{"id":25005915,"date":"2026-09-27T08:23:46","date_gmt":"2026-09-27T06:23:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/?p=25005915"},"modified":"2026-09-27T08:23:46","modified_gmt":"2026-09-27T06:23:46","slug":"b-52-crosswind-landing-crab-gear-explained","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/fr\/b-52-crosswind-landing-crab-gear-explained\/","title":{"rendered":"Why the B-52 Lands Sideways: The Crosswind Crab Gear Explained"},"content":{"rendered":"\r\n<style>.et_pb_title_container h1.entry-title { padding-top: 40px !important; }<\/style>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<p>Watch a <a href=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/aircraft\/b-52-stratofortress\/\">B-52<\/a> land in a strong crosswind and it looks like something has gone badly wrong. The bomber comes down the approach pointing well off to one side of the runway, touches down still pointing that way, and rolls out with its nose aimed at the grass while its wheels track perfectly straight down the centreline.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<p>Nothing has gone wrong. The B-52 is the only aircraft in service that lands like this, and it does it on purpose, thanks to a landing gear feature from the early 1950s that almost no other aircraft has used.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<div style=\"margin:28px auto;max-width:400px\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" class=\"skip-lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/reel\/Dc9_ULGAVod\/embed\" width=\"400\" height=\"600\" style=\"border:0;max-width:100%\" scrolling=\"no\"><\/iframe><p style=\"font-size:13px;color:#777;font-style:italic;margin-top:6px\">The reel that prompted this explainer.<\/p><\/div>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<div style=\"background:#f5f5f5;border-left:4px solid #1a1a1a;padding:18px 22px;margin:24px 0\"><p style=\"margin:0 0 8px;font-weight:600\">Quick Facts<\/p><ul style=\"margin:0;padding-left:20px\"><li><strong>Main gear:<\/strong> Four two-wheel trucks in tandem under the fuselage, plus small outrigger wheels near the wingtips<\/li><li><strong>Crosswind crab system:<\/strong> Front and rear main trucks can be set up to 20 degrees either side of straight ahead<\/li><li><strong>How it is set:<\/strong> The crew dials in the runway heading; the gear keeps itself aligned with the runway while the fuselage points into wind<\/li><li><strong>Why it exists:<\/strong> The bicycle-style gear and 185-foot wing make the usual wing-down crosswind technique dangerous<\/li><li><strong>Maximum takeoff weight:<\/strong> 488,000 lb (B-52H, US Air Force fact sheet)<\/li><li><strong>Also used on:<\/strong> Takeoff as well as landing<\/li><\/ul><\/div>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\" style=\"margin:28px 0\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"skip-lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2026\/09\/b-52h-stratofortress-landing-raf-fairford-2025.jpg\" alt=\"A B-52H Stratofortress on final approach with its landing gear and wingtip outrigger wheels down\" style=\"width:100%;height:auto;display:block\" \/><figcaption style=\"font-size:13px;color:#777;font-style:italic;margin-top:8px\">A B-52H of the 69th Expeditionary Bomb Squadron lands at RAF Fairford, 13 February 2025. Note the four main gear trucks under the fuselage and the small outrigger wheels near the wingtips. Photo: US Air Force, A1C Trust Tate (public domain)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<h2 style=\"padding-top:22px\">How Every Other Aircraft Handles a Crosswind<\/h2>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<p>An aircraft flies with the air mass, so in a crosswind it has to point partly into the wind to track straight along the runway. That is the crab. Landing in a crab would put a heavy sideways load on conventional landing gear, so pilots of most aircraft remove it just before touchdown: they kick the nose straight with rudder, and hold the upwind wing slightly low with aileron so the aircraft does not drift. Airliners, fighters and light aircraft all use some version of this.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<p>On the B-52 that technique runs into geometry. The bomber sits on a bicycle-style gear: four two-wheel trucks lined up under the fuselage, with only small outrigger wheels near the wingtips to keep it upright on the ground. The wing spans 185 feet, the engine pods hang beneath it, and the fuselage is long and slender. Roll the wing down even slightly near the ground and the tip moves a long way.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<div style=\"background:#f8f9fa;border-left:4px solid #1565c0;padding:22px 26px;margin:30px 0\"><p style=\"font-size:19px;line-height:1.6;font-style:italic;margin:0 0 12px\">&ldquo;Just a couple of degrees of roll to the left or to the right could result in a wing dipping multiple feet.&rdquo;<\/p><p style=\"margin:0;font-size:14px;color:#555\"><strong>The War Zone<\/strong>, on why the B-52 cannot land wing-low<\/p><\/div>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<p>A wingtip, outrigger or engine pod touching the runway at landing speed is exactly the accident the designers set out to avoid. Their answer was to leave the aircraft crabbed and turn the wheels instead.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<h2 style=\"padding-top:22px\">The Crosswind Crab System<\/h2>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<p>Both pairs of main gear trucks on the B-52 can be swivelled to either side. NASA&rsquo;s history of aircraft design describes the system plainly:<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<div style=\"background:#f8f9fa;border-left:4px solid #1565c0;padding:22px 26px;margin:30px 0\"><p style=\"font-size:19px;line-height:1.6;font-style:italic;margin:0 0 12px\">&ldquo;Both the front and rear bogies can be set at angles of as much as 20&deg; to either side of the straight-ahead position.&rdquo;<\/p><p style=\"margin:0;font-size:14px;color:#555\"><strong>NASA, <em>Quest for Performance<\/em><\/strong>, Laurence Loftin, 1985<\/p><\/div>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<p>Before landing, the crew sets the runway heading on a control in the cockpit. The gear then keeps itself aligned with that heading while the fuselage points wherever the wind requires. The bomber touches down with wings level, still in its crab, and rolls out that way.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\" style=\"margin:28px 0\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"skip-lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2026\/09\/xb-52-crab-landing-crosswind-gear.jpg\" alt=\"The XB-52 prototype landing crabbed into the wind with its nose angled away from the runway centreline while its wheels roll straight\" style=\"width:100%;height:auto;display:block\" \/><figcaption style=\"font-size:13px;color:#777;font-style:italic;margin-top:8px\">The XB-52 prototype demonstrates a crab landing: the nose points into the wind while the wheels track straight down the runway. Photo: NASA (public domain)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<div style=\"position:relative;padding-bottom:56.25%;height:0;overflow:hidden;margin:28px 0\"><iframe class=\"skip-lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/-SVH2PkQAlw\" style=\"position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;border:0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/div>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<p>The video above, filmed at RAF Fairford in March 2022, shows a B-52H rolling down the runway sideways in a strong crosswind, exactly as designed.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<h2 style=\"padding-top:22px\">Takeoffs Too<\/h2>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<p>The system works in both directions. A B-52 can take off with the gear set for the crosswind, running down the runway with its nose pointing into wind and lifting off already in the crab it needs for the climb-out. Because the bicycle gear does not let the bomber rotate much, the wing is set at a high angle on the fuselage, so the B-52 lifts off in a nearly level attitude.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<div style=\"position:relative;padding-bottom:56.25%;height:0;overflow:hidden;margin:28px 0\"><iframe class=\"skip-lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/A1lpoZDjt00\" style=\"position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;border:0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/div>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\" style=\"margin:28px 0\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"skip-lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2026\/09\/b-52h-drag-chute-rollout-raf-fairford-2024.jpg\" alt=\"A B-52H Stratofortress rolling out on the runway with its yellow drag parachute deployed\" style=\"width:100%;height:auto;display:block\" \/><figcaption style=\"font-size:13px;color:#777;font-style:italic;margin-top:8px\">A 2nd Bomb Wing B-52H rolls out behind its drag chute at RAF Fairford during Bomber Task Force 25-1, 6 November 2024. Photo: US Air Force, A1C Laiken King (public domain)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<h2 style=\"padding-top:22px\">What the Reel Gets Right, and What It Overstates<\/h2>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<p>The reel says a crosswind landing done the normal way &ldquo;should rip its wings off&rdquo;. That is dramatic but not the real risk. The danger is a wingtip, outrigger wheel or outboard engine pod striking the runway if the pilots lower a wing, and the side load on the tandem gear if they touched down crabbed without the system. Its point about the low engines is broadly right: the pods and outriggers leave little room between the wing and the ground once the aircraft rolls even slightly.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<p>The crab system has occasionally had side effects of its own. During a crab-walk demonstration at the Royal International Air Tattoo at RAF Fairford in 2023, a B-52 with its wing swinging over the runway edge reportedly took out a row of runway edge lights.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<p>The B-52 is not quite unique in having the idea. Early C-5A Galaxies were built with a crosswind positioning capability for their landing gear, later removed. But the B-52 is the aircraft that has relied on it for seven decades, and with the B-52J re-engining programme it is set to keep doing so into the 2050s.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<style>.mfq{margin:34px 0 8px}.mfq h2{font:26px\/1.3 \"Gilroy semiBold\",Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;color:#0d1117;padding-top:22px;margin:0 0 6px}.mfq .qa details{border-top:1px solid #5C91FF;margin:0;padding:0}.mfq .qa details:last-of-type{border-bottom:1px solid #e2e7ee}.mfq .qa summary{cursor:pointer;list-style:none;display:flex;justify-content:space-between;align-items:center;gap:16px;padding:22px 26px;font:18px\/1.7 \"Gilroy semiBold\",Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;color:#0d1117}.mfq .qa summary::-webkit-details-marker{display:none}.mfq .qa summary::after{content:\"+\";font:24px Helvetica,sans-serif;color:#3568e0;flex:0 0 auto}.mfq .qa details[open] summary::after{content:\"\\2013\"}.mfq .qa details:hover summary{color:#3568e0}.mfq .qa .a{font:16px\/1.7 \"Gilroy regular\",Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;color:#454e5e;padding:0 26px 24px}.mfq .qa .a a{color:#3568e0}@media(max-width:680px){.mfq .qa summary{padding:18px 14px;font-size:17px}.mfq .qa .a{padding:0 14px 20px}}<\/style>\r\n\r\n\r\n<section class=\"mfq\"><h2>Frequently Asked Questions<\/h2><div class=\"qa\"><details open><summary>Why does the B-52 land sideways?<\/summary><div class=\"a\">The B-52 lands sideways in a crosswind because its crosswind crab system lets the landing gear point down the runway while the fuselage stays angled into the wind. The bomber&rsquo;s bicycle-style gear, long 185-foot wing and low engine pods make the normal technique of lowering one wing before touchdown risky, so the crew leaves the aircraft crabbed and turns the wheels instead.<\/div><\/details><details><summary>How far can the B-52 landing gear turn?<\/summary><div class=\"a\">Both the front and rear main landing gear trucks of the B-52 can be set up to 20 degrees either side of straight ahead, according to NASA. The crew sets the runway heading in the cockpit and the gear keeps itself aligned with the runway during the approach, touchdown and rollout.<\/div><\/details><details><summary>Why can&rsquo;t the B-52 use a normal crosswind landing technique?<\/summary><div class=\"a\">Most aircraft remove their crab just before touchdown with rudder and hold the upwind wing low. On the B-52 even a small bank near the ground moves the wingtip several feet, risking a strike by the wingtip outrigger wheel or an outboard engine pod, and its tandem bicycle gear is not suited to touching down with a sideways load.<\/div><\/details><details><summary>Can the B-52 take off in a crab?<\/summary><div class=\"a\">Yes. The B-52&rsquo;s crosswind crab system works for takeoff as well as landing, so the bomber can accelerate down the runway with its nose pointed into the wind and lift off already in the crab it needs for the climb-out.<\/div><\/details><details><summary>Do any other aircraft have crosswind landing gear like the B-52?<\/summary><div class=\"a\">Very few. Early C-5A Galaxy transports were built with a crosswind positioning capability for their landing gear, which was later removed. The B-52 is the only aircraft in regular service that routinely lands and takes off crabbed on steerable main gear.<\/div><\/details><details><summary>How heavy is a B-52?<\/summary><div class=\"a\">The B-52H has a maximum takeoff weight of 488,000 pounds, according to the US Air Force. It has a wingspan of 185 feet and eight engines mounted in four pods under the wing.<\/div><\/details><\/div><\/section>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@type\":\"FAQPage\",\"mainEntity\":[{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"name\":\"Why does the B-52 land sideways?\",\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"The B-52 lands sideways in a crosswind because its crosswind crab system lets the landing gear point down the runway while the fuselage stays angled into the wind. The bomber\u2019s bicycle-style gear, long 185-foot wing and low engine pods make the normal technique of lowering one wing before touchdown risky, so the crew leaves the aircraft crabbed and turns the wheels instead.\"}},{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"name\":\"How far can the B-52 landing gear turn?\",\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"Both the front and rear main landing gear trucks of the B-52 can be set up to 20 degrees either side of straight ahead, according to NASA. The crew sets the runway heading in the cockpit and the gear keeps itself aligned with the runway during the approach, touchdown and rollout.\"}},{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"name\":\"Why can\u2019t the B-52 use a normal crosswind landing technique?\",\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"Most aircraft remove their crab just before touchdown with rudder and hold the upwind wing low. On the B-52 even a small bank near the ground moves the wingtip several feet, risking a strike by the wingtip outrigger wheel or an outboard engine pod, and its tandem bicycle gear is not suited to touching down with a sideways load.\"}},{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"name\":\"Can the B-52 take off in a crab?\",\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"Yes. The B-52\u2019s crosswind crab system works for takeoff as well as landing, so the bomber can accelerate down the runway with its nose pointed into the wind and lift off already in the crab it needs for the climb-out.\"}},{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"name\":\"Do any other aircraft have crosswind landing gear like the B-52?\",\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"Very few. Early C-5A Galaxy transports were built with a crosswind positioning capability for their landing gear, which was later removed. The B-52 is the only aircraft in regular service that routinely lands and takes off crabbed on steerable main gear.\"}},{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"name\":\"How heavy is a B-52?\",\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"The B-52H has a maximum takeoff weight of 488,000 pounds, according to the US Air Force. It has a wingspan of 185 feet and eight engines mounted in four pods under the wing.\"}}]}<\/script><p style=\"font-size:14px;color:#777;font-style:italic;margin-top:28px\">Sources: NASA, Laurence Loftin, <em>Quest for Performance: The Evolution of Modern Aircraft<\/em> (NASA SP-468, 1985); US Air Force B-52H fact sheet and photo releases; The War Zone; The Aviationist (2020, 2024); Fear of Landing; Around the Pattern (C-5A crosswind gear); Wikimedia Commons.