Wheel landings LES DC-3

[Douglas49]

I've tried numerous wheel landings with the LES DC-3 but every time, I end with a nose over landing. I've studied wheel landings of tail draggers on the internet so in principle I know what to do but the result is every time the same. What I do is the following. On final: elevator trim set to zero, engines at 2000 RPM and 20 ich MP, props full forward, speed 80 - 85 , tailwheel locked. Reaching the runway I slowly descent until both landing wheels touch the ground gently (so no bouncing back), then throttle to idle, I let the airplane keep on running on the runway to let the speed comes down. I do not use the brakes (in which case the plane makes a nose over right away!) but what I do instead is applying back pressure on the yoke to keep the tail on the ground and to let the speed further comes down. At that moment something strange happens: when applying back pressure, the tail does not go downwards but instead goes upwards (!) so the nose of the plane comes to the ground, though the speed of the plane is in the meantime very low.

Any advice of X-Aviation pilots who make a succesful wheellanding with the LES DC-3 is much appreciated.

[otto]

I'm usually ok with these. I don't lock the tail wheel. I like to be at full flaps as I come over the thresh hold and maybe 10 kts above stall speed and what I do is literally fly the plane unto the runway. If I do it right there's no bounce but unless I'm too fast and too steep an angle I wind up going down the runway just fine although with a bit of a bounce. I keep a little forward pressure on the yoke and stay on two wheels as long as possible. A lot of these guys took pride in getting to the parking area before the tailwheel was on the ground so that is my goal. If your speed drops enough the tail is going to come down for sure but I've never experienced the tail going up when I pulled the yoke back.

[Douglas49]

Otto, thank you for your sharing your experience.