Question

A “conventional gear” tailwheel airplane has the center of mass aft of the two main wheels and a smaller, third wheel at the tail. A “tricycle gear” airplane has the center of mass forward of the two main wheels and the third wheel near the nose. Consider a shiny, new airplane landing on its main wheels, with the fuselage at a left yaw angle with respect to the direction of motion down the runway. With which of these two types of landing gear would the airplane be easier to land? Explain.

Answer 1

Based on the center of gravity, The tailwheel aeroplane is easier to land on mail wheels.

Tailwheel aircraft are often thought of as more challenging - perhaps even more hazardous to fly, than an aeroplane that has tricycle landing gear. Because the position of the center of gravity is located to the rear of the main gear, ground operations (mostly landing) can be more difficult in a tailwheel aircraft.

Less Forward Visibility

The tailwheel aircraft also sits with its nose higher than tricycle gear aeroplane, lowering forward visibility for the pilot during ground operations. It's more difficult to taxi without being able to see directly in front of you, which is why you'll often see pilots of tailwheel aircraft do S-turns while taxiing.

And steering a tailwheel aircraft is different than steering a nosewheel aircraft since steering is accomplished from behind the pilot instead of in front.

But Wait... There are Benefits, Too

There are certainly benefits to a taildragger, as well. The nose-high attitude on the ground means that the propellors on tailwheel aircraft often have more clearance from the ground, making them better suited for grass or dirt runways. And they're often designed and configured for slow flight, making them easier to land on short runways. Many are high-design and are better suited for backcountry flying than nosewheel aircraft are. Tailwheel aeroplanes are without a doubt the favourite aeroplane among bush pilots.