DakotaHawk

DakotaHawk

Well Known Member
With only 1.8 hours left to fly to complete my Phase 1 restrictions, I headed out to the airport today to get some stick time in. Turns out the wind was blowing 12kts @ 280. Normally, I would take the smaller and less used RWY 29 to get in the air. But today, seems every Cub, Light Sport, Gliders and Pawnee tow plane, Bonanza, and Gulf Stream were out practicing crosswind techniques on RWY 34. Soooo.....

Not to spoil the traffic pattern, I decided it was really time (since I'm still in Phase 1:)) to work on cross wind landings and pattern work. I've always been hesitant about crosswinds because my other plane is so light and has huge wings - it really gets pushed around! So my 300 hours of flying includes very little crosswind experience.

What did I learn???

The RV has no problem dealing with a 10kt crosswind component. Full flaps and three point landings are still OK. Maybe a little more crosswind and I would have had to do wheel landings instead.

When sharing the pattern with a couple of Cubs, Light Sports, and other non-RV type airplanes, get used to putting on the brakes and doing 80mph on downwind!

For some reason, Light Sports like to extend their downwind about a mile beyond the numbers! Politely ask for permission to cut a shorter base leg to prevent ending up making your base leg over the next airport's pattern!:eek:

Constant Speed props are great when you need to slow down now:cool:!
 
Slowing down

On a busy day, the tower will me slowing down before I enter the Class D to better fit in with the non-RV folk. It makes it easier for everyone. Get used to it, fast mover.
 
Short low wings help in X wind

Not to get complacent but the short low wings seem to be easier to control in a X wind that those of the PA-12 or Champ that I learned. Low polar moment of inertia seem to help.

Jim Sharkey
RV-6 Phase 1
 
DakotaHawk said:
With only 1.8 hours left to fly to complete my Phase 1 restrictions, I headed out to the airport today to get some stick time in. Turns out the wind was blowing 12kts @ 280. Normally, I would take the smaller and less used RWY 29 to get in the air. But today, seems every Cub, Light Sport, Gliders and Pawnee tow plane, Bonanza, and Gulf Stream were out practicing crosswind techniques on RWY 34. Soooo.....

Not to spoil the traffic pattern, I decided it was really time (since I'm still in Phase 1:)) to work on cross wind landings and pattern work. I've always been hesitant about crosswinds because my other plane is so light and has huge wings - it really gets pushed around! So my 300 hours of flying includes very little crosswind experience.

What did I learn???

The RV has no problem dealing with a 10kt crosswind component. Full flaps and three point landings are still OK. Maybe a little more crosswind and I would have had to do wheel landings instead.

When sharing the pattern with a couple of Cubs, Light Sports, and other non-RV type airplanes, get used to putting on the brakes and doing 80mph on downwind!

For some reason, Light Sports like to extend their downwind about a mile beyond the numbers! Politely ask for permission to cut a shorter base leg to prevent ending up making your base leg over the next airport's pattern!:eek:

Constant Speed props are great when you need to slow down now:cool:!
Click to expand...

I don't think you should group light sport that way. I have a light sport and my RV and both airplanes are flown very short, I bet I would want to cut in front of you. I think it best to say some pilots like to do loooong down winds before base. I've seen it in most anything out there, even the RV's .;)
 
I have landed with just under 30kts direct x wind in my 7. I am in the three point it camp and have never had a problem in a variety of tailwheel airplanes in strong cross winds. I do get a lot of cross wind practice at TWF so I stay very proficient. The RVs are very controllable in gusty winds but with the springy gear a three point is usually easier to perform. Don
 
Crosswinds.......

scare the heck out of me to think about, but it's funny you have to do it. I have practiced crosswinds to about 14kts. All I think about on final is giving it what it needs, keep the upward wing down, keep her straight, and "do what you have been trained to do". So far it's all worked out, but I still get a little tight.

I'm not sure it will ever change.
 
I didn't understand or feel comfortable with crosswinds till I was in my 3-400 hr range either. I did land a Citabria in a 24 kt crosswind during my tailwheel training. I asked the instructor what was the most he had ever done in it and he said "24kts, today!" S.O.B.
 
