I just read the AOPA ePilot Flight Training Edition -- Vol. 4, Issue 4 from

A Lieberman wrote in message ...

I found that taxing a low wing is much easier to handle in high winds
situation. Is it because the CG is lower to the ground?

After all, the weight of the fuel is lower to the ground over the
wheels, thus harder to tip over?


Lower CG is part of it. The weight of not only the fuel, but the
wing spar and internal structure significantly contributes to the
lower CG. The other part is that the gear stance is usually wider on
a low wing, since it is often attached to the wing spar instead of the
fuselage. The triangle formed by the nose, left and right wheel is
wider and less prone to tip to one side or the other.

John Galban=====N4BQ (PA28-180)

"John Galban" wrote in message
om...
A Lieberman wrote in message
...

I found that taxing a low wing is much easier to handle in high winds
situation. Is it because the CG is lower to the ground?

After all, the weight of the fuel is lower to the ground over the
wheels, thus harder to tip over?


Lower CG is part of it. The weight of not only the fuel, but the
wing spar and internal structure significantly contributes to the
lower CG. The other part is that the gear stance is usually wider on
a low wing, since it is often attached to the wing spar instead of the
fuselage. The triangle formed by the nose, left and right wheel is
wider and less prone to tip to one side or the other.

For a low center of gravity, consider the Rockwell JetProp (now Twin
Commander) when the bottom of the fusalage is only nine inches off the
pavement. This can make the body act like an air dam for crosswind taxiing.