DIYbanter - View Single Post - Fwd: Reno Air Race

Lloyd E. Sponenburgh[_3_]

fired this volley in
:

Trade altitude for airspeed in the turn so
you don't need to waste power getting the airspeed back after the
turn. You don't want to loose enough airspeed in the turn (heavily G
loaded) to stall the flight surfaces - or even get anywhere close.

Clare, you didn't think that out. Diving into a turn will gain you the
advantage of not losing airspeed, but what do you do in the next turn --
dive again?

How many turns do you execute before you meet the ground.

If you dive into a turn, you must climb on the straights. If you climb
during straight-ahead flight, you're "wasting airspeed" gaining altitude.
Ain't no other way it works.

It's a closed system -- you cannot maintain an "average" level flight
without expending a certain amount of power over the whole course. It
doesn't matter (on average) where you spend it if everything is
perfect... of course, things aren't 'perfect' in turns; the airplane is
"dirty" in turns, so you use less power regaining altitude in straight
flight than you would maintaining in in a turn.

But you _still_ "waste airspeed" gaining altitude. You can't not.

LLoyd