I don’t know if this is the right place to post this question.
I have been reading Kermode’s book for years. It contains a specific series of questions but no answers! The question is:
“Suppose one is flying an aeroplane well out. To sea when the engine fails; there is a good airfield just on the coast and it is touch and go whether one can reach it; (The picture shows the airfield on top of a cliff) you have disposable load on board, luggage, bombs, fuel passengers! or whatever it may be; should you jettison your load, and if so, when, and what should your tactics be to reach the airfield?
a) first consider that there is no wind
b)When your engine fails, you will probably be flying at a speed higher than that of your speed for flattest glide - what can you do with this speed?
c)What about drag? Can you get rid of any?
d) What about flaps? Should you use them or not? Yes, it all depends - but depends on what?
e)At what speed should you fly?
f)Should you jettison any load? If so, when?
Then repeat the above with a following wind.”
My thinking is:
b) Easy, I think! Trade speed for height.
The one that baffles me is f. I think that jettisoning load is throwing away energy, so load should only be jettisoned after all the potential energy has been extracted from it so this would mean just close to landing. Any ideas gratefully received.
Thanks
Paul