Taxiing

[Nobody96]

Is there any trick how to steer this beast on the ground? Using the tail wheel steering (stick back) I can snake along a straight line and do wide curves. But since our airfields have intersections, you often have to unlock the tail wheel and that is when things start to get funny. Is there any trick to it, because my current technique needs a lot of differential breaking and I doubt that my gear likes it.

 

so long

Mathias

[CHSubZero]

Is there any trick to it, because my current technique needs a lot of differential breaking and I doubt that my gear likes it.

 

One tipp: If you're Mustang is too fast don't use the brakes too long :music_whistling:

[159th_Viper]

Is there any trick to it, because my current technique needs a lot of differential breaking and I doubt that my gear likes it....

 

No trick - you need to use differential braking. Keep you speed down and the 6-degree turn that the tail wheel affords you should be enough to make right-hand/left-hand turns.

[lobo]

Is there any trick how to steer this beast on the ground?

so long

Mathias

 

Taxi with the stick slightly aft of neutral to lock the tailwheel. For sharp turns push the stick slightly forward of neutral to unlock the tailwheel and allow castoring. Use brakes and throttle, keep your speed low and dont get the tail swinging too fast as the momentum will be hard to stop with tailwheel unlocked. There is an art to taxiing a taildragger... Once you've made your sharp turn lock the tailwheel again for the straight stretches. You've got 6 degrees steering left and right with t/w locked.

 

Two of the radial eng taildraggers I used to fly had lockable t/w but could also use differential power, which made controlling easier with the t/w unlocked. Could still get interesting... :thumbup:

[Tailspin45]

Note that just because the stick is back it doesn't mean your tailwheel is locked. There's a pin that drops down to lock the steering and tailwheel strut together. If the tailwheel isn't straight the pin won't drop in the hole until it is. Devs did a nice job of modeling this and the complicated geometry back there.

Edited May 26, 2012 by Tailspin45

[WildBillKelsoe]

Is there any trick how to steer this beast on the ground? Using the tail wheel steering (stick back) I can snake along a straight line and do wide curves. But since our airfields have intersections, you often have to unlock the tail wheel and that is when things start to get funny. Is there any trick to it, because my current technique needs a lot of differential breaking and I doubt that my gear likes it.

 

so long

Mathias

 

 

Hey mathias, the default tail lock steering gives 6 degrees on R/L. You just have to have experience firsthand with wide corners. Plus, the tail unlock is controllable at very slow throttle open. Just try doing S's and you should be fine. Besides, this aircraft has a very unusual (yet benefit) attitude on grass. I find that sometimes landing on grass is very BoB'ish.

[bluepilot76]

YEah they done a nice job of the ground handling. Differential braking required.