Good point about the speed, SSU - carrying too much into the flare
In a nosedragger, too much speed on short
final is almost always a really bad thing.
As per the lift equation, lift is a function of
velocity squared, so to produce the (same)
required lift on short final, the AOA is really
going to decrease, esp with a flat-bottom
wing with lots of camber.
All that gibberish means that the delicate
nosewheel is going to contact
first and
that's really bad. It must contact
last.
Despite the fire-breathing reputation of a
taildragger, you can be at pretty well any
speed you want on short final.
The very best Pitts pilots will be at 200 mph
(no typo) on short final, throttle back, 3-blade
c/s prop does it's drag thing, and you plop the
mains on the numbers at 120 mph and drive
down the runway with the tail in the air to
stick the mains on. Minimum 4000 foot runway
required - these are jet speeds, you need a
jet runway for that very strange landing technique.
So if you approach too fast in a taildragger,
no problem, a wheel landing is in your future
and all is ok as long as you have the runway
length for it.
In a tiny little taildragger - this is NOT a good
idea in a Beech 18, DC-3, C-46, Ford tri-motor
or Lancaster for many reasons - you can actually
slow it down so that the tailwheel touches first,
before the mains.
Slower airspeed on approach means higher
AOA. The Pitts POH actually recommends
this technique. Old B.D. Maule (he liked me
for some strange reason that I've never
understood) called this the "double whomp"
landing, and it is a very good thing in a tiny
little taildragger for oh so many reasons.
The first reason is that your kinetic energy
is down - it's a function of velocity squared -
which means that you landing distance is
drastically reduced, which might be useful.
The other thing about the "double whomp"
tailwheel-first landing is that it reduces
your AOA after touchdown, so no skip -
you are on the ground to stay.
PS I don't fly airshows in a speedo - a
dignified pair of swim trunks ;D I'm
drenched in sweat after I land, always
on a hot summer day to boot. It's
hard work.
I remember doing a summer airshow in
Honduras, sweat was running off me even
before our delayed head-on takeoff. We
waited so long, oil temp was 260F on that
poor S-2C AEIO-540. Had to shut down.
I really enjoyed that hot start.
That's me, upside down in the yellow S-2C -
in swim trunks!
Oddly, Rui, Arlo and the rock-throwing four
bars were not there performing. Can't figure
out why not.
