What is a taildragger?

A taildragger aircraft is the design we most often see in historical films and pictures during World War II. Originally using only a skid instead of a wheel, taildraggers are now considered conventional landing gear. They possess two main wheels at the nose of the aircraft and a wheel or skid at the back to support the tail of the airplane. Despite their dated origins, the taildragger model is still used effectively today in a wide arrange of aircrafts. Let’s take a closer look at this aircraft and its details.

            Due to the taildraggers design, their smaller tail wheels produce less drag than their counterparts larger nose wheels. This, in turn, creates an aircraft, which can fly at a higher speed with a comparable engine because less drag means higher speeds with less power. In addition, taildraggers are often less expensive to buy and maintain than their fellow aircrafts. They are often easier to store, as well. These advantages make a basic taildragger sometimes the best for first-time owner aviators.

Aside from expense and maintenance, a taildragger aids in what is usually the most anxiety-inducing part of flying. Yes, it helps the beginner in probably their most difficult aviation challenge: the landing. A difficult or failed landing with a taildragger usually produces minimal damage to the aircraft. Oppositely, a failed landing with a nosewheel aircraft can result in tremendous airplane damage. This landing forgiveness is another huge advantage of the taildragger for beginners and experts alike.

Despite these advantages, the taildragger is not without some cons. The first is simply a matter of mechanics: the taildragger is steered from behind its center of gravity. On the ground, this set up can be counter-intuitive, at best. Failed operation of this system can lead to spin outs and ground-looping without proper training. As one may expect, when grounded, the aircraft also possesses less visibility simply because the front of the airplane is raised above and not horizontal to the ground. All of these disadvantages can be overcome, however, with proper instruction and practice.

There’s a reason the tail-dragger aircraft model lives on today; it possesses a design with numerous advantageous, especially for those well versed in the aircrafts maneuverings. We see it old and new films alike because a classic truly never goes out of style.