Not so fast...at first glance this question seems to be fully answered, but..
...no one mentioned the positives of an a/c tied at 90 degrees to the wind.
Dave,
That MAY work, but not in REALLY high winds, in my experience. As I noted earlier, the airplane is designed to face into the wind--stability. Parking it sideways to the wind, you have the airplane trying to weathervane, due to aft fuselage area and vertical fin. Most of these airplanes also exhibit dihedral, so the outboard tip of the wing is actually at least slightly higher than the wing root. So, a big wind blowing from the tip to the root is going to create some significant lift.
Assuming you have the airplane WELL secured, and the wind isn't massive, that approach will work. By well secured, I mean good solid rope tiedowns (NO CHAINS!!) good and snug, and as energytech noted, the good news about good strong rope is that it gives just a little bit. A little give is a good thing. Lots of give...not so much.
I have tied down in places with pretty big winds where I didn't have a choice--I had to park with a wing into the wind, and it does work, but sure wouldn't be my first choice.
Finally, the best thing you can do if you have a plane tied down out doors and the wind is blowing is to get out of the sack, go to the airport, and TEND the airplane....all night if need be. I have spent so many nights baby sitting airplanes I can't even count them. Lines get a little loose, if you're there, you can tighten them. Need another line? Add one if you're right there.
And, again, if you have access to something mobile and large that can break up the wind, like a dump truck, loader, etc, park it in front of the plane to break up the wind.
In Cold Bay during a big blow, we'd have airplanes parked all over town, secured behind buildings, etc. There and in Kodiak, we residents parked planes in the old WW II fighter revetments (earthen berms in a U shape) with good tiedowns. Those REALLY were a gift that kept on giving.
MTV