max demo'ed crosswind component for sonex A TD

[GraemeSmith]

Today 10th August 2019 - No real option but to deal with it as it was the most head to wind runway.
Wind 60 degrees left of runway 11G20
So X-Wind component 9G17
From the left which I consider my "better" side.

Sonex A
6" Tailwheel
Dry warm pavement
Left wing low and right rudder - pinned her on the left main and tailwheel @ 55KIAS and managed to track straight and stay on centerline till she stalled and the right main made contact.

Left wing was pretty low - but not that I thought it would scrape and I had some rudder left. Wasn't a greaser - but not an ugly balloon either. Just rode it out in the correct position till she slowed enough.

Used 1,500ft of a 2 degree downslope 2,600ft runway.

"Sporty" springs to mind.....

[n502pd]

Thanks for the rundown! I have made one or two one wheel landings so far...30 hrs tt... and still watch the gust factor. I have trees and hangers here, and a semi rough grass field, and now a plowed field just immdeiately to the west of runway, so I have to still be more than adventuresome in launching. Further, I am at the total tail wheel time of 30 hrs, and will shortly go to hard surface to get that feel on landing, which I am told isnt too much to worry about. I am enjoying everything a lot, and plan to continue to be a 'live chicken'! Some may say that is no way to look at things, but so far I have not been responsible for breaking my wonderful little bird!

Fly safe!!

Joe

[thomasjones42]

Today 10th August 2019 - No real option but to deal with it as it was the most head to wind runway.
Wind 60 degrees left of runway 11G20
So X-Wind component 9G17
From the left which I consider my "better" side.
.

A couple of webinars and an Oshkosh forum say as a rule of thumb 60 degree winds off the landing heading is the X wind equivalent to 100 percent of the wind velocity so you may have done even a little better than you calculated.

Tom Jones

[lpaaruule]

For me, landings have been easier than takeoffs.

Perhaps it's just my technique, but when I learned in a Citabria, I would be able to get the tail up, and bank into the wind before the plane left the ground. With the Sonex, it seems to take a lot more effort to get it on one wheel before takeoff. If I force it to bank into the wind before I leave the ground, it wants to roll very quickly as soon as the wheel leaves the ground.

Yesterday I had a direct right crosswind of about 8 kts, and the Sonex wanted to drag to the left before it left the ground. I had a good amount of aileron into the wind, but not enough to smash the wing into the ground when the wheels left the ground.

Any advice or insight is appreciated.

[GraemeSmith]

For me, landings have been easier than takeoffs.

Perhaps it's just my technique, but when I learned in a Citabria, I would be able to get the tail up, and bank into the wind before the plane left the ground. With the Sonex, it seems to take a lot more effort to get it on one wheel before takeoff. If I force it to bank into the wind before I leave the ground, it wants to roll very quickly as soon as the wheel leaves the ground.

Yesterday I had a direct right crosswind of about 8 kts, and the Sonex wanted to drag to the left before it left the ground. I had a good amount of aileron into the wind, but not enough to smash the wing into the ground when the wheels left the ground.

Any advice or insight is appreciated.

Paul,

I can tell you that me tail X-Wind training in a Decathlon had the CFI demonstrate on the upwind wheel, upwind wing tip about 6 inches off the surface (remember this is a high wing) and the upwind wing tip leading the downwind tip, courtesy of the right rudder input. He had her running on rails along the runway. Though he was comfortable I try it - I was not and did it during a low pass with the plane about two feet off the surface while I found the attitude he was demonstrating.

I've never been able to get the Sonex to do anything like it - but I find a firm stick into wind and firm opposite rudder keeps her tracking straight. I find there is more steering on offer from the amount of aileron input into wind than the amount of opposite rudder. She is very briefly on one wheel as she breaks ground and then I neutralize the stick let her rudder weather vane so she tracks runway heading, crabbed into wind. Lotsa fun and still playing with it.

YMMV