The Joy of Flying
Flying the Citabria and Decathlon - including aerobatic tutorial
| This guide assumes you have read the Handbook accompanying the Citabria/Decathlon Download. If so then let’s start up the Citabria and taxi from the Apron to the runway. The first view you see is of Sean Moloney’s wonderful custom panel and of course the fabulous panoramic views from all around the inside of the aircraft. |  |
| For an easier view whilst taxiing - and later on for landing - bearing in mind tail draggers give a restricted forward view, we provide you with an “upper” main panel view for this purpose. Click up once on your POV or whichever key or stick button you have assigned to this function. |  |
| For now, set the wind to zero and taxi - no more than 10 knots - to the runway and line up. Flaps are not needed for take off (Note: the Decathlon is flapless). Ease the throttle to max thrust and concentrate on keeping on the centre line. If you have prop effects enabled you’ll need right rudder to counteract torque. |  |
| As you gain speed with neutral trim, the tail will want to lift off. Let it! Ease the stick slightly forward, but not too much, and keep the aircraft level, still keeping straight with a little right rudder. By now you’ll be passing about 35 knots. |  |
| As you reach 48-53 knots depending on load, ease the stick back progressively and the Citabria will gently unstick. You’ll find the elevator powerful but very smooth. Let the speed build to around 70 knots before you climb too steeply. Note: Both aircraft, being much lighter than, say, a Cessna 172, will accelerate quickly on the runway. |  |
| As you steepen the climb the P-effect (prop rotation effect) will still need a little right rudder to counteract the left drift. At normal loads full power will give you a healthy 1100+ feet per minute climb rate. The Decathlon achieves somewhat better than this, having more efficient, less draggy wings. |  |
