolved? I like the fact that customers can choose the features and gear configuration that speaks to them as akarmy said and so beautifully illustrated in photos earlier.
With the current models you don't have to permanently choose one over the other. You can start out in tri-gear configuration then switch the nose wheel to the little end and spit in the eye of the laws of physics on every take off and landing.

Mono- if you could fly my model 4, I doubt the first word you'd use to describe its performance would be "diluted".



Tail wheel aircraft require a specific set of skills only related to safe taxiing and transition from taxi to take off speed and then in reverse on landing. This skill set is easily learned with good instruction and will make you a tail wheel aircraft pilot, not a better pilot. Afterwards, you will get a log book endorsement, not The Distinguished Flying Cross.
105px-Dfc-usa.jpg

[Slyfox]

I don't think it takes that much on take off in the skill level, only because my aircraft has so much power it's off in seconds. you wink and you're flying. Don't get me wrong, i'll never think of putting the little wheel on the front of my fox.

[whitewulfe]

I tend to prefer the look of the taildragger on some models, and with others, I prefer the look of trigear.

As for a preference, well, I'll be silly and say my preference is for aircraft with skids! ...Got more time riding in them as a passenger than any general aviation aircraft out there - sadly the most I've done in a GA fixed wing is sit in it *laughs nervously*

[Monocock]

Steve

Nobody here has suggested tailwheel aircraft are more difficult to fly, just different.

[DesertFox4]

Nobody here has suggested tailwheel aircraft are more difficult to fly, just different.

Just wait Mono. Oh heck. No need to wait, someone already did. It always happens that way.

Maybe someday I'll have to give tail dragging aircraft a try.
Might be too old to learn though it does sound challenging.

[Monocock]

Not many years ago all people learned on conventional gear (tailwheel) aircraft because that was the only option. Mr Cessna decided to launch the Landomatic option which was preferred by schools as they deemed it to be easier for students to learn on and more forgiving in crosswinds.

I still think tailwheel flying is not specifically harder, just different. It gives the pilot something else to think about. Yes, during the conversion from trike to tailwheel the student sometimes finds it tricky for the first few hours, but then the same applys to their first landing with a nosewheel or the first Navex etc.

The control inputs become completely second nature very quickly. Having not flown a nosewheel aircraft for 10 years I reckon I'd find it tricky for a while if I did.

My comments about "dilution" were just about the dilution of the STOL capabilities of the Kitfox that the nosewheel creates. I do think that a tailwheel machine offers better short field performance and is more robust in the field.

So, not necessarily harder to fly, but it allows the design to be used to it's full potential and that's the reason I like the small wheel at the back.

Finally, yes, the option to have both is pretty clever. However, I'm just not sure I'd use nosewheel set-up very often.

[jtpitkin06]

Just when you thought this 100 year old question was beat to death,(along with the answers) someone asks, "If I put floats on the aircraft, is it a Bi gear, Quad gear or a taildragger?"



JP