What are they like to fly?

bipe215 · **Posted:** Thu Dec 06, 2007 1:14 pm

I'm starting to regret ever posting a B Davisson link. So far, it's made Skybolt2003 nearly puke and DB2 'disgusted'. You'd think Budd's last name was Yeager or something

Steve G

DB2 · **Posted:** Thu Dec 06, 2007 2:54 pm

Actually, I enjoy occasionally perusing Budd Davidson's pireps on his site, and, like others, grew up reading them and re-reading them in Air Progress in the 70s.

However, something really poked me the wrong way about the Tiger Moth report.

Perhaps it had something to do with the fact that he described a plane I fell in love with as "Flaccid".

In the Sept 2005 issue of Sport Aviation Ed Kolano did a great (and exhaustive!) review of the flying qualities of the Tiger Moth. He concluded: "There are some airplanes they should never stop producing, and the Tiger Moth is high on that list".

bipe215 · **Posted:** Thu Dec 06, 2007 3:12 pm

We've all seen good and bad examples of the same type a/c. Maybe Budd got a bad one. The Tiger Moth is so loved by so many, kind of like a Stearman or Cub over here, but I've seen a Cub or two that I wouldn't sit in, much less fly.

Steve G

skybolt2003 · **Posted:** Thu Dec 06, 2007 3:35 pm

I love that – BD should have such interesting things to write about!
Sorry to complain about him – I noticed he added the Dragon Rapide story to his site. I remember reading it as a kid. Now I have to go back and look at it again.

DB2 wrote:

.

I have flown a lot of different planes, from gliders to floatplanes to Pitts Specials in competitions to L-39s to King Airs out of short strips, and will say that the flying I most enjoyed was in the Tiger Moth.

My first solo in the Tiger Moth I did a loop directly over a road. I had done a loop a few times with an instructor, and the engine sputtered a little. When I came over the top alone, the prop just instantly stopped dead. No sputter, no cough; it just stopped.

The instructor had told me you needed a 120 mph indicated for an air start of the prop (it was a hand-prop only model...). I pushed the nose down straight down, and for an eternity the needle was stuck on 110 mph as the wind whistled through the wires. Literally a split second before I was going to pull out and try to land it somewhere, the prop started to just barely move

AvroAvian · **Posted:** Thu Jan 29, 2009 6:18 am

It's quite possible that the Tigermoth that Budd got to fly was out of rig. A Tigermoth can be a real dog to fly if not rigged properly.

BTW Gary, love your post!! NZ is a wonderful place to fly.

They all speak funny there though. :lol:

From the WEST Island :wink:

gilt · **Posted:** Thu Jan 29, 2009 8:19 am

mightyauster wrote:

It's quite possible that the Tigermoth that Budd got to fly was out of rig. A Tigermoth can be a real dog to fly if not rigged properly.

BTW Gary, love your post!! NZ is a wonderful place to fly.

They all speak funny there though. :lol:

From the WEST Island :wink:

While that is quite possible it is more likely that BD described the Tiger Moth as flaccid because he flies and instructs in a Pitts.

Tom-

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