Why do most bush planes have tailwheel configurations?

[DaveBB]

I've been watching a lot of videos about bush aircraft and stol aircraft.  The new ones are actually very impressive.  But all the aircraft (with a few exceptions) are tailwheel configuration, even the new builds.  Wouldn't a big nose wheel help prevent a prop strike on a rocky Alaskan river bank?

[Vraciu]

Weight.  Handling.   You can jam up a nose wheel on unimproved surfaces a lot easier than the wheels on a taildragger.

[Shuffler]

I imagine weight. Also with a much lighter plane you can touch it down on a slice of bread.

[Puma44]

I imagine weight. Also with a much lighter plane you can touch it down on a slice of bread.

Not to mention the drag of that training wheel hanging from the nose.

[Busher]

You can blow the tail of a taildragger down through the use of elevator and power. The C of G of a taildragger is aft of the main gear.
In a tricycle gear airplane, the C of G is well forward of the main gear so eventually the nosewheel has to support its weight - never a good thing on unimproved surfaces.
I learned to fly on tailgraggers so I have always been biased to prefer them to trikes in light aircraft.

[Arlo]

Colmbo woulds had some good info on this. 

[Bizman]

Would that serve a similar purpose to the tail in a kite?

[Shuffler]

Not to mention the drag of that training wheel hanging from the nose.

 

[BSB]

I believe one of the main reasons for tail draggers as bush aircraft is prop clearance.  When sitting on its tail the prop can be 2 ft or slightly more off the ground.  A tricycle aircraft the prop is only inches off the ground.  Ok at a paved airport but out in primitive conditions just taxi ing could lead to a prop strike.  Which would cause engine damage.  Every airport makes sure the runway is clear of obstacles.  But in the boonies only the runway is kept clear.  Taxiways and the flight line are take it as you get it.

[save]

What Vraciu said.

I have only flown tail draggers myself (except trikes), you can land in places few nose wheeler can.
There exceptions though, I flew with a friend in a CH701, it could pretty much land everywhere I could.

[save]

What Vraciu said.

I have only flown tail draggers myself (except weightshift trikes), you can land in places few nose wheeler can.
There exceptions though, I flew with a friend in a CH701, it could pretty much land everywhere I could.

[DaveBB]

Just thinking about it mathematically, if you hit a big enough rock with any wheel, it will probably nose you over.  Having three wheels instead of two lowers your chance of a prop strike by 33%.  Then again there is the weight issue.  A big heavy strut with a big heavy tire forward of the CoG, especially when most bush planes are light to begin with, isn't ideal.

The only common light bush plane I found with trike gear was the 801.  A few had big balloon tires all around.

[asterix]

in addition I think on a taildragger the wing sits on a greater angle of attack in relation to ground and all you need is little wind and you are off. On a plane with nosewheel the wheel wants to pull the nose down on rough surface or tall grass so you need bigger force on tailplane to rotate the nose up. Also taildragger uses tail to lift the tail instead of pushing it down to rotate.

[Vraciu]

Just thinking about it mathematically, if you hit a big enough rock with any wheel, it will probably nose you over.  Having three wheels instead of two lowers your chance of a prop strike by 33%.  Then again there is the weight issue.  A big heavy strut with a big heavy tire forward of the CoG, especially when most bush planes are light to begin with, isn't ideal.

The only common light bush plane I found with trike gear was the 801.  A few had big balloon tires all around.

No, I don’t see it flipping the airplane over but it might ground loop it.   That’s why oversized tires are popular.   They can run over stuff and keep going.


A nose gear could collapse. It’s no panacea.

The biggest threat to a noseover in a taildragger is a brake malfunction. IMO.   A guy I knew broke his neck and died in a Sea Fury that way.   

[saggs]

  Having three wheels instead of two lowers your chance of a prop strike by 33%. 

Umm... No. That's not how it works.


As to the original question.

Besides what others have mentioned, (prop clearance, landing attitude, weight, drag, etc) think about pushing a loaded wheelbarrow through a field of football sized rocks, versus pulling an empty wheelbarrow behind you.

Really the only advantage to tricycle gear aircraft is easier ground handling and visibility.