The A2A Simulations Community

OK, folks...I need your guidance. I was attempting a landing in my beloved Cub today that featured an inconvenient 15 kt (more or less) crosswind. I need help to manage this .

I handled the slips OK and crabbed the Cub over the threshold but...keeping on the tarmac is a challenge for me. Any pointers for this Cub-master wannebe??

Thanks!

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I heard some go for the grass on purpose as it (supposedly) gives better traction.

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I hear you, but I'm just tryin' to get down somewhere predictably!

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So far the trick for me is to keep flying it. In other FS airplanes, at a certain point, 10 feet above the runway or so, I'd just commit to the landing and let it come down. In the case of the Cub I find I do better if I keep working it into position even if it's a foot off - and then keep "flying" it on rollout and, for that matter, all the way through taxi and shutdown. Wish I could be more specific but so far, once it's over the threshold it seems to be more art than science.

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You got that reversed! Taildraggers prefer grass because it gives less traction....so your tires slide across the grass a little to correct for your drift and any other errors you may have made on final approach. If you were to land off centered on pavement, the tires would grab the asphalt and you could ground loop the airplane. Plus, it puts a lot of stress on the carriage. Grass is more forgiving.

The trick in landing a Cub in a crosswind (how much crosswind BTW?) is a bit of control dexterity as you near the flare point. First of all, fly the approach a bit faster than normal for better control and figure on a bit longer landing roll as a result. There are two ways you can do it, a forward slip to the landing and a crab/conversion to a wing low landing. Personally I prefer the crab approach for final, then the conversion to a wing low landing during the flare.
Use a crab on final to keep the aircraft track in line with the runway. Your angle off the nose in the crab will be your wind correction. This will vary with wind velocity and direction during the approach.
When you reach the threshold or the flare point as the case may be, kick out of the crab but be prepared to leave the windward wing down. You will be a bit cross controlled. Just remember it's the WING into the wind that's correcting now for drift and it's the RUDDER that's keeping you aligned with the runway. As if this isn't enough to be concentrating on, don't forget that you ALSO have to use elevator to control the flare in pitch and throttle if needed to smooth things out a bit as you land.
The Cub, if I remember right doesn't have a demonstrated crosswind component as do most modern light airplanes, but I'd say you should be able to handle a crosswind up to 15knots from up to a 30 degree angle off the nose with a little practice.
To practice all this, why don't you set the weather up (wind speed and direction) at a convenient airport to reflect the above on a known runway, say using runway 36 with the wind set up from 330 degrees at 15 if you want a wind from the left, or wind from 30 degrees at 15 if you want the crosswind from your right. You should become proficient at both sides.
Then go fly the pattern. You will need crosswind correction all the way around the patch doing this and you should become proficient in no time.
Dudley Henriques

Good idea, Dudley, and thanks for the advice! One thing about your suggestions that struck me was...I was simply too slow on my crosswind landings, so the wind was having its way with me and pushing me "downwind" right off of the runway.

I'll try a bit more speed and try handling the Cub as you suggest...appreciate the guidance here. Thanks, all!

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I also prefer Dudley's method, as it is much easier in my opinion. The forward slip to land can be a bit complicated.

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