The International Cessna^® 170 Association

I was over on Backcountry Pilots' forums and someone had posted a link to this video. Not Cessna 170s, but close enough.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G8VW2ekDhMg

I've seen a few pictures of 170s that have collapsed a gear leg, but had never seen how it happens. I was shocked at how violent it is, but I guess that is to be understood as I would hope that it would take as much force as it does in the video to cause failure. I haven't had a taildragger sideways yet, but 120 hours tailwheel time pales in comparison to what you guys have.

I've only seen an airplane groundloop once. There was a couple that had a beautiful 1954 Cessna 180 at W32, where we were restoring our 170. The husband was a pilot, but the wife was learning to fly, and for whatever reason, they decided to use the 180. One Saturday afternoon saw them taxiing out for departure on runway 5. They aligned with the runway, throttled up and probably didn't get 100 feet down the runway before the airplane was sidways. I was only about eight at the time, but I remember the nose was heading to the left (as would be expected given that they were just starting the takeoff roll) and the airplane was bouncing on the right gear leg. The gear leg didn't snap or fold under, but they blew the tire, and a group of guys ended up running over to push the airplane off of the runway. I seem to recall the gear box being damaged pretty badly, but nothing failed, so at least the damage was localized.

I hope I never have to feel what it's like to do that to a taildragger, at least a 170. I wouldn't mind so much doing it to a Maule.

Nice catch Ryan. Thanks for posting it

I almost can't believe they made that airplane a sacrificial lamb to demonstrate a groundloop and landing gear failure. I can't see them simply video taping landings and the airplane just happening to groundloop that particular time, precipitating a video to be made.

Ryan, ya gotta remember this is/was YOUR government spending YOUR tax dollars. Even though this was an old film, the government spent money back then just like they do today

You can bet your butt that they didn't bust up that L-19 just to make a training video.

blueldr wrote:You can bet your butt that they didn't bust up that L-19 just to make a training video.

I defer to your experience. I hope you're right!

Ryan,
Were you ever in the US Army?

Great training video. I think this can be used by current tailwheel CFIs. I remember a landing where I got distracted by a cool helicopter off to my left and nearly lost directional control. Good reminder. You have to keep your eyes on the runway and keep "flying" until your in the tie down.

I use it!, and the study guide I use is the "The Compleat Taildragger Pilot". Best tools I have ever found. Got a lot of good ones also. Tony Delgazzo uses a cool tool made from a piece of aluminum tube and a Bicycle axle with wheel to show the Left turning tendancy , Gyroscopic Effect. Very cool and fun for the students to play with. D

My instructor used an empty Dr. pepper bottle for directional control instruction in the Cub. If you didn't pay attention, he would hit you across the shoulders with it.

The best incentive to learning to fly a tailwheel correctly is to pay for and fly your own airplane.

Take a child's tricycle by the handlebars and pull it alongside yourself as you walk. Notice how it follows right along. This is because the majority of it's mass (it's center of gravity) is behind the steerable wheel, just like a tricycle landing gear airplane.

Now, reverse the situation by taking the handlebar and push the trike backwards. Notice how it attempts to swap-ends. This is because it's mass (CG) is forward of the steerable wheel.

Imagine that you're driving your car (or taxying your airplane) on a wet street. Looking in the rear view mirror you'll notice the tracks left by your wheels in the wet pavement. If you're taxying an airplane, the tailwheel must remain within the tracks of the main wheels....or you'll soon be swapping ends!

A tailwheel airplane requires the pilot to develop a keen sense of directional control..... To develop the ability to look ahead so as to quickly detect the slightest departure from the intended-path.... The ability to recognize when the tailwheel is moving closer to the edge of that area between the main wheels... To be cognizant of the momentum/direction-of-travel of the aircraft's center/mass... and to stop that tailwheel from further trespassing outside the intended path.

Many inexperienced drivers of automobiles look only 30-40 feet in front of their automobiles while driving. Many airplane pilots also scan a distance much too short ahead. It is much better to look 100 yards ahead, in order to more easily detect the slightest movement away from the straight or intended path.

hilltop170 wrote:My instructor used an empty Dr. pepper bottle for directional control instruction in the Cub. If you didn't pay attention, he would hit you across the shoulders with it.

The best incentive to learning to fly a tailwheel correctly is to pay for and fly your own airplane.

Ya, I could see students paying me to do that to them...LOL

Conventional gear airplanes without P-factor are much easier to fly!

Boys....

I think we make much too much about flying tail draggers. Yes, there is a technique but it just ain't that difficult either.

I think the biggest problem is that the WWII vets who learned to fly in Stearmans, J-3s, or T-crafts and who taught many of us to fly are all retired. Most of the alleged tailwheel instructors that I know transitioned from C-150s and are still struggling from negative transference.

If I were king, I would make every new pilot read Stick and Rudder and then solo in a T-Craft or Luscombe. After that let them fly Moonies, Airabuses, Cirruses, whatever, just teach them to fly right in the beginning.

I have an old Boys Life book from the thirties that has an article with a great title, "Keep Your Nerve and Flying Speed!" Like most journalists, they got it half right but it was the right half.

pdb wrote:Boys....

I think we make much too much about flying tail draggers. Yes, there is a technique but it just ain't that difficult either.

I think the biggest problem is that the WWII vets who learned to fly in Stearmans, J-3s, or T-crafts and who taught many of us to fly are all retired. Most of the alleged tailwheel instructors that I know transitioned from C-150s and are still struggling from negative transference.

If I were king, I would make every new pilot read Stick and Rudder and then solo in a T-Craft or Luscombe. After that let them fly Moonies, Airabuses, Cirruses, whatever, just teach them to fly right in the beginning.

I have an old Boys Life book from the thirties that has an article with a great title, "Keep Your Nerve and Flying Speed!" Like most journalists, they got it half right but it was the right half.

Pete, one of the problems where I live is that there is a lot of asphalt to land on. The video is spot on with directional control. Crosswinds and asphalt make for some fun training events. All the students coming from training wheel airplanes have lazy feet!