Best LD

[Suntan]

Just throwing it out there. Where is best LD on a Paraglider in no wind? I teach that in general hands up is best LD for most beginner Gliders but I can say confidently that Claudio was correct when he told me that I should be on a bit of Speedbar for best LD on my Nova Mentors.

[Suntan]

Found this on the Nova site,


Normal flight
The MENTOR 6 has its best glide performance at trim speed, i.e. when
the brakes are fully released. In calm air, the wing will travel the greatest
distance over a given height.
With headwind or a sinking airmass, maximum glide can be achieved
by using the speed system. During accelerated flight in turbulent air,
attention should be paid to the dynamic reaction of the wing in case of
a collapse. Lots of height above the ground is advisable.
In strong turbulence it is advisable to gently pull both brakes to increase
stability. The brakes provide feedback about the surrounding air,
which is needed for active flying.
By active flying we mean the constant control and correction of the
angle of attack in turbulent air. For example, if a pilot flies from an area
of lift to an area of sink, if there is no pilot input, the angle of attack will
be reduced and the wing will pitch forward. Reduced brake pressure
will indicate the start of this pitch movement to the pilot.
The correct reaction is to increase the brake input to prevent the

[tnankie]

As far as I've read, all glider tend to have their best glide ratio at trim in dead calm air. It's just that as the performance/class goes up, the speed bar become less of a sink bar so it becomes advantageous to use bar in less and less sink/headwind.


...and then there is using bar to cover distance more rapidly.

[Suntan]

Thanks Tom
That's what I believe to be true as well. I'm going to review some manuals.

[Ihor]

To me the best LD is always the one where you can get to your intended LZ, even if you have to kick the damn tree tops out of the way to get there.