276 



ANNUAL REPORT SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION, 19 30 



The folio wins: table shows a number of duration records: 



It is seen that the records at the Wasserkuppe have dropped far 

 behind those at Eossitten. Such flights are a useful stimulus to 

 the sport but do not much help further developments of soaring. 

 For this reason cross-country flights have been preferred at the 

 Wasserkuppe as eminently serviceable for research work, and by 

 this means alone new regions of favorable rising winds have been 

 delimited, and the practice of soaring has been made less dependent 

 on time and place. The performance has been steadily improved and 

 a high aeronautical and scientific standard of instruction in the 

 methods of soaring has been attained. The following table shows 

 the progress made since 1922: 



The technique of cross-country soaring flights is best shown by 

 plotting the course on a counter map, with barogram readings of 

 the heights attained, and other information supplied by the pilot. 

 Plates 8 and 7 show the masterly flights of Nehring and Hirth, 

 from the starting point round a fixed mark and back. Soaring 

 flight by Nehring round the Heidelstein on the Darmstadt, August, 

 1927, is shown in Plate 8, Figure 1 ; soaring flight by Hirth round 

 the Schweinsberg on the Lore, July, 1929, is shown in Plate 7, 

 Figure 1. 



In the flight round the Heidelstein, Nehring first soared over the 

 south slope of the Wasserkuppe until he had gained 150 m. height 

 above the starting point. He then flew parallel to the ridge and at 

 right angles to the prevailing wind to Miinzkopf, where he used 

 the strong upcurrent to reach his maximum height at 260 m., which 

 was sufficient to reach the Heidelstein and return to the starting 

 point. 



