I really do not want to start (or continue) a flame war but I've never seen
or heard of a skeg on a full scale sailplane.
I was flying R/C Sailplanes long before skegs (or any other skid arrestor
came into play) and for the life of me cannot see why they're used now.
There is nothing more beautiful or graceful than sailplanes flying and
nothing uglier than driving nails with the nose when landing.
What's the sense of emulating the beauty and grace of flight then crashing on
arrival.
No full size man carrying plane does that.
If you insist on "landing points" why not land along a 50' strip of surveyor
tape and give 100 points for nose on the centerline - deduct a point for each
inch away - and zeros for ground loops, crashes, inverted ending and lost
parts....??
If necessary you could have ten (10) of these as close as 10 feet apart and
for safety - a snow fence 20' upwind of the ribbon (tape).... behind which
all pilots and timers must stay until it is clear to retrive the plane and
measure the result.
I have used (and taught) this system since the late 60's and know hundreds of
people who use it.
Respectfully,
Jimbo (aka Jim Simpson, notorious in SD, TX, NE, and NM)
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