View Full Version : Thermalling the D2
Fox Two
October 31st 06, 01:26 AM
Hi All!
I'm currently a Discus CS driver with a new D2-b coming in about 3
months from the factory. I've found that thermalling the CS with the
yaw string slightly high in the turn yields a better climb - I'm
curious to hear about thermalling techniques from the D2 veterans.
Thanks in advance!
Chris, F2
raulb
October 31st 06, 06:10 PM
I have never flown a Discus, nor anything close, but when I was
learning to fly 23 years ago, my instructor told me to keep a little
top rudder in turns and when thermalling. I tried to keep that in mind
but it was not until I transitioned to glass years later that I really
discovered why: slipping a little makes centering the thermal easier
and that results in better climb. This has been true whether I was
flying a 2-33, 1-34, BG-12, even a T-31, but it is especially noticable
in my LS-1.
Fox Two wrote:
> Hi All!
>
> I'm currently a Discus CS driver with a new D2-b coming in about 3
> months from the factory. I've found that thermalling the CS with the
> yaw string slightly high in the turn yields a better climb - I'm
> curious to hear about thermalling techniques from the D2 veterans.
>
> Thanks in advance!
> Chris, F2
Greg Arnold
October 31st 06, 06:49 PM
raulb wrote:
> I have never flown a Discus, nor anything close, but when I was
> learning to fly 23 years ago, my instructor told me to keep a little
> top rudder in turns and when thermalling. I tried to keep that in mind
> but it was not until I transitioned to glass years later that I really
> discovered why: slipping a little makes centering the thermal easier
> and that results in better climb. This has been true whether I was
> flying a 2-33, 1-34, BG-12, even a T-31, but it is especially noticable
> in my LS-1.
Dick Johnson wrote a SOARING article about this that is on the SSA
webpage (members only). There seems to be some question about how much
of a slip is desirable when a glider has winglets, since the winglets
could have an excessively low or high angle of attack.
> Fox Two wrote:
>> Hi All!
>>
>> I'm currently a Discus CS driver with a new D2-b coming in about 3
>> months from the factory. I've found that thermalling the CS with the
>> yaw string slightly high in the turn yields a better climb - I'm
>> curious to hear about thermalling techniques from the D2 veterans.
>>
>> Thanks in advance!
>> Chris, F2
>
Mike the Strike
October 31st 06, 08:34 PM
Of all the gliders I have flown or owned, the one that really seemed to
benefit from a bit of top rudder was my ASW-20. Anecdotal evidence
suggests that winglets help in thermals and reduce the need for this
little slip.
I find my D2 seems to ride on rails in thermals, probably because of
the double dihedral and winglets, and I just keep the yaw string
centered. You may find the nose-high attitude of the D2 will take some
getting used to.
Enjoy your new ship!
Mike
On Oct 30, 6:26 pm, "Fox Two" > wrote:
> Hi All!
>
> I'm currently a Discus CS driver with a new D2-b coming in about 3
> months from the factory. I've found that thermalling the CS with the
> yaw string slightly high in the turn yields a better climb - I'm
> curious to hear about thermalling techniques from the D2 veterans.
>
> Thanks in advance!
> Chris, F2
November 1st 06, 01:16 AM
Chris:
Now all you need is; A D2b, and B thermals.
Zulu
Fox Two
November 1st 06, 02:06 AM
wrote:
> Chris:
>
> Now all you need is; A D2b, and B thermals.
>
> Zulu
Billy,
It's coming - it's coming! Hopefully the record rainfalls will relent
as soon as F2 arrives!
Chris
Ben Flewett
November 2nd 06, 09:42 AM
Chris,
The D2 definitely has to be slipped in the turn. Ask
Davis or Darroze and they will confirm this.
Just fly it EXACTLY the same way you would fly your
Discus CS.
Cheers,
Ben
At 20:36 31 October 2006, Mike The Strike wrote:
>
>Of all the gliders I have flown or owned, the one that
>really seemed to
>benefit from a bit of top rudder was my ASW-20. Anecdotal
>evidence
>suggests that winglets help in thermals and reduce
>the need for this
>little slip.
