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Old May 26th 06, 09:34 AM posted to rec.aviation.soaring
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Default preferrred bank angle indicator?

Matt Herron Jr. schrieb:

Would this instrument then not be useful for keeping the wings level in
clouds?


Yes, of course you can keep the wings level with the TrueTrak... as long
as you remember that it's a turn indicator and not a bank indicator. I
just don't like its display. (For a reason, but this is my personal
opinion.)

You may ask: what's the fuss, as long as I fly coordinated, turn and
bank are related, aren't they?. Well, up to 45 degrees, yes. Bank
steeper, and the turn rate will diminish again, reaching zero at a
(theoretical) bank angle of 90 degrees. Now, bank angles of more than 45
degrees are not that uncommon in gliders, so you must understand this
behaviour and keep it in your mind. The interface of the TrueTrak is not
very helpful in doing so, as your original post ("TrueTrak gives a bank
angle") illustrates.

A last note: I've never actually flown with the TrueTrak, so I don't
know how fast it responds. As gliders are pretty slippery ships, any
turn indicator with less than instant response is useless, so check this.

Stefan