It is not very often that you can do better than the test pilot.
Sure you can!
Very often when I test fly a modified type, it's the first time I've flown that type, let alone the mod. I know what I'm looking for, and that is an an aircraft which is
not demanding unusual piloting skill. I regularly meet other pilots with lots more skill on type than I have. Though I try to fly with grace, I will fly with precision. If with precision, compliance is demonstrated, then the grace I can manage is a bonus!
Crosswind testing is not a strength test of landing gear, but rather a confirmation of controllability. When I'm testing an aircraft modified with an external load, which could increase weather cocking (more vertical area behind the C of G), the continued crosswind compliance becomes important.
A float installation most commonly will affect crosswind capability, thus additional vertical tail surfaces, usually a ventral fin, are added.
An installation like this:
Can result in a lot more control being required to keep it straight in a crosswind. I flew this plane 100 miles to get to an airport which was that day 19G25 directly across the runway, and I did eight landings in both directions. Sometimes full rudder was required to be applied and held, along with aileron while rolling on the runway, but it was controllable. Were it not, we would have had to consider an increase to the rudder area.
During my crosswind testing of this aircraft:
The winds of the day were 35 knots at 45 degrees to the runway heading (no matter which of the four runways I chose). The modified plane complied with the requirement for crosswind handling - which for a Caravan is demonstrated to 20 knots. In this photo, you can see the finlets, with are required when the floats are installed.
Sorry about the photo size, photobucket refuses to resize it!