On Sat, 13 May 2006 15:46:33 -0400, (Paul Michael Brown)
wrote:

Similar to trimming a tiny bit of rudder left and right wing down for cross
controlling to ease maintaining attitude and heading on those long boring
"enroute" flights.

How is this beneficial during straight and level flight? Is it a technique
primarily used in tactical aircraft such as the F-4 or F-18? Or is it
something used by pilots of patrol or transport aircraft like the P-3 or
C-2?

I've never heard of such a practice. On long boring deployment flights
there is an autopilot with altitude hold.

We did use cross control in the F-105 when refueling and carrying a
centerline MER. The disrupted airflow over the bombs would blank out
the ventral fin under the tail cone and reduce stability just enough
that the airplane would start to oscillate left and right in
increasing swings until you could get slung off the boom. The solution
was to cock just a bit of wing down and straighten out with
rudder--flying cross-controlled took care of the situation.

Nothing similar in the F-4, at least in my experience.


Ed Rasimus
Fighter Pilot (USAF-Ret)
"When Thunder Rolled"
www.thunderchief.org
www.thundertales.blogspot.com