I'm sorry Kate but maths beats 'Feminine Logic' every
time.

If two gliders start at the same height & speed & accelerate
to the same speed then they'll lose pretty much the
same height & follow the same trajectory.

And before anyone else brings up golf balls & ping-pong
balls may I remind people that your average sphere
is a much much draggier shape than your average sailplane,
and the ratio of masses is way way way greater than
the ratio for a glider with / without ballast

At 00:18 16 September 2003, Glider Kate wrote:
Boys

You seem to be forgeting one or two things!!!

If two identical sailplanes with identical weight pilots
but with sailplane a) carrying water ballast and b)
dry. Set off in still air, side by side at the same
speed, say 45 knots and accelerate at the same rate,
to a new identical speed, say 100knots.

By the time they reach the new speed, sailplane a)
will accelerate faster and travel further and lose
more height than glider b).

No need for maths just a bit of feminine logic

Bye...............

Kate