10-15 knots crosswind and the C172 is grounded?

At 10-15 knots crosswind i lose all authority over my taxi controls, neither asymetric braking nor full nosewheel/rudder deflection helps. If there is a real pilot out there with experience in a c172 at what crosswind does a c172 start to act up and you’d consider flying another day.

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Demonstrated limit is around 11 kts. So with a 15 kts x-wind component you’ll have your hands full, yes.

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Thx, since i only fly with real weather i have to learn to accept that one can’t fly on some days from their favorite airports.

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Hello,

Please do not use General Discussion for support questions. Please use one of the green Community Support subcategories.

Regarding your question, if it’s solely about the landing, yes, I wouldn’t land in anything more than the maximum demonstrated crosswind. But with regards to taxiing, I do think that you should be able to taxi in that kind of crosswind. I’ve noticed that really strong weathervaning, as well, and I do think that the ground friction should be able to overcome it at a wind speed like that. I do believe that they’re still working on ground friction.

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The WB sim mod c172 is working correctly and still able to depart with 15 knots (with a lots of rudder), nice ground handling

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When I was flying with some real world pilots they said that a C172 should be able to handle 15kts crosswind, even though it’s higher than the printed limit. They basically said you wouldn’t want to to do it, but the plane definitely could.

That said, when I was trying to take off in that sort of crosswind with the default C172 G1000, I could not keep a straight line down the runway even with full rudder. So it may not be possible with the default C172.

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Max demonstrated crosswind is 15 knots in the 172SP.

image

Of course, that’s not a hard limitation, and it could handle more than that with the right amount of skill, but most rw pilots set lower personal crosswind limits, depending on experience and other factors. 10-12 is fairly common. Mine is 12 at my home airport, maybe less if I’m at an unfamiliar field or there are known issues with mechanical turbulence or narrow runways. I can handle more if I need to, but I don’t fly the 172 as often as the PA-28 and there’s simply no need to take additional risk when I’m on “casual” flights.

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How any aircraft in the SIM handles winds on the ground will depend on how certain values made available in SU9 have been tuned in the flight model for that particular aircraft.

See this post for an explanation

Aircraft that have not been tuned can rarely cope with even moderate crosswinds without serious weathervaning.

As you will see from the list, the Asobo 172 variants have not been tuned (will need to rechecked post SU12). The WB mod has had some minimal tuning.

I would just add that I do know there is another value to do with how much the nose wheel can be deflected at high speeds and this WAS tuned for the 172 in SU12 with some beta testers reporting an improvement in crosswinds, but they gave minimal information.

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Probably more significant in real life is if you ground loop in a crosswind greater than demonstrated your insurance may not be worth the paper it is printed on.

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Another thing to keep in mind is that this is the max direct (90 deg) crosswind speed. What matters more in RL is the crosswind component.

For example a 15kt cross wind 45 deg off the nose has an actual crosswind component of only around 10.5 kts.

Not that this matters much in MSFS as even at 5kt wind, only 5 deg off the nose (crosswind comp. of only 0.436kts) will cause any stock plane to start weather vanning into the wind while taxiing :roll_eyes: :thinking: :expressionless:

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This is an old problem with the simulator. With moderate crosswind you can line up with centerline while landing and keep it that way until you touch the ground. As soon as you touch down pronounced weathervane makes taxing in a straight line impossible. This is totally unrealistic.

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did you ever fly in a real Cessna?

Keep in mind, “Demonstrated” is more or less under perfect circumstances, in a Factory new plane, flown by a very experienced Testpilot. I would consider this as the ABSOLUTE MAXIMUM the plane, in the hands of a highly professional pilot, is able to do.

90% or more, of “normal” pilots, with a 20+ year old plane, should better stay at the ground with these conditions.
So yes, @Sath68 , the C172 is pretty much grounded.

Yes, hundreds of hours in 152’s and 172’s

Better to be :

  • On the Ground, wishing you were up in the Air

than

  • Up in the Air, wishing you were on the Ground

Ref Link: 178 seconds to live

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Good to see somebody else familiar with the 178 second statistic and taken it sufficiently to heart to bring it up. Way back when I started my flying training… and I MEAN way back: 1972… this was posted on our club’s notice board. It made a lasting impression on me and coloured my entire flying time.

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Then i wonder about your Question

And that question would be? If you are referring to the fact that I am (more than) a little perplexed a ‘state of the art’ flight sim would allow a 0.436 kt crosswind will make a C172 ‘turn’ into the wind (i.e. require constant, significant rudder compensation) while taxing on dry pavement, sorry but I have never experienced that in all my hours of flying.

If you are referring to some other ‘question’ in my post please let me know as there were none, just facts.

Please advise.

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Indeed , but then this is a game really and one can just click their fingers and we have changed the wind direction :laughing: