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Has any pilot successfully flown or could a pilot crab through a hurricane using a plane such as a Cessna or bi-plane?

Would acrobatic planes work better because of their nimble agility and high power-to-weight ratio, or would heavier aircraft be more stable?

Are there any prop singles that would be particularly well suited?

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  • $\begingroup$ I don't have a specific make and model for you, but I'd look at something that has good icing systems. Prop, wing, and empennage deice. Pitot heat, carb heat (for piston engines) and windshield heat. You're going to get in to icing if you're trying to penetrate an eyewall. Beyond that, something that's rated for high positive and negative g's. As a comparison, the P-3's that NOAA flies through hurricanes were designed for 3 g's, which really isn't that much. I have it on good authority that they've seen 5 g's while in extreme turbulence. $\endgroup$
    – James Ford
    Aug 5, 2020 at 10:58
  • $\begingroup$ Something like the T-6 would have the power & the ability to handle the g forces; don't know how it'd handle icing. You'd want a radar pod on the wing of whatever you picked; that'd be an after-market upgrade on a T-6. $\endgroup$
    – Ralph J ♦
    Aug 5, 2020 at 14:18
  • $\begingroup$ @Justintimeforfun, I think it depends on the altitude. I watched a few videos of the NOAA flights and I could tell from the switch position they didn't have their engine anti-ice on. I'm pretty sure they stay relatively low, like below 10,000' so it would be warmer. Other extreme weather though, you'd definitely want it. I've gone through some heavy weather where we built up so much ice so quickly that we couldn't hold altitude. $\endgroup$
    – James Ford
    Aug 5, 2020 at 20:24
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    $\begingroup$ related: When is turbulence most dangerous to an aircraft? and How do pilots clear an aircraft to fly through a hurricane? $\endgroup$
    – Manu H
    Aug 6, 2020 at 14:45
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    $\begingroup$ A CFI friend of mine once entered a red cell over Florida in a Cessna 182, which he described as “the scariest f*cking thing I’ve ever been through.” He described it as his entire field of view went a dark steel grey and all hell broke loose. $\endgroup$
    – Carlo Felicione
    Aug 6, 2020 at 17:51

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