There's just something very special about flying an old taildragger on a grass runway.

There is a lot of good information about the options for a "tail dragger" here. The term "tail dragger" covers a lot of territory and includes airplanes with almost nothing else in common other than the placement of the third wheel.

From a Cub to a Maule to a 180 to a Decathlon, you are moving about as far from one primary capability and use to another as you can go. IMO, comparing the utilities of a Decathon and a Cub is like comparing a Caravan to a TBM.

The first thing one needs to do is ask themselves what they really want from a "cheap tail dragger". If it is to experience the most basic experience of flying then forget the 180, the Maule, the Husky, the Stinson 108 and go with the seat of the pants experience that the Cub and Champ offer. If "cheap" to you is $100,000, then you can even throw the Stearman in the mix.

I bought the Cub in 1994 to teach my boys, then 9 and 11, to fly; I mean really fly. It served its purpose well and in the years that they were away at college, grad school, law school etc., when they came home, they didn't want to fly the Decathlon that I had for them, or the Mooney, or the Aerostar. They wanted to fly the Cub. I figure that over ten airplanes have come and gone since we got the Cub. I don't miss a one of them. Had I ever, in a foolish moment, sold the Cub, it would be sorely missed.

When you settle down your "wants" and find something that consistently rewards you when you strap it on, then, you don't get tired of it. Sometimes, I get bored as hell flying from point A to point B, but I never get tired of getting in the Cub on a late, lazy summer day, opening both windows and tooling over the country side at 500' or just shooting touch and goes to keep that "finesse" that a "cheap tail dragger" demands.

After twenty years of flying the Cub, I had her rebuilt. Now, she's good for another 20 and hopefully for me to teach my grandson to fly. Then, I'll be gone and John Jr. can escape the big city law practice at times and just be free, him and his Cub and the country side sliding by at 85 mph. And maybe he'll think of me and the hours we spent together sharing a part of life. Maybe even, he will have a son to teach to fly in Granddad's Cub. It may be the most prominent thing the grandson will ever know about me. There are worse things to be remembered by.

So, pick something that will reward you for years, not just in a passing fancy of something new.

Happy flying. , and peace.

Jgreen

No has mentioned the Swift a O-300 one can be had cheap and they are much fun to fly as well.

You are only 90 minutes from me. Come over one Saturday and I'll give you an hour in the Cub for free. You really need to fly some of these "cheap taildraggers" to make a good decision of what you want.

Jgreen

Tony,

I got the impression from the earlier post that you do not have a TW endorsement. We can log the time as instruction and I think I can take you farther to competency in an hour than you might expect.

I've got a "system".

Jgreen