I'm uncomfortable with toe brakes but I need to become comfortable quickly. I like heels brakes and how they let me keep my heels resting on the floorboard but still press the brake if I need to. With the toe brakes I have to keep my feet elevated if I want to be able to press the brake and I don't like that; it makes it harder for me to judge how much of a correction I am making. I know with practice I will figure it out but any tips you guys have I'd appreciate. I have to fly the new plane (still not mine yet but hopefully soon) solo because it is still in it phase one testing and the main thing I am nervous about is the toe brakes. Hoping to make the trip to were the plane is and put some time on it this week.

I wouldn't sweat it too much. Of course I learned in cessnas and have never used heel brakes until my cub. Just ease into it, and you'll figure it out eventually...that's what I'm doing.

Are you sure your feet need to be elevated for them to work?? Depending on the type of brake pedal and the quality of the brakes, most of the time all you need is to curl your toes a little to start braking. Most tailwheel instructors would probably tell you not to touch the brakes at all, but for practicing "our" types of landings, they are of course, essential

The brakes work good but my feet don't even reach the brake pedal with my heels on the floor. If I place the rudder pedal in the arch of my foot then my toes are just right on the brake pedal.

I go back and forth and barely notice now. But I started with toe brakes. You will get the hang of it. I kind of prefer the toe brakes, because I have to lift my heels to get them onto the brakes and often I'm so concerned about what's going on with the rudder, I don't get on the brakes the way I would like. I also think it's easier to get a little of both rudder and brake with the toe brakes. A lot of feel for the heels to do that. It's probably all in what you learned...

When are you coming out to Colorado? You gonna be at Caveman?

Whee,
Just remember on short final, "my feet are not on
The brakes". You don't have locked wheel anti-skid
Protection I would guess.
Dave

soyAnarchisto wrote:When are you coming out to Colorado? You gonna be at Caveman?

Plan is June 15th to be in CO. Probly not going to make it to Caveman; definitely won't be there in the new plane.

d.grimm wrote:Just remember on short final, "my feet are not on
The brakes".

Inadvertent brake application is one of the things I am concerned about. Currently I use my toes for rudder and heels for brakes, with toe brakes it is almost opposite.

If you find yourself fighting it, take your shoes off. Worked for me.

I've never flown with heel brakes. But I learned early on and taught my students that one of the things you do just before touchdown is make sure that your feet are low enough not to accidentally activate the brakes. For most toe-brake airplanes, that just means have your heels touching the floor. Then you move the rudders by moving your whole leg, and don't rock your feet.

For most moderate braking, nearly all toe brakes can be activated by rocking your feet. You will be pushing on the middle of the pedals, but that works well most of the time, unless you have inky dinky little bitty feet.

If you need to apply brakes heavily, it takes no effort at all to slide your feet up an inch or two to apply full force to the upper part of the pedals.

Cary

I started out w/ heel brakes, although only 1 sort of worked-PA-12, Waco, later went to Cessna's, don't remember a problem, just remember not to have them on when landing.

When I started flying taildraggers everyone kept telling me " be ready on the brakes" they had me all freaked out, finally someone told me"on any decent taildragger the brakes are only for turning around".

Now both of these pieces of advice are of course not true in every situation, but it got me thinking. Now I try and land every plane I fly without touching the brakes I only tap them when I'm out of rudder, my landings improved right away!

The best advice I ever got on the subject is " if you need brakes you have too much air in your bushwheels!"

Once I started flying like that the really touchy toe brakes in my cessna and the almost non existent heal brakes on most cubs became no problem.

A couple minutes of taxiing and you'll be just fine. It's a bit like a control wheel vs stick vs side stick, all achieve the same thing and personally I find no thought required to swap between

I learned to fly in a 172 with toe brakes and now I switch through the champ and cubs with heel and citabria with toe and Cessna's with toe. You get used to it quickly and don't even realize your swapping around.

Tom

Tom wrote:I learned to fly in a 172 with toe brakes and now I switch through the champ and cubs with heel and citabria with toe and Cessna's with toe. You get used to it quickly and don't even realize your swapping around.

That's my experience as well. You'll get used to it just fine. Don't overthink it.

Frankly, when I'm on grass I only use the brakes for runup. Pavement's a different story of course, though I never use brakes on landing.

Make sure he installed those brakes and pedals per the design dimensions fore and aft, if they're an inch out they can over-cam and lock in the brakes-on position if the rudder is at full deflection. A neat trick for those builders unwary of the dangers of straying from original design.

I think the toe brakes are the easier of the two once you get used to them, perhaps why they are so prevelent in newer aircraft?

Thanks for all the tips. Flew the plane this week and had no issues with the brakes. I just didn't think about it and everything went great. I think part of my nervousness stemmed from all the new systems all at once and having to do it solo: toe brakes, CS prop, flaps, twice the hp and twice the weight.

Battson, pedals were built to spec.

Whee, I may be missing this somewhere but what did you get for a new plane? Are you selling the luscombe?

Jeredp wrote:Whee, I may be missing this somewhere but what did you get for a new plane? Are you selling the luscombe?

I am hoping to buy a new plane but I'm keeping the identity very secret so I don't lose out on the deal. I have to sell the Luscombe first and I figure that will take a while. After flying the plane I hope to buy I know I will severely miss the Luscombe but having room for my family is my priority right now.

Very cool! I'm excited to hear what you get. My underpowered 172 is getting small quickly as my two boys are growing. They're the only people I know that are gaining weight faster than me! Good luck!

Quick update: you guys were right, for the most part it is no big deal. Had one exciting moment when I had to land in a gusty 18kt quartering headwind. Got a little out of whack and reached for the heel brakes but they weren't there I found the toe brakes and corrected with only a little tire squealing

Landing slow saves brake, and propeller, expense.