Plane and Pilot

OCTOBER 29, 2024

Kentland has a 4,000-foot runway, east/west, with a crosswind straight out of the north. I lamented that there was no tail tie-down until I remembered that I had brought three welded rebar tie-downs and a heavy hammer to drive them in. The upper Midwest scenery can be spectacular. As I got on downwind, the ADS-B went totally nuts.

Weather

Pilot Institute

APRIL 12, 2025

Helicopters use a small rotor mounted on the tail that produces sideways thrust to counter the main rotors torque reaction. The tail rotor pushes air to one side ( action ), and the tail moves the other way ( reaction ). Other Designs The tail rotor is not the only way to solve the torque reaction problem.

Torque

AV Web

JULY 1, 2025

That means using the right amount of coordinated differential braking because there won’t be much rudder authority at slow speeds, though the big rudder on the RV-12 can work to your favor in the breeze. Even taxiing, turning and landing rollouts will be different because many light sport models have a castering nosewheel.

Gross Weight

Air Facts

JULY 15, 2024

I could turn tail, but things were not much better back further west. Several times I’ve landed smoothly in a strong crosswind, then had trouble keeping the airplane on the runway. I approach using the wing low method in a crosswind. Which brings up a point about gusty crosswinds. What to do? More likely it’s random.

Crosswind

Vintage Aviation News

OCTOBER 18, 2024

What you do is you sit up high for takeoff and as you add power and the tail comes up almost immediately, very quickly. “I started to make a normal landing, but as I was getting ready to touch down, I pulled the power off and the tail just fell out from underneath me,” he said. It is a terrible airplane for crosswinds.

Crosswind

Northstar VFR

JULY 21, 2024

More right rudder!!” The airplane rudder is one of the most misunderstood of the primary flight controls. Yet the rudder is one of the most important and one of the most under-utilized. The rudder’s most important function is controlling the yaw of the aircraft, which moves the nose of the plane left and right.

Rudder

Plane and Pilot

JULY 9, 2024

The unique H-tail reduces the left-turning tendencies during takeoff while also minimizing the weathervaning effect prevalent in crosswinds. While the original Ercoupes lacked a rudder and rudder pedals entirely, this example has had them installed as an aftermarket kit, making the airplane a bit more familiar for newcomers to fly.

Rudder

Photographic Logbook

MAY 19, 2025

Nevertheless, I was anxious about managing a 15 knot gusty crosswind for my first taildragger stick time in seven years. As with any taildragger, each rudder input required positive cancelation with opposite rudder to prevent the tail's momentum from yawing the airplane more than intended. He was right. Chop and drop!"

Rudder

Flight Training Central

JANUARY 27, 2025

From misjudging the flare to battling crosswinds, these mistakes can challenge pilots of all experience levels. As the airplane contacts the ground, the tail will be forced down very rapidly by the back-elevator pressure and by inertia acting downward on the tail.

Airplanes

Air

MAY 21, 2025

Crosswind: The Sideways Challenge A crosswind blows across your intended flight path , being most critical during the takeoff and landing phases. Pilots must use specific techniques, applying rudder and aileron inputs, to maintain directional control and keep the aircraft aligned. And it’s unique in Europe!

Crosswind

Airspeed Junkie

AUGUST 2, 2024

Notable design changes included the introduction of a swept tail design in 1960 and a new cowl design in 1961, which improved aerodynamics and performance. Micro vortex generators are also a popular upgrade, optimizing airflow over the wing and tail surfaces to enhance control.

Knot

Plane and Pilot

OCTOBER 29, 2024

Kentland has a 4,000-foot runway, east/west, with a crosswind straight out of the north. I lamented that there was no tail tie-down until I remembered that I had brought three welded rebar tie-downs and a heavy hammer to drive them in. The upper Midwest scenery can be spectacular. As I got on downwind, the ADS-B went totally nuts.

Weather

Pilot Institute

APRIL 5, 2024

In this article, we’ll cover all you need to know to confidently master crosswind landings. Key Takeaways Manage crosswind landing challenges using the crab and sideslip techniques. Plan for crosswind conditions with step-by-step procedures. Your ailerons and rudder will be neutral once you’re in the crab position.

Crosswind

Air Facts

SEPTEMBER 27, 2024

In 1998, I joined a venerable flying club, Stick and Rudder Flying Club of Waukegan National Airport (KUGN). I chose runway 14 (the UGN crosswind runway) and the crash and resuce vehicles moved onto the adjacent taxiway. Hopefully you can acquire that experience without injury or damage. And she was not kidding.

Pilot

Pilot Institute

NOVEMBER 11, 2024

However, if the aircraft has an oversized tail but not enough dihedral in the wings, it becomes vulnerable to spiral instability. Tail Design Larger, more effective stabilizers provide stronger restoring forces. A jolt from the side can trigger a Dutch roll when flying in gusty crosswinds or heavy turbulence.

Stability

Plane and Pilot

JANUARY 7, 2025

She flew like a big, lumbering Cub of sorts, complete with a wooden rudder bar, tall wooden stick, and instruments that seemed like they were straight out of World War One. Once youre used to those key differences, flying and landing a Stearman (without much crosswind, wink wink) is just as enjoyable, if not more, than a Cub.

Airplanes

Photographic Logbook

JANUARY 25, 2025

Thaws, rain, snow, and strong crosswinds can temporarily close the airport. More vintage cred: a V-tailed Beechcraft Bonanza! I countered with aggressive right rudder and barely succeeded in keeping the plane on the runway. Despite its acclaim, the ephemeral airport leads a finicky existence. Oh, because of the purple.

Runway

Flying Magazine

MAY 6, 2025

Now, release the brakes and feel yourself pressed into the seat as you discover less right rudder is needed than you expect. The Garmin glass lived up to its reputation for being easy to program, and the autopilot did as it was programmed, even in turbulence, with appropriate rudder input. Can an airplane feel excitement?

Gross Weight

Plane and Pilot

DECEMBER 16, 2024

Planespotters note the F2’s separate ailerons and flaps, conventional tail. Out back, theres an entirely new tail. Theres an unusual duck tail between the two elevator halves that provides a measure of anti-stall behavior. You might ask what happens with crosswind landings when you take away rudder authority.

Rudder

Plane and Pilot

OCTOBER 3, 2024

True, a slightly higher aspect ratio wing was desired, which in turn required a larger vertical tail and thus a little extra mass, but the size, approximately 20% larger than a Widgeon, was set. The Mallard—it’s a trike—has a tail stinger because it otherwise falls on its tail when loading.”

Airplanes