wingsuits from 870ft

[TomAiello 26]

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Even after a rodeo, he flew upstream for awhile.

I was very impressed with how quickly he got the suit flying. I pitched around 2, thinking that my opening would pull me off his back, and before I got open I could feel myself sinking out on him and (relatively) pushing hard down through him. Which means he had noticeable flight by around 3 seconds--and that's not a "huge wing" style suit.

-- Tom Aiello

Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com
SnakeRiverBASE.com

[KrisFlyZ 0]

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Which means he had noticeable flight by around 3 seconds--and that's not a "huge wing" style suit.

But Ofcourse!! Bigger wings take longer to start flying.

Kris.

[TomAiello 26]

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Bigger wings take longer to start flying.

?

Can you explain?

-- Tom Aiello

Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com
SnakeRiverBASE.com

[KrisFlyZ 0]

I am pretty sure I cannot explain. That was based on a remark I heard.

Experienced WS BASE jumpers want to share their thoughts on whether smaller suits start 'flying' faster ?

Kris.

[nicknitro71 0]

I thought was the opposite, large wings start generating lift at lower airspeeds...

Memento Audere Semper

903

[unclecharlie95 3]

As the theory goes:
Smaller wings means higher wing loading which in turn means higher stall speed. So the wing starts producing lift later.

I had left my V1 at the hotel, maybe next year. But I don't think the flight would be significantly better.
(unless we get one of those rocket suits from BM or Yves

BASEstore.it

[KrisFlyZ 0]

The statement I made above may not be true.

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As the theory goes:
Smaller wings means higher wing loading which in turn means higher stall speed. So the wing starts producing lift later.

I had left my V1 at the hotel, maybe next year. But I don't think the flight would be significantly better.
(unless we get one of those rocket suits from BM or Yves

I think it does not apply directly to this discussion because the stall speed we are talking about is horizontal. Moving forward at subterminal may have more to do with pilot skill than wing size.


Kris.

[Professor 0]

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But Ofcourse!! Bigger wings take longer to start flying.

Kris.

I've heard that theory before, and I think the explanation goes something like this:

The larger, flatter gliding suits gain much of their performance from additional forward speed, such that they're actually flying faster than the smaller suits in terms of overall speed, ie, a suit gliding at 1:1 with speeds of 50mph down and 50mph forward has an overall airspeed of 71 mph, where a suit gliding at 3:1 with speeds of 35 down and 105 forward has an overall speed of 111 mph. Think of the difference in wind noise in a V1 vs. a Classic. The V1 is falling slower, but it's going far faster overall. So it's easier for a smaller to reach a 'flying' speed, then for a larger suit. Something else: stall speed is not just a function of wing loading. Wing design plays in as well, and the longer, thinner airfoil of a larger suit may cause it to have a higher stall speed than a smaller suit.

Basically, the performance envelope of a smaller suit is at slower overall speeds, so it starts flying faster.

Ted
Like a giddy school girl.

[freeatlast 0]

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... I pitched around 2, thinking that my opening would pull me off his back, and before I got open I could feel myself sinking out on him and (relatively) pushing hard down through him. Which means he had noticeable flight by around 3 seconds--and that's not a "huge wing" style suit.

That's because of all the blueberry pancakes you and chris were eating