I've been using the highstart for about a month, and have practiced a few crosswind
launches. Some intentional for practice, some out of necessity with no other choice.
Probably the most severe have been at my "formal" r/c field, B'ham R/C. The only
place to set up the highstart is more or less along the runway, which was oriented @
90 degrees to the wind direction that day.
No disasters, but I did have to be quick on the rudder after the throw. Here is the
situation: using an NSP std Highstart, 10 pounds tension on a GL. Facing the highstart
stakeout, wind of 5-10mph from the right (90 deg). Throw, and the plane tends to veer
to the left. Right rudder (to keep it off the ground), the plane climbs on the
highstart line. The plane weathervanes into the wind (nose to the right), so the
plane goes up on the highstart "sideways", at a right angle to the direction of
"pull". I did a couple of launches this way without serious incident, so I guess this
is the way this is supposed to react. But thinking it over, the physics of the
geometry of the plane @90 deg to the launch line is odd, and it seems that I'm lucky
it didn't pop off 10 feet off the ground.
Am I doing crosswind launches OK? I don't want to tempt fate, but I realize that I
won't always be ablt to launch into the wind.
Thanks,
--Bill
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