One way or the other, I'll bet the pilot is gonna catch hell.  Regardless of the wind, these show pilots are supposed to be putting em down perfect every time-god forbid they make a "mortal" landing every now and then!

I suppose I'm guilty of that... But if the world's newest, biggest airliner makes one of it's highly publicized landings on its nose-wheel..Someone not on the flight-deck is bound to notice.

It both landed and took off on its nose-wheel and, if that was not peculiar enough, the wing leading edges, adjacent to the fuselage, had an additional strip which was designed to reduce lift!

The robustness of the nosewheel leg was proved on almost every landing, as the Strat, when near the ground, had a mind of its own and we used to arrive (one did not land a Strat; one arrived) with the most appalling thumps. No amount of heaving back on the pole would induce the mainwheels to make contact first. Various explanations were offered for this peculiarity. Some said that the wings, which were essentially those of the B-29, had been mated with the double-bubble fuselage at the incorrect angle of incidence. Others pinned the blame on the pernicious lift-spoilers.

Why build a splendid wing and then fit lift spoilers? The story was that the Civil Aeronautics Administration (CAA: the FAA-to-be) would not give the type its Certificate of Airworthiness because a wing was apt to drop when the aircraft stalled. The CAA wanted the nose to drop first, and the only swift remedy was to destroy an area of lift near the fuselage. Ironically, after BOAC had operated the type for about nine years it was decided that lift-spoilers were not necessary, and they were removed. I was then flying later types, but those who were still on Strats told me that it was then a much better-behaved aircraft.

As the aircraft also ran on its nosewheel alone for several hundred yards during take-off, this, too, could be quite exciting in a strong crosswind. The huge tail made the aircraft try to weathercock into wind.

I found the Stratocruiser article I mentioned. It makes interesting reading. http://www.ovi.ch/b377/articles/speedbird/

From an article by Tony Spooner DSO DFC published in «Aeroplane Monthly», June 1996.