Originally Posted by
Pilot DAR
Yes, but it doesn't work the way you'd think. Opening the left door will make the plane bank to the right. The doors are too far forward to act as a rudder, however, opening a door will force more air over that wing (compared to the other wing) and therefore cause it to lift a little more, and bank away from the opened door. That said, this is inadvisable, as the doors are not designed for this, and expensive to repair when a hinge, or the door structure is cracked from unintended loads. On floats, we may open and hold one or both cabin doors when sailing, to benefit from the wind.
When I flew jumpers in the 182 and 185, they had a right side upward opening door. The pilot opened or closed the door by use of the rudder. The position of the door could be controlled with pleasing precision this way.
Do not fly 100 series Cessnas with both front doors off, not approved, and unsafe.
This is a fascinating thread but, with some experience of maintaining Cessna 152/172s, I must voice a little disquiet. The hinge material is actually made from recycled coffee-machine pods; they may look flimsy, but they are not nearly as strong as they look. On your next pre-flight, compare them with hinges on the control surfaces that Clyde intended you to use.
When that door comes off, it will likely take half the horizontal stab with it. Better be prepared to flap the remaining door like f@ck to maintain stability.