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Twisted Sticks November 2006 Newsletter
Come out and vote We will vote for officers this meeting at Dale's house Thursday the 9th of November at 7PM. Cross wind landing This was originally published by Christopher Dahle in Feburary of 2002 on the now defunct RCSR. It bears repeating. It is the easiest method of remembering how to crab a plane to land in a cross wind I've ever read. posted February 18, 2002 01:05 AM To make a pretty landing in a crosswind, you need to keep the upwind wing banked down a bit, and use rudder to line the plane up with the centerline. Close to the ground, as you are landing and the plane is crossing the centerline, it is easy to get disoriented and move the sticks the wrong way so that the plane either weathervanes or runs off the runway, or you drag a wing tip, or both. However, there are only two possible control inputs you need to remember to make a pretty landing. Either you are going to push the sticks together, or you are going to pull them apart. There are only four possible flight situations that you need to worry about, so the simple job is to remember which to do as you are landing in a crosswind. Remember that you should always stand square to the runway. The plane will either becoming from the left, or the right and the crosswind will either be at your back, or in your face. Let me repeat that, it doesn't matter how far cross to the runway the wind is, it's either at your back, or in you face. This assumes a mode II transmitter. If you fly mode I the stick motions are reversed. (Mode II is what we normally fly. Throttle and Rudder on the left stick.) WIND AT YOUR BACK Plane landing left to right If you are landing the plane from your left and the wind is at your back you need to pull the sticks apart. Move each stick toward the outside of the box. Plane landing right to left If you are landing the plane from your right and the wind is at your back you need to push the sticks together. WIND IN YOUR FACE Plane landing left to right If you are landing the plane from your left and the wind is in your face you need to push the sticks together. Plane landing right to left. If you are landing the plane from your right and the wind is in your face you need to pull the sticks apart. Pay attention to the wind. That dorky red flag that the FCC requires you to fly on the end of your antenna is not just some silly legal requirement. The FCC has done you a favor by requiring you to have your very own private wind sock right there on your antenna. Be sure it is a nice long, lightweight red ribbon that will trail in the lightest breeze. Christopher Dahle AMA 18216 This is the reply by Quint which is also informative. posted February 18, 2002 05:57 AM Allow me to add only one small detail to Christopher's fine explanation. As the plane is coming in, it should appear to be 'crabbing' or 'sideslipping'. The nose of the plane will be pointing slightly into the wind, but the plane will be flying right down the runway track. A bit of throttle may be required to hold airspeed since the sideslipping plane has more drag. Use the rudder to keep the plane crabbing down the centerline and keep the wings level with the ailerons. Try it a few times and it will become natural, try it some more and before long you'll be looking for crosswinds to go have some fun. Quint
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