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Old 11th Nov 2007, 10:08
  #25 (permalink)  
Rainboe
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The Boeing FCTM is remarkably vague about any precise instructions during the take-off roll. It appears to allow a degree of indicidual preference.

I don't see what the problem is with putting aileron on at the start. What drag are you going to get below 100kts from spoilers cracked slightly open? Put it there and leave it- you don't have to do any more or even think about it- just keep on the centre line. If full speedbrake at even 250 kts gave me the drag I wanted, I might be worried about the drag at 140 kts airborne, but it's negligible. Look at it this way- if it gave you drag to be concerned about, why, when you wind on a lot of aileron after take-off because you have let the wing rise, do you not yaw. Not a bit. There is no perceptible drag from the spoilers after take-off. So during the roll there is nothing, so why not just leave it set all the take-off? It works for the 747- you don't feel that wing start lifting early.

I was once surprised to see a copilot not use any aileron during roll on a heavy 747 in a strong crosswind. I thought I would not say anything until afterwards and explain. The moment we lifted off, up came the wing, almost full aileron then to lower it- it was awful. I found myself thinking we came close to scraping a pod. People are either lazy on crosswind takeoffs or they've never had it fully explained and don't understand, but all the unpleasant movements I've had on crosswind takeoffs have all had one cause- too little aileron, never too much.
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