[NSRCA-discussion] Weather Vane

[James Oddino]

On Oct 24, 2007, at 12:34 PM, Duane Beck wrote:

> To travel in a straight line along the runway, you'd have to be  
> crabbed into the wind.

I wouldn't say I traveled in a straight line along the runway but I  
could get pretty close with a lot of practice.



> You may not have touched the rudder, but I bet you banked the  
> airplane, turning into the wind to establish your crab angle.

Yes, I banked the airplane but I wouldn't say I established a steady  
crab angle.

> If you didn't crab into the wind and the airplane is aligned with  
> the runway but drifting sideways, you'd have to time the touchdown  
> to land on the runway.

At touch down the plane isn't crabbed. It is perpendicular to the  
runway headed into the wind, and it got there without me touching the  
rudder.

> Either way, without cross-controlling, you're going to put side  
> loads on the landing gear when you touch down.

There is no side load on the landing gear as there is no velocity  
vector along the runway.


>
> -------------- Original message --------------
> From: James Oddino <joddino at socal.rr.com>
>
> >
> > I've been practicing landings in a 25 mph/90 degree crosswind. I've
> > gotten to the point where I can land on the centerline of the runway
> > without ever touching the rudder. Guess which way the airplane is
> > pointing when I touch down? By the way it will back up if I don't
> > hold a little throttle.
> >
> > Jim O
> >
> > P.S. - We have had some tremendous wind here in SoCAL as you've
> > probably seen on TV, but my practice has been on the AeroFly Pro
> > Deluxe simulator. Constant wind. Follow mode. Try it.
> >
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