Glider down near Reno - pilot OK

M B wrote:
I've wondered, how about ejecting the canopy? It must
be an effective airbrake, lots of drag, right?''

And then if you have to bail, that's one less thing
to do, which is good...

I'm not saying this is realistic. I would be surprised
to find a pilot who would do this even if it would
save his life. Holding a spin all the way through
the lenticular is probably safer too, but it isn't
realistic to think anyone could actually accomplish
such a feat of willpower.

But both are worth a looksie from the armchair...


Doubtful that drag from canopy jettison would add enough drag to help
out of control spiral even if in that situation you could think of it.
As to spinning. Most gliders like this are not sufficiently stable in
the spin situiation
to count on this working. Even if in spin, if a gust unstalls the
glider(gusts can stall or unstall a glider) you are now seriously nose
down with no attitude reference or control.
Will be through VNE before you can count to 5.
In survival situation, best scenario is one that is most likely to keep
speed low and glider trying to fly in trimmed manner.
This would be:
Gear down
Flaps down in high drag configuration, if available.
Spoilers full open and held.
Trim into stable spiral in known direction before losing orientation.

This said- none of this would be useful in situation like described in
early part of this thread.
UH

At 15:24 09 November 2005, T O D D P A T T I S T wrote:
'bumper' wrote:

It went into an unstable phugoid oscillation with each
dive being steeper
than the previous. I chickened out and stopped the
'test' early on after my
ears got pinned back - - and I was in a closed cockpit
(g).

I did not have spoilers or gear out.

I have always done this with the brakes out. It's
always
entered phugoid oscillations, but not so bad that I
felt the
aircraft was in any danger. I must admit that sometimes,
they seemed to be getting more severe, but in the 8
-
10,000' I've had to play with, I've always been limited
by
the need to land, not by the need to protect the glider
from
itself. I'm reasonably confident that with 8,000'
or less
of cloud to descend through, it would protect itself
better
than I could.

I have yet to try the 'hold a magnetic compass heading
of
south with rudder only' method or the 'fly constant
GPS
heading' method to compare. The latter two are difficult
to
practice realistically in a single seat aircraft without
being contaminated/influenced by the visual horizon.
--
T o d d P a t t i s t - 'WH' Ventus C
(Remove DONTSPAMME from address to email reply.)

Mark J. Boyd