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Old 09-10-2003 | 05:38 PM
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Ben Lanterman
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From: St. Charles, MO
Default RE: Larger planes handle wind better.

A steady wind makes no difference in how the airplane flies when viewed from the airplane reference system. It does seem to make a difference when the airplane is viewed from a different reference system, say standing on the ground, but this is not an aerodynamics change but a reference point change. The aerodynamics do not change with the wing loading of the airplane.

Lower wing loading usually implies a lower mass. For a given wing size the one with the lower wing loading (lower mass) will respond with higher accelerations if both are subjected to the same force due to aero.

Real flying referenced to me while I am standing on the ground in a gusty wind will show the airplane with the lighter wing loading being bounced around more than one with a heavier wing loading because of the mass-acceleration effects of the aero forces. Bigger airplanes usually have larger masses which will allow less acceleration (bounce) in the gusty wind.

I believe there is also a favorable Reynold's number effect that occurs with larger airplanes that makes them handle better.