Take off Technique

[flyingfool]

I apologize if these are too basic of questions. But I'll ask them anyway:

Normal, Short and soft field take offs.

Should these operations use identical or a slightly diferent techniques?

For example:

For short field in a Cessna. They recommend holding brakes and go to full power and then release. Do you do the same with a Chief?

For a normal T.O. I have been putting the yoke full forward and lifting the tail and obtaining a level attitude, accelerate and then pull back and climb out. Is this the same technique that should be used for short and/or soft? Or should you just barely lift the tailwheel off the ground a foot or so and then pull it off in a nose high nearly 3 point attitude? Or should this be the technique to always be used?

[SFC Hiatt]

What's a Cessna?

[Mikek]

Normal, Short and soft field take offs.

Should these operations use identical or a slightly diferent techniques?

OMO

Short:
Full power wheel relaxed has tail gets light add slight back pressure to keep tail low (light) lift off three point. Full power & brakes or take it on the roll depending on runway.

Soft:

Keep it rolling from taxi to takeoff roll, same as short but lift off with tail low.

Normal:

with wheel related /neutral apply power let tail come up then rotate to climb attiude with 55-60 mph.

Note that most engine problems during the takeoff and first 500 ft of climb so any takeoff keep that climb going.


Mike K

[Roger Anderson]

I apologize if these are too basic of questions. But I'll ask them anyway:

Normal, Short and soft field take offs.

Should these operations use identical or a slightly diferent techniques?

For example:

For short field in a Cessna. They recommend holding brakes and go to full power and then release. Do you do the same with a Chief?

For a normal T.O. I have been putting the yoke full forward and lifting the tail and obtaining a level attitude, accelerate and then pull back and climb out. Is this the same technique that should be used for short and/or soft? Or should you just barely lift the tailwheel off the ground a foot or so and then pull it off in a nose high nearly 3 point attitude? Or should this be the technique to always be used?

With such a short takeoff run in a Chief, I don't think it can really be examined in the same way as some of the other aircraft, such as a Cessna. In the 500 hrs or so in my Chief, even with an A65, it happens very quick. If the field is narrow and I want quick visibility over the nose so I can see good (I'm 5'6"), I push wheel forward from the beginning to get the tail up quickly. A very short run and some back pressure and you're flying. For crosswind, wheel forward, keep mains planted some, aileron correcting for crosswind, accelerate more than normal maybe then pull it off more firmly. For soft field, or no wind, or just no hurry to see over the nose, let it accelerate with wheel in neutral, let tail rise slightly on its own, then let it fly off. For short field, just be careful and make sure the Chief climb rate after it gets in the air will be enough to clear whatever. A huge difference in summer and 2 persons vs winter and one person, especially with an A65. In all of these situations, again it all happens very quickly. I think you can over think the issue. Just try different techniques and see what kind of results you get. roger