On Sep 25, 11:29*pm, "kirk.stant" wrote:
With all the new (and some of the older - SN10 for example) vario-computers having accelerometers and settings for ballast and polars, would it be possible to compute and display the optimum thermalling speed adjusted for wingloading and bank angle (as a function of instantaneous G-loading)?

Since we don't (yet) have AOA gauges (which would do a better job of indicating the correct speed to fly in a thermal), I'm curious if a simple "speed to fly" indication would work.

Obviously, filtering a constantly varying G-load would have to be employed, but I'm thinking of a 2-3 knot speed band display - using the same fast-slow indicator used for cruise speed control - preferably also with a deadbeat digital readout of the optimum speed to thermal for an average of the past 3 seconds or so of turn/averaged G.

Would this work? Probably only once established in a steady, smooth turn - but that would give a good starting point for the next thermal.

Kirk
66

I think it would work very nicely. Quick, if you normally thermal your
ASW27 empty at 44 knots in a 30 degree bank, what's the right speed
for 12 gals of water ballast each side? What's the right speed for 50
degrees? Accurate speed control makes a big difference. It's been on
my (rather long) punch list of requests to the clearnav team for a
while, if anyone else were asking they'd probably do it.
John Cochrane