Sorry for being naive here Bob, but does touching down with the nose
not pointed down the center of the airstrip, which is what I presume
would happen if you touched down in the crab, bust the wheels?

Certainly not good for light general aviation aircraft, but the
Boeings seem to take it easily.


I recall a 747 Captain telling me of how the aircraft is designed to
withstand something like a crab into a 25 knot cross wind without kicking it
straight - said he did it once, and suspects the passengers in the rear of
the aircraft are still having their necks treated by a chiropractor!

Possibly a point worth noting is that when you "kick an aircraft straight"
you still have a considerable mass heading straight down the runway, and the
aircraft simply has too much enertia to accelerate laterally in the short
time between being "kicked straight" and touchdown. I know that some
disagree, but even in GA I tend to kick it straight at the last moment, but
add "more" opposite aileron to counter the adverse bank and drop the
upstream wing - works for me every time.

In talking with 757 Captains I'm told that the max angle of bank in landing
is something like 5 deg.