Uberti 1860 Army front sight

[D Yager]

The Draco airframe and wing could have handled the crosswind; the gear could not. The trailing links were modified to handle large ground irregularities (big rocks, etc). But when the crosswind drove the leeward link up, the plane cocked on the roll axis with the windward wing up to the point where there was not enough command authority to recover. If there had been a way to lock those links, the plane would have been OK.

Regardless it still wound up wadded up on the side of the runway. the pilot admitted he screwed up and should have waited. If I remember right it happened in Eureka Nevada. Some areas in Nevada are real bad when it comes to wind, such as Elko. A Bell 206 helicopeter crashed at Elko due to high winds and a pilot trying to fly in weather when he should have stayed on the ground. The 206 was about 30 feet off the ground in 40 knot winds that were gusting to about 60. The trailing rotor blade was driven past the bump stop and cut the tail rotor drive shaft. The loss of control caused the machine to spin and it was dumped into the north perimeter fence about 15 feet from the self serve fuel pump. Pilot was very lucky and walked away. Some times discretion is the better part of valor.

 

[JimCunn]

Yeah, I've been known to go to the airport, open the hangar door, get a 'feeling', close the door, and go home.

Consequently, I'm stll here.

My personal direct crosswind limit in a J3 is about 27 kts, gusting 33.
You have to be willing to accept some crowhopping

 

[JimCunn]

"Jim, tell us more!"

About the pterosaurs?
They were fascinating beasts. I work mostly on Quetzalcoatlus.