Well. I have no experience fortunately from such situations. Statements that I have made are almost
directly taken from the book "Glider aerobatics".

About lowering the wheel: I don't know how much does it help, but if you try to fly around with the
wheel out, the performance loss is there and one can feel it. Afaik in fitting the fixed wheel
glider with retractable-one gives some 1-2 L/D points better performance.
I agree with you regarding the problem of switching hands. However, I think that in most gliders at
high g, just disarresting the wheel will lower it. One don't have to fix it.



"Eric Greenwell" wrote in message
...
iPilot wrote:
You may be correct. However, I have heard of some cases where there
have been structural failures resulting from excessive g-forces, but
the glider has remained landable after that. Aerobatics books also
recommend to "pull as hard as necessary", but to keep an eye on your
g-meter and ASI.

Aerobatic aircraft are built to much higher G and Vne limits, and the
pilots flying them are also accustomed to using high Gs. How many
sailplane pilots have a G meter and will be looking at it in a spin
recovery gone wrong?

High AoA eats energy rather fast. Flutter from
overspeeding will definately disintegrate your wing.

It is this claim that we are discussing. I know of many people that have
experienced flutter and not lost a wing. I also know flutter can have
many different modes, including those that involve the rudder, elevator,
ailerons, wing, and tail boom. It seems most dogmatic to claim "Flutter
from overspeeding will definitely disintegrate your wing". Since you are
so certain, perhaps you could tell us the reasons for your certainty?

Excessive-g may
not.

Has flutter caused any of the in-flight breakups discussed here? Perhaps
I missed them. I thought all were due to exceeding G limits, some likely
due to the reduced G loadings with the spoilers extended.

The trick is to stay within the limits as long as possible.
Therefore it's necessary to know the limits and their use. In
abovementioned Nimbus 4 incident it seems that pilot exchausted
g-limits before the Vne arrived. But no-one knows what really
happened.

BTW, there is one energy-burning device on every glider that may save
you the very necessary second or two - the wheel. Lower it as soon as
you feel the threat of overspeeding. You may lose the wheel doors
because of the speed and g-forces, but this is not nearly as
catastrophical as losing wing because of pulling the airbrakes at Vne
and high-g.

Does anyone have an idea of how much effect this would have? If it is
small, perhaps a pilot should not even think of attempting it as he
struggles with a recovery near Vne. In many gliders, it requires the
pilot to switch hands on the stick to lower the gear, and would be a
distraction at critical time in all of them.


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Eric Greenwell
Washington State
USA