Best Taildragger for Two

[Gravel Digger]

I'd like to run my scenario by you guys.


Me: 35, almost nil tailwheel time. Willing to work with right instructor to become proficient/confident, no cut corners.
Pilot for living, 6000+ hours northern stuff. Living in Southern Ontario, Banana Belt, wine country thereabouts. Great schedule, great paycheque.


Budget: up to $40,000 for a safe, reliable, low BS aircraft. I'm not a mechanic, I'm not an engineer. I'd do what I can but defer to a professional, always.


Looking to take myself + 1 pax (~ 200lbs each) for VFR, grass strips, pleasure flying. Range is unimportant. Comfort is nice for pax.
Avionics: One good com would be nice, (I loathe people with shit coms and it sounds like you're ordering at a Wendy's drive through).
Nav: I can read maps, it's fun.


I'd like to have fun in an airplane again; basically I am looking to do this RIGHT or not at all.


Your thoughts and insight are welcomed!

[Liquid Charlie]

PA12 with flap kit and 150 hp

[Gravel Digger]

Well I have 5 hours in a PA-12, so that is a good recommend, one with flaps and 150hp might be a tough find though!

[Colonel]

The right homebuilt.  Save yourself
beaucoup $$$ in parts and mtce.


PS A good comm comes from a good
antenna, which is not always easy in
a fabric airplane, which might not have
a ground plane.


Google "marconi antenna".

[Colonel]

There are several ways to categorize 2 seat taildraggers:

certified vs homebuilt
metal vs tube+fabric
electrical vs non-electrical
tandem vs side-by-side
acro vs non-acro
Lycoming vs Continental
high-wing vs low-wing
stick vs control column


Pick which of the above is best for you, but ...


You need a hangar for tube+fabric so
it's more expensive, really.

Not a lot of people like non-electrical
(hand-bomb) so there are some good
deals there.

I mentioned a while back that a good
friend of mine was given this adorable
PA-11:

[img width=500 height=245][/img]

[Liquid Charlie]

I have to admit some of the most fun I had was when I was starting to fly and bombing around in a 90 hp J3 to all the farm strips and the odd field in southern ontario. Cleaning meadow muffins off the bottom of the wings were standard and being a farm boy a little cow shit never bothered me. Yup the cub looked pretty cool parked in the field at the family farm in Pembroke. The trip up from Brampton and back were usually quite interesting and a major adventure for a 16 year old. Got lost once because of fog and ended up landing in a farm field just outside Halliburton. To this day I still remember the look on the woman's face when I knocked on the door to ask where I was -- lmfaooooooo

[Gravel Digger]

Great advice, I appreciate the insight, thanks all.


I'm with you, SSU, lots of time to poke around and look for the right deal. In the meantime, I can spend some of that time with a good instructor and get some stick time in. Eyes are open!