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Old 08-21-2009 | 08:55 AM
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Sport_Pilot
 
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From: Acworth, GA
Default RE: This Citabria doesn't want to roll!!?!

I wanna SEE you roll that Cessna.
I have done it, it takes a while.

YAW is a BIG deal, and the DRAG from Yaw is IMMENSE, it matters. I can slow a plane down from a rocket to a crawl just from crabbing it on approach. It doesn't fly well that way, every other aspect of that plane's flight is FIGHTING the Yaw. Throw that into a roll and you've got a problem, and a very inefficient roll. It slows the roll and makes it sloppy.
Yes, but you correct the yaw with rudder, there is no longer drag from the wind hitting the side of the fuse. The drag from the rudder is very minor. In fact reducing the drag is part of the reason it turns better with rudder. The other part is that the wing is no longer trying to roll the opposite dirction from the side load on a dihedral wing.