Dan, U.S. Air Force, retired wrote:

Matt Whiting wrote:

wrote:

I read a story about bush flying in a Cub, where the pilot would lower
a bucket out the window on a rope. He would then go into a constant
tight banked turn, with one wing of the Cub pointed at the bucket. He
could spiral down, and place the bucket stationary on the ground, so a
person on the ground could drop off or retrieve small objects.



I've heard some pretty wild urban legends, but this has to be one of
the best.

Matt



It's not an urban legend. It's been done for decades. The bucket never
reaches the ground, but a man can drop someing in or take something out
when it gets to shoulder height. There's a picture of it being done in a
mid 1960s National Geographic. There was a discussion about it in
rec.aviation.military a year or two ago.

Maybe I'm not getting the full picture here, but it seems at first blush
that this would require the Cub to be able to fly a zero radius turn.


Matt