Glider Shapes

Excuse MY ignorance !

Is there an advantage of the parallelogram configuration over the
conventional stick in the manufacture or in the handling ? For a
"universal" glider, the simpler it is with all the specs already given
(L/D, retractable gear, etc...), the more appealing it would be.
Eventually, though, ease of manufacture and price will be the
clinchers.

Cheers, Charles

On Jan 4, 4:53*pm, wrote:
Excuse MY ignorance !

Is there an advantage of the parallelogram configuration over the
conventional stick in the manufacture or in the handling ? For a
"universal" glider, the simpler it is with all the specs already given
(L/D, retractable gear, etc...), the more appealing it would be.
Eventually, though, ease of manufacture and price will be the
clinchers.

Cheers, *Charles

Charles -

Supposedly there is an advantage in the arm movements required for
pitch adjustments. The Parallelogram stick means that if you feel a
sudden "G" force up or down, it won't likely cause you to move the
stick (whereas if a pivoting stick was already forward or aft some,
the "G" force would tend to make it go in that direction more with the
increased weight of your arm and the lag in response-time of human
muscles, and anatomical arrangements and whatnot).

However, I've tried a couple of Zuni sticks (the sliding kind) and a
DG-303 stick (true parallelogram) while on the ground. Both were a
bit weird, and I did NOT like the Zuni stick. My reasoning is this:
The straight push-pull arrangement requires that you move your whole
forearm to change the stick position (pitch up or down), whereas a
"traditional" stick just requires small wrist movements. Therefore I
think its easier to be sensitive and have fine-motor-control with a
traditional stick (wrist and hand muscles and nerves are WAY more
coordinated than forearm and elbow muscles). I also wonder about the
ability to feel "stick forces" through the push-pull or parallelogram
arrangements. Don't want to over-control at high speed or miss the
cues that you're slowing in a thermal turn and risking mushing or
stalling...

Just my $0.02 - I've only been flying for a couple of years at this
point, so I'm certainly no sage!

Take care,

--Noel

Is there an advantage of the parallelogram configuration over the
conventional stick in the manufacture or in the handling ?

Why not just skip back in time, put in an F-16 non-moving sidestick
(uses strain gages) connected to a fly by wire computer, full digital,
quad redundant (FOUR batteries?) and hook the autopilot up to SeeYou
Mobile? The IGC approved logger feeding altitude to SeeYou (Version
26) should allow the pilot to take a nap during that 4,000 k flight...

Oh, sorry, I'll shut up, since I'm just a lowly 1-26 driver. Yeah,
some think it's a shape only a mother could love, but I love mine --
as the article in AOPA Pilot said: "Love the one you're with."

-Pete
#309