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<div style=\"background:#f0f4ff;border-left:4px solid #5C91FF;padding:16px 20px;margin:32px 0 8px\"><p style=\"margin:0 0 8px;font-weight:600;color:#333\">Related Posts<\/p><p style=\"margin:4px 0\"><a href=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/b-52-stratofortress-designed-weekend-hotel-van-cleve-1948\/\">The B-52 Was Designed in a Hotel Room Over One Weekend<\/a><\/p><p style=\"margin:4px 0\"><a href=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/minimum-interval-takeoff-b-52-mito-twelve-seconds\/\">Minimum Interval Takeoff: B-52s Twelve Seconds Apart<\/a><\/p><p style=\"margin:4px 0\"><a href=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/fighter-jet-takeoff-landing-distances-speeds-afterburner-drag-chute\/\">Fighter Jet Takeoff and Landing: The Real Numbers, F-104 to F-35<\/a><\/p><\/div>\r\n\r\n\r\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>In a strong crosswind the B-52 lands pointing at the grass while its wheels roll straight. Here is how its steerable crosswind crab gear works, and why it needs it.<\/p>","protected":false},"author":23,"featured_media":25004935,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"editor_notices":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[665,664],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-25005915","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-aviation-world","category-military-aviation"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v28.5 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Why the B-52 Lands Sideways: B-52 Crosswind Landing Explained | Afterburner - MiGFlug&#039;s Magazine<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"A B-52 crosswind landing looks wrong: nose into wind, wheels straight down the runway. How the bomber&#039;s 20-degree crosswind crab gear works, and why it needs it.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/fr\/b-52-crosswind-landing-crab-gear-explained\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"fr_FR\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Why the B-52 Lands Sideways: B-52 Crosswind Landing Explained | Afterburner - MiGFlug&#039;s Magazine\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"A B-52 crosswind landing looks wrong: nose into wind, wheels straight down the runway. How the bomber&#039;s 20-degree crosswind crab gear works, and why it needs it.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/fr\/b-52-crosswind-landing-crab-gear-explained\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Afterburner - MiGFlug&#039;s Magazine\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/MiGFlug\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2026-09-27T06:23:46+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2026\/09\/b-52h-stratofortress-landing-raf-fairford-2025.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1920\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"1289\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Max Gr\u00fcnwald\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@migflug\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@migflug\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Max Gr\u00fcnwald\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"9 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/afterburner\\\/b-52-crosswind-landing-crab-gear-explained\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/afterburner\\\/b-52-crosswind-landing-crab-gear-explained\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Max Gr\u00fcnwald\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/afterburner\\\/it\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/da89e4a5834c9a932ee20751ed75569c\"},\"headline\":\"Why the B-52 Lands Sideways: The Crosswind Crab Gear Explained\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-09-27T06:23:46+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/afterburner\\\/b-52-crosswind-landing-crab-gear-explained\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":1362,\"commentCount\":0,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/afterburner\\\/it\\\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/afterburner\\\/b-52-crosswind-landing-crab-gear-explained\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/afterburner\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/4\\\/2026\\\/09\\\/b-52h-stratofortress-landing-raf-fairford-2025.jpg\",\"articleSection\":[\"Aviation World\",\"Military Aviation\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/afterburner\\\/b-52-crosswind-landing-crab-gear-explained\\\/#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/afterburner\\\/b-52-crosswind-landing-crab-gear-explained\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/afterburner\\\/b-52-crosswind-landing-crab-gear-explained\\\/\",\"name\":\"Why the B-52 Lands Sideways: B-52 Crosswind Landing Explained | Afterburner - MiGFlug's Magazine\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/afterburner\\\/it\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/afterburner\\\/b-52-crosswind-landing-crab-gear-explained\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/afterburner\\\/b-52-crosswind-landing-crab-gear-explained\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/afterburner\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/4\\\/2026\\\/09\\\/b-52h-stratofortress-landing-raf-fairford-2025.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-09-27T06:23:46+00:00\",\"description\":\"A B-52 crosswind landing looks wrong: nose into wind, wheels straight down the runway. 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