Looking for a math wiz!

"Stefan" wrote in message
...
Mathematically: There are always two square roots which solve the
equation: A positive and a negative.

Physically: If you only know GS, TAS and HDG, then you don't know
whether the wind blows from the let or from the right.

While that statement is true, it doesn't cover all the possibilities.
We're talking about the case of a single aircraft? We know its HDG,
GS, TAS, but nothing else? That's only three of the six wind triangle
variables. We must know at least four to get an exact answer. With
only three knowns, there are a whole range of possible answers, since
we don't know what the wind correction angle is without knowing a CRS.

For example, for the following HDG, TAS and GS:

HDG 0
TAS 120
GS 100

All the following CRS, WD an WS are valid solutions, plus many more
in-between:

CRS WD WS
=== === ===
310 054 095
330 056 060
350 039 028
000 000 020 CRS=HDG
010 321 028
030 304 060
050 306 095

I think you were visualizing a triangle, and thought of the two obvious
solutions. But there are a lot more. Again, use the E6B method and
you'll see that any drift angle along the TAS arc contains a valid WS
and WD answer.

Regards, Kev

Kev schrieb:

I think you were visualizing a triangle, and thought of the two obvious
solutions. But there are a lot more.

Frankly, I didn't contemplate very much and just posted the obvious.

Stefan