Direct Side Force Control for STOL Crosswind Landings

Abstract

The Total In-Flight Simulator (TIFS) airplane was used to investigate the application of direct side force control (DSFC) to alleviate the cross wind landing problem. The TIFS airplane was configured to simulate the characteristics of a Class II STOL aircraft for these tests. Fifty-four evaluations were accomplished, including the first demonstration of the use of DSFC to perform wingslevel crosswind landings. It was concluded that DSFC significantly improved the pilot's ability to perform a crosswind landing and was particularly beneficial when the basic airplane exhibited degraded flying qualities.