AOA indicator

No one has thought that AoA indicator could be useful tool to optimize your thermalling performance, in addition to stallwarning? Fly the correct AoA and disregard airspeed. I think DG-600 had some sort of AoA instrument because the wing profile required correct AoA to work at slow speed, not sure how that was implemented.

I do think that proper AoA measurement needs a separate sensor (vane or similar).

On Wednesday, April 20, 2016 at 8:04:48 AM UTC-5, wrote:
Yep Martin, wolfgang's book studied and digested is a must have exsersize for anyone who trully wants to master flight.
Dan

I read my Langewiesche every couple of years. He had it all figured out some 60 years ago, you have to admire that. Should still be mandatory for all pilots today - although the old-style airplanes in his hand-drawn pictures look really funny today.
Herb

On Wednesday, April 20, 2016 at 5:05:48 PM UTC+3, wrote:
On Wednesday, April 20, 2016 at 8:04:48 AM UTC-5, wrote:
Yep Martin, wolfgang's book studied and digested is a must have exsersize for anyone who trully wants to master flight.
Dan

I read my Langewiesche every couple of years. He had it all figured out some 60 years ago, you have to admire that. Should still be mandatory for all pilots today - although the old-style airplanes in his hand-drawn pictures look really funny today.
Herb

Published 72 years ago now.

I actually thought it was older than that...

On 4/20/2016 5:16 AM, Martin Gregorie wrote:
Not an instrument as such, but...

Even after all this time and despite it being written for power pilots,
there's a lot of sense in Wolfgang Langewiesche's "Stick and Rudder" with
its advice to "fly the wing".

"Roger all previous comments on 'Stick and Rudder'..."

As to "fly the wing," somewhere or other I read an interview of Bob Hoover in
which he noted that his 'messing around' (my words) in a(n ~37hp) E2 Cub prior
to becoming a military cadet taught him how to fly a wing.

His autobiography "Forever Flying" also notes his self-taught aerobatics began
(in pre "Stick and Rudder" days) with a somewhat technical book by "Bernie"
Lay, which Hoover more or less memorized before ever having an opportunity to
get in an airplane. Lest anyone think I'm advocating aerobatics self-taught as
THE way to learn how to 'fly the wing,'
the first few chapters of "Forever Flying" will make it abundantly clear how
Darwinian such an approach is!

Bob W.

Always thought the darwinian approach wasnt so bad, sure weeds out the chaff from the grain real quickly.

Funny, I have always thought the gene pool needed more chlorine, but as we all know the darwinian approach is not good for the sport. My point in starting this thread was to perhaps let the manufactures of these new computers to keep AOA in mind and try to develop software approach to AOA.

On Wednesday, April 20, 2016 at 11:18:20 AM UTC-7, wrote:
Always thought the darwinian approach wasnt so bad, sure weeds out the chaff from the grain real quickly.

True Johnathan, there has been talk over the years about adapting AOA for the crop dusting world, as we are working with very high wing loadings and at times very high density altitude situations carrying astronomically heavy loads, but it never caught on. For our world since we fly so many hours ( last year I flew over 400 hours in 6 months in the same ship) guys just develop a feel for what their ship is doing.
Dan

Dan, I certainly agree, time in the saddle beats any gadget. However, the reason years ago the SSA sponsored a contest to develop AOA is for safety. Many pilots just do not fly enough, or cannot make enough time to fly enough. They are on the fine edge of currency and compentancy. Maybe early season.

I am sure I will be fine without an AOA, but for the sport, I think it would be a good idea with the internal nav units we have as varios. I was under the impression that the Butterfly vario and LX90xx with horizon had all the necessary hardware, just needed software for AOA. Might save a life or two.

One thing I have learned through years of flying, sailplanes, helicopters and airplanes are that anyone can be distracted for a moment and anyone can make a mistake.



On Wednesday, April 20, 2016 at 12:33:51 PM UTC-7, wrote:
True Johnathan, there has been talk over the years about adapting AOA for the crop dusting world, as we are working with very high wing loadings and at times very high density altitude situations carrying astronomically heavy loads, but it never caught on. For our world since we fly so many hours ( last year I flew over 400 hours in 6 months in the same ship) guys just develop a feel for what their ship is doing.
Dan

True

Thats when darwin takes over. Actually the wright bros were the first to develop and use an AOA way before we had airspeeds. But I dont think they will ever come into vogue. What I worry about is more cockpit distraction. By the time a guy hears, recognises and responds to an AOA horn honking, he is already into the sheeit too deep.

When I am instructing, before a student goes solo, we pick a good soaring day and work for over an hour on stall after stall, flying the edges of stall, accelerated and soecially turning at various bank angles. I jnow instructors who only take their students thru full stalls and never give them a good dose of tasting all the edges. I also do eyes closed sensing, and airspeed covered up sensing, etc. i want all the signs of inpending doom well ingrained in my students psyche.
Dan
Dan