Simviation Forum - How to land taildraggers

Reply #15 - Mar 5^th, 2005 at 8:48am

Woodlouse2002 Offline
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Quote:

Most of the larger taildraggers (multi-engined airliners & bombers etc,) would not use the 3-pointer. I've never seen a DC-3 land on three points & this might not be possible. This is also true of some smaller types & pilots have their own preferences depending on their training. Very few early aircraft were fitted with brakes & a 3-point landing was the most efficient way of operating out of small rough fields. I think this is how the practice originated.

I've heard that some of the WAAF's who took the job of ferry pilots delivering bombers from the factory to the airbase became so good with them that they could three-point any aircraft they came to fly. Including Lancasters, Stirlings etc.

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Reply #16 - Mar 5^th, 2005 at 9:24am

Hagar Offline
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Quote:

I've heard that some of the WAAF's who took the job of ferry pilots delivering bombers from the factory to the airbase became so good with them that they could three-point any aircraft they came to fly. Including Lancasters, Stirlings etc.

You could be right Woody but remember the aircraft were flown solo & lightly loaded with no ammo or bombs. Quite how those brave women managed to fly some of those aircraft solo, often after a quick glance through brief pilot's notes always amazed me.

PS. I think you mean ATA (Air Transport Auxiliary). They were technically civilians. http://www.raf.mod.uk/history/ata.html
This is a famous photo of Lettice Curtis, one of those young women. Sadly she passed away last year.

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Reply #17 - Mar 5^th, 2005 at 10:21am

C Offline
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Also remembering that for most of the war the ATA would be delivering to ww2 sized aerodromes, where the maximum runway length they would have had would have been 6000ft or so...

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Reply #18 - Mar 6^th, 2005 at 12:56pm

Joe_D Offline
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"Takeoffs are optional,
landings are mandatory!"
NY state

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Quote:

Most of the larger taildraggers (multi-engined airliners & bombers etc,) would not use the 3-pointer. I've never seen a DC-3 land on three points & this might not be possible. This is also true of some smaller types & pilots have their own preferences depending on their training. Very few early aircraft were fitted with brakes & a 3-point landing was the most efficient way of operating out of small rough fields. I think this is how the practice originated.

Yup, Hager is correct, the correct way of landing a DC-3 was/is to let the mains touch down first and just let the tail settle diown.

Having watched vintage tail draggers land at the Reinbeck Aerodrom during my visits, it does indeed seem that the three point landing was developed to slow the AC down quickly on short, grass fields using the tail skid as a brake.
There is also less chance of a ground loop if you get the tail down as quick as possible, particularly on grass. Wink

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