3 ms·
When encountering a hot upward draft, gliders fly in this pattern to make the most use of it.
by Rygian 4y ago
When encountering a hot upward draft, gliders fly in this pattern to make the most use of it.
- ars 4y agoWhy loops? Why not a simple circle?
- pbhjpbhj 4y agoI don't know, but surely it's to have more of the flight times in the warm centre of the updraft. Circles would miss the centre region for at least half the flight. Also a looped square would reduce the amount of flight when you're pitched, reducing strain? I'd expect they might do a crossover in the middle to do turns to both sides (left wing down, right wing down); but perhaps flyers prefer one side for turns.
- Rygian 4y agoLevel-wing flight inside the thermal will get you more upwards push than a continuous hard bank angle.
- LeoPanthera 4y agoOK so why not a rounded square? Or even a hexagon?
- Rygian 4y agoDiameter of the thermal vs loss of lift when banking for a right turning radius. If the thermal is wide enough, any pattern could do. If it's too narrow, any attempt at flying a circle inside of it will become an exercise of keeping maybe just the tip of one wing inside the thermal.