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09-11-2009, 05:50 AM
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Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Louisville, Ga
Posts: 7,840
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Pat and Mannan and I do this..
..as well.
I've had a bugger of a summer with crosswinds and my Air Tractor.
A couple of helpful points in very stiff crosswinds are that a) Use less flaps (if any) for a faster landing and more rudder effectiveness and a wheelie as others have said.
b) Don't rely on the tailwheel to stay locked....use brakes and burn up the tires if you have to in order to avoid groundlooping and possibly totalling the airplane.
My .02c,
__________________
Pierre Smith
RV-10, 510 TT
RV6A (Sojourner) 180 HP, Catto 3 Bl (502Hrs), gone...and already missed
Air Tractor AT 502B PT 6-15 Sold
Air Tractor 402 PT-6-20 Sold
EAA Flight Advisor/CFI/Tech Counselor
Louisville, Ga
It's never skill or craftsmanship that completes airplanes, it's the will to do so,
Patrick Kenny, EAA 275132
Dues gladly paid!
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09-11-2009, 06:10 AM
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Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: Keller, TX
Posts: 151
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I once -
landed a glider in a 35kt++ direct 90 degree crosswind from a summer storm in Taos, NM. My runway was 75 ft long by 5800 ft wide plus a bit of a taxiway where four guys piled on my wings as I came to a screeching halt. Don't want to have to do that again!! The only other option included sagebrush. I don't think there are any regs that say you have to use a runway the long way. 
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09-11-2009, 07:08 AM
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Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: Jackson, MS
Posts: 1,262
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I know I'll regret this but......
Had it been a nose dragger, it would have been a non-event........
Hey, us trike guys get so picked on we don't get a opening like this very often.........
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Webb Willmott
Jackson, MS
N32WW
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09-11-2009, 07:23 AM
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Join Date: Aug 2005
Posts: 496
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Webb,
The physics are similar in this case...both the taildragger and the tri-gear would have had free-swivilling "steering" wheels. Both types would have immediately started weathervaning into the wind and would have needed to be held on centerline with rudder and differential braking. The tri-gear would have been able to apply braking more aggressively without bringing the tail around, though. (If the situation were diagnosed in time...)
The difference is that a tailwheel pilot is supposed to be a bit more suspicious of what is in store once the rubber hits the runway...I got caught off guard when my steerable tailwheel became non-steerable...this will not happen again. I just passed 25 hours of tailwheel time and consider this to be one of the best learning experiences to date...
What was drilled into my head during RV transition training was that you must NEVER give up on a landing no matter how deeply into the poop you get...you must stay in the fight. The airplane will beat you if you give up...even a good landing will turn ugly if you let down your guard. I am having so much fun learning and bagging new tricks in order to keep us both out of trouble some day...
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Don Alexander
RV-8 Finished After 8 1/2 Years (2496 hours) of Loving Labor
Summerville, SC
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09-11-2009, 07:37 AM
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Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: Jackson, MS
Posts: 1,262
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Don - PLEASE don't get too serious on me here. I don't care what you fly, strong crosswinds require practiced skill.
That being said....
It was meant as light hearted.......The tail wheelers are always ganging up on the nose wheelers.......This group enjoys a good verbal joust every now and then.
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Webb Willmott
Jackson, MS
N32WW
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09-11-2009, 07:58 AM
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Join Date: Aug 2005
Posts: 496
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Webb,
No worries...I am just using you guys as my sounding board as I try to sort through what I did and failed to do.
Believe me- for five seconds last Saturday, I was wishing that I had built a nose dragger 
__________________
Don Alexander
RV-8 Finished After 8 1/2 Years (2496 hours) of Loving Labor
Summerville, SC
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09-11-2009, 08:17 AM
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Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Paradise,Pa S37
Posts: 735
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hehehe Don't worry Don... Webb just wanted to use his pretty pink computer to take a swipe at us real men 
__________________
All the Best ;-)
RV-8
RV-9 once the kids are older
Last edited by KirkGrovesRV8 : 09-11-2009 at 08:36 AM.
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09-11-2009, 08:37 AM
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Steady v. Gusting Crosswind?
I guess the rigid, German side of my brain is not as dominant as it used to be, because although I generally do 3 pointers (well, lets say "attempted 3 pointers" . . ) regardless of crosswinds, I also do wheelies some of the time, also regardless of crosswinds.
But where I fly the most (i.e., around my home area near Seattle), it seems as though crosswinds I get are most often gusty, uneven, and often due to - or compounded by - ground contours, buildings, etc. Rarely is it a nice, steady, predictable crosswind component.
So, my question for those of you who adhere to one technique (wheelie or 3 point) for crosswinds is: do you change techniques depending on whether the crosswind is steady as opposed to gusting and variable? Or do you find that your preferred technique works best regardless?
Just celebrated 727JW's 5th birthday (first flight was 9/8/04) by taking the afternoon of 9/8/09 off and making a nice scenic flight with my wife.  The down side? Only 290 hours on the Hobbs ..... gotta find a way to work less, and fly more. 
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09-11-2009, 08:45 AM
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Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: Pasadena CA
Posts: 2,484
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I watched a Beaver go into the same mode last weekend. He did actually loop it a little. I think he avoided major damage, but might have scraped a wing a touch and ended up in the dirt. Same thing, too much flappage, and too slow for rudder effectiveness on touchdown. You could even tell just watching him fly that it wasn't gonna work.
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Stephen Samuelian, CFII, A&P IA, CTO
RV4 wing in Jig @ KPOC
RV7 emp built
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09-11-2009, 08:46 AM
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Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: SC
Posts: 12,887
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Rutus
...So, my question for those of you who adhere to one technique (wheelie or 3 point) for crosswinds is: do you change techniques depending on whether the crosswind is steady as opposed to gusting and variable? Or do you find that your preferred technique works best regardless?...
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Yes
I almost always do 3 point landings and will do them in light X-winds, even light gusts.
The stronger the X-wind the more likely I will wheel it on.
I used to fly my T-Craft in cross winds that would keep Cessna's tied up in their hangars. I have found that the RV is so responsive, it is actually easier to fly than that old light wing loaded T-Craft with heal brakes.
Don,
As they say about tail wheel pilots, there are those who have and those who will. Good to hear you got yours behind you with no damage!
__________________
Bill R.
RV-9 (Yes, it's a dragon tail)
O-360 w/ dual P-mags
Build the plane you want, not the plane others want you to build!
SC86 - Easley, SC
www.repucci.com/bill/baf.html
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