Altair Glide Computer and Navigation System User Manual Page 57

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5 GLIDE COMPUTER
Speed to fly with risk
The speed to fly system can be compensated for risk, in which the MacCready setting used for
calculating the speed to fly (in both Block or Dolphin modes) is reduced as the glider gets low. This
feature performs automatically what many pilots use to do manually. The theory governing how this
is implemented in XCSoar is based loosely on the paper by John Cochrane, “MacCready Theory
with Uncertain Lift and Limited Altitude” Technical Soaring 23 (3) (July 1999) 88-96.
A configuration parameter γ (‘STF risk factor’, in the configuration settings under page ‘Glide Com-
puter’) controls how the risk Mc value is calculated. The γ factor determines the fraction of the
current MacCready setting as a function of the height fraction. The height fraction used in this
calculation is the ratio of the height above the break-off height above terrain (h) to the height of the
maximum climb above the break-off height above terrain (h
top
).
For the default value, γ = 0.0, there is no compensation – the risk Mc is the same as the Mc setting.
For γ = 1.0, the risk Mc is scaled linearly with the height fraction h/h
top
. For intermediate values
of γ, the risk Mc varies smoothly with the height fraction, such that the risk Mc is small only when
low.
Low values of γ are best when pilots do not want to slow down as they get low (but risk out-landing);
high values of γ can be used for very cautious pilots but will result in lower average speeds.
A value of γ = 0.3 is recommended.
5.6 Safety heights
Three safety heights are defined to provide a degree of safety margin in glide computer calcula-
tions.
XCSoar Manual (Altair version) XCSoar-A-EN 50
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