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Old 10-20-2002 | 11:53 PM
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From: Spearfish SD
Default Relative wind impact on scale models

Mass comes into the equation as well. A 1/4 scale aircraft will not have anything even remotely close to 1/4 the mass of the full scale aircraft and this will make it react much quicker to a cosswind or to a wind gust.

In a full scale aircraft, I can crab into the wind and then kick the crab angle out just before touchdown. You can actually combine this with conventional crosswind technique to land in crosswinds that exceed the normal crosswind component of the aircraft whihc is handy if you live where the runways are narrow and the wind never stops. The large mass and inertia of the aircraft means it takes a second or two to begin to drift downwind. If you try this in a strong cosswind with a model, you get an immediate drift and a really messy landing.