Quote:
Originally Posted by cujet
We operate some really high performance gliders. A DG1000 and a DG808b. Both have tiny frontal areas, high aspect ratio wings and are optimized for 65Kts and less. To compare lift over drag of the 2 aircraft is absurd. Put 100 foot of wingspan on the cardinal, remove the prop and it would do the same thing. It might even achieve a L/D of 50 to 1 just like the best gliders, regardless of nose shape.
|
The nose and pod shape in a modern sailplane is essentially a body revolution, and you are, in effect, saying that nose shape makes little or no difference.
I respectfully disagree. So do aerodynamicists such as Hucho, Hoerner, Carmichael, Lopresti, all the Germans who design modern sailplanes, NASA guys I talked with years ago, and mathematical modelers such as Zedan. Their research and published results show significant improvement of nose shapes over the years. That is why your DG1000 or an ASW22 noses look like they do and not like your Cardinal.
But, to prove your point, I double dog dare you to saw off the DG1000 nose and bolt on a Cardinal nose sans propeller, and see how she flies.