Simviation Forums

I've been trying in the last few days to get the hand of taildraggers, more specifically the DC3 in Fs2004. I can fly it and take off and land all ok, allowing the wheel to hold off ok until the speed drops before letting the back down, but my real problem is this - I can't get it to taxi very well, i have experimented with differentiated braking and rudder input and joystick movements, but it just doesnt seem to be turning quite enough. This is all a bit of an issue, as i want to get flying it on vatsim but if i keep getting stuck on the runway its going  to cause some issue  ;)

What am i/could i be doing wrong and how do these things taxi?

Cheers

The DC-3's tailwheel locks for takeoff and landing. You need to unlock it so that it is free castering for taxi. Shift + G, I think.

Splinter is correct; make sure you unlock the tailwheel after landing and lock it before takeoff. It;' impossible to taxi with the tailwheel locked. It's the handle underneath the throttle quadrant.

Also, I'm not sure about the default MSFS DC-3 (been a while since i flew it) but real DC-3s do NOT have a steerable tailwheel, so rudder input will not help when taxiing. In RL or with better models like the MAAM-sim DC-3, pilots use primarily differential power, and just a little differential braking.

Not sure if this is true in the simulator, but in RL holding the stick back will help give a bit more tail wheel authority as it add more weight back there due to the elevator pushing down.

Not sure if this is true in the simulator, but in RL holding the stick back will help give a bit more tail wheel authority as it add more weight back there due to the elevator pushing down.

That is true if you've got a steerable tailwheel. I think that the gear model in FSX is good enough that you should see the same effect. (If not I'd do it anyway just to avoid developing bad habits).

Since the DC-3 is a free-castering tailwheel, aft elevator isn't going to give you more authority.

Not sure if this is true in the simulator, but in RL holding the stick back will help give a bit more tail wheel authority as it add more weight back there due to the elevator pushing down.

That is true if you've got a steerable tailwheel. I think that the gear model in FSX is good enough that you should see the same effect. (If not I'd do it anyway just to avoid developing bad habits).

Since the DC-3 is a free-castering tailwheel, aft elevator isn't going to give you more authority.

On some warbirds you must push the stick forward to unlock the tailwheel, such at the P-51.  Pulling back locks it.