Mark, my qualifications are in line with yours...I'm none of the below either. However I've asked a number of people over the years as to the typical way to maximize the zoom. I'm not the best "zoomer" by far, but I have learned a few things from that "Joe" guy. He has done some research on the subject and has come up with a number of reasons for his answers.
The main difference in zooming comes from wind factors. Joes' research indicates we stay on the line too long in windy conditions. Also, gaining the maximum altitude isn't always the goal. In windy weather, it's sometimes more important to get farther up wind than to gain the maximum altitude. One other typical problem, which has been mentioned before, is staying on the line too long. We want to stay in the bucket long enough to gain all of the kinetic energy stored in the winch line and no more! Since you and I live in the windy Midwest, I suspect your angles are probably close to optimum considering our conditions. We typically need to get upwind more than we need the additional altitude. 45' would/may be the best since you gain altitude and go upwind in the same ratio. Early on I used to climb at nearly 90' angles, but a former F3B member suggested a shallower angle to get farther up wind. That's worked for me at least at the fields I fly most. In calm conditions, I'd speculate max altitude is the goal. Like that "Daryl" guy says, he who launches highest wins. This would indicate closer to a vertical climb out is best. Joe and Daryl, please chime in on this discussion, as you two are the experts in this field. gv -----Original Message----- From: Mark Williams [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Tuesday, October 19, 2004 9:52 PM To: RCSE Subject: [RCSE] The Zoom? OK, I'm no engineer, aerodynamicist or a physicist but the question I would like to pose to the collective knowledge concerns the zoom ... RCSE-List facilities provided by Model Airplane News. Send "subscribe" and "unsubscribe" requests to [EMAIL PROTECTED] Please note that subscribe and unsubscribe messages must be sent in text only format with MIME turned off.
