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Old September 26th 03, 05:34 PM
Derrick Steed
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Default Pullups, I stand corrected!

Lars,

I think you may be forgetting something else. For the same speed of travel,
the light glider is using energy faster than the heavy glider. It seems
paradoxical, but it is true - look at the loaded and unloaded polars to see
that the heavy glider is either: a) travelling faster for the same sink
rate, or b) sinking less for the same speed of travel (provided that the
speed of travel in both instances is above the crossover point for the
polars, the speed this occurs at depends on the wing loading).

So, as they zoom upwards during the pull up: a) the light glider is using up
its energy faster than the heavy glider, and it has less to start with, and
b) the heavy glider is using up its energy slower, and it has more to start
with.

The heavy glider, of the same type, goes higher.

Rgds,

Derrick.