Mooney M20J air racing technique

[carusoam]

Distance from the pylon increases greatly with lower bank angles...

They are trying to drive the straightest (shortest) line between three points.

In their business, inches matter...

Lessons learned as a slalom skier....,

Best regards,

-a-

[jetdriven]

The problem with going over 60 degrees of bank is the G loading and accompanied loss of airspeed. There is a balance between flying too many air miles and losing 30 knots or more of IAS.  Somewhere near 60 degrees of bank is the trade. The J does not recover airspeed so well. It takes sometimes a full minute (2.5 miles) to go from 170 to 195 MPH IAS.

[Hondo]

Race car drivers brake before a turn and then power thru it.

 

Turn radius decreases as a function of V^2.  Time thru the turn at 80 will be almost 70% quicker than at 60. While the drag will be higher at 80, you will be subject to it a shorter time.   

Maybe it would be faster to pitch up to gain altitude and slow as you roll into the turn and then descend out of the turn to regain speed as you roll out and return to the entry altitude.  

Climbing on turn entry will reduce speed, tighten the turn, increase the turn rate and allow descent and acceleration out of the turn.  It is similar to car racing technique.

[jetdriven]

it takes energy to climb, energy to accelerate, and you lose energy in a steep turn. The aircraft only has 200 HP and thats the sole source of energy.  I can tell you that losing 50 knots in a steep turn will lose far more energy than simply flying a larger arc around the turn at full speed.

[Super Dave]

Even if steeper bank angles are the fastest way around the course... regulations require parachutes for anything greater than 60 degrees.

[Hondo]

Yep,  60 would be my limit. 

 

You would lose kinetic energy in a climb of probably less than100', but altitude gain is potential energy which you can reclaim on descent.

 

This link has a relevant comment about turning technique from Jon Sharpe, the winningest air race pilot in history.

 

 

http://precisionboard.com/news/jon-sharp-air-racing-lockheed-martin-part-2-2/

 

He said, "I ended up placing dead last on that first race, mainly due to the typical rookie mistake of ballooning up in the turns. That was the first air race I ever saw, and it was from the cockpit.”

 

Looks like flat wins.

[Jeff_S]

Hi Byron, Becca et al,

 

I dusted off this old thread to help me prepare for the AirExpo race coming up in two weeks: http://sportairrace.org/sarl/node/2201. I've been wanting to do this for a while, and an event came up that is close enough to Atlanta to make it reasonable.  I've read through all the tips, but having surveyed the race course there are several turn angles that are quite acute (or oblique...can't remember my HS geometry, all I know is they are way more than 90 degrees!).  Are there any other recommendations besides what's already been said to handle these types of turns.  As luck would have it, I have been practicing my steep turns lately and don't have any problem cranking it over to 50+ degrees, but that's in level flight. I'll have to go practice some 60 degree descending turns.

 

Thanks!

[carusoam]

More than 90° is gentle...

Less than 90° is tighter...

Bank angle...

Gentle turns don't slow you down as much.

Tighter turns cover less distance.

Is that what you meant?

Becca IS our resident expert!

Best regards,

-a-