Piper J3
Well Known Member
I?ve been meaning to start this thread for while and keep forgetting... My flying history is almost exclusively tailwheel aircraft. Now that I own a 12 suddenly I can ?see? where I?m going on the ground and have discovered (new to me) a good technique to mitigate excess steering input on the takeoff roll.
When you line up, point the nose about 10 degrees to the right of centerline before applying throttle. The aircraft will naturally curve to the left with power. By the time the aircraft comes back to centerline the rudder will become effective and lateral steering can be accomplished without the use of differential braking. Angle can be adjusted based on crosswind as the airplane always wants to weathervane into the prevailing wind. For what its worth?
When you line up, point the nose about 10 degrees to the right of centerline before applying throttle. The aircraft will naturally curve to the left with power. By the time the aircraft comes back to centerline the rudder will become effective and lateral steering can be accomplished without the use of differential braking. Angle can be adjusted based on crosswind as the airplane always wants to weathervane into the prevailing wind. For what its worth?
