[RCSE] Skegs

[DENDKN]

I completely agree with Simon, Klaus and others that skegs are crutches for most of us who can't land without them on the ridiculous runways for lawn darts often used in major US contests. We should adopt the FAI landing rules in US duration contests and forget skegs.  Small (~1" high, 1/4" wide rounded) skids are quite sufficient for the FAI landing plan if you know how to land in a reasonable space. This would be much easier on our sailplanes and ourselves. Dale Nutter Date: Wed, 22 Jan 2003 17:56:44 -0800 From: Simon Van Leeuwen <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: Klaus Weiss <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Cc: Soaring <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subject: Re: SKEG's and Actual Piloting Skill Message-ID: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> I have read here that the landing task is too easy, basically making it a landing contest. Skegs could be considered an external aid (like a crutch) to assist landing accurately. It would sure be interesting to observe how an individual's flying skill would increase if they actually had to manage the energy to land accurately and on time without one. I would have thought that most would have come to this conclusion, and made the landing task more difficult by removing this "landing aid" to make the whole process more challenging and no doubt more enjoyable. The argument that a skeg prevents sliding through the landing area and the dangers associated with this just points out that that particular aircraft is out of control. Klaus Weiss wrote: > > I have often commented, lightheartedly, on the use of skegs. We do not use > skegs at all, in Australia. I have yet to see someone injured by a model > sliding through the spot on landing. Admittedly, we use FAI landing spots, > but even so!! If a model touches someone on landing, then it is zero landing > points. Perhaps skegs have their place in the USA formats, but I think that > there is a risk of pilots becoming so dependant on them for landing, that > they forget how to land well. I haven't seen a U.S. TD contest. Perhaps > there are models flying all over the place in the landing zone. Landing > upwind, downwind, crosswind, vertically, inverted??? Don't know. Maybe skegs > are necessary :)  Maybe the landing zone is really the hazard zone. > > Klaus K Weiss > Sydney, Australia > www.hsl.org.au