Definition
An airplane with its main landing gear forward of the center of gravity and a small wheel under the tail, so the aircraft sits on the ground with its nose pitched upward when at rest. Also commonly called a 'taildragger' or 'conventional gear' aircraft.
Plain English
An airplane that rides on two main wheels up front and a little wheel at the back, so the tail sits low and the nose points up while it's on the ground.
Context Anchor
Seen in ground handling, takeoff, landing, and discussions of propeller gyroscopic action in tailwheel airplanes.
Why Pilots Care
These aircraft demand distinct takeoff and landing techniques and experience stronger left-turning yaw when the tail is raised, directly affecting directional control.
Grounding Statement
Picture a small airplane parked with its nose pointing upward and its tail resting on a little wheel.
Intuition Check
Do not read this as any aircraft that simply has a tail. It means the tailwheel is part of the landing gear, and the airplane sits nose-high on the ground.
Example Sentence 1
Before flying the Piper Cub solo, the student needed a tailwheel endorsement because it is a tailwheel-type aircraft.
Example Sentence 2
As the tailwheel-type aircraft accelerated, the pilot raised the tail and immediately applied right rudder to counter the resulting left yaw.