Stefan wrote:
Don Johnstone wrote:

I am not sure that enough G could
be pulled at speeds below VNE to cause serious catastrophic
failure as there is a margin between the placarded
limit and the design limit of most gliders.


IIRC, JAR requires a safety margin of 1.5

Va (maneuvering speed) is generally accepted as the highest speed you
can make full control deflections without exceeding the flight limits.
If there is a 1.5 safety margin, a speed only 22% higher would allow you
to exceed the design limits. On my ASH 26 Va is 99 knots, so this speed
would be 121 knots, 25 knots _below_ Vne. I am sure enough G can be
pulled at speeds below Vne to cause serious catastrophic failure.

Further, At Vne (47% higher than Va), you could pull 2.2 times the
flight limits!

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Eric Greenwell
Washington State
USA