wingloading, weights, and wingsuits

[dhracer33 0]

This question is regarding wearing weights with a wingsuit. Figured I would talk to the swoopers since you guys seem to have a good understanding of how weight effects canopy performance.

I competed in the World Base Race this summer and this has got me thinking how to get the most speed from your suit.

Given the same height/weight person, same style wingsuit, and exact same body position (just in theory), would the jumper wearing a 15lb weight vest be have a higher forward speed? Same question would apply to jumper using same canopy w/ and w/ out weight vest. It would fly faster with the weights I think?

So considering the technique used at the cliff form the last race was almost a complete dive from exit to deployment, that would mean wearing some weights would be an advantage? Now distance is another story, lighter might be better there.

Any of you that have a good understanding of wingloading a canopy, plane, or whatever please chime in as I'm interested in your response.

[superstu 0]

that's a really interesting question, i would think jaymo would be a really good person to ask just cause of how much experience he has in both disciplines. but gut feeling is that cause you're "loading" the wing so high already any more weight would be even worse if you wanted to go for distance. it's like a parachute, there is a point where the amount of weight under the wing starts to be less effective for distance. however, i could be completely wrong, i'll be interested in hearing other people on this question.

Slip Stream Air Sports
Do not go softly, do not go quietly, never back down

[LouDiamond 1]

Quote

would the jumper wearing a 15lb weight vest be have a higher forward speed?

Neil, that is essentially correct since what you are talking about IS wingloading. Typically, wearing weights with a wingsuit doesn't equate the same way it does in RW where lighter jumpers are trying to stay with heavier jumpers. What happens is that the light jumper wearing weights may be able to get down to the flock but the added wingloading creates a higher forward speed. Essentially the same thing as with a canopy. For flocking it's not a good idea because now the jumper has a hard time slowing down to the flock and staying relative. It can be done but its like using a band-aid on a sucking chest wound.

However, in your case getting to the flock isn't a concern, speed is, so adding weights would give you an edge over a jumper of similar weight and suit as yourself.

Just think back to the times when a heavy dude put on a small winged wingsuit and tries to flock. The heavy dude typically hauls ass across the sky like a scalded ape.


The tricky part will be playing around with how much weight you need to add to see the benefit without hitting the point of diminishing returns as Swoopers have already found out.

"It's just skydiving..additional drama is not required"
Some people dream about flying, I live my dream
SKYMONKEY PUBLISHING

[ianmdrennan 2]

Quote

The tricky part will be playing around with how much weight you need to add to see the benefit without hitting the point of diminishing returns as Swoopers have already found out.

I actually asked Jay about that a while back and while I can't speak for him, at the time his answer: We haven't found it drop off yet.

For canopy piloting the problem becomes the skill it takes to effectively fly the wing at 'ultra' loadings - I suspect wingsuiting will suffer the same limitations.


Really interesting question by the op.

Blues,
Ian

Performance Designs Factory Team

[runnit 0]

Quote

***
The tricky part will be playing around with how much weight you need to add to see the benefit without hitting the point of diminishing returns as Swoopers have already found out.

I'd guess that balancing your weights so the centre of gravity is in the right spot WRT to the centre of pressure might be something to consider too. Think of a light aircraft, rather than a canopy.

There's an idea, maybe try find some pilots and ask what happens to their glide performance with a higher loading?

[yuri_base 1]

Wingsuit Studio's World BASE Race module answers your exact question.

Create a new pilot for yourself and enter some flight modes (which is a combination of sustained horizontal and vertical speeds) measured on skydives (in which case you need to first use Tools -> Flight Mode Converter to normalize numbers to sea level and standard temperature) or on BASE jumps using L/D Calculator module. Enter your normal exit weight, and then in WBR module you can see how extra weight affects the finish time.

Yes, extra weight = shorter time.


P.S. Not sure if this is a good example, but I make it to the windsock at Mt.Brento (precisely 1 mile from exit) in 40s without particularly trying to make it as fast as possible. I'm 250lbs. exit weight in Phantom-1. From what I've seen from lighter pilots in Vampires, they fly at least 50s (but again, without going specifically for speed, so this example is not a proof of the point I'm making).

Android+Wear/iOS/Windows apps:
L/D Vario, Smart Altimeter, Rockdrop Pro, Wingsuit FAP
iOS only: L/D Magic
Windows only: WS Studio