Hello all. I found your site after someone on another aviation board pointed me here. Looks like a very well run forum. I hope someone out there can provide me with information on the Texas Taildragger conversion for a C172.

A local pilot recently purchased a 1972 C172 converted to a taildragger. It has a 180 HP Lycoming and a three blade prop. He hired me to fly it back to his home airport and to give him instruction in it. I flew it back for him the other day.

I'm interested in any other input from those of you who have owned/flown these airplanes. My impression was that the airplane was especially tail heavy (must weigh 150 lbs on the tail wheel) and difficult to taxi. I also felt like the rudder was too small. I guess I'm not sure how well this airplane will perform as a tail wheel trainer. Any tips on the proper way to fly / train in this type of airplane will be appreciated.

Chip (KVBT)

Sorry if this comes across as harsh, but......So, you are going to give this guy instruction in his airplane, and you want someone to teach YOU to fly it via the internet?

Sorry, evil fingers got the best of me.

One of my pet peeves--instructors instructing in airplanes they aren't familiar with themselves.


It's wrecked more airplanes and put more people off tailwheel airplanes than anything I know of.

Again, sorry if I offend, but I don't think you're doing this guy a favor.

MTV

mtv wrote:Sorry if this comes across as harsh, but......So, you are going to give this guy instruction in his airplane, and you want someone to teach YOU to fly it via the internet?

Sorry, evil fingers got the best of me.

One of my pet peeves--instructors instructing in airplanes they aren't familiar with themselves.


It's wrecked more airplanes and put more people off tailwheel airplanes than anything I know of.

Again, sorry if I offend, but I don't think you're doing this guy a favor.

MTV

Actually, that's a fair comment and I'm not the least bit offended. In fact, I phoned the owner yesterday to talk about where he might go to get better instruction in the airplane. Your comment "I don't think you're doing this guy a favor." is spot on. It's the same thing I said when discussing the situation with another tailwheel pilot a couple of days ago.

But that leaves a few questions and goes back to my original post. My initial reaction when I delivered this airplane to him was, "Sell it and buy an airplane designed to be a taildragger." But since I have no time in type I thought I might try to solicit comments from those who have owned / flown them. Maybe I'm just used to a different "feel" in a tailwheel airplane and it's not the airplane at all. On the other hand, maybe everyone else out there knows this STC makes a poor handling airplane. I'm just trying to gather information to help the owner decide what to do.

Chip

You said it. That stc makes for a poor tail wheel airplane. It was not built by Cessna to be one. That is why it was for sale and will always be for sale. Lack of rudder,poor angle of attack narrow stance and butt ugly. Very few tri gear planes can be converted to a tail wheel to match the factory builders tail wheel model. Straight tail cessna 150,172,175,182. Champion 7FC, Piper PA-22 are the basic GA ones. The others are sales pitch tail wheel convertions that just don't cut it. They pass owners often when one realizes what a pile of crap he spent good money on.

Chip,

THanks for not taking offense at my comments. I meant no offense, but it's sometimes hard to convey such on the internet.

I think you are taking a rational approach to the issue at hand, with your further comments.

MTV

Re: t/w instructing-- a CFI friend of mine was bragging that he was gonna be the checkout pilot for a Citabria the local FBO just put on the rental line. He got mad when I pointed out that although he had a fair amount of tailwheel time in the two Luscombes he's owned in the past, he hadn't flown a tailwheel airplane in several years & therefore might not be the best choice due to his lack of currency. Hurt his pride I guess... which is better than him hurting the airplane,himself,or another pilot he's attempting to check out. He hasn't done any checkouts yet, as far as I know, or done any flying in the thing to get current.

Eric