Flying round the airport to slow down the aircraft?

Sbb1413

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I have a very little experience in aircraft flights (I flew in aircraft only thrice in real life), and I want to slow down my Delta Glider to land on a runway in Orbiter. I am used to reduce the throttle to slow down the Glider, but my father said that I should fly round the airport to slow down the aircraft for landing. However, I don't see such method applied in Shuttle landings. Therefore, I am wondering whether flying round the airport is effective to slow down the aircraft.
 

N_Molson

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The Shuttle did "S-turns", which is the same idea : using high AoA (hence drag) and centrifugal forces to reduce the forward velocity vector. Its a technique I used in many sim games when I'm too fast in front of the runway. A couple of aggressive S-turns usually do it. The Shuttle had airbrakes (tail) for fine control on approach.

Now what your father said is probably what a civilian or military real life pilot would do. If you're too fast you enter the (usually left-hand) loop and just wait for your speed to decrease.

Now the Shuttle was "special" because it was an atmospheric glider, so it had to manage the energy carefully and there was only 1 landing attempt possible. The DeltaGlider, despite its name, is powered and allows you to throttle up and go around if you miss.
 

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Also, after the S-turns during reentry, the Shuttle entered a phase to condition its energy for landing, called Terminal Area Energy Management (or TAEM). There the Shuttle used airbrakes and wide turns to aim for a specific energy before reaching the landing site.


Next, the Shuttle flew around a heading alignment cone, a virtual cone in front of the runway, to get lined up and manage the final energy. Which HAC to fly around was decided before or during reentry and depended on the approach direction and wind conditions.

The HAC is an idea from Dynasoar days and really easy, a similar maneuver (but closer to what your father suggested) was done with the X-15.
 

Gingin

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@soumya-8974 : you have the glideslope mfd which is very useful and can replicate a Heading Alignement Cone Shuttle like logic with an Energy Management function to handle high or low energy situations ( quite versatile ).
S-Turns are for really high energy situations. With that mfd, you should be able to manage better your altitude vs range vs speed post entry ( within 60 Nm ish from the targeted field)

https://www.orbiter-forum.com/threads/glideslope-2-7-for-orbiter-2016.34181/
 

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The Shuttle is a glider with less maneuverability than a plane. So the s-turns & roll reversals work better than circles.
But the principle is the same. The Deltaglider handles more like a plane, so you can use a little thrust and circle around with no problems.
 

Sbb1413

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Thanks a lot. I just want to land DG correctly on the runway, not the Shuttle (which I can land by using roll reversals and S-turns).
 

N_Molson

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If you are really in a hurry you can engage the airbrakes AND full retro, or for more style points dive low, then perform a cobra manoeuver igniting the hovers in the process * :cool:

Edit * : in that case, right after touchdown, locate the defibrillator and ask for the cabin cleaning crew on VHF, because your passengers are probably not too well :sick: ;)
 
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N_Molson

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Agree, but actually I had Interstellar in mind. What he does is pretty much a "banked Cobra" "Brand (ironic) : very graceful. Cooper : No. But very efficient." ;)
 

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Of course, you could also try lithobraking in Orbiter....
 

N_Molson

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Of course, you could also try lithobraking in Orbiter....

2000% guaranteed to work with Parking Brake MFD :hailprobe:
 

Marijn

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Here's how a Delta Glider can be landed using roll reversals using the default 'In Orbit' scenario (so the ship is ca. 50% fueled) and some common MFD's. The reentry is quite aggressive and landing is on a pad.
 

N_Molson

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Drop the regolith anchors ! :probe:
 

Linguofreak

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'S-Turns' is only the correct term during the last terminal area energy mgmt phase of the flight. During most of the reentry, it should be called roll reversals. Learned that from this excellent vid:

Eh. The turns still make S-shapes. They're just reeeeeeeeally elongated.
 

N_Molson

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Aren't all anchors regolith anchors?

Actually most of them, yes. There are floating anchors but their use is a bit specific. Also you have specialized designs given the nature of the sea floor. Some are better for sand, others for rocks or gravel... But same idea yes.

Edit : but in the shallow, coastal waters where I practiced sailing the most, the seafloor was a thick layer (up to 1 meter) of dense, jelly-like (and stinky) mud. Sediments from organic decay. I think our anchor was that type (not easy to grapple anything, anchors 'arms' were more like shovels). I'd say organic matter dead or alive isn't regolith.
 
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N_Molson

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Back on topic, Air Transat Flight 236 is an example of gliding approach (caused by a fuel leak). Pilots did some S turns because they were too high and fast (and had not enough power for flaps or airbrakes, only basic flight controls and emergency instrumentation), once fuel-empty the plane glided almost too well. Still blew 8 tires on landing, but no serious injuries. (y) :salute:

Though criticized for letting the X-feed valve on, the pilots got a special FAA award for the "longest glide on a passenger plane" ?

 
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