Frank Irving
The City College of the City University of New York
Keywords:
Aerodynamics, Design
Abstract
Goodhart has proposed a Figure of Merit which describes the potential cross-country performance of a glider and is independent of the weight of the glider. It is obtained by taking the maximum value of the ratio (average cross-country speed): (thermal strength). The purpose of this paper is to provide a theoretical justification for this Figure of Merit, to obtain its value for an idealized glider and some real gliders and to consider the practical implications of the theory.
Author Biography
Frank Irving, The City College of the City University of New York
