[Archive] Fw: B-17 take off

Helynn:

You'll likely get the answer as well from a "taildragger" pilot (I'm a
tricycler myself), but the answer is to think about the weathervanes you
often see on top of houses or barns. Basically triangular, the larger
surface at the back turns the front end into the wind. An aircraft is
similar in that it has the vertical stabilizer and rudder surface at the
rear that will catch the crosswind and tend to push the nose into the
prevailing wind until you have enough airspeed for that surface to be
effective. If your tail wheel doesn't lock in the forward position (and
some aircraft tail wheels do not), the castoring of the tail wheel
accentuates the tendency for the aircraft to "weathercock" (i.e., turn into
the wind) -- hence the advantage of locking the tail wheel and holding it on
the ground until your airspeed gives you sufficient 3-axis control.

Bill Douglas

----- Original Message -----
From: "Squeaky"
To: "HeavyBombers.com"
Sent: Wednesday, February 20, 2002 9:15 PM
Subject: [HeavyBombers] B-17 take off


> /
>
> What is "weathercocking"? I was reading a B-17 pilot's account of a
> take-off and he stated "The tail-wheel lock was a big help on take-off,
and
> on crosswind take-offs the tail wheel would be left on the ground as long
as
> possible in order to avoid weathercocking." Can someone explain this term
> to me, please? Thanks! Helynn