[NSRCA-discussion] Weather Vane or Crab

[Eddie Batchelor]

Ok
Let me ask a question that may be related to this thread   or is it ?
I have NO aerodynamic training and my limited knowledge is only what I've
been able to absorb from discussions with Nat   - so I have no idea how to
explain what's happening.

I used to ride motorcycles. I have owned two, a Yamaha XS1100 tourer and a
Honda GoldWing 1500 SE.  BOTH bikes when hit by a gust of crosswind on the
highway would lean into the gust, a lot! It was not me and it was strong
enough to scare me silly the first time it happened. After some riding
experience I learned to expect it and just relax because resulted in a self
correcting motion.

Is there any correlation to what is being discussed in this thread or am I
talking about a totally different phenomon. My first thought is that the
bike could be compared to the airplane  EXCEPT the bike isn't airborne it is
still in contact with the ground.

Until reading thios thread and rethinking all I've read I had believed the
airplane reacted the same as my bike but I wasn't considering the fact the
airplane is no longer in contact with the ground like the bike is.

Eddie

-----Original Message-----
From: nsrca-discussion-bounces at lists.nsrca.org
[mailto:nsrca-discussion-bounces at lists.nsrca.org] On Behalf Of Lance Van
Nostrand
Sent: Saturday, October 13, 2007 9:13 AM
To: NSRCA Mailing List
Subject: Re: [NSRCA-discussion] Weather Vane or Crab

Or you could simply do the math.  I thought we had more than one engineer in

our group.  This took me less than 5 min to model but its been far more 
enjoyable to read this "world is flat vs round" thread.  You'd think it was 
the dead of winter.

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "John Konneker" <jlkonn at hotmail.com>
To: <nsrca-discussion at lists.nsrca.org>
Sent: Saturday, October 13, 2007 8:50 AM
Subject: Re: [NSRCA-discussion] Weather Vane or Crab


> Sigh....
> With all due respect to everyone involved in this discussion.
> Let me suggest that you invest a $100 or so in a flight in a C-172 with an
> instructor.
> Pick a day when there is a good breeze, not gail!, and go for a flight.
> Ask him to fly up and down section lines, roads or whatever and 
> demonstrate
> the winds effect on the airplane.
> Ask him to demonstrate the "auto wind correcting" ability of the airplane.
> <G>
> You'll probably have to ask him more than once after he gives you a couple
> blank stares.
> Set the heading bug to the wind direction so that no matter what the
> airplane heading you can see from which relative direction the wind is
> blowing.
> Just a suggestion...
> JLK


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