RCU Forums - View Single Post - Is it possible to take off in high winds without ground speed?
Old 07-31-2013, 05:18 AM
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rgburrill
 
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Default RE: Is it possible to take off in high winds without ground speed?


ORIGINAL: jester_s1

1. The second that your wheels break ground your plane has no idea what's happening in relation to the ground. Flying is 100% about how air is moving over the wings.


2. So yes, a plane can be in flight and be motionless or even moving backwards in relation to the ground. I've had several takeoffs with my Cub where a gust of wind lifted it 2-3 feet off the ground before I had even lifted the tail.
While indeed the second part is true the first part is not. It all has to do with the misconception that the leading edge of a wing is not subjected to forces beyond the particle of air that is coming toward it. But this has been a subject that has been debated on the internet by flying enthusiasts since the old rec.model.rc newsgroup days.