Comparison flight tests of Orao II and Weihe

Abstract

When a revolutionary design such as the Orao II of Obad and Cyan appears in competition there also appear wild guesses and opinions as to its performance. Some designers are occasionally too proud to permit their craft to be evaluated. It is fortunate for the international soaring movement that Boris Cijan not only did not object to the foregoing comparison test but indeed cooperated in its execution. His contribution to sailplane design thus becomes immediately available to other designers the world over. In tum Cijan as a result of these tests appreciates the fact that Orao II can be improved by the same techniques MacCready used on the Weihe. In this program it is hoped the reader sees the function of OSTIV, the world dissemination of information on soaring flight.