Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Path: utzoo!linus!wivax!decvax!tektronix!uw-beaver!cornell!vax135!floyd!whuxlb!pyuxll!eisx!npoiv!npois!hogpc!houxm!ihnp4!ixn5c!inuxc!pur-ee!uiucdcs!ccvaxa!rmiller From: rmiller@ccvaxa.UUCP Newsgroups: net.aviation Subject: Re: Re: Wing-loading - (nf) Message-ID: <2477@uiucdcs.UUCP> Date: Tue, 19-Jul-83 22:55:00 EDT Article-I.D.: uiucdcs.2477 Posted: Tue Jul 19 22:55:00 1983 Date-Received: Fri, 22-Jul-83 02:41:26 EDT Lines: 23 #R:teltone:-16700:ccvaxa:5100009:000:1066 ccvaxa!rmiller Jul 18 22:15:00 1983 i knew i should not have gone off to the world championships without leaving someone to watch for speculation! most standard and 15 meter racing sailplanes now fly at between 7.5 and 10 pounds per square foot wingloading. if you want anything more specific, i can go directly to the flight test results. open class ships are now up in the 11-12 pounds per square foot range (they are also running with 24.5 METER spans now too!). all contest ships now fly with water ballast to allow heavier wing loadings (9-10 range) during the strong parts of the day and then dump it if weather gets weak. the reason is that the glide ratio (L/D) does NOT change due to weight (but the speed for a given ratio is higher). glide ratios for standard class (15 meter span max, NO flaps) are in the 39-41 range, 15 meter racing class (15 meter span max) gets 42-45, and the open class (no restrictions) reaches 60:1. all of these ratios are obtained at between 55 and 70 knots depending on the sailplane type. the big ships can still hit 30:1 at 130 knots! uiucdcs!ccvaxa!rmiller