Landing on Tailwheel

[belandd]

I just installed the seal, WOW!

what a difference.

i can now really use the elevator to control my touch down.

I am not sure about the tail wheel landings but will find out as I prafctice more.

Really feels better,

[Dan7945]

I fly my M4 from a fairly short grass strip I don't have room for wheel landings. In a full stall landing, the tailwheel will always tap just an instant before the mains. I have recently been going through tubes in the tailwheel but I suspect that I'm not carrying enough pressure. From the other posts, I gather that a tailwheel first landing in a Maule is not necessarily an unnatural act.

[andy]

Tailwheel-first landings aren't uncommon in Maules, but it puts more stress on the leaf spring and might contribute to stretching it out prematurely, which will lead to tailwheel shimmy. It also indicates a high angle of attack which can lead to an early stall and hard landing when the wing stops flying. Once the tailwheel touches the ground, the tail will be forced up, making it more difficult to avoid a hard landing on the mains. On the plus side, you can determine where the ground is more quickly and minimize float.

[aero101]

On the maules with standard tires you're still a long way from full stall landing just cause tail touching first unless you've got the nose WAY up in the air? Also you can do wheel landings at about same speed as the tail first if you just hold that tail first attitude until just before touching and immediately roll the nose over onto main gear. Just takes practice, practice, and then more practice... Even with 31" bushwheels, I sometimes will touch tail first and AOA is much steeper with the larger tires and wing still flies just fine... Depending upon weight, may need a little power to arrest the sink rate though.

[MikeW]

I'm still waiting for the extended gear. This airplane sure could use it. Wup, care to chime in here. Any hope on the horizon?

Mike

[UP-M5]

I don't have room for wheel landings. .

you must have a short strip, as the maule boys at valdez are wheel landing in 160 to 200-some-odd feet. your strip must be pretty short

[a64pilot]

I don't have room for wheel landings. .

you must have a short strip, as the maule boys at valdez are wheel landing in 160 to 200-some-odd feet. your strip must be pretty short

Yeah, but they ain't on stock wheel / tires either.

One reason a Maule has a decent cruise speed is the wing angle of incidence is low, leading to level fuselage at a decent speed. Look at a Cub at 90 MPH or whatever. See how high it's carrying the tail? That slows it way down, but it's high wing angle of incidence does really get it off of the ground in a three point attitude which is close to the critical angle of attack.
With extended gear that would put a Maule's wing at about the same angle of attack as a Cub has in the three point attitude, I bet it would get off even quicker than it does in stock trim.
Ever wonder why some aircraft like the Storch have such looong legs?
Haven't been around too many Wilga's, but their legs are longer than prop clearance would dictate aren't they?

[silvaire]

I'm just getting back into the Maule after about a year and a half away from it during which I've been flying a 90 hp Champ. Needless to say there's quite a difference - sitting off center, yoke, right hand vernier throttle and generally just a bigger, heavier airplane. I was pretty decent and comfortable with it before and have about a couple hundred hours total M7 time.

So I've done my share of tailwheel first landings and never saw them as being a problem, although I imagine they don't look all that graceful from the outside - especially when it causes the mains to plop down like a bad ski jumper.

But I've got a different problem that has always perplexed me. It only seems to happen when I'm light and using full flaps. I'll be coming down, over the numbers in what seems to be a perfect three pointer attitude but just as I'm about to touch down the airplane balloons up five or six feet. I've often wondered if it's caused by the flap bungee, maybe when the flaps extend all the way at the last moment but I've been told that the flaps at that point wouldn't add any lift, just more drag so it's not possible. So maybe it's just ground effect and a little too much speed?

It's frustrating because I mean, I seem to have a perfect landing in hand then this happens. One other thing - it only happens when other people are watching

Anyone else have that problem?

[Hottshot]

I'm still waiting for the extended gear. This airplane sure could use it. Wup, care to chime in here. Any hope on the horizon?

Mike

Mike-

Our HD EXT Gear is still in the works Hoped to have it by this ski season but that isn't looking good as the snow on the mountain indicates, our new FAA guy was pulled to do a emergency audit for a month or two and that has left us hanging.... I will do my best to keep you all posted...

[a64pilot]

Wup, you going to make new Oleo's? Or extend the stock ones?

[a64pilot]

Silvaire, your too fast. Even if it's the flap spring cartridge, it's because your too fast.
Plus your probably nose heavy when empty. I like 30 or 40 pounds of stuff in the rear of the baggage compt. when I'm empty, just for CG.

[Hottshot]

Wup, you going to make new Oleo's? Or extend the stock ones?

There will be a Extended Oleo that goes with the Gear, for now you will use your stock Oleo Spring set up but in the future that will be updated as well.

[MikeW]

Wup,

That is great news. Thanks for the reply. I'm drooling already!

Mike

[crbnunit]

But I've got a different problem that has always perplexed me. It only seems to happen when I'm light and using full flaps. I'll be coming down, over the numbers in what seems to be a perfect three pointer attitude but just as I'm about to touch down the airplane balloons up five or six feet. I've often wondered if it's caused by the flap bungee, maybe when the flaps extend all the way at the last moment but I've been told that the flaps at that point wouldn't add any lift, just more drag so it's not possible. So maybe it's just ground effect and a little too much speed?

It's frustrating because I mean, I seem to have a perfect landing in hand then this happens. One other thing - it only happens when other people are watching

Anyone else have that problem?

I used to do the same thing. Still do when anyone is watching! Too fast. Slow it down a bit and it will settle right in. Just watch your sink rate. A little weight in the back really does help!