Cross wind. From the right or left?
- Thread starter GyroCyp
- Start date
- Joined
- Oct 30, 2003
- Messages
- 18,374
- Location
- Santa Maria, California
- Aircraft
- Givens Predator
- Total Flight Time
- 2600+ in rotorcraft
In my experience if it is enough wind to be a problem I just let the gyroplane turn into the wind.
Landing with much of a tail wind can be problematic in a gyroplane.
Landing with much of a tail wind can be problematic in a gyroplane.
Gyro28866
David McCutchen
- Joined
- May 8, 2009
- Messages
- 1,980
- Location
- Dickson, Tn. USA
- Aircraft
- Benson B7m & B8m, Dominator II; Kolb Mark III Classic
- Total Flight Time
- 750 combined FW & Gyro
I would comment, better to feed from the advancing blade side!
In my Dominator, even when landing straight into the wind, I always turn left and have the wind flow entering from the 3 O-clock position. This tends to decrease the amount of flapping and allows the rotor to slow down quicker also. Ernie Boyette is the person that told me about this little trick; and it works.
If you visualize the relative wind still feeding the rotor, even at the (stick full forward) lowered AOI and the relationship of each blades AOA as it rotates around from the 3 to 12 position. You can see where the blade is producing less lift in that region. I would think there is less induced drag in the driven region also.
I never had any problems landing in my Bensen, even in a stronger cross wind. However, my Dominator feels real top heavy and I am not comfortable in a crosswind above 5 mph. I choos to land into the wind. I will fly along the runway and turn across an intersection and utilize the extra width at that point. a 75' runway just become a 125'.
At my airport, the predominant winds are out of the SW, which aligns with a diagonal taxiway. Perfect, this gives me a 400' runway. I just fly the runway and turn onto the taxiway and land. normally around the intersection of the parallel taxiway. My airport management team is comfortable with me doing this.
In my Dominator, even when landing straight into the wind, I always turn left and have the wind flow entering from the 3 O-clock position. This tends to decrease the amount of flapping and allows the rotor to slow down quicker also. Ernie Boyette is the person that told me about this little trick; and it works.
If you visualize the relative wind still feeding the rotor, even at the (stick full forward) lowered AOI and the relationship of each blades AOA as it rotates around from the 3 to 12 position. You can see where the blade is producing less lift in that region. I would think there is less induced drag in the driven region also.
I never had any problems landing in my Bensen, even in a stronger cross wind. However, my Dominator feels real top heavy and I am not comfortable in a crosswind above 5 mph. I choos to land into the wind. I will fly along the runway and turn across an intersection and utilize the extra width at that point. a 75' runway just become a 125'.
At my airport, the predominant winds are out of the SW, which aligns with a diagonal taxiway. Perfect, this gives me a 400' runway. I just fly the runway and turn onto the taxiway and land. normally around the intersection of the parallel taxiway. My airport management team is comfortable with me doing this.
twistair
Living in the Skies
- Joined
- Nov 24, 2003
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- 1,161
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- Kronshtadt, Russia
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- none own :( currently flying Calidus mostly
- Total Flight Time
- Don't know exactly, ca. 3000 hours
GyroCyp;n1134857 said:
It usually depends on model configuration, in particular - prop rotation and vertical tail surfaces setup. For example: Calidus and especially Cavalon have more left pedal authority than right, thus it's more reserve to compensate cross wind component from the left. Cavalon obviously has not enough right pedal and landing with right cross wind component may be a problem. On the other hand gyros have very short landing roll ability so if one is to land with strong cross wind component then he can just land across the runway.
Usually pilot should know his gyro limits to make right decisions.
