Terminal Velocity, Fastest ?

[dropdeded 0]

Was having a discussion with my writing instructor about terminal velocity. I was under the impression that in order to reach the fastest possible terminal velocity you would have to be head down. He drew a guy in the belly down position, elbows and arms sharply bent and says it creates an airfoil effect and is much faster than head down. I thought that would still have much more wind resistance than head down?
Is this accurate? What is the fastest terminal velocity a human can reach and in what position must you be in?

dropdeded

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The Dude Abides.
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[quade 3]

http://www.speedskydiving.net/info/

Please note that all speeds listed are METRIC True Airspeeds.

quade -
The World's Most Boring Skydiver

[AggieDave 6]

I've done 170mph on my belly but I've done 275mph on my head. (both TAS)

--"When I die, may I be surrounded by scattered chrome and burning gasoline."

[Jib 0]

You can go faster with less surface area to the relative wind, a slipperier surface or being heavier. An airfoil creates lift, not speed.

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the depth of his depravity sickens me.
-- Jerry Falwell, People v. Larry Flynt

[JJohnson 0]

I think he is smoking crack. The least profile to the wind, the less resistance. So if all other things are equal, HD is faster than belly.
You could add weight and change the material of the jumpsuit to increase the fall rate of the belly flier. However if the same measures were taken by the HD person, he/she would still be faster.
I'm sure Bill Von could explain it far better than I can and even use the correct terms. But I think I'm on the right vein here.

JJ

"Call me Darth Balls"

[darkwing 4]

does your instructor jump? I bet not. Anyway, he is wrong. Head down it is. I'd guess that head down is faster than standing, even if the arms in the stand are straight up.

-- Jeff
My Skydiving History

[dropdeded 0]

does your instructor jump? I bet not.
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Nope, says he did one in like the 70s, and he was explaining to me what was explained and diagramed to him, in, like, the 70s

dropdeded

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The Dude Abides.
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[phonics1981 0]

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I think he is smoking crack.

LOL!!

Its just common sense that a smaller surface area presents less resistence and will therefore travel faster

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"Ive given up on sigs cos I make a mess of them!"
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[Remster 24]

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Please note that all speeds listed are METRIC True Airspeeds.

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Also they are avergaed over 1km (I think its the distance) as I recall....

Remster

[kallend 1,679]

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Was having a discussion with my writing instructor about terminal velocity. I was under the impression that in order to reach the fastest possible terminal velocity you would have to be head down. He drew a guy in the belly down position, elbows and arms sharply bent and says it creates an airfoil effect and is much faster than head down. I thought that would still have much more wind resistance than head down?
Is this accurate? What is the fastest terminal velocity a human can reach and in what position must you be in?

dropdeded

Both actual experience in speed skydiving (Craig Poxon has a nice site) and wind tunnel measurements of drag coefficients (see Hoerner's book on "Fluid Dynamic Drag") show that your instructor is mistaken.

...

The only sure way to survive a canopy collision is not to have one.

[Blahr 0]

The problem stems not from the jumps he made in the 70's, but rather, the acid he dropped in the 60's

or, more plainly, he is smoking crack :-)
;
;
;

[freakydiver 0]

Acid eating crack smokin whuffos. Whats next?!?@!

-- (N.DG) "If all else fails – at least try and look under control." --

[Remster 24]

In all fairness, this wuffo probably got confused with tracking…. When at the movies, you see the fastest speed when the jumpers adopt a track position… he probably mistook the faster H speed for faster terminal V.

Remster

[storm1977 0]

Drag/friction is directly proportional to surface area ans slickness of the material.

Given the same materials HD will always be faster. Unless this person has a HUGE ass and stomach which would give more surface on HD~

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Sometimes it is more important to protect LIFE than Liberty

[phonics1981 0]

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he probably mistook the faster H speed for faster terminal V.

Or, as JJohnson said, he may be smoking crack!

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"Ive given up on sigs cos I make a mess of them!"
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[w4p2 0]

During high altitude jumps speeds in excess of speed of sound. As for the position... I would be guessing the obvious.

Cheers: JL

[dropdeded 0]

At break I went to the LRC and read these replies then went back to class. I was gonna try to explain why he was wrong but thinking about his pompous ass, know it all attitude yesterday, I changed my mind. Fuck it, let him know what he thinks he knows.

As long as I learn something here, I mean, its all about me anyways

dropdeded

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The Dude Abides.
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[Amazon 7]

After you no longer have to deal with him or get a grade maybe take in video like Good Stuff or Crosswind......He will get the point...maybe he will come make another jump.

Like Dave Said... Belly is slower than head down
Me belly with arms close in feet on butt and slick jumpsuit 150.. head down dive looking at the ground 225 TAS. Get a protrack and see how fast you can go...

Amazon

[Tonto 1]

Your writing instructor needs to read more!

Head down is faster by a long way!

t

It's the year of the Pig.

[Yoshi 0]

actually I dont believe that the sound barrier has been broken yet, but very fast..


-yoshi

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this space for rent.

[BrianM84 0]

i actually think the sound barrier has been broken. I dont know for sure, but i thought it was something like in the Guiness book of records? i may be wrong though.
Brian McCarthy

EDIT:
10. Joe Kittinger made the highest intentional skydive in history when in 1960 he jumped out of a balloon at 103,000 ft., and is the only person to have broken the sound barrier with his body alone.

http://www.geocities.com/snowyssillyfacts/worldrec1.html

[Tilion 0]

Well that would explain it, since you can much more easily break the sound barrier at such an altitude.

[RippedCord 0]

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Was having a discussion with my writing instructor about terminal velocity.

...and a discussion with my physics professor on Chaucer.

AMDG

[colintri 0]

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i actually think the sound barrier has been broken. I dont know for sure, but i thought it was something like in the Guiness book of records? i may be wrong though.
Brian McCarthy

EDIT:
10. Joe Kittinger made the highest intentional skydive in history when in 1960 he jumped out of a balloon at 103,000 ft., and is the only person to have broken the sound barrier with his body alone.

http://www.geocities.com/snowyssillyfacts/worldrec1.html

103,000 ft?! I thought that wasn't possible because without a pressurized suit and oxygen supplement, you could certainly die up there. I could be wrong but is this really true?

[Remster 24]

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I could be wrong but is this really true?

Of course its true... do a search on his name and you shoul dbe able to find a lot of info on the jump. You do need a presurized suit. And a lot of money.

Also, there are 2 or 3 teams around the word right now trying to beat this record.

Remster