Red Bull Air races - Edge dominates. Why?

[plane]

My friend Len Rulason who is the crew chief for Kirby last year and Steve Jones this year has told me it's definitely worth their while money wise.

[Shaker]

It would have to be worth it for them to buy a new airplane solely for racing.

[Mithrandir]

I bet a suitably redesigned Lancair would eat up these aerobatic planes...
Clean/Low drag and high Roll rate are what wins... and the EDGE is the least "Dirty" from a drag standpoint.

The straight leading edge cause a bit of spanwise flow towards the root... (Or lessens the flow towards the tip) and thus makes a wing a little more tolerant of AOA before stalling... might be what is helping tighten up the turns....

Next thing you know... they will have inboard and outboard ailerons with scheduling of the "Flaperon" deflections with the elevator.... that would either tighten the turns (Until they are "G" limited/GLOC) or the same radius with less speed loss....

It is a race... someone oughta build a race plane for it...

Wasn't there originally an aerobatic element to this race???

[Ion01]

Here is an interesting article about the redbull race from 2005.
http://www.extraaircraft.com/email/r...continues.html
The edge wasn't always the best apparently.

[adrian]

and everybody thought the MX2 would rule - light, fast and ......................... didn't work

	Quote: Originally Posted by Ion01
	Here is an interesting article about the redbull race from 2005. http://www.extraaircraft.com/email/r...continues.html The edge wasn't always the best apparently.

[why_fly_high]

	Quote: Originally Posted by Ion01
	Here is an interesting article about the redbull race from 2005. http://www.extraaircraft.com/email/r...continues.html The edge wasn't always the best apparently.

Actually, did you read it? It talks about getting second and 3rd. I think Mike Mangold in an Edge won.

Dan

[why_fly_high]

	Quote: Originally Posted by Mithrandir
	I bet a suitably redesigned Lancair would eat up these aerobatic planes... Clean/Low drag and high Roll rate are what wins... and the EDGE is the least "Dirty" from a drag standpoint. The straight leading edge cause a bit of spanwise flow towards the root... (Or lessens the flow towards the tip) and thus makes a wing a little more tolerant of AOA before stalling... might be what is helping tighten up the turns.... Next thing you know... they will have inboard and outboard ailerons with scheduling of the "Flaperon" deflections with the elevator.... that would either tighten the turns (Until they are "G" limited/GLOC) or the same radius with less speed loss.... It is a race... someone oughta build a race plane for it... Wasn't there originally an aerobatic element to this race???

One thing to remember is that you are more or less speed limited because the rules limit you to 10 G's. If the course is tight kind of like San Diego, you can only go so fast. A plane that can pull 10 g's and not decelerate would be optimal.

There is usually a half cuban or some kind of vertical roll. I don't know why there isn't any vertical type turn arounds in San Diego.

Maybe you need to talk to the guys at Red Bull and see if they will let you take some Predators through the course. I bet Tim Just would like to try that.

Dan

[Troy P]

You'd have to compare wing loadings but I'd bet a Lancair's is higher than an Edge or Extra on top of the added 1000+ lbs gross weight with the Lancair.

[Troy P]

	Quote: Originally Posted by Ion01
	Here is an interesting article about the redbull race from 2005. http://www.extraaircraft.com/email/r...continues.html The edge wasn't always the best apparently.

That article was put out by the folks at Extra...

"Extra Aircraft Press Contact"

[Shaker]

	Quote: Originally Posted by adrian
	and everybody thought the MX2 would rule - light, fast and ......................... didn't work

Except Nigel Lamb kicked some serious butt in the MX2 here today. VERY fast and had he flown a better line he'd have won the qualifying rounds easily.

[Shaker]

	Quote: Originally Posted by why_fly_high
	There is usually a half cuban or some kind of vertical roll. I don't know why there isn't any vertical type turn arounds in San Diego. Dan

Because the race course is within the control zone of Lindbergh Field. No aerobatics permitted within a control zone. The FAA said no waivers on this one since Lindbergh isn't being shut down for the racing.

[Mike c.]

Extras fly nice, but I just LOVE my Edge 540!!
some of you guys will get to see the ONLY Edge at Tucson this year!

and in my avatar, to the left, is full scale Edge and Mx2 pilot, Greg Poe. I got to fly my Edge (that looks like his) for him and he also autographed my plane.