500 km Triangle at 306 km/hr in Argentina

Shawn wrote:
Marc Ramsey wrote:

306 km/hr true airspeed is 200 to 220 km/hr IAS at the 20000+ foot
altitudes used for these wave flights. Some gliders do require a
reduction in Vne at higher altitudes, but it isn't necessarily the
case that the limitation was exceeded.

I find these sorts of discussions amusing. Do F1 drivers religiously
follow redline engine speeds or anticipated braking limits for
conditions when they're out to beat the next guy?
Breaking records in aircraft is not analogous to driving the family SUV
to the mall, or the 1-26 around a silver distance triangle. Speed
limits and safe and reasonable don't apply. If it wasn't pushing the
envelope, we'd all be doing it.

And that's why I think these discussions are interesting instead of
amusing. What risks are they taking, and how did they determine these
risks? Klaus does not seem a like a crazy man, so I suspect his risk
analysis would be very enlightening. And now we know it's a modified
Nimbus, so perhaps he is not taking any extra risk at all - even more
interesting! I hope we hear more about the modifications and how they
tested their effect.

--
Eric Greenwell - Washington State, USA
* Change "netto" to "net" to email me directly
* "Transponders in Sailplanes" http://tinyurl.com/y739x4
* "A Guide to Self-launching Sailplane Operation" at www.motorglider.org