How beautiful

They tend to be my best landings and for sure they are the most satisfying. Establish the crab and slide down final to about 10 or 15 feet, where the flare starts and the crosswind decreases. Align the fuselage with the centerline and work the feet and the arm and ease that upwind main on as the tailwheel brushes. Hold it for a moment as the downwind main eases on. Stick into the wind and small corrections with the feet to stay right on the centerline.

Ahhh!

Taxi back to the hangar and shut down. In the old days you would listen to the gyros spin down at this point. Today you sit for a while as the gusts waft over the canopy.

What a privilege!
 
cross wind website

If you really want some crosswind practice and are in the Indiana area, try this http://xwindsim.com/ Click on the video (I think it is cross wind moves.) You can get more crosswind practice in two hours than in 1000 hours of normal flying. I laughed when the instructor told me to fasten the seat belt. I quit laughing when he turned on turbulence. Really makes you work and very good practice. I think there are other simulators around the country and taking the course even saves on some insurances. BTW, the instructor flew my 9A and sent me an e-mail saying it was the best responding plane he had ever flown.

Bob Kelly
 
videobobk said:
If you really want some crosswind practice and are in the Indiana area, try this http://xwindsim.com/ Click on the video (I think it is cross wind moves.)

Bob Kelly
Click to expand...

Interesting! It looks like a tiny version of the big "Vertical Motion Simulator" at NASA Ames.The VMS move left and right about 50 feet or so, and up and down six stories. A wild ride with crosswinds or control issues such as blown tires or bad brakes.

Personally, I have always considered EVERY landing a crosswind landing - just sometimes, the crosswind is very small. If you think about it this way, you don't need to have a special technique for crosswinds - you just land...

Paul
 
I'm thinking that guys that fly in desert areas get lots of crosswind practice! I flew my PulsarXP into Rosamond Airpark one day and was eating lunch at the cafe...I watched a Cessna 172 almost run off the side of the runway in a strong cross-wind. I'm betting it was close to 20 knots.

The Pulsar didn't have a lot of rudder authority, but one thing I always thought made crosswind landings easy was just to crab into the wind and kick the rudder at the point of touchdown. It's not as fun as a forward slip, but it seems easier to do (for me anyway). :rolleyes:

From Rosie (based at Rosamond): Sonny is absolutely correct for those of us living in the desert, however, his estimate of 20 knots is low; 30-35 knots crosswind @ 30-70 degrees off the runway heading is more the norm. I normally fly the RV crabbed into the wind, mains right down to the ground, kick the rudder, NO flare. Winds above 40 knots make it very hard to taxi ;)
 
Last edited by a moderator:
My biggest problem with my -8 has been not landing, but trying to get the tailwheel down during a honking crosswind. The -8 seems to be a bit iffy on the rollout until that tailwheel is firmly planted. As the plane slows down enough to lower the tail, the rudder is running out of authority too...you hope to beat the next gust and plant the wheel before you get aimed into the weeds by the wind...so far, so good. Rough on the underwear, though.
 
RV9A canweather vane AFTER touching down needing hard upwind brakes

I have always flown a tricycle gear plane with a steerable nose gear until I started flying my RV9A. I recently was practicing X-wind landings in strong gusts.
I was surprised that after a perfect touch down with no drift a strong gust hit me and the large vertical stabilizer/rudder and the full caster nose wheel allowed the RV to weather vane and I had to use all the rudder/brake combination to keep it on the runway. I was pushing the upwind brake as hard as I could.
I then realized that I had made a mistake not installing brakes on the copilot's side of my RV. Until that day, I thought that the only time brakes would be needed for the copilot was for steering to the hangar.:eek:
 
You beat me to it, Cleve.....

cleve_thompson said:
. I was pushing the upwind brake as hard as I could.
I then realized that I had made a mistake not installing brakes on the copilot's side of my RV. Until that day, I thought that the only time brakes would be needed for the copilot was for steering to the hangar.:eek:
Click to expand...

That's all you have when you slow down and run out of rudder....brakes! We do that often....sacrifice the tires rather than the whole airplane;), whether it's a TD or whatever.

Best,
 
Do I have it backwards? Shouldn't you push the downwind brake to counter the weathervane effect? Seems like the upwind brake would torque you further into the wind...
 
You must log in or register to reply here.