Yep that's the issue. But it's actually not the engines it's the outboard flaps that drag first.

Rumor is UPS was able to get all four engines of a 70 series Eight rolling out on 13 (at that time) at DFW.

When I went through DC-8 school with ATI they showed a video of a DC-8 hitting 1 & 4 on landing. He hit them so hard they separated from the wing he then went around on 2 & 3. I can't remeber who the operator was but it definitely made an impression on me!

Ok, so if you don't do the "kick method" on the 747 ... and the forward slip (wing low / high rudder) results in a pod drag ... what do you do in a 747?

Some of the crosswind limits in flight handbooks are just a result of how airplanes were demonstrated in certification. I wondered how oddball numbers were arrived at, and often it's just the strongest crosswind the manufacturer could find when the feds were there.

In the 777, I fly the crab method down final and transition to wing low in the flair (or just prior). In the case of a really hairy crosswind, you can land in the crab and de-crab before lowering the nose as demonstrated in the video below -

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I14844tz9kQ

I always preferred side slip landings when instructing because it required more attention to the controls and kept the student on centerline all the way down.

In the jet, I do a crab and kick it out during the round out/flare. Everybody else has already given the reasons. The biggest for me is pax comfort and with the yaw damper on it makes for a lot of work to try and keep a good side slip all the way down.

One of the things that amazes me is how often jet drivers don't keep crosswind correction in after touchdown. My experience isn't that much yet but I know it's a lot easier to keep that centerline rolling the ailerons in just like you do in a cessna.

How is it done in the Airbus with the FBW logic?

"How is it done in the Airbus with the FBW logic?"

Blended flight control mode.. As you approach the ground the controls blend to a direct input mode. Within by the time you are slipping for landing the controls are in direct input mode.

Well almost.

The aircraft will maintain a known track at a certain radar altimeter and all you have to do is put in rudder the nose comes around and the wing dips itself on a cross wind. A gusty crosswind is whole a other program. The A-320 can be a ***** in a strong gusty crosswind because the ailerons are to small and to sluggish to be effective at slow speed in a really gusty crosswind. You just kind of have to average things out.

The A-320 is the first and only airplane I've ever flown where I've hit the control stops with the stick in all four directions on one landing within 50 feet of the ground. Not the norm mind you but until you get accustomed to it the 320 can be a bit disconcerting in a strong gusty crosswind.

In the DC-10, if you crab into the wind and then kick the rudder in the flare, you better be add simultaneous aileron into the wind. Otherwise, you will get a pronounced rolling moment in the direction of the wind which will cause you to strike a wing, pod, or go off the runway. I have also found that once the main gear touch down and the spoilers kick up, you will need even more aileron into the wind to keep that up-wind wing down.

We had a KC-10 go off the runway and one of the contributing factors was "relaxing" of the crosswind controls. They didn't take them out completely, they just let some out. Given other factors in the accident, that was enough to send them off the runway.

I disagree, on the B747-400 the most important thing to be aware of is the angle of bank. The outer engine pods hit the deck at about 6 degrees of roll with the landing gear compressed (iirc). The best technique is to start the flare with the crab on and wings level then, when in the flare, to gently squeeze the rudder to bring the nose towards the centreline whilst at the same time putting in some into wind aileron whilst maintaining wings level. Note: it is vital to fly the wing with into wind aileron all the way down to about 40 kts else the upwind wing will lift - it is much more critical in the B747 than in the B737 or A320 because of the highly swept nature of the wing - also extremely important on take off.

I would submit that if you first learn to land a light aircraft wing low in a side slip condition, then you will have learned the things you need to know to AVOID a flap/pod scrape on your jet.
Zach