Yes. But if climbing while making cross country speed and distance is the
objective, the best climb is accomplished with wings level. A powered
glider of *any* sort is capable of exploiting this when going cross country.

Just as any cross country glider pilot strives to 'climb straight ahead' as
much as possible, it is an optimal technique for a powered a/c in cc flight.
In point-to-point flight in a field of thermals, the fastest or most
efficient path is *not* a straight line or is it in level flight.

Go glider pilots!!

"Shirley" wrote in message
...
wrote:

1. As Kees noted in his last post here,
efficient thermalling requires steep
banking near stall.

Almost all replies to this topic have given the impression that the
steeper the
better -- that's not *always* true. Depending on the size and strength of
the
thermal, sometimes banked a little less makes more effective use of the
lift,
exposing more of the surface of the aircraft to the rising air.

--Shirley
Glider Pilot