Actually, if all that you are using the polar for is to plug the curve into your B50 (or equivalent vario that delivers speed to fly cues) then you don't need to calibrate much at all.
If you use the data output from that vario (ie the data the vario is using itself to calculate speed to fly) to calculate the polar then it is effectively a closed system of variables ie the data used to make the polar is the same data that the instrument itself is using. You can rapidly and easily achieve a suitable polar with little fuss. The only problem is that your polar will be unique for your aircraft / vario combination and is not relevant to any other glider or vario because nothing is calibrated. All calibration does is make apples comparable to other apples on the same apple scale - in this case a calibrated polar would be roughly applicable to other LS-1F's. Hence one of my original comments - what do you want to use the polar for? For some good references research every performance test done by Dick Johnson in the USA (they are on the web in PDF and should have a link from the SSA site). Also acquire a copy of Fundamentals of Sailplane Design by Fred Thomas, it has some chapters in there on flight testing. > Measuring the polar isn't trivial. You need to calibrate > the ASI and altimeter, use the vibrator to eliminate > sticktion, do a position error measurement, measure OAT > reasonably accurately and then do an error analysis to > get the size of the error bars. The find still air and do > enough runs to get enough measurements. Then look at the > results and repeat the points where there was lots of > scatter or that look dubious. > > All this is quite tedious which is why it isn't done very > often. > > Mike > Borgelt Instruments - manufacturers of quality soaring > instruments phone Int'l + 61 746 355784 > fax Int'l + 61 746 358796 > cellphone Int'l + 61 428 355784 > Int'l + 61 429 355784 > email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > website: www.borgeltinstruments.com > _______________________________________________ > Aus-soaring mailing list > [email protected] > To check or change subscription details, visit: > http://lists.internode.on.net/mailman/listinfo/aus-soaring _______________________________________________ Aus-soaring mailing list [email protected] To check or change subscription details, visit: http://lists.internode.on.net/mailman/listinfo/aus-soaring
