On Friday, February 3, 2017 at 10:19:00 AM UTC-7, Jim wrote:
My curiosity has been about the effect of just gross weight vs. wing loading on the

For example, let's stipulate a thermal providing a vertical force ( I avoid using newtons as the SI unit for force. I've never managed to get comfortable with it.) that would provide +5 kt lift to a glider with a gross weight of 800 lbs and a wing loading of 10 lbs / sqft.. I'm just making this stuff up. I am not trying to be realistic!

Now let's invent another glider with a wing loading of just 5 lbs / sqft. but with the same gross weight as the first glider.

Would the second glider, with a wing loading of just 5 lbs / sqft, get a better climb rate than the first glider since it appears it would need only half the lifting force per square foot of wing than would the first glider?

Unfortunately it is not that easy. The short answer is the lighter wing loading glider will climb better, just as the heavier will run better. The long answer is they won't fly at the same speed so the lighter wing loading glider has the advantage additionally of working a tighter core.