snip-
Message: 2
Date: Mon, 17 Mar 2008 19:11:48 +1030
From: "Anthony Smith" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Subject: Re: [Aus-soaring] -ASG29 handicaps
To: "'Discussion of issues relating to Soaring in Australia.'"
<[email protected]>
Message-ID: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
As I look further into x-country speeds and wing loadings (aka
handicapping issues), it becomes very apparent that the existing system
is very limited. The trouble is that I have yet to come up with a
better system other than one that is retrospective ie you apply the
handicap after you work out how good the day was (in terms of strength
and width of the thermals) and the wing loading of each glider. Then
you have some of the intangibles like high performance aircraft being
able to sample more thermals (and choosing the best) than lower
performance aircraft, or higher performance aircraft being able to
stretch across large dead zones where lower performance aircraft need to
top up with a ratty climb to make it across.
It also appears that various countries have various methods of working
out handicaps too. I understand that in Oz it is simply an assumed 4 kt
climb, whereas in the UK they have the British Std Thermal (ie takes
into account thermal diameter as well as strength).
I now have a working prototype of an Excel spreadsheet that compares the
performance of two aircraft with known polars for a user defined thermal
(core strength, radius and cross section shape). A number of people
have seen various stages of development and it appears to agree well
with previously published data. A couple of Soaring Aust articles will
emerge in due course...
Anyway, common sense goes out the window a bit as well when you get any
committee.
-unsnip
Hey what a great opportunity!
We should develop an Australian Standard Thermal!
I put forward that it should be much bigger and stronger than the British one.
That should do it really.
Wayne Carter, diving for flame-suit.
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