Are the coefficients used in acro-comps outdated?

Hi all.

The gliders have changed quite a bit over the last years, but the coefficients for the scores remain the same for the manouvers today as they did when acro comps started on regular gliders. Do you agree that the coeffisient for tailslide (1,15) held for 3 seconds should be lower than for a tumble (1,80) this is an example.

I just have the impression after one season of competing all the Norwegian comps that a Tailslide is a quite bit more difficult than a Tumble. If you let 50 acro pilots go for a Tailslide, Tumble, Misty Flip and a Mc Twist I'm quite sure that the Tumble would be performed by all 50. But for all 50 to hold a comp-Tailslide for 3 seconds on a acro-glider? I'm not sure. What about the Misty or Mc Twist?

Check out the coefficients on page 24 and 25 on the FAI official manouver board – solo
http://www.fai.org/hang_gliding/system/files/sc07b_aerobatics_2008.pdf

I'm happy as an amateur to get a good score of an easy-to-perform-Tumble, but is it fair? I don't think that all the scores apply for the modern gliders. What’s your opinion? I'd be happy if there was a discussion on the subject and that scores/rules where updated.

Vertical greetings -Mickey- ;)

"In ACRO it's not the speed that kills you, but the lack of it..."

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terry's picture

Hi Mickey,

Nice vid - i like the gps track!

Missing out assym spirals, looping(?) & dyamic SAT is a fast route to tumbling, if a bit unconventional lol ;-)

yellowbird's picture

Well thanks for the replys

The question was wether the coeffisients should be as they are, if it is correct then it should be like it is. I just had the impression that there where some manouvers that could have been swithced over

I heard that in Omgena there was for the first time not allowed to take Tumble and Infinite's in the same or was that SAT 2 Helico then Helico and that you have to fly out in between. Anyway these things make it more fair-play in my opinion.

And Terry, my recipe for a Tumlbe is easy. Since I never made good assymetric spirals I asked Ove Tillung (NO) if it was possible to do Dynamic SAT from Wing Overs, yes he said.

I have almost sweared that I will never do a tumble cause it is crazy. So I flew out, a bit stressed going wingovers for a Dyn SAT. I forgot one thing... in a Dyn SAT you then need to take the last wingover to the side you SAT. In my situation it would have been right.. But my last wingover was to the left... Well, I got congratulations from my friends, but for me it did not count since it was an accident, so I went out to do it again.

Luckilly André Bernhard filmed it http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vHyjaFprIJE

Vertical greetings -Mickey-

"In ACRO it's not the speed that kills you, but the lack of it..."

terry's picture

I wouldn't have practiced tailslide or some other basics if i hadn't been pushed to by Pal and Gabor this year.

I am pretty sure tumbling is not as easy as tailside - it is easy to forget all of the steps you had to practice to get to tumbling.

PalTakats's picture

I wouldn't say that Tail Slide is more difficult than a Tumbling, but the pilots are just simply doesn't give a shit to practice this maneuver. Than they get the kick in the ass when on a competition they put Tail Slide in the compulsory run. No doubt, it is a very precise figure and with nowadays small and radical acro wings it is getting a bit more tricky. However in my opinion it is probably the best - basic - figure to judge a pilot's canopy handling skills on a comp.
This year the pilots competed by the same rules like last year, however the judges announced some unofficial changes, how they'd like us to perform the maneuvers...Anyway, I hope for next year the misty to helico will be in the maneuvers list and finally 2 years after I showed it in paranoia we can choose it as an individual trick.

Pal, do you know about the basics updates, that will be changed for next year?

See ya!

paal's picture

Well.
You are actually wrong. The coeffisients have been updatet evere year exept last year. For next season there will be an update again.

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