rvd

Is there a certain limit on how much you can raise the front end with landing gear? (on a taildragger).

I changed my aluminum gear with a taller set.. it's quite a bit higher in the front now, will this mess up it's take off and landing characterisics?

DF_Flyer

The limiting factor for landing gear height (aside from scale considerations) is structural stability. The longer a gear is, the more torque it puts on the mounting blocks for a given force applied at the wheel. In one extreme case, I had a plane that would alternately tuck its mains and looked like a jet propelled penguin trying to run down the runway. Good for laughs, but not for flying.

You takeoff and landing charactersitics shouldn't change, since the tail will come up quickly on a takeoff run anyway. Once that happens, the plane doesn't know how long the gear legs are... if they are solidly mounted

This has been my experience so far on about 6 - 8 retract-equipped planes.

KidVermin

My Feedback: (3)

rvd:

On faster landings, when you try to settle the tail down the angle
of the wings will make the plane want to float up again. I've
found that if I keep putting in a little down elev. it will stay on the
wheels till it stops wanting to fly.

Johng

My Feedback: (4)

I wonder if DF_flyer has ever flown at JOD. A couple years ago there was an F-16 that would do what he describes. Looked like it had stepped in *something* and was trying to shake it off

As for the question - all of the above. THe slower you can land the easier it would be on long gear.

DF_Flyer

Hi JohnG - Fortunately, my chicken-walking plane was an F-86, and it did its little trick as I was taxiing it around here at home. As soon as I would hammer the throttle, it started alternately dipping its wingtips. It made my kids and the neighbors laugh, but they already knew I wasn't wrapped too tightly. I reserve other more sophisiticated methods for humiliating myself at jet rallies. BTW, I shortened the gear struts about an inch and the problem went away.