The original post way, way, way back specified 100kts
& 100kgs ballast.

Why will none of the 'Heavy Glider Wins' contingent
actually give any numbers as to what they think the
advantage here is?

At 09:24 29 September 2003, Jose M. Alvarez wrote:
Drag is the thing here...
My ASW24, being lighter than, say, a ASK-21, will get
200mts (600ft) from a
high speed pull up.

And how much EXACTLY will it get from 100kts?

A ballasted ASW-24 gets more from the pull up than
I do unballasted.

How much ballast EXACTLY are we talking about here?
And EXACTLY how much extra height do you think you'd
gain in a pull up from 100kts.

You are all right with the math, and in the total energy
equations mass is
nonrelevant as it is a constant. But you're all disregarding
the effect of
drag and you cannot do that!

And you're disregarding TIME, there's simply not enough
time in which the slight difference in performance
of the ballasted/unballasted glider has to operate.


That is the reason why all the fancy math
you're doing does not match with our real life experience.
And if a theorical reasoning does not match with reality,
then it's obvious that the theory is somewhere wrong.

I think you're confusing 'perception' with reality
here

So please if you want to get into math please do account
drag and fluid mechanics into it. If you simplify it
so much, it will be inaccurate enought to be false.

My analysis, including drag, but with some approximations
(All in favour of the heavy glider) is on the way


Ballasted gliders will go higer because of the increased
mass, more penetration and more energy for the same
aerodinamic drag.


Ballasted Gliders average higher cross country speeds,
finish faster, and with the pilot feeling better about
life! That's why the perception is that ballasted gliders
gain more in the pull-up!!!


:-)