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Old 12-03-2005 | 03:02 AM
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JohnW
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From: Lincoln, NE
Default RE: good plane for wind

20MPH? Tis but a gentle breeze in the Midwest. Wind is 40MPH with gusts over 60MPH on a nice sunny day... others from the plain states know what I mean. 20MPH is very flyable and even 40MPH is flyable. It actually can be great fun... hover in place in level flight at 1/2 throttle. Vertical takeoff and landings, even backward ground speed landings. Planes actually fly OK in these winds, the killer is gusts, so keep landing speeds up if wind is gusty. Those not from the Midwest... we ain't joking, it is common to fly in 20-30MPH winds because that is what mother nature gives us. I envy all those in states that have wimpy "winds."

The key in wind is a mix of low drag and high loading. Any plane that fits that mold would work well in wind, but quite honestly, high drag/light loaded planes work fine too, they are just a bit more work to fly.