crosswind/ wheel or threepoint

[chris erasmus]

I agree 100%with Anders, the important thing is to keep the stick in your stomach and to drop the flaps so you take the lift out of the wings as soon as possible

[Loogie]

Adding complexity of moving the flaps up when you touchdown will take practice, I would suggest the most important thing is not the flaps but the drift, whether you choose 2 notch's or zero notch's of flaps, the drift must be zero. The slower your approach the more effect the x-w will have on drift, so there must be a compromise of speed and drift, zero flaps is rec by the flight operating manual for a reason. If you do a 3 point stall zero flap with zero drift (means upwind main will touch first) and continue crosswind input with controls, full aft yoke to gain control of that wheel in the back, you will be more consistent then trying to make that flap retraction a habit. Not saying it's not difficult but I will say it adds complexity to an already complex problem. Most folks will dip to push the flap rod down, taking your eye off the ball on a very critical part of a x-w landing can lead to disaster. Most planes are designed to keep the configuration through landing roll, if the flap handle had a better ergonomic design, maybe.

[chris erasmus]

You can always fit a Ezee flap handle, havent got one myself but believe they work well

[Rezrider]

You can always fit a Ezee flap handle, havent got one myself but believe they work well

or just get longer arms like us southern African, knuckle dragging Neanderthal types!

[Maule_Norway]

Yes, agree on that. No drift is the most important thing.

I can understand the concern about the flap.
I never really look at the handle. But that needs practicing of course.

[Redhawk]

I agree with the general consensus about using a 3 point landing in a crosswind, and not messing with the flap handle. Keeping the plane tracking dead straight is more important than a momentary duck of the head and possibly inducing a swerve.
Wheel landings in a strong crosswind have a bit of unpredictability about them. Think about it... as you lower the tail in a stronger crosswind, there is a point as the airspeed slows and the tail lowers, that the wind acting on the tail surface area can actually overpower any directional control you may have left as the airspeed slows. Suddenly you may find you are out of options other than heavy desperate downwind braking to keep straight. (I know this from experience!)
If you use a 3 point wing low in the wind attitude, the benefit is you will know before you even touch down if you can hold a straight ahead track in that configuration, and also you will already be at a lower speed which is important in a Maule. Once they stop flying they stop flying which is a good thing in tricky winds!
That's my story and I'm stickin to it!

[chris erasmus]

you are spot on correct redhawk. you have to get the plane to stop flying asap after toucdown