Well, you can add my name to the list of 150 tail dragger owners. With my performance today, it may be some time before I really feel like a tail dragger pilot, though. I had a great time.
Last weekend, I flew on Southwest out to Midland and scoped out a nice little 150/150 Tail dragger. I flew it with the owner and didn't do too shabby a job handling the little gem. This weekend, he delivered it to me. Insurance requirements were a little steep, too much instruction time required in make and model/TD that couldn't be done in one weekend. So, Larry, the seller, flew it out here for me. He and I flew it around a little before I flew him over to Love field to an FBO adjacent to the terminal where he caught his 737 ride home.
It's a 1965E model 150 that is highly modified. It has an O-320 up front, Texas Taildragger conversion, Bush STOL kit with the stall fences and larger wingtips, long range tanks that gives me 40 gallons of fuel, and aileron gap seals. The instrument panel has been upgraded and is IFR capable, though it's a little shy on avionics. There is no hail damage to speak of, and the paint is okay. Some of the trim striping is peeling a little, but it doesn't look that bad. It's got a set of wheel pants that are the late model style, with custom made brake covers. It has a new windshield, decent interior, and all aluminum instrument panels. The indirect lighting really works well. It has a manifold pressure gage, g-meter, and a really nice 3 in 1 oil temp, oil pressure, and CHT gage.
It has the shorter Sensenich prop that doesn't require the placard about the RPM band restriction. It's been pitched to 58 inches. When Larry and I were flying this afternoon, we were getting a solid 1000-1100 fpm climb rate with the two of us and full fuel. Wow, my very own rocket ship.
I expected this kind of performance after flying 999ED from Houston to Grants Pass, Oregon, but wow, my very own 150/150.
If I had a lot of fun with Bill's plane, I'll have just as much in mine. We're working on a whole squadron of 150/150's here in Texas.
That straight tail really helps me handle the directional control when I get a little behind it. For now, I do good just to keep up with it. Hopefully, I'll be able to be proficient enough to be a little easier on the corrections and keep it more gently on the centerline.
Thanks to Wayne Westerman, I'm enjoying my new plane. Wayne knew this guy who knew this guy who....now owns a really nice 150/150 taildragger...MMMMMEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I'll try to get more pictures in the next couple of days, but here's one to wet your whistle. It's as fun as it looks, let me tell you. The cat is officially out of the bag.
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