[NSRCA-discussion] Weather Vane

[Jim Alberico]

> 
> > 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.
>

:-D
LOL.  It's crabbed 90 degrees, then.  So-calling crabbing has no physical
meaning except for reference to some straight ground track.  Here we'd have
to assume the reference is the line running down the runway centerline.
 
> > 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.
> 

At those high wind speeds, that makes sense.  ...but, I bet you twiddled
with the ailerons and throttle all the way down.  :-)


Jim A