0
feagajk

A revisit to the old wing loading question

Recommended Posts

Canopy performance proves to us that jumper A that has a wing loading of 1.2 on a 135 sq/ft main will have a vastly higher performance under the same canopy than jumper B at a wing loading of 1.2 on a 210 main due to shorter lines, less drag, etc, etc, etc.
My question is if jumper b loads his/her canopy to 1.4 (for arguments sake) does the canopy approach the same performace as jumper A's canopy? I guess the bottom line is does a heavier jumper at a slightly higher wing loading than a lighter jumper (with a smaller main) have comperable performance? I realize that im mixing apples and oranges to some extent.
Joe

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
Quote

Canopy performance proves to us that jumper A that has a wing loading of 1.2 on a 135 sq/ft main will have a vastly higher performance under the same canopy than jumper B at a wing loading of 1.2 on a 210 main due to shorter lines, less drag, etc, etc, etc.


I don't know where your proves come from, but there are a few reasons to think that it's exactly the opposite (better lift/drag for the larger canopy; swoop competitors jumping with weight...)
--
Come
Skydive Asia

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
It is not likely, because the higher wingloading on the larger canopy increases its speed, but does not shorten the lever of the longer lines, which are responsible for the smaller canopies' agility.
If i got this wrong, please correct me.
There's a good article on that matter by John LeBlanc at the PD Website
The mind is like a parachute - it only works once it's open.
From the edge you just see more.
... Not every Swooper hooks & not every Hooker swoops ...

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
Quote

Quote

Canopy performance proves to us that jumper A that has a wing loading of 1.2 on a 135 sq/ft main will have a vastly higher performance under the same canopy than jumper B at a wing loading of 1.2 on a 210 main due to shorter lines, less drag, etc, etc, etc.


I don't know where your proves come from, but there are a few reasons to think that it's exactly the opposite (better lift/drag for the larger canopy; swoop competitors jumping with weight...)



Crazy-
"We need to consider the fact that at equal wing loadings, the smaller jumper
has a much more responsive canopy than the heavier jumper has ever had
to deal with." -PD's website

The article was what got me thinking about this in the first place...

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
Quote

Crazy-
"We need to consider the fact that at equal wing loadings, the smaller jumper
has a much more responsive canopy than the heavier jumper has ever had
to deal with." -PD's website

The article was what got me thinking about this in the first place...



Yes, but you replaced the word responsive with...

Quote

vastly higher performance



and never defined your idea of performance.

Josh
That spot isn't bad at all, the winds were strong and that was the issue! It was just on the downwind side.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
Quote

So if we replace 'performance' with 'responsiveness' what are your thoughts?


'Responsiveness' is still a buzzword. Is a stiletto more responsive than a crossfire2? Ask 10 people, you'll get 10 different answers. Are you considering the 'responsiveness' at full glide or at other flying modes (recovery from a dive for instance). How do you quantify the input? An absolute input (for instance 3 feet of left toggle) or "proportional" input (for instance 70% of the full stroke).
One thing is sure: for a given model of canopy and a given wingloading, a smaller canopy will turn faster than the bigger one, from full glide, when you pull 3 feet of left togle on both canopies (because proportionally, it's a bigger input on the smaller canopy).
Anyway, the answer to your question is that anyway, if you take two different pilots, the differences of morphology, style, and skills, will make the comparison meaningless. If you take the same pilot and add weight, he might find the bigger canopy less responsive because his arms and risers are still the same length (and there are also strong subjective factors).
The article on PD site doesn't say much more than "different sizes have different performances". It doesn't provide any help to quantify or even qualify these differences.
--
Come
Skydive Asia

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

0