John R. Copeland wrote:

"Jim Carter" wrote in message
. net...
Watching the videos of the heavies crabbing to a landing in high cross
winds prompts me to ask: why don't they use asymmetrical thrust instead
of kicking it straight in the flare?

Even in a single, why don't we see more forward slips to a landing
instead of crab, kick, and pray?

Have these techniques gone the way of the steam gauges?


You want to rethink that a little, Jim?
How would asymmetrical thrust align the aircraft with the runway?

Also, forward slips are used to lose altitude. Sideslips compensate
crosswinds.

But to answer that question anyway, neither steam gauges nor sideslips are
gone. I use both of them in my light twin, except that I try to keep my
transition from crab to slip reasonably smooth, and combined with my
pre-landing flare.


When I went thru multi training we used asymmetrical thrust a lot in
Oklahoma (cause the wind never stops) to control approach attitudes. I
hadn't thought the lag time was still that significant on the modern
turbofans, so I made a bad assumption that the technique would be
applicable to the heavies.

It's been so long now I'm not sure I remember the technique right off hand,
but I believe we carried more power on the upwind engine and banked into
the wind. We didn't have to ride the rudders like in a single engine and it
was much easier, prettier, and somewhat more stable in a crosswind.

You're right - I got my slips reversed. Side slip into the wind, forward
slip toward the runway. It's all relative to the line of travel.

I wonder what the response time is for the large modern turbofans.