Originally Posted by
Macgyver
Hey guys,
Reading over "Ace the Tech Pilot Interview" right now and one of the questions kind of puzzled me.
Being puzzled by something in that book is a sign of understanding. It has been repeatedly noted here as being at best unreliable and at worst downright nonsense.
Do a search and check a few threads ... here's a couple to get started:
http://www.pprune.org/fragrant-harbo...interview.html
http://www.pprune.org/tech-log/31249...interview.html
With regard to the specific question, in general the upwind engine is critical for the basic aerodynamic reasons given. However, there may be circumstances where another engine may be critical, due to system configurations or unusual aerodynamic characteristics.
For example, if your NWS is powered by the hydraulics from a given engine such that you'll lose NWS when that engine fails, it may be that case which poses the greatest challenge for directional control.
Also, the basic reasoning assumes that the aircraft will weathercock into wind. This may not be the case under all circumstances.