Crosswinds with tail vs nose wheel

[Frank Smidler]

I flew in northern Indiana the day after Thanksgiving taking my brother Jeff up for his first RV flight. There was a direct 90 degree crosswind at 22 kts steady and had no problem in the RV-6. The more important consideration is taking off. If you keep the wind coming from your right your need for left rudder to keep the tail from blowing to the left is offset by the need to add right rudder to address P-force. I learned this the hard way and by reading VAF forums after the fact. I once took off with a 25 kt direct xwind from the left and definitely ran out of rudder.

[videobobk]

Frank is right about direction of the X-wind. With my 9A (and me,) 20 from the right on take off is about max. I wouldn't want 20 from the left. Landing, either one is fine. It is that first 50 feet on takeoff that requires all the skill. A Swift without steerable tailwheel required right brake on takeoff, regardless. It takes some getting used to..

Bob

[Ifly1,2]

Would someone like to speak to Diamond's remark about flying off of grass? I would like to hear from folks who regularly fly their nose draggers off of turf.

Thanks,

John

[rzbill]

I made my decision about building an A after being a passenger in an fairly stiff crosswind landing in an 8. While the wind was a challenge, it was not something I would consider a deal killer in a tri gear. This was 5 years ago so the actual #s escape me.

In the taildragger, we went missed the first time and nearly went in the ditch on the second landing that stuck.

Whether I could become a good enough pilot to do this with ease was irrelevant in my mind. I wanted a craft that I do not HAVE to be Sully or some other cape wearing superpilot to get out alive. I could just imagine an ugly IFR flight and being tired and having to fight a gusty crosswind on landing. No tailwheel for me.

[PH-SCP]

On a long flight returning from the United Kingdom last summer, circumnavigating a large area of CB's in Belgium, becoming tired and low on fuel, the tower at my home base told me the winds were 310/21 gusting 29 knots, that's with the runway facing 213 degrees, exactly cross. I must have sounded either tired or scared (or both ) because they decided to let a Citation which was 20 miles out land first. Spent at least 10 minutes circling on downwind and finally landed without too much trouble. Just "stay on" the rudder all way through the landing. In fact, I needed the rudder until closing down at the hangar ! That's with about 800 hours total time and 20 hours tailwheel experience.

Love the RV-9 for its great overall performance and economics

[RV8iator]

Originally Posted by rzbill

I made my decision about building an A after being a passenger in an fairly stiff crosswind landing in an 8. While the wind was a challenge, it was not something I would consider a deal killer in a tri gear. This was 5 years ago so the actual #s escape me.

In the taildragger, we went missed the first time and nearly went in the ditch on the second landing that stuck.

Whether I could become a good enough pilot to do this with ease was irrelevant in my mind. I wanted a craft that I do not HAVE to be Sully or some other cape wearing superpilot to get out alive. I could just imagine an ugly IFR flight and being tired and having to fight a gusty crosswind on landing. No tailwheel for me.

Where to even begin here..

The pilot makes the landing, not the plane.

Sully was just doing his job. He did it right but he is not a superhero.

Confidence in ones' abilities is supreme but recognize your personal limits.

You made your decision and good for you, but don't think the nose wheel will save your bacon.

[TOAD]

I have a nose wheel and also fly a tailwheel citabria. I put the RV down sooooo gently in grass (nose wheel off the ground, land on the mains). Read the threads on nose wheel flips. I would not want to be headed home to a grass field in a nose wheel knowing that there was a strong cross wind to deal with in addition to thinking about a bounce or gopher holes. Part of what makes the nose wheel easier in stiff crosswinds is the ability to land fast and brake stiff to keep the nose pointed down the runway. I am not excited about doing that on grass, not with my nosewheel RV at least.

That said, If you know your runway you may be just fine. I have had trouble once or twice, keeping the Citabria (tail wheel) headed straight down the runway before I got the tail down and things in control. I had to keep powering up to stay out of the lights in a gust. I was not sure I had enough runway to keep that game up too long. Things can get sporty! Just saying...