Forward Stick Authority on RV9 Tailwheel

[snoop9erdog]

Since we currently have this thread for the RV6.....it got me thinking about how the 9 drivers (few I know) handle their takeoffs.

A few years back Bruce gave me a ride in his 9 and I remember him being relaxed on the stick during takeoff. What are the rest of the 9 drivers doing? Three point relaxed stick fly off vs. forward stick quick tail up?

For someone who has no tail wheel time in the 9, does it require a fair amount of right rudder on TO? If so, is it tap and re-tap pressure or constant pressure?

[luddite42]

If you haven't figured it out yet, pilots have all kinds of ideas about what's best and how they like to do things. There's nothing special about the RV-9. Lots of ways to get the job done. BTW, there is a medium between the 3-point take off and "quick tail up" options you describe. As far as rudder use goes, it's again just another RV/tailwheel airplane. If you're smooth, just like any other RV and most other tailwheel airplanes, you can take off dead nuts straight down the runway with nearly imperceptible rudder movement...just finely tuned anticipated pressure changes during the t/o roll. The more you have to "tap and re-tap", pedal pump, or make large inputs, the more you're over-controlling and chasing the airplane, assuming no gust correction factors or runway surface irregularities. It's a regular tailwheel airplane, nothing special.

[alpinelakespilot2000]

You can push the tail up right away if you want (for visibility). You can hold the stick full aft until wheels leave the ground if you want (soft field). You can hold the stick neutral and let the tail come up on its own if you want.