[net.aviation] Citabria wheel landings

wanttaja@ssc-vax.UUCP (Ronald J Wanttaja) (09/04/85)

> Three planes I've flown recently, you really don't want to land stalled--
> 
>   Citabria in a wheel landing

I *do* assume you mean, "accidental stall while attempting a wheel
landing."  It's been quite a few years since I flogged Champion 60 Golf
around the pattern, but seems the terms "stall" and "wheel landing" are
mutually exclusive.  Admittedly, you might have a stall landing at less
than 3-point, but a "wheel" landing implies excess speed to allow control
in a crosswind, to let you plant the upwind wheel first.  

Champ 60 Golf was a '67 model, which was either the first or second year to
get the "modern" spring-steel main gear.  Earlier Citabrias had the
Aeronca-style gear.  It also had the old Citabria insignia, which was a
caricature of a Citabria at the top of a loop, with eyes looking nervously
towards the ground.  'Way back in my CAP cadet days, I got my picture in
Airman Magazine (USAF's glossy mag) standing by the tail of 'ol Sixty Golf.
Ah, memories....

					  Ron Wanttaja
					  (ssc-vax!wanttaja)

You can tell a bomber pilot by the spread around his rear,
By the ring around his eyeball, you can tell a bombardier,
You can tell a navigator, by his charts and maps and such,
You can tell a fighter pilot... but you can't tell him much!