Max Drift.
He voss ein early Deutsche Flugzeugkapitan, und kompliziertes Maths voss not his bag, baby. "Ach so", he voss ein Tag musing, "Ve need ein simple method so dass wir das Wind Effect on unsere Flugzeuge compensating vor kann being are"
"Ve vill merely divide das Windgeschwindigkeit by unser TAS in nautisch Milen pro Minute. Das ist gut. I vill call it 'Max Drift'!"
And that's how it came about. All other simplifications for simpletons are at best a compromise. Airbedane's description is the only correct one on this thread.
Our hero Max also had a mate called Max in his Albatros Geschwader who was interested in manoeuvring. Having lost the odd wing or two attemptng to out dive die verdammte Tommies in their Sopwiths, he decided to try turning at high g instead. Because the Brits were all tanked up on rough French brandy and used engine castor oil, they couldn't keep up with Max.
His surname was Rate.
And that's how the Max Rate turn was born....
