Why you need right rudder on takeoff

[Vadr]

A good review of some basics.

http://www.boldmethod.com/learn-to-f...ng-tendencies/

[ATAG_Lewis]

Fantastic find...!...Thanks for sharing...Now I need a drink..my brain hurts!!

[Baffin]

Super explanation, emphasizing tricycle landing gear airplanes! P-factor is nearly absent in these prior to rotation. While it touches on tail draggers, it's easy to miss in a quick read.

For new players (certainly not Vadr or Lewis)

Remember that the P-Factor varies somewhat in tail draggers such as our RAF fighters. When you start rolling, the high pitch attitude will result in an increased left yaw tendency. Combined with the high torque of these big engines, the overall left turn bias can be a handful. As the tail rises, this diminishes for a second or two as the right prop loses thrust, but then kicks back in as you rotate the nose up for takeoff.

If you try to think about it too much, you may induce what's called "Pilot Induced Oscillations (PIO's) because you end up making corrections that get behind, or out of synch, with the airplane. This is what's going on when the plane swings wildly left and right during the initial slow speed portion of the takeoff roll. Should this occur, immediately abort the takeoff to prevent wingtip damage. It's much better to quit now and try again later.

To prevent rudder induced PIO's, I teach new pilots to "Pick a spot" that is, an object in the gunsight glass, like a small cloud or distant smoke, etc., and work exclusively on keeping it in one place as you accelerate to tail rise speed. Make no control stick inputs and as you approach that speed, you should be able to include more peripheral view and finally, fly the plane off the ground with normal stick and right rudder applied.

There are lots of differing techniques about throttle speed advance, but in the extreme, you should be able to rev the engine to full throttle with the brakes set [Chocks IN in our game] and make a good takeoff by removing the chocks with a keypress. Just make sure to apply 3/4 right rudder before brakes release [Chocks OUT]. This is a good technique to master in case you must make an emergency takeoff with limited runway available. It's rarely used, but fun to practice.

Normal takeoff throttle advance is pure pilot preference with valid arguments to be made for both slowly and rapidly applying throttle but keeping the spot in the gunsight will make things much easier.

[Vadr]

Great follow-up Fidget

[Baffin]

Great follow-up Fidget

Don't mention it, Spock-O. I always like a "piece of the action".

[klu.peete]

In our country the Damn Yankee fly's. .its a p51d. Mustang. . I read a interview with the pilot. He said on take of you hafe to be in the good rpm becauce if you trotle up to fast the plane just flips over !!! Also a p51 can not make a roll at low alt. . When the tanks are full... a new pilot did and he died... the others who goth to fly the new p51'S. Were flying straid for hours..

[Vadr]

In my younger days I did some aircraft ferry work. Once I got to fly a Pitts. The damn thing kept turning left and running off the runway when I tried to take off. Took me 3 tries.

[JV44Rall]

Thanks. Good information.

A few years ago, I got my tailwheel endorsement in a Citabria - and then did some very basic aerobatic maneuvers as part of upset training. (Spins and barrel rolls made me nauseous, but I handled snap rolls fine.)

Even in the Citabria with a small (160 hp iirc) engine, you had to stay on top of it. A steep climb required a heavy right foot.