$1 billion BMS Ooops...

On Thursday, 18 March 2021 at 19:48:23 UTC, wrote:

Ian, newer flapped designs do well in weak conditions even with higher
wing-loadings. The glider I'm flying at the moment has a minimum
wing-loading of 9.5 lbs/ft2 (and I'm a lighter pilot), but I've never
landed it when someone else was able to climb away. Span-loading helps
(18m better than 15m). Not comparable to older unflapped designs.

When flying the Arcus M with a copilot and no ballast my wing loading is 49 kg/m2 (10 lbs/ft2). In spite of being a 'newer flapped design', in very weak lift pure gliders without ballast simply climb away from me. You may rightly assume that is indicative of my piloting skills, or lack of them! But when a good pilot joined me for a comp, the first time he was flying in very weak lift he quickly admitted that I hadn't been fibbing about not being able to climb in weak lift.