"Roy Smith" wrote in message
...
"Maule Driver" wrote:
Sailplanes are taped and sealed all over. It has nothing to do with the
type of tape and everything to do with eliminating unintentional air
eakage - in or out.

It starts with the all the control surfaces. It's a given that no air
should leak through any hinge line. Practically all production racing
sailplanes have sealed control surfaces.

Same with sailboats. The only movable underwater control surface on
most boats is the rudder. If it's mounted to the trailing edge of a
skeg (like the rudder is mounted to the vertical fin on an airplane),
the hinge gaps are often sealed with some kind of flexible fairing.

Similar techniques are used above the water, with the way sails are
attached to the headstay.

It's all pretty fanatical but it works from a racing perspective where a
1%
advantage is meaningful.

Same with sailboats :-)
No doubt. Turns out that the landmark book on sailplane racing, "Winning on
the Wind" was written by a guy who apparently took a lot of his approach
from sailing - George Moffat. Saving a few seconds here, a knot there, and
1% there, will win races when you put it all together. :-)