Dynamic soaring update - 505 mph

[rcgldr]

The previous threads are too old to reply to, so here's a link to a video of a radio control glider achieving 505 mph, which I think is the current record. The wind speeds were 50 to 62 mph, with gusts up to 68 mph. Near the end of the video, the glider drops out of sight of the camere due to a bulge in the slope, but the pilots view was not blocked and you hear the glider zooming upwards as it goes past the camera. Note the guys with the radar guns and cameras take shelter behind walls made of fairly large rocks, as seen in the second video.



Earlier that same day, a run of 503 mph:



Wiki article that explains how this works:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dynamic_soaring

 

[A.T.]

Wiki article that explains how this works:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dynamic_soaring

Here an animated explanation:

 

[CWatters]

The previous threads are too old to reply to, so here's a link to a video of a radio control glider achieving 505 mph, which I think is the current record.

That could be a record for any model aircraft including those powered by pulse jets or gas turbines (440mph?).

 

[rcgldr]

That could be a record for any model aircraft including those powered by pulse jets or gas turbines (440mph?).

There are rules that restrict the top speed of models depending on the country ("waivers" are possible), and the issue of a radio control model operator being able to see the aircraft, and the jets can't handle the 50+ g's of centripetal acceleration that the dynamic soaring gliders deal with in order to move in circles tight enought to remain visible to a ground based "pilot". As for remote controlled aircraft, some military drones are supersonic.