New vs. dissipating clouds
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New vs. dissipating clouds
Hi,
Is it possibble to tell the difference between new and dissipating cumulus clouds in Condor?
// Mikkel
Is it possibble to tell the difference between new and dissipating cumulus clouds in Condor?
// Mikkel
Re: New vs. dissipating clouds
Yes.
But its a subtle difference, as in real life.
But its a subtle difference, as in real life.
Chris Wedgwood,
Condor Team
Condor Team
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Re: New vs. dissipating clouds
Okay great
I'll have to practise telling the difference then.
I'll have to practise telling the difference then.
Re: New vs. dissipating clouds
Hi The Drafter
An hour or two cross country in the Grunau in less than ideal conditions will definitely help.
One; you have plenty and plenty of time to observe the clouds as you approach them as it takes ages and you will definitely see them dying in front of you and
Two; you can't afford to get it wrong too often otherwise you are just watching from a field.
I'm pretty sure I can tell the difference between forming and dissipating but I have no idea how to explain it so it is quite close to real life.
I think there is more 'form' to clouds that are forming and less firmness (a fuzziness almost) with the clouds that are dying.
Best of luck
Steve
An hour or two cross country in the Grunau in less than ideal conditions will definitely help.
One; you have plenty and plenty of time to observe the clouds as you approach them as it takes ages and you will definitely see them dying in front of you and
Two; you can't afford to get it wrong too often otherwise you are just watching from a field.
I'm pretty sure I can tell the difference between forming and dissipating but I have no idea how to explain it so it is quite close to real life.
I think there is more 'form' to clouds that are forming and less firmness (a fuzziness almost) with the clouds that are dying.
Best of luck
Steve
Re: New vs. dissipating clouds
The difference is subtle for sure. I think the easiest way to see it is the darkness of the base. I made a timelapse "training video" :
Re: New vs. dissipating clouds
Nice video, thanks !
One interesting thing to notice (especially in the first part of the video): one can see very well the difference between ridge thermals and flatland ones : ridge thermal clouds (green dots) do not drift with wind whereas the flatland ones do
take a look at 0:19 close to the right hand border of the screen
One interesting thing to notice (especially in the first part of the video): one can see very well the difference between ridge thermals and flatland ones : ridge thermal clouds (green dots) do not drift with wind whereas the flatland ones do
take a look at 0:19 close to the right hand border of the screen
CN: MPT — CondorUTill webpage: https://condorutill.fr/
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Re: New vs. dissipating clouds
Spirals wrote: ↑Thu Aug 09, 2018 4:41 pmHi The Drafter
An hour or two cross country in the Grunau in less than ideal conditions will definitely help.
One; you have plenty and plenty of time to observe the clouds as you approach them as it takes ages and you will definitely see them dying in front of you and
Two; you can't afford to get it wrong too often otherwise you are just watching from a field.
I'm pretty sure I can tell the difference between forming and dissipating but I have no idea how to explain it so it is quite close to real life.
I think there is more 'form' to clouds that are forming and less firmness (a fuzziness almost) with the clouds that are dying.
Best of luck
Steve
Thanks for the tips, Steve! Sounds like a really good exersice
Wow great video! It seems the new clouds are much more defined actually. Thank you Jan!
Re: New vs. dissipating clouds
Interesting indeed
And i always thought, the source of a thermal, cornfield, city or whatsoever, would be stationary an the hose or bubble of uprising air would drift with the wind.
This looks quite different from what I learned ??? ( the source of the thermal moves too]
Christian
And i always thought, the source of a thermal, cornfield, city or whatsoever, would be stationary an the hose or bubble of uprising air would drift with the wind.
This looks quite different from what I learned ??? ( the source of the thermal moves too]
Christian
Re: New vs. dissipating clouds
You can confirm our model by downloading igc files from a flatland gliding competition and see that the gliders at different heights are still stacked vertically ==>> therefore the whole thermal moves with the wind.Crakob wrote: ↑Sun Aug 12, 2018 12:14 pmInteresting indeed
And i always thought, the source of a thermal, cornfield, city or whatsoever, would be stationary an the hose or bubble of uprising air would drift with the wind.
This looks quite different from what I learned ??? ( the source of the thermal moves too]
Christian
Mountain thermals are different..
Chris Wedgwood,
Condor Team
Condor Team
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Re: New vs. dissipating clouds
That is a very interesting fact, as most places thermals are explained as almost static, slanting with the wind.
Re: New vs. dissipating clouds
Sometimes you can see a thermal forming on the ground, because of dust or leaves forming a small "tornado". And just like a real tornado, you will notice they move with the wind. This is also my experience with RC gliders. They may not move as fast as the wind, and thermals could also be slanted if for no other reason then the wind gradient.
- timbaeyens
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Re: New vs. dissipating clouds
The wind gradient is there mainly due to surface friction, so Jan is correct.
TT
Re: New vs. dissipating clouds
It seems that Condor flatland thermals are always columns.
There is of course another type of thermal as described in many sources, that are basically bubbles that rise alone and not continuously like a plume. You can fly under or above a rising bubble and miss it. The bottom and top have the least lift, while the fat vertical center of the bubble has the most.
There are still discussions about which type is the real one, and that will probably continue until we have devices that can capture thermals optically by measuring the refraction index up and down the plume or the bubble, sort of like RL thermal helpers.
Some pilots have reported bubbles within columns, and columns. Although I haven't seen any report of multiple bubbles from the same source, but I am quite new here and not anywhere near an expert in atmospheric knowledge.
There is of course another type of thermal as described in many sources, that are basically bubbles that rise alone and not continuously like a plume. You can fly under or above a rising bubble and miss it. The bottom and top have the least lift, while the fat vertical center of the bubble has the most.
There are still discussions about which type is the real one, and that will probably continue until we have devices that can capture thermals optically by measuring the refraction index up and down the plume or the bubble, sort of like RL thermal helpers.
Some pilots have reported bubbles within columns, and columns. Although I haven't seen any report of multiple bubbles from the same source, but I am quite new here and not anywhere near an expert in atmospheric knowledge.