Patrol tail weight

[Skyward II]

I have a Patrol project starting soon. I have read on this site, on more than one occasion, that the Patrol tail felt heavy compared to Cubs, etc. Has any builder built and tested an “aft” trailing pair of main gear to lighten the tail on the ground? I know Cessna built a 2” forward option in the 180 gear to “heavy” the tail between model changes. Curious… Mike

[500AGL]

Mike, to answer your question I would guess “no”.

But your question brings up a rebuttal - Why? The design works great, aside from me dragging in into a hangar. lol. I can address that much easier and better than changing the design somehow.

[jaredyates]

I think of the weight on the tail as a feature and not a bug.

[Skyward II]

I’m looking for feedback. This is great. Thank you.

[gregc]

I am happy to think of it as a ´feature' but I was surprised to find how heavy the tail is on my Companion. I'm used to holding the stick back in Cubs/Champs when on the ground to keep some weight on the tail. I'm guessing that's not going to be necessary/advisable with the Bearhawk?

[jaredyates]

Correct, stick neutral unless you need something else. I have not yet encountered that need.

[Redneckmech]

One additional thought, If you were to build aft trailing main gear it would decrease the effective distance between the mains and the tail-wheel which could increase the likelihood of ground-loop. Aircraft with a short wheelbase tend to be a little harder to control on the ground since they give you less time to correct for any unwanted movement.

[kestrel]

The heavy tail keeps the prop off the ground under heavy braking. I've understood that is the reason for the Helio having its main gear so far forward. Not a chance I'd change it.

Full aft stick is still useful in some cases.