[NSRCA-discussion] Weather Vane

[James Oddino]

I think we've found our expert.  Two questions:

1) Is it not considered a sideslip if the relative wind is on the  
leeward side?

2) How does a gust cause the plane to yaw when a steady wind will not?

Thanks in advance, Jim




On Oct 12, 2007, at 6:36 PM, Jim Alberico wrote:

>
>>
>> Back to the vertical portion of the stall turn with a pattern
>> plane, only this time with locked rudder.  We all agree it
>> will drift off the track as it slows to a stop.  The question
>> is, will it yaw into the wind on its own as it slows to a
>> stop?  If it does, this is my definition of weathervaning.
>>
>
> It will turn into the wind only if it "sees" a relative wind on the  
> windward
> side (i.e., a sideslip).  If the fuse is truly pointed straight up,  
> and is
> allowed to track downwind at the speed of the crosswind, then there  
> will be
> no sideslip and thus no turning.  Again, this is the idealized case  
> of a
> steady wind.  The story is different for a gust ... Injecting your  
> fixed
> missile into the crosswind is equivalent to a gust.
>
>>
>
> Jim
>
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