>
>I find my D2 seems to ride on rails in thermals, probably
>because of
>the double dihedral and winglets, and I just keep the
>yaw string
>centered. You may find the nose-high attitude of the
>D2 will take some
>getting used to.
>
>Enjoy your new ship!
>
>Mike
>
>
>
>On Oct 30, 6:26 pm, 'Fox Two' wrote:
>> Hi All!
>>
>> I'm currently a Discus CS driver with a new D2-b coming
>>in about 3
>> months from the factory. I've found that thermalling
>>the CS with the
>> yaw string slightly high in the turn yields a better
>>climb - I'm
>> curious to hear about thermalling techniques from
>>the D2 veterans.
>>
>> Thanks in advance!
>> Chris, F2
>
>
Mike the Strike
November 2nd 06, 04:27 PM
I just reviewed a couple of cockpit photos I took of my D2 thermalling
and note that the yaw string in both cases shows about a 10 degree
slip.
While flying, I haven't noticed that I needed to deliberately keep this
slip and wonder if this is the way the ship just sits. Or perhaps I
just fly it that way without thinking?
Mike
On Nov 2, 2:42 am, Ben Flewett >
wrote:
> Chris,
>
> The D2 definitely has to be slipped in the turn. Ask
> Davis or Darroze and they will confirm this.
>
> Just fly it EXACTLY the same way you would fly your
> Discus CS.
>
> Cheers,
>
> Ben
>
> At 20:36 31 October 2006, Mike The Strike wrote:
>
>
>
> >Of all the gliders I have flown or owned, the one that
> >really seemed to
> >benefit from a bit of top rudder was my ASW-20. Anecdotal
> >evidence
> >suggests that winglets help in thermals and reduce
> >the need for this
> >little slip.
>
> >I find my D2 seems to ride on rails in thermals, probably
> >because of
> >the double dihedral and winglets, and I just keep the
> >yaw string
> >centered. You may find the nose-high attitude of the
> >D2 will take some
> >getting used to.
>
> >Enjoy your new ship!
>
> >Mike
>
> >On Oct 30, 6:26 pm, 'Fox Two' wrote:
> >> Hi All!
>
> >> I'm currently a Discus CS driver with a new D2-b coming
> >>in about 3
> >> months from the factory. I've found that thermalling
> >>the CS with the
> >> yaw string slightly high in the turn yields a better
> >>climb - I'm
> >> curious to hear about thermalling techniques from
> >>the D2 veterans.
>
> >> Thanks in advance!
> >> Chris, F2
P Ilatus
November 2nd 06, 08:15 PM
I read an article which mentioned that the only way
you could really tell via yawstring if in a slip was
if it was placed at the CG.
by positioning the string forward, i.e., on the canopy,
one could expect it to show a small amount of error.
I find that my b likes to climb in a slight skid for
some reason. sounds weird (and a bit dangerous) but
works for me
At 16:31 02 November 2006, Mike The Strike wrote:
>I just reviewed a couple of cockpit photos I took of
>my D2 thermalling
>and note that the yaw string in both cases shows about
>a 10 degree
>slip.
>
>While flying, I haven't noticed that I needed to deliberately
>keep this
>slip and wonder if this is the way the ship just sits.
> Or perhaps I
>just fly it that way without thinking?
>
>Mike
>
>
>
>On Nov 2, 2:42 am, Ben Flewett
>wrote:
>> Chris,
>>
>> The D2 definitely has to be slipped in the turn.
>>Ask
>> Davis or Darroze and they will confirm this.
>>
>> Just fly it EXACTLY the same way you would fly your
>> Discus CS.
>>
>> Cheers,
>>
>> Ben
>>
>> At 20:36 31 October 2006, Mike The Strike wrote:
>>
>>
>>
>> >Of all the gliders I have flown or owned, the one
>>>that
>> >really seemed to
>> >benefit from a bit of top rudder was my ASW-20. Anecdotal
>> >evidence
>> >suggests that winglets help in thermals and reduce
>> >the need for this
>> >little slip.
>>
>> >I find my D2 seems to ride on rails in thermals, probably
>> >because of
>> >the double dihedral and winglets, and I just keep
>>>the
>> >yaw string
>> >centered. You may find the nose-high attitude of
>>>the
>> >D2 will take some
>> >getting used to.
>>
>> >Enjoy your new ship!
>>
>> >Mike
>>
>> >On Oct 30, 6:26 pm, 'Fox Two' wrote:
>> >> Hi All!
>>
>> >> I'm currently a Discus CS driver with a new D2-b
>>>>coming
>> >>in about 3
>> >> months from the factory. I've found that thermalling
>> >>the CS with the
>> >> yaw string slightly high in the turn yields a better
>> >>climb - I'm
>> >> curious to hear about thermalling techniques from
>> >>the D2 veterans.
>>
>> >> Thanks in advance!
>> >> Chris, F2
>
>
Bill Daniels
November 2nd 06, 10:01 PM
I constructed a to-scale CAD drawing of a glider in a very agressive 300
foot diameter turn and looked at the angle difference between a nose and a
CG yaw string. - it's something like a 1/100 of a degree. The difference is
so small you'd never see it. In fact, it's likely that any difference
would be swamped by local turbulent flow.
Bill Daniels
"P Ilatus" > wrote in message
...
>
> I read an article which mentioned that the only way
> you could really tell via yawstring if in a slip was
> if it was placed at the CG.
>
> by positioning the string forward, i.e., on the canopy,
> one could expect it to show a small amount of error.
>
>
> I find that my b likes to climb in a slight skid for
> some reason. sounds weird (and a bit dangerous) but
> works for me
>
>
>
>
> At 16:31 02 November 2006, Mike The Strike wrote:
>>I just reviewed a couple of cockpit photos I took of
>>my D2 thermalling
>>and note that the yaw string in both cases shows about
>>a 10 degree
>>slip.
>>
>>While flying, I haven't noticed that I needed to deliberately
>>keep this
>>slip and wonder if this is the way the ship just sits.
>> Or perhaps I
>>just fly it that way without thinking?
>>
>>Mike
>>
>>
>>
>>On Nov 2, 2:42 am, Ben Flewett
>>wrote:
>>> Chris,
>>>
>>> The D2 definitely has to be slipped in the turn.
>>>Ask
>>> Davis or Darroze and they will confirm this.
>>>
>>> Just fly it EXACTLY the same way you would fly your
>>> Discus CS.
>>>
>>> Cheers,
>>>
>>> Ben
>>>
>>> At 20:36 31 October 2006, Mike The Strike wrote:
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> >Of all the gliders I have flown or owned, the one
>>>>that
>>> >really seemed to
>>> >benefit from a bit of top rudder was my ASW-20. Anecdotal
>>> >evidence
>>> >suggests that winglets help in thermals and reduce
>>> >the need for this
>>> >little slip.
>>>
>>> >I find my D2 seems to ride on rails in thermals, probably
>>> >because of
>>> >the double dihedral and winglets, and I just keep
>>>>the
>>> >yaw string
>>> >centered. You may find the nose-high attitude of
>>>>the
>>> >D2 will take some
>>> >getting used to.
>>>
>>> >Enjoy your new ship!
>>>
>>> >Mike
>>>
>>> >On Oct 30, 6:26 pm, 'Fox Two' wrote:
>>> >> Hi All!
>>>
>>> >> I'm currently a Discus CS driver with a new D2-b
>>>>>coming
>>> >>in about 3
>>> >> months from the factory. I've found that thermalling
>>> >>the CS with the
>>> >> yaw string slightly high in the turn yields a better
>>> >>climb - I'm
>>> >> curious to hear about thermalling techniques from
>>> >>the D2 veterans.
>>>
>>> >> Thanks in advance!
>>> >> Chris, F2
>>
>>
>
>
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