AOPA Pilot Article

Rob58

Rob58

Moderator
On page 38 of the January 2016 AOPA Pilot magazine our little club got some nice publicity with an article about the "Easiest Taildragger", recognizing some of the fine attributes of the Citabria. Our leader, Robert Szego, was quoted and cited as the resident expert, offering some good advice about Citabria ownership. We got a little plug for the website too - nice going Bob! Now as a long time Cruisemaster owner I must ask the question: is the Citabria really easier to fly than a triple-tail Bellanca? Well, sorry to be an interloper on this forum... I will go back to the Cruisemaster forum where I belong! --Rob
 
Thanks, Rob.
Frankly, I don't know why he chose the 7GCBC, as they are all very much alike; the 7ECA is a little slower to climb, but still a nice article. Also, 75% cruise is at 100 kts, not mph.

As far as comparison, I have only a few hours in the Triple-Tails, but I will say they fly more smoothly (higher wing loading, especially the Cruisemaster), much faster (I had the 14-19-2 pushing 200mph on a low pass) and the control feel is more sporty than the heavy-on-roll Citabria. My favorite would be the Cruisemaster 230, but that would require a hangar, more fuel and a checklist. I was entertaining buying one, but the Citabria and I are airborne in 10-15 minutes after arriving at the airport, while the Bellanca walk-around would only be half complete. Beautiful airplanes, but most of my trips would still take two days and I love the stick control, visibility and lower fuel burn. If I can find that rich uncle, I will definitely add the 14-19-2 to my fleet.
 
"Easy" is a relative term.
These are completely different airplanes.
For someone who had flown nothing but "heavy iron' for 30 years, a Champ would be a handful for a while...and vice versa.
Airplanes can be easy or difficult, depending on your experience and skill level.
Dan
 
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