If this is your first visit, be sure to check out the FAQ by clicking the link above. You may have to register before you can post: click the register link above to proceed. To start viewing messages, select the forum that you want to visit from the selection below. |
|
|
Thread Tools | Display Modes |
#1
|
|||
|
|||
Visible wingtip vortex!
Yesterday I was flying back from a weekend camping trip, and came up
behind my friend in his AA5. I started getting up close, and was feeling the effect of the vortex off his right wingtip. I reached the point that I had my ailerons deflected almost 50-60% to the right just to stay level, when I suddenly SAW the vortex hitting my windshield! I know if I heard this description I would say it was bull****. But I saw it, as did my passengers. It was a tube of swirling distortion, dropping down off his wingtip and then coming back to us. At that point, I had rolled out of position, and was way off to his right. My passengers all wanted to see it again, so we dropped behind and started closing in again. Imagine the way heatwaves createa a shimmering effect. It was the same thing, except it was swirling instead of shimmering. We saw it twice more, and it was a lot of work to do it. There is a VERY narrow cone behind the wingtip in which it's visible, and it's very difficult to stay in one position while the vortex is essentially centered on the windshield. We all tried to describe it in words, and the bottom line is it looked like some strange special effect from a movie. Words like "wormhole" were thrown around. But if I had seen this in a movie I would have said it was bull**** and complained about directors making up crap just for special effects. So, I'm going to try to duplicate this at some point, and video tape.it. The sun was in front of us, and that may have played a part, but I'll find a way to duplicate it and get it on video. When I do, I'll post it on my site and I'll announce it here as well. Anyone else actually seen the wingtip vortex like I'm trying to describe? Bill Strahan ------------ Find a new reason to fly www.adventurepilot.com ----== Posted via Newsfeeds.Com - Unlimited-Uncensored-Secure Usenet News==---- http://www.newsfeeds.com The #1 Newsgroup Service in the World! 120,000+ Newsgroups ----= East and West-Coast Server Farms - Total Privacy via Encryption =---- |
Thread Tools | |
Display Modes | |
|
|
Similar Threads | ||||
Thread | Thread Starter | Forum | Replies | Last Post |
Wingtip Vortex: Heavy, Clean, Slow - Why? | Eric Nospam | Piloting | 23 | January 21st 05 03:09 AM |
flatlets | CV | Soaring | 8 | November 10th 04 05:16 PM |
New Aviation Product Announcement: Affordable Vortex Generators | Land Shorter! | Soaring | 6 | September 1st 04 05:40 AM |
vortex ring state at any point during an auto?? | Greg Johnson | Rotorcraft | 18 | August 30th 04 09:12 PM |
prarie vortex? does anyone recall this one from the 1980's | 87015 | Military Aviation | 0 | February 27th 04 11:27 AM |