Need help landing the Bf 109 G-2

[BlueHeron]

Please help.  I've tried this many times and always end up scraping my wings along the runway.  

 

After a very nice approach and flair I can touch down with minimal bouncing.  It seems fine at first, but as I start decelerating the plane starts to veer sharply to the left or right.  Tail wheel locked and holding the tail down, no amount of rudder or differential breaking will help.  I veer then skid to one side and eventually tip sideways, bouncing off one wing to the other until I finally come to a stop.

 

Any advice would be appreciated.  

 

[=FEW=ayamoth89]

Really strange. You said "start decelerating"? What you mean, using brakes or decreasing throttle? Because close the throtte in the 109 causes a brutal left turn. Anyway you have to be gente with rudder control and brake with the 2 brakes at the same time gently

[BlueHeron]

I cut the throttle before touch down, then a few seconds later during the roll-out I start to swerve even without tapping the breaks.

 

I suppose this could happen if my toe breaks were reversed or their axis inverted, but I would have noticed something like that during take-off.  Also, I've had many successful landings in the Fw-190 without this issue.

[busdriver]

Not to question your technique, but a few simple observations. The 109 has a very narrow "tracked" gear. Imagine the main wheels rolling down a narrow gauge railroad track. You must not let the tailwheel get outside of the track because the Center of Gravity is behind the main gear. Even a small amount of crosswind makes this even more of a challenge. Once you touchdown you need aileron into the crosswind (stick into the wind) and think "happy feet" (obtuse reference to a Steve Martin comedy routine from the 70s) making small rapid rudder movements to keep the tailwheel between the track of the mains. If the tailwheel gets outside of the track consider a quick burst of throttle to help get the inertia of the tailwheel  (and the CG) back between the main gear's track.

[II/JG17_HerrMurf]

Can you upload a track? This is unusual but it will be next to impossible to diagnose without seeing it. Are you landing with a crosswind? It is kind of what it sounds like. The aircraft should remain mostly straight as long as you roll off the throttle. Snapping it closed will change the torque drastically and could cause this as well.

 

What is your approach, flare and touchdown speed? Should be around 210/180/160 or so. I like a little faster approaches so there will be others who are in the 200/170/150 camps as well.

Edited September 21, 2016 by II/JG17_HerrMurf

[216th_Jordan]

Yes, upload the track please! (Note that a track consists of two files with the same name  - .trk file and folder - upload both in a zip)

[kissklas]

Could it be that you have a low prop pitch, maybe due to the automatic setting when you throttle down? Try going manual and land with high prop pitch, maybe.

[II/JG17_HerrMurf]

Auto prop should not be a problem.

[BlueHeron]

Thanks for all the suggestions...  so many things to consider!

 

However, I did notice that once I unlocked the tail wheel before landing the problem immediately went away and I could perform a nice straight roll out.  Does this make sense, or could it be a bug?

 

EDIT:  Ugh!! I just checked Chucks guide and realized I had it backwards.  I was landing with the tail wheel unlocked.  Once I locked it, it was happy landings.  Thanks for your inputs anyway, it was still very educational.

Edited September 21, 2016 by BlueHeron