Joa Harrison wrote: >> Our cross wind landings went really well too. One thing I learned on the first one was to make sure to get that stick forward as soon as one wheel touches down "plant it". I don't even think my instructor knew this one because our first landing (about 20 knots 45 deg. crosswind) we touched our wheel and I held the nose off too long and we started heading for the weeds. Luckily I got the nose down and we straightened out before I had to add power to get the heck out of there! <<
Rather than "get that stick forward as soon as one wheel touches down,"
I would suggest the following as your long-term, ideal method:
For cross-wind landings, a Coupe will approach the runway in a
crab.
Touch down with the nose high at minimum flying speed. Runway length
permitting, hold it off until you run out of elevator. Hold the wheel
(or rudder pedals) loosly so the nose-wheel can be free to castor to
line up with the direction of motion.
When the main wheels touch, the shocks will start to compress.
Fairly
early in this process, the nose-wheel will touch and castor then begin
its own strut compression.
If you keep the nose-wheel as high as possible for as long as
possible
much (if not all) will be completed of the turn from the crab to lined
up with the direction of motion _before_ the nosewheel is fully loaded.
We're talking .2-3 seconds max.
Once the nosewheel has made contact, there's no longer any reason
to
hold the nose-wheel high, so let it drop.
This is close to what you're doing, but I suggest you land at
minimum
speed, wheel full aft, and hold the nose off till the nose-wheel makes
contact anyway, then let the nose come down to no-lift, level position.
I've done this on a 20 foot wide runway with a 30 mph direct crosswind
without departing far from the center-line.
There's debate on using the brakes. Mr. Saunders who was test pilot for
ERCO as Fred Weick was developing the Coupe and who then owned the
product line in the late 40s told us this: In strong cross-winds, after
the main wheels touch, get right on the brakes to minimize wing lift.
Someone else on this forum said to absolutely never touch the brakes in
this situation.
I have no personal test evidence either way but will go with Saunders
till contrary evidence comes in.
--
Ed Burkhead
East Peoria, Ill.
N3802H, 415-D
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