Hi Ed, You said:
> > Whether the landing gear has a trailing arm has nothing to do with > crabbed > crosswind landing ability. > > I'm not sure this is entirely true. The trailing arm gear allows the "feel and chirp" to be perceived by the pilot BEFORE the full weight of the plane is "on the mains". If one is already making a decent landing, that brief moment of transition allows the pilot to flare with more knowledge (for a real "squeaker" landing) and thus reduce the attendant "load of arriving in a calm wind". So, while admittedly not adding to crosswind landing capability, the stress the main landing gear is subjected to is reduced, and such reduction leaves added "reserve structural strength" available for such loading as is imposed by crabbed touchdowns. Just my opinion, WRB --
