Wingloading, and Soaring Currents of Air

Mass is the only attribute for determining a model sailplane velocity for a given AOA, and that is to be translated into wingloading for expression. Streamlining has little effect on velocity of a gliding machine; but only mandates the efficient use of altitude. L/D is the factor that basically controls sink rate by a wings efficient use of wingloading; to set an airspeed for the transform. This is a sailplane's basic mechanics regardless of the universe selected for flight within. Slopes equal a consistent lift universe that a sailplane is able to navigate through, with centrally located ballasting to create nimbleness and control damping factor, for acrobatic type responses assisted by inertia for follow through. Thus velocity, structural integrity, room to apply ballast, and pilot skill, sink rate, and cleverness, are the only limiting factors for wingloading. [Warning: if you are crashing a lot, lighten up the wingloading.] Thermal soaring is far more sophisticated. Altitude to be launched too has a very predominant effect, and selection of wingloading becomes much more critical, regardless of design constraints. The concept of magic profiles (that do become more sensitive to wingloading) is not a concept to concern one with; unless one is highly skilled at building light and strong, and is skilled enough to fly with a more narrow speed range! Older designs that were designed to launch at altitudes of 250 to 400 feet AGL have a better degree of success from that altitude, than the more loaded machines designed to launch at 800 feet, regardless of the slicker attributes - unless both are to be launched at 800 feet. At that time, to have fairness, the older design should be stiffened up and ballast compartment filled with a second mass equivalent to the sailplanes empty weight (2X wingloading). For it to successfully, use the wider range of alpha as a tool against superior L/D. This gives a Red Barron type of superior rate of climb to compete with the more dense, highly performing modern sailplane's L/D. [and is the reason my antique Last Chance was so successful. ] Last Chance: Was a thought provoking design that incorporated the philosophy of Don Chancey, Dave Thornburg, Cecil Haga, and myself. A very simple clone of a Gentle lady, but with unilateral spars, box spars, fiberglass front end, extra wing sheeting (60% of wing chord), airfoiled tail surfaces with extra sparing (and enlarged tail surfaces to fit a shorter more responsive tail boom). Add my 9% profile with 70% tripper that had a 40% drag reduction over the famous Legionair, and you have a wicked cheap super little 2 meter that kept me going to retirement. Pure innocence; that would eat competitors that attempted my short launch contests. 7.3 oz /ft ^2, for short launch victories, and 15.6 oz /ft for 800+ ft launch success. Bear in mind the GL is a clean design to begin with, and with 40% wing drag reduction due to bubble closure, the 2 meter becomes a derringer of the soaring world. One prime problem of modern sailplanes appears to be a lack of concern for proper ballasting. Too much design is for sexy streamlining; whereas, a large ballast compartment centrally located, would be more realistic, and press engineering to smoothly integrate it into a streamlined configuration. Wingloading of 30 ounces per foot is realistic on a 9% high tech profile, to make a high aspect sailplane scream at 2000 ft AGL (if it does, silence it by tribulation in order to make it go faster)! Remember, 2000 feet is full size sailplane territory, so a 15 foot span model is just crawling along by comparison! If there is sufficient force to lift 1000 lbs of full size; then 25 lbs of model is now being raped by a (mean) thermal - via its smaller spiral, and longer dwell time within the force. Although the pilot is grounded, high altitude thermalling with a model is like shooting fish in a barrel equivalent! So if interested in wrestling with air currents, one must decide what band of altitude (or current

strength of slope) one wishes to contest with. Gopher belches is best served with a light GL. Hand launch sailplanes are an expert's machine of choice, and truly not a beginners machine. Something with 7 oz/ft, with light weight tail surfaces, somewhat short coupled for rapid auto recovery and quick response to control, 2mtr in span, and a 50 ft rubber hi start for launching, with 200 feet of line to pop up to 250 ft AGL. Do not work lift to get over 800 feet until you can ballast up to a wingload of 8+ ounces /ft, and feel comfy at steep dives to get out of lift. [adding spoilers to weaken torsional strength of wing is counterproductive. Once skill level will allow one to maintain inverted spirals, it is a far superior method to fight evil lift; that wants to eat sailplanes.] Now graduating to a full size high start (with 100 feet of rubber, and 400 feet of line; that will launch above 400 feet) or a sport winch; so one wants to fly at about 10 oz per foot to improve travel and L/D. At this point, one is not ready for any competition, unless blessed with 20-15 eyesight and autistic hand eye coordination! Practice, and learning ones limitations is now necessary, if not intrinsically blessed, for advancement to enjoy the great sport of soaring, feeling out the streets of cumulus clouds, sensing accelerations of your model with sharper control reactions, while avoiding the doldrums of downer mushy stick controls. Now you deserve the thermal soarer's wings! Gaining access to a slope; quickly improves stick handling, and teaches down stick advantages before venturing into the upper air (that is truly illegal for a variety of reasons). To work air @ 2000 feet AGL (where light planes reside), one needs close to 20 oz/ft (even with super duper profiles whose prime advantage is the maintenance of staying on step). In fact now you are flying faster then most chase cars, because you have no traffic to contend with! Cross country is the sport of kings and can be enjoyed at smaller scale because of the welcomed assistance of my friends at Pilot Point Texas; although the system was initiated at Carrollton and Denton Texas. Guys who bolstered my attempts because they believed in soaring free, and competitive to birds, rather than competitive assaults against vain humans. L' 'bl 7-2-2013