Gary, nice post.
The tail wheel discussion is really quite simple, it is made to sound difficult.
I started flying in 1953 and all we had was tail wheel airplanes...we got our Private pilot license in 30 hours.
The accident rate was arguably less in those days because our instructors understood how to fly them.
Anyhow I have never found a student I couldn't teach tail wheel flying to, some took a few more hours than others, but it really is not rocket science.
I've been trying to think of some airplanes that were demanding to fly and can only think of three.
1...The Anson mark 5, because it had the British vaccum over hydraulic brakes that had a real lag in them.
2...the Grumman Turbo Goose because the PT6's were really powerful for that airplane and had awsome torque on take off.
3...The Pitts special also needs attention on landings and it also has no foward vision during touch down.
A lot of people think the Beech 18 is tricky but it really is quite easy to fly.
By the way my favourite job was flying the Stearmans crop dusting in the late fifties and early sixties...that was real flying.
Chuck E.
