On Tuesday, February 17, 2015 at 11:53:58 AM UTC-6, Jim Lewis wrote:
Does wing loading have any affect on thermalling ability of a glider (pilot's ability is another topic)?

Indirectly, yes. It's sink rate at thermalling speed that has a direct effect on a glider's climb rate, if you assume a huge homogeneous thermal (or wave, for a more realistic example).

Remember the escalator analogy: Thermalling is like walking down an up escalator; higher wingloading means greater sink rate which equals walking faster down the up escalator - so you go up slower than the guy walking slower (lower wingloading = lower sink rate) down the up escalator.

That being said, unless the wing loading differences are huge, a skilled pilot in a heavier glider can often outclimb a less skilled pilot in a floater. It has a lot to do with thermalling technique and instrumentation.

So, if Joe Waterwings joins your thermal and starts to outclimb you (in your low wingloading segelfloater), follow him!

Oh, and ALWAYS start thermalling at 40 - 45 degrees of bank - then adjust as required.

And also, lower wingloading doesn't always equal lower sink rate, which depends on other factors such as drag, aspect ratio, etc, so wingloading comparisons have to be kept between similar gliders to be meaningful.

Kirk
66
min 8psf in my